Ordino Farmers Face 30% Grass Drop from Heatwaves, Hike Import Costs
Heatwaves and scant rainfall have slashed grass yields by 30% in Ordino, pushing farmers to import pricier fodder for winter livestock feed despite new government allowances.
Key Points
- Farmers in Ordino parish report 30% reduction in livestock grass production due to summer heat and low rain.
- Lower-elevation pastures dried rapidly after wet spring, forcing larger winter fodder reserves.
- Government now allows grass imports, aiding farmers like Sílvia Cava amid rising prices from global heat damage.
- Extreme weather poses risks to high-altitude herding and winter feed security in Andorra.
Farmers in Ordino parish have experienced a roughly 30% reduction in grass production for livestock feed due to summer heatwaves and scant rainfall, leading to higher costs for imported winter supplies.
The decline has affected pastures most severely at lower elevations, where dry conditions caused rapid drying. Livestock farmer Sílvia Cava explained that a wet spring—with near-daily rain—initially promised strong yields, but conditions shifted abruptly. "It started drying up and everything withered very quickly. There was a lot of heat and it all dried out," she said.
Farmers must now build larger reserves of external fodder to feed animals stabled over winter. Cava welcomed a government policy shift permitting grass imports from abroad, a option unavailable until last year. "At least we can buy it now, because until a year ago we couldn't," she noted. "The government has helped us with this."
Still, expenses are mounting. Cava expects fodder prices to climb due to heat damage in supplier regions, compounded by rising fuel and delivery costs to Andorra.
This episode highlights the risks of extreme weather for high-altitude herding, particularly in securing winter provisions amid challenging terrain.
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