Biofuels worsen Hungary's drought

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Biofuels worsen Hungary's drought, expert says

 

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Biofuel production and burning agricultural by-products in

power plants contributed to Hungary's severe drought this year, an academic

expert said on Thursday.

 

Drought slashed Hungary's maize crop by half this year but dry weather would

have less impact on crops if farmers left the plants' stalks and straw on the

fields as protection from the sun and evaporation, instead of selling it as

biomass.

 

" There is plenty of biomass out there to burn and lots of fallow land to grow

energy crops, " Szent Istvan University professor Marta Birkas told a farming

conference.

 

" I caution everyone not to sell straw and stalks to power plants, " she said.

" The soil needs it as a protection from drought. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biofuel makers turn grains and oil seeds into gasoline and many burn farm

byproducts to meet the often high energy needs of their plants for processes

like fermentation.

 

Biofuels are touted as a way to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases which

contribute to global warming, but Birkas said biofuel production was now adding

to the problems caused by extreme weather which many blame on climate change.

 

Wrong farming methods, especially careless ploughing, also reduces the soil's

ability to store water efficiently, she said.

 

Ministry officials said Hungary would invest heavily in farm machinery and

irrigation to address these problems as drought was becoming more frequent,

hitting the major grain growing country for the fourth time in 10 years.

 

" Soil dryness has several causes, both lack of precipitation and wrong

agricultural techniques, " Agriculture Minister Jozsef Graf told Reuters.

 

Hungary needs to raise its irrigated area by at least 100,000 ha from about

80,000 hay, another official said.

 

This year's drought is expected to cut the maize crop by half to 4 million tones

and Hungary has started buying back grain left in European Union stores from

previous bumper seasons to sell to animal breeders short of feed

 

 

“The Earth is not dying - she is being killed. And those who are killing her

have names and addresses.†— Utah Phillips