Reports from the US department of agriculture and the Serbian association of fruit and vegetable producers indicate that severe frosts especially during the night of April 7-8, have halved fruit production across a number of deciduous lines. Worst affected are apricots, cherries and peaches where crops have been decimated to the extent that no commercial quantities are forecast at all: some 90 per cent of trees were struck in full bloom. Supplies of apples, plums, pears and strawberries are expected to be severely limited and the grape crop has been reduced by 20 per cent.

The worst affected areas of the country were on the plains of Vojvodina and parts of Serbia. Production in the valleys was less badly damaged.

A mild winter in February in March meant that fruit trees were in bloom very early and therefore highly susceptible to the late frosts.

The short crops have left local growers in dire straits with the ministry of agriculture setting up a YuD100million (£920,000) special emergency fund immediately. Further financial instalments are expected as are longer term measures for growers such as tax exemptions. The processing industry will also be left very short of fruit.

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