Romania will have some 60 functional anti-hail systems that will protect up to one million hectares of crops, by the end of this year, according to Gheorghe Caunei Florescu, the general manager of the state authority that manages the national anti-hail system.

"This year, we have received sufficient funds. Through the governing program, some EUR 45 million has been allotted for the national anti-hail system in 2017 and 2018. Only for this year we have EUR 20 million, which should be sufficient to implement this system at a national level,” said Caunei, cited by local Agerpres.

He added that by the end of this year, 26 new systems will be installed, in addition to the 34 that are already operational. One single such system protects about 15 square kilometers of agricultural land but has an action radius of over 40 square kilometers.

The anti-hail systems consist of launchers of anti-hail rockets, which disrupt the formation of hailstones in the atmosphere and protect the crops.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Ministerul Agriculturii și Dezvoltării Rurale on Facebook)