SOFIA, Bulgaria (Reuters) - Bulgaria's valuable vegetable crop has
become the latest casualty of NATO's air war against neighboring
Yugoslavia.
The Agriculture Ministry said Wednesday that hailstorms destroyed
millions of dollars of crops this month because anti-hail radar
systems were turned off to avoid attracting the hostile attention of
NATO warplanes en route to Yugoslavia.
"The anti-hail systems have been switched off because they use radar
to detect hailstorm clouds and guide anti-hail missiles to destroy
them," an official told Reuters....
Hailstorms damaged 77,000 acres across Bulgaria by May 22, the
ministry said. Some 40 percent of crops in those areas were
considered lost, with damage estimated at $8.7 million.
---------------------------------------------------
And from the ecol-agric list from the UK university mailbase, an inquiry [fwd]:
On Wed, 23 Jun 1999, Perez, Carlos wrote:
> CARE, a relief and development non-governmental organization, has been
> providing support to refugees from Kosovo. Now that many of those refugees
> are beginning to return to their home towns CARE is providing assistance for
> their re-establishment. Food will be scarce in Kosovo as crops have been
> lost for lack of attention or burning. I am looking for assistance to
> identify the type of crops, vegetables, grains, food for livestock, etc.
> that are traditionally planted in the Kosovo and Albania regions of the
> Balkans, and especially those that can be grown in the remaining of the
> year. We are hoping to start seed distribution soon and also help farmers
> get back into their regular cycle by fall. Any information you can collect
> about short-term crops, planting cycles, weather, pests, etc... and
> agricultural professionals with expertise in this area of the world will be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Carlos A. Perez, Ph.D.
> Agriculture and Natural Resources
> CARE
> 151 Ellis St., Atlanta, GA 30303
> perez@care.org
> (404) 681-2552
> (404) 589-2619 fax
And the unfortunate reply [fwd]:
>I am afraid to say that due to chemicals (including dioxine) and
>especially due to the >nuclear contamination caused by Uranium remains
>that were used extensively in >NATO bombing (as in Irak in the past where
>this is already causing cancers), the land >in Serbia and certainly in
>Kossovo itself will be in many occasions unsuitable for
>cultivation.
>
>I hear that Uranium remains are supposed to be used as they provide a
>material >harder [actually, denser - BvG] than still that is supposed to
>penetrate tanks.
>
>I understand that it has a half-life of thousands of years, and that each
>piece thrown >to the soil can contaminate an imaginary circle of about 40
>metres. Thousands of >those are reported to have been thrown (or really
>disposed of) in the area, and it can >be expected that radioactivity is
>currently percolating in the water table.
>
>I think the first task is to identify uncontaminated pockets, if there are
>any.
>
>After that, I think the best way to find answers to your questions is to
>address the >Serbian Ministry of Agriculture of course, if it is still
>standing in an upright >position, that is.
>
>Thank you,
>
>MARIA STELLA ALOUPIE,
>PLANT-SCIENCE LABORATORIES,
>UNIVERSITY OF READING,
>UNITED KINGDOM
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