Recent cold weather accompanied by morning frosts hasn’t caused major damage to domestic vegetable fields yet, but lower temperatures could delay harvests and reduce yields. Local farmers are anxiously monitoring weather forecasts, hoping temperatures won’t drop further below freezing.
Zuzana Přibylová, secretary of the Vegetable Union of Bohemia and Moravia, reports that while some fields have experienced frost and hail damage, most plants are expected to recover. However, the cold weather is slowing plant growth and development, particularly affecting early potatoes, lettuce, and pepper seedlings.
Adding to farmers’ concerns, spring drought conditions are presenting additional challenges. Fortunately, most vegetable farms are equipped with irrigation systems, though this increases cultivation costs. Vegetable growers maintain an advantage as they routinely irrigate their newly established and sensitive crops.
Last year’s domestic market vegetable production saw a 7% decrease to 210,937 tons, affected by adverse weather conditions and September floods. Despite these challenges, the sector has shown resilience, with the number of vegetable growers actually increasing by 42 to reach 400, though mainly among small-scale farmers.
Approximately 75% of vegetable production goes to retail chains, with the remaining quarter split between wholesalers, processing companies, and direct sales through farm shops and pick-your-own services.