“We must act now,” said the association’sExternal link president, the parliamentarian Markus Ritter at a news conference on Thursday, on a farm near Bern.
Farmers are increasingly being affected by frost, hail, storms, long stretches of rain – or no rain, and summer drought, he said. An example: the extremely dry summer of 2018, which affected crops, especially potatoes, corn on the cob, grains and animal feed.
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Swiss farmers appeal for help against the heat
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Farmers want the government to introduce emergency measures to offset the problems for agricultural production caused by the ongoing heatwave.
Nevertheless, the association also supports the current revision of the CO2 law, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help Switzerland meet its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. It is currently stalled in parliament.
Around 13% of greenhouse emissions come from agriculture, if the fuel used for greenhouses and tractors is also counted.
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An exceptionally warm and dry spring and summer has meant a good year for Swiss wine growers but a bad one for dairy and beef farmers who had to rely on fodder imports.
Amid shortages, can Switzerland stay Europe’s ‘water tower’?
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Switzerland is known as the "water tower" of Europe. Yet some municipalities are being forced to introduce drastic measures as water supplies dwindle.
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