Al Jazara
روایت خاورمیانه 
Lipovci, Slovenia – On Saturday, September 23, 2023, the small village of Lipovci, with about 1,000 inhabitants, became the center of the international potato festival. At this event, held to celebrate the 26th roasted potato festival, the sweet and delicious smell of potatoes filled the air, and hundreds of farmers and enthusiasts of this national product gathered.
Strong Presence of Farmers and Enthusiasts
At this festival, over 50 associations from across the country, along with farmers and potato enthusiasts, prepared various versions of this beloved national dish. Matijaž Laurich, one of the participants from Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, said: "I am passionate about potatoes, and life without them is impossible for me. At home, potatoes are always on the menu." He added that he has been participating in this festival for 15 years, and the main ingredient in his recipe is sage.
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However, this year, local potatoes are hardly available. Estimates from the Slovenian Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry indicate that this year's potato harvest has decreased by 30 to 90 percent due to severe drought in Europe, which has heavily impacted the production of this crop.
Consequences of Drought on Crop Yields
Janez Jambrovič, a small farmer from the town of Velke Lašče, announced that he has lost half of his potato harvest this year. He said: "Drought has had a bad effect." Jambrovič uses vegetable oil instead of lard in preparing a lighter version of roasted potatoes.
Laurich also noted that the potatoes harvested from a friend's farm are smaller than in previous years. He said: "Peeling them took more time." Meanwhile, other farmers also reported a decrease in corn and grape yields due to drought.
Maria Bova, one of the participants from Dobrna, stated: "This year's harvest might be a bit worse than previous years." She added that she harvested her potatoes at the end of July and despite this, they survived the worst drought conditions.
This crisis is not limited to Slovenia. According to an analysis published on Thursday by a UK-based non-profit organization, summer drought is likely to cause a reduction of about 3.1 million tons in potato harvests in some of the world's largest exporters such as Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Tom Lancaster, a food and agriculture analyst at the organization, said: "For potato farmers who are on the front lines of climate change, a difficult situation lies ahead."
This festival, which began as a humorous event in the early 2000s, is now held annually in a different location in Slovenia, aiming to elevate roasted potatoes from the status of a typical side dish to a main dish. At this event, participants sing about the national dish and discussions about the various flavors of roasted potatoes arise around the booths.
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