Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has pledged to aid farmers affected by the country’s biggest drought in 130 years, which has already destroyed crops covering an estimated 9m ha – an area equivalent to the size of Portugal.
According to Reuters, central areas of European Russia, the Volga, the southern Urals and Siberia have been sweltering under temperatures as high as 40oC since late June.
Russia’s agriculture minister, Elena Skrynnik, said that farmers in the most affected regions have asked the Russian government for 40bn roubles (just over €1bn) in aid, which she said would be provided through regional authorities.
Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin earlier this week announced that subsidies and loans would be provided to affected farmers and vowed that the government would move to prevent insurance companies profiting in any way from the situation.
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