Germany's Minister for Agriculture Julia Klöckner announced a €340m support package for drought-stricken farmers on Wednesday. Temperatures between April and July showed "the highest temperature anomaly experienced since weather records began in 1881", Minister Klöckner said. Harvest yields so far are 16% below the three-year average, with northeastern regions reporting up to 31% drops and individual farms hit unevenly.
Germany's Minister for Agriculture Julia Klöckner announced a €340m support package for drought-stricken farmers on Wednesday.
Temperatures between April and July showed "the highest temperature anomaly experienced since weather records began in 1881", Minister Klöckner said. Harvest yields so far are 16% below the three-year average, with northeastern regions reporting up to 31% drops and individual farms hit unevenly.
On grassland, "a good first cut was followed by low or non-existent yields from subsequent cuts", the minister reported.
10,000 farms at risk
The drought has affected one in every 25 German farms, according to Government figures.
Non-refundable, means-tested payments funded by the federal and regional governments will target the estimated 10,000 farms directly at risk of going out of business as a priority. Farmers with a production loss of at least 30% compared with previous years are eligible to apply.
Germany's Federal Government has committed to putting administrative procedure in place to manage the aid package by mid-September and authorised regional governments to make advance payments in the meantime.
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