Bad weather has caused extensive damage in Crete, while the Lassithi Plateau has turned into a flooded area, hitting the agricultural sector hard. Thousands of hectares of agricultural land are under water, while producers have lost their crops after the heavy rains of the last few days. At the center of the damage are potato crops. According to the president of the Lassithi Plateau Agricultural Association, Manolis Paterakis, about 5,000 to 6,000 hectares of potatoes have been destroyed, with losses estimated at 20,000 to 25,000 tons of produce.
“The destruction is total,” declared Paterakis, describing the situation in the flooded fields. In some areas, the water level has reached up to three or four meters, while the standing of the water for days in a row completely endangers the crops. For farmers, the damage is not only related to the loss of this year's production. They have already invested in seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, fuel and labor, while the production that would return these expenses has been destroyed by the floods. “They will not be able to live, let alone cultivate”, is the warning of the farmers, who fear that without financial assistance they will find it impossible to return to their fields in the next season.
The damage is not limited to potatoes. Fruits, vegetables and other crops have also been severely damaged. The mayor of the Lassithi Plateau, Giorgos Athanasakis, has stated that “everything was destroyed”, while a preliminary assessment puts the financial damage at around 8 million euros. The floods have also affected the infrastructure of the area. Roads, drainage canals and the agricultural network have been damaged, while producers require urgent intervention for the cleaning and reconstruction of canals and roads.
