As an unprecedented drought scorches large swathes of Swedens green pastures, farmers are having to send their animals to slaughter because they have no hay left to feed them. Jacob Gustawson in Norrtalje, a town north of Stockholm told AFP: “This is the worst thing Ive ever experienced... my father who was a farmer for 60 years has never seen anything like this before." The 47-year-old farmer is waiting for the tiniest cloud offering some hope of rain, which is no more expected by weather forecasts, aside from some 13 millimeters that fell in mid-June. Sverker Hellstrom of the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute told AFP: “May was exceptionally warm in southern and central Sweden. June was the warmest in more than 100 years in southernmost Sweden." Firefighters say they are putting out between "20 and 30 wildfires per day" near Stockholm, while other blazes are raging across the country, even in the Arctic Circle. After France, Italy and Norway, Portugal provided Sweden with two firefighting aircraft on Friday. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism expressed its readiness to "send men and land equipment," as well, at the request of Sweden, which demanded its help earlier this week. Poland also put on Friday about 140 firefighters and 44 machines at Swedens service to help extinguish fire in the central region of Sveg. Swedens King Carl XVI Gustaf, who is also a landowner and rarely comments on public matters, expressed concern over the situation. "I and the royal family would like to express our support to all those who have been affected by the fires," he said in a statement. Sweden, as well as Denmark, southern Norway and northern Finland, is currently experiencing a period of extreme heat which, according to weather forecasts, is unlikely to end soon. As a result, farmers are being forced to disrupt their seasonal routines. Crops such as fodder for animals are not growing fast. "Normally, at this time of the year, its supposed to be" about the double of this height, Jacob Gustawson tells AFP as he points to the grass which is barely 10 centimeters tall. Gustawson’s wife Anette, who helps him in raising over 100 cows, said that they are using the winter reserves “to keep the animals alive.” "We have to feed the cows inside now, all the forage for the winter time are being fed now and nothing new is growing so I dont know what is going to happen in the winter time," Gustawson said anxiously. Apart from the lack of water, the milk from the cows is also a major concern. If the animals are not well-fed then their products quality will suffer too. "They are not going to milk as much as I would like to," Gustawson said. The lack of fodder has already forced some farmers to send several of their cows to slaughter. The Federation of Swedish Farmers said: “It will take years to rebuild the quality and size of the cattle,” warning against wildfires at the beginning of the harvest season. Spokesperson to the Federation told AFP: “This is the worst crisis for Swedish farmers in more than 50 years.” He noted that the loss is already estimated at more than two billion Swedish kronor (194 million euros, $224 million). The Gustawson familys loss is estimated at more than 200,000 kronor.