Aid plan revealed for drought-stricken Polish farmers
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
26.08.2015 08:57
The Polish government has pledged that PLN 488 million will be allocated to farmers whose crops have been hit be the recent drought.
Withered crops in Dębno,in the Podkarpackie region of south eastern Poland. Photo: Darek Delmanowicz
Polish agriculture minister Marek Sawicki said following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that compensation will be provided to farmers whose losses exceed 30 percent of their average income calculated over the last three years.
Over one million hectares of crops have suffered nationwide as a result of the drought, with losses affecting at least 100,000 farms.
The worst struck areas were the central Mazovia, mid-western Wielkopolska, north-eastern Podlasie and the mid-eastern Lublin region.
Committees will work on evaluating losses until the end of September, and aid payments are scheduled to commence on 10 October.
According to Sawicki, the amount of aid per hectare will be PLN 800 for orchards and bush fruits, and PLN 400 for other crops.
However, such compensation will only be provided for farmers who are insured against at least one weather-related calamity.
The minister said that compensation will be offered in a variety of ways, including tax cuts and preferential loans.
Sawicki also noted that on 7 September there will be a meeting of EU agriculture ministers concerning assistance for drought victims. (nh/rk)
Source: IAR