The Impact of floods on agriculture in southern Poland from the perspective of satellite data – analysis by the Harvium Team

The recent flood, caused by Boris low-pressure system, had a huge impact on the agriculture in southern Poland, affecting 120 thousand hectares of agricultural areas, with as much as 68 thousand hectared submerged. Also among these field 27 thousand hectares didn’t live to this year’s crops harvest, which is a significant blow to local farmers. More than 4,3 thousand farms were affected by the disaster and the effect of the floods will be felt for a long time.

The deputy minister of agriculture – Adam Nowak pointed out that the worst damage affected crops of corn, soybeans, potatoes and sugar beet. The crops that were crucial for this region were destroyed and compensation is planned for around 25 thousand hectares that were flooded. The most important part of the losses is corn, which is primarly grown for grain. Futhermore, the loses in sugar beet crops are also significant – especially in the Opole region, where the flood seriously distrupted agricultural activities. The Nysa Sugar cooperative, which has a plant in Nysa, reported an inability to resume production after the plant was flooded.

Satelite analysis of flood-affected areas

The map above shows the flooded areas in the valleys of the Oder and Nysa Kłodzka rivers. Based on satellite data from the Harvium analysis, areas with the greatest losses were highlighted, particulary within the flood embankments.

Based on multispectral satellite images, Harvium generates crop condition indices, which are crucial for assessing agricultural losses. With this tools, it is possible to precisely monitor flooded areas and assess the impact of the flood on vegetation.

The animation above shows flooded areas between Brzeg and Wroclaw, illustrating the detailed extent of the flood. The data comes from the Harvium mapping aplication, which provides near real-time information on crop conditions and areas effected by natural disasters.

Flood impact and future challenges

The initially proposed compensations of 5 thousand PLN per hectare of flooded crops may not cover the full extent of the losses. Addidtional support will include free soil testing in flood-affected areas. Also long-term actions will be crucial to secure the region against future natural disasters.

Harvium offer

Thanks to Harvium satellite analyses, it is possible to monitor the recovery process and accuretly assess the impact on the flood on agriculture. The tools avaiable on Harvium dedicated precision farming platform offer an overview of the latest multispectral satellite images and the crop condition indices and flooded area assessments generated from them. On request, we prepare detailed reports for selected areas, which can be a valuable resource for local farmers and authorities in assessing lossess and recovery planing.

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