Bulgaria will apply method used in France and Spain to combat hail

There will be pilot testing of ground-based silver iodide generators for hail protection in two zones where the use of rockets is not allowed, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ivan Kapitanov said.

At a meeting with Claude Berthet, director of the Association for Research and Combating Atmospheric Disasters in France and Prof. José Luis Sánchez from the University of León, Spain, Kapitanov learned about the French and Spanish experience in combating hail through the use of generators.

The guests pointed out that the method is approved by the World Meteorological Organization and it is used successfully in France and Spain in areas where traditional systems are inapplicable. The method reduces up to 40% the damage caused by hail on agricultural production. The method is more economical, can be used in urbanized places and does not require highly qualified personnel, it was pointed out.