Greater Poland District, Kolo County, Poland
In Poland, crop farming has always been an essential industry of the country's economic growth. Polish farmers have persevered through decades of worsening drought conditions.
Over the last 20 years, a heavy focus has been placed on studying the increasing threat to crop development in the region. In EU development policies, Drought is seen as a threat to sustainable development, a humanitarian issue, and a driver of mass migration and political instability.
August to October 2017, Heavy rains and floods occurred all through Poland, devastating the regions crop farms. The lands dry and compact condition inhibited the soils' ability to absorb and hold moisture, resulted in more rainwater flowing from the slopes of Poland's ice-capped mountains and more flooding.
In 2018, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Krzysztof Jurgiel, the European Commission has posted that one agricultural practice is in particular need of aid - crop farming.
Many farm crops have been lost as a result of heavy rains and floods. More fortunate farmers report losses of at least 30% of the total winter crop areas. Less fortunate farms were left with very little winter crops to sow. While in worse cases, flood water over saturated the area's dirt making it impossible to cultivate or destroyed crops entirely.
Heavy farming machinery, as well as excessive use of fertilizers, is another leading factor to soil compaction and the depletion of soil organic matter. Additionally, crop production technologies and machinery prices are rising from the strong demand for cultivation equipment. With the loss of revenue, many farmers cannot afford lighter, updated machines, useful in developing land in the conditions of the "new" climate.
One such local Polish farmer desperately searches for equipment needed to save his local farm. Marcin Kowalski, a local Polish farmer in Kolo County, struggles to finance has to purchase modern agricultural equipment to maintain his family farm.
There are currently three tractors on the Kowalski farm. Two of the tractors, manufactured sometime back in the 1970s and 80s, are out of date, and not fit for use. The latest one, from 2004, does not function correctly anymore.
As he explained,
"Purchasing new machinery is a necessity to be able to develop and maintain our land for harvesting crops. Farming is like any other business, but it is very much dependent on the climatic conditions."
The countries volatile weather has ruined most of his crop this year and resulted in some extreme losses for the family farming business.
"I had plans and savings for the purchase of this vehicle, but after 4-5 years of drought the savings have been spent to cover the expenses necessary to maintain the farm."
The humble crop farmer produces healthy food crops and believes that new advances in green technologies will save agricultural.
Positive in these values he exclaims,
"Either the man will fight to survive, or it will be necessary to give up and pass the farm on to somebody. I will FIGHT until the end!"
In order to raise just enough money to pay for the equipment needed to save the farm, a crowdfunding event has been set up here.
Thank you in advance for Your help!