The powerful hailstorm in southern Bulgaria has destroyed thousands of acres of agricultural production (video)

The powerful hail that hit Southern Bulgaria yesterday, and in some places the ice pieces were the size of walnuts, has caused enormous damage. Thousands of acres of agricultural produce were destroyed in Starozagorsk and Plovdiv, BNT and bTV reported.

The Hail Enforcement Agency said it fired 600 missiles to prevent more trouble. This morning temperatures are low, there are frosty conditions in places, forecasters warn.

In the Stara Zagorje village of Zetivo, there is serious damage to the crop. Such mass destruction was last seen in 2018, local agronomists say. About 5,000 acres of agricultural land were completely destroyed, announced the mayor of the village, Ivan Ganev.

Damage assessments are ongoing, with areas affected expected to increase as a second hailstorm fell last night.

Neighboring villages were also seriously affected. Only part of the farmers have insurance.

“The situation is deplorable. 5,000 acres have been destroyed – with corn, sunflower, chickpeas and wheat. There are also orchards affected,” Ganev added.

In Slivensko, the damage is also huge. In the village of Karanovo in Novozagorsk, more than 140 decares of vineyards have been damaged and people say that they do not know if there will be a harvest. Barley and wheat crops in the area have also been destroyed, growers say. It was a dry city for 20-30 minutes, then it started raining, we have never seen anything like this, say the locals.

Harvesting, where there is it, will be very difficult, in places harvesters will not even enter. Many farmers rely on their harvest. Now people can rely on the state and the Ministry of Agriculture, and hopefully measures will be taken, because the situation is terrible,” said the mayor of the village, Nikolina Stefanova.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announced that expert commissions were formed with representatives of the Regional Directorates of Agriculture to immediately examine the damage to the plantations from the hail that fell on April 25.

According to preliminary data, the most affected agricultural areas are in the regions of Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Sliven.

The Ministry of Agriculture reminds that after the occurrence of the event, farmers must submit an application for an inspection within 7 days. Based on it, finding protocols are issued for 100% failed areas as a result of unfavorable climatic conditions, including hail. The documents will be accepted at the Municipal Services for Agriculture.

Once the commissions describe the damage, the farmers will be able to receive compensation under the state aid to compensate for the damage caused by adverse climatic events.