Droughts in Serbia became an annual occurrence

Serbia is sweltering under one of the harshest heatwaves in its history. With temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in some regions, farmers across the country are struggling to save their crops and livestock. 

According to Serbia's national hydrometeorological service, the country recorded its hottest start to June since official measurements began, with rainfall levels down by over 60 percent compared to the seasonal average. The agricultural sector, which employs nearly 15 percent of Serbia's workforce, is facing devastating losses.

The rolling hills around the town of Aranđelovac in central Serbia, are among the hardest hit in that part of the country. The signs of drought are everywhere. At one local vineyard, farmers are battling the unbearable heat by hauling water from their wells to save the young vines planted just months ago. But the level in the well is alarmingly low. Dejan Radović is a caretaker of one vineyard, and experiences this draught first hand.

"The last year was difficult regarding water, and it seems to me that this year the situation is even worse. Here in our region, for almost 40 days we haven't had almost any rain. Those few drops that fell were like a light dew, not even a litre per square metre." Radović told CGTN.

In other segments of Serbia's agriculture, the drought's impact is just as harsh—fields with wheat gave far lower yields than expected. And the harvester's work seems easier than before, as there isn't much wheat to collect.

In normal years, up to 8 tonnes of wheat are harvested per hectare, this year it is around 4, and all of that is attributed to the changing climate.

Just a few decades ago people in Serbia considered it a hot summer day when the temperature was just above 30 degrees Celsius. These days, at the same time of year, the temperatures hover around the 40s.

We went to a northeastern part of the country, famous for its grains. A look from above gave a colourful and almost an idyllic picture of thriving fields. Yet closer to the ground, the picture is almost grim. 

In some fields corn plants are only about a metre high, as they should be twice as tall at this time of year. In the village of Lokve, a local farmer Dorel Stancu is facing an uphill battle to save what's left of his corn and livestock. Inside his cowhouse, massive fans whirl to cool the animals, but in the fields, the damage from the heat is hard to miss.

"I can say that it is very bad." Doral told us. "No rain for almost a month and a half, and the corn was almost completely burnt by the heat. It is definitely one of the worst years in my lifetime for agriculture."

While some crops like barley and sunflower have fared slightly better, farmers know it's only a matter of time before prolonged heat takes a further toll. As droughts grow longer and more frequent, many Serbian farmers fear the future of agriculture in this region hangs in the balance.