Heavy rainfall on April 12–13 caused significant problems in the Kakheti region. The situation was particularly severe in the municipalities of Kvareli, Lagodekhi, and Gurjaani, where rivers burst their banks following intense rains. This resulted in damaged infrastructure and the flooding of land plots, residential yards, and ground floors.
Ruslan Beridze, a farmer operating in Kakheti, told BusinessPressNews in an interview that greenhouse farms and melon crops would suffer the most damage.
“We have greenhouses where we grow cucumbers, bell peppers, eggplants, and other crops. There were heavy rains, the river overflowed, and the water flooded our farm. It all happened suddenly; no one expected it.
Once the weather clears, the consequences for the harvest will become even more evident. The plants will not survive because the soil is waterlogged. When the sun comes out, they will begin to wilt. Essentially, all we can do now is hope in God.
The infrastructure itself was not damaged, but a serious problem has arisen with the soil. When the sun comes out, the evaporation process will begin, humidity will rise, and there will be a lack of aeration, which is fatal for the plants.
The weather has improved now, and by tomorrow it will be clearer what state the crops are in. Overall, we expect about 70% of the harvest to be lost. The rainfall was extremely intense.
If the water recedes quickly, perennial crops will not be seriously affected; however, greenhouse farms and watermelon fields will sustain significant damage.
For perennial crops, hail is more dangerous than rain, but for annual crops, such rainfall has a truly devastating effect,” stated Ruslan Beridze.