PROTECTION OF CROPS UNDER POOR CONDITIONS

31. July 2014.

Leskovac - Every anti-hail station in the Jablanica District has three to four rockets, while it is expected that sufficient funds will be provided in the country's budget for the purchase of new ones, said the Head of the District Office or Emergency Situations in Leskovac Miodrag Marjanovic.

He added that technical problems, such as the damaged launch- pads, dilapidated buildings and outdated radio stations, hampered the work of anti-hail stations.

Anti-hail shooters took action in May and June and used a total of 129 rockets in the territory of the Jablanica and Pcinj Districts. Thanks to that, hail clouds were broken and a huge damage to the agricultural corps was prevented. There was mostly sleet in the Jablanica District, while there was some hail in part of the Pcinj District, but the damage caused by it was minimal.

There are currently 235 rockets deployed in the anti-hail stations.

There are also some problems in the Ground Security Zone, since it was established back in 2000 that no anti-hail rockets could be used in the area situated 10 kilometers from the administrative line with Kosovo and Metohija. so that a large number of anti-hail stations in that area are non-operational. Such anti-hail stations include those in Leskovac, Lebane, Bujanovac, Vranje, Bujanovac and Presevo.

There are problems with shooters, too. They sign contracts with the Hydro-meteorological Institute and receive a monthly compensation amounting to 4. 000 dinars. This amount is very low, since they have to be on standby for six months during the year. The problem has, so far, been solved in cooperation with the local self-governments, which participated in the compensation given to the shooters in the amount of at least 4. 000 dinars, so that they received a total of 8. 000 dinars per month. However, there are indications that these funds would amount to more than 4.000 dinars in Leskovac, so that the shooters would be properly paid for their work.

Last year, 60 to 70 acres under crops got damaged in the area of Vranje, while the damage amounted to 60 percent of all crops. In the territory of Leskovac, damage was caused in the villages of Kupinovica, Jasunja and Vinarce.

This year, there was no damage caused by hail in the area of the Jablanica District.

Source: Jugpress and Coordination Body