Damage caused by this summer's long drought to the agricultural production is estimated at one billion kuna, and the damage caused by frost this spring raises this figure to HRK 1.5 billion, leaders of the Croatian Chamber of Agriculture (HPK), told a news conference in Zagreb on Monday.
They called on the government and The agriculture ministry to take emergency measures to respond to this situation.
The chamber's president Mato Brlosic said that the the spring crops would fail between 50% and 100%.
He urged the government to put the problems of drought-stricken areas as a priority on its agenda at its first session.
The chamber also called on the government to provide farmers with financial assistance so that they might continue working next spring.
The chamber's representatives warned that an effect of the drought might be food price hikes, with less and less livestock due to insufficient food while the drought was deepening.
Earlier on Monday, the agriculture ministry issued a statement to reassure the public that it takes both permanent and emergency measures to alleviate the consequences of a long drought and to prevent the further deterioration in the water supply systems throughout Croatia.
So far, several Croatian counties have been declared disaster areas due to drought.
