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The national ice mitigation system operated by the National Chamber of Agriculture successfully protected agricultural, residential, and public assets from ice damage during its seventh operational year.
From April 15 to September 30, the system was activated for 93 days, accumulating nearly 188,000 operating hours—6% longer than last year. High air humidity, despite extremely dry weather, led to the formation of localized heavy thunderstorms and supercells.
During the 169-day protection season, hail clouds formed on 93 days, with 32 being extremely hail-prone, nearly double the previous year.
Farmers reported ice damage on 47,000 hectares, a 60% increase compared to last year, although significantly less than the 72,000 hectares affected in 2017, before the system was established.
The system utilizes 986 locations to deliver silver iodide to clouds through 219 automatic and 767 manual generators, preventing tens of billions of forints in damage annually. The Ministry of Agriculture supports the system with up to HUF 2B (EUR 5.2M, EUR 1 = HUF 384.2) per year, with estimates indicating that every forint spent saves around HUF 33 in production value—resulting in an annual saving of HUF 50B (EUR 130M).
While the system has effectively mitigated damage from extreme weather events, maintenance will continue through the rest of the year to prepare for the next protection season, scheduled to begin in spring 2025.
Via MTI; Featured Image: Pixabay