Desperate French farmers counted the cost last Friday of several nights' of frost which threaten to decimate grape harvests in some of the country's best-known and prestigious wine-producing regions. The government is readying an emergency rescue package after the unusual freezing temperatures which could be some of the most damaging in decades for crops and vines across the country. Many industry experts say the frost damage may be the worst since the 1990s. "You can go back in history, there have been (freezing) episodes in 1991,1997,2003 but in my opinion it's beyond all of them." As well as vines, fruit trees have also been badly hit along with other crops like beet and rapeseed.

Source: The Star April 13, 2021 01:18 UTC