Floods wreck Hungarian farmer's organic harvest

By Krisztina Fenyo

NAGYMAROS, Hungary (Reuters) - Hungarian farmer Laszlo Batki was close to harvesting his crops of organic tomatoes, peppers, radishes and lettuce when the swollen River Danube flooded most of his small plot just north of Budapest this week.

Batki's vegetables needed carefully nurturing during a summer plagued by drought, and then the floods struck. With little left to salvage, he said he would make a big loss this year.

"This means a loss of income ... also, we can't sow new crops as previously planned, and we can't start preparing the soil for next year," the 36-year-old said, standing in water up to his knees as he surveyed the partially submerged crops.

The worst floods to hit central Europe in at least two decades have caused widespread damage from Romania to Poland, killing at least 24 people, destroying bridges, submerging cars and leaving towns caked in mud and debris.

Days of torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks in several parts of the region.

In Budapest, the Danube peaked in the early hours of Saturday, authorities told state news agency MTI, adding that the flooding peaked at a lower level than a record seen in 2013.

Batki, who bought the one-hectare (2.47-acre) smallholding two years ago, said he had been using sustainable farming techniques with the aim of becoming a model for local farmers who could learn and adapt their methods.

Despite the damage, he said he thinks he can take steps - such as switching to more traditional crops - to adapt to more frequent floods in the years to come, and was philosophical about his losses.

"This is a bad thing. But on the other hand, it is also good. The Danube arrives, and it fills up the dried-up land with water and brings nutrients as well," he said.

(Writing by Anita Komuves; Editing by Helen Popper)