Lithuania considers nationwide emergency after storm damage to farms

Lithuania's Agriculture Minister Kęstutis Mažeika is advocating for a nationwide state of emergency after recent storms devastated farms across the country.

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We currently see grounds to seek the possibility of declaring an emergency situation throughout Lithuania, as some municipalities have already done so.

Mažeika stated that declaring such an emergency would provide a legal basis for farmers unable to fulfill their contractual or financial obligations due to storm-related damage. "We currently see grounds to seek the possibility of declaring an emergency situation throughout Lithuania, as some municipalities have already done so," he told ELTA. This measure would assist farmers in documenting their losses without needing to gather individual evidence.

The minister highlighted the severe impact on agricultural operations, including crop damage, waterlogged fields, and delayed sowing. In one extreme case in Kaišiadorys district, 30,000 adult broiler chickens died at a farm due to a failure in backup power systems during the storm. The ministry is currently collecting data on the damage across various regions to present to the government on Wednesday.

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This would be a great help to them, having this as proof, so that each one does not have to collect data on what happened.

The storms, which hit over the weekend, also caused widespread power outages affecting over 268,000 consumers, with more than 100,000 still without electricity. The Lithuanian Insurance Association estimates the total damage to individuals and businesses exceeds 3 million euros, with over 3,000 claims filed so far. Officials expect these figures to rise as the full extent of the storm's impact becomes clearer in the coming week.

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It would again help to mitigate the situation, without going into legal processes and financial losses.