Farmers speak of financial losses in the six figures and a complete crop failure after the storms of the past few days. It is already clear that forage and straw have to be bought in, and the price spiral is pointing steeply upwards in this market as well.
Especially fields near Boll, in the direction of Münchingen and Bonndorf, but also on the Galgenbuck and Lindenbuck and in the direction of Wellendingen are affected. Not all farmers who have suffered damage have hail insurance. But it would be a mistake to believe that those who have insurance coverage will get their actual damage completely reimbursed. In the meantime, appraisers from the insurance companies were on site for an assessment at most of the farmers.
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Waldshut district
Weather service warns of further severe thunderstorms in the Waldshut district
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“Experience has shown that the damage is not estimated at 100 percent,” says Fridolin Dietsche from Wellendingen. In addition, farmers themselves state the insured value when they take out insurance in the spring. “In March the prices for feed were significantly lower than now. Since then, prices have exploded in the markets and prices have risen exorbitantly.
Fields are assessed
Even if you have calculated generously, you are underinsured, ”says Philipp Käppeler from Boll, describing the situation. The insurance companies also assume that corn, which will be destroyed by June 20, will be re-sown. Each field is now examined individually to determine whether this option exists. At low altitudes, that wouldn’t be that critical.
At the high altitudes of the Black Forest, however, it is not necessarily guaranteed that maize that is sown at the end of June will still be ready for harvest in good quality – quite apart from the additional work and costs for a second sowing. Philipp Käppeler again ordered corn seed for a five-figure sum, without being able to be sure that it would even be ready for harvest.
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Bonndorf / St. Blasien
Flooded streets in Bonndorf and hail in St. Blasien: That was how extreme the storm raged in the north of the Waldshut district
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Boll was hit particularly hard. The grain harvest was completely destroyed. Energy crops and grassland, even parts of buildings belonging to the Käppeler family, were also destroyed. The animals were roaring wildly around the stable when the hail pelted the roof.
“100 hectares of arable crops were gone in one fell swoop, as was the second cut. As a result, we are missing 100 cubic meters of grass silage. Boll has never experienced anything like it. ”The farmer’s words sound like discouragement, sadness and anger. Because the prospects for a bumper harvest were actually better than they have been in a long time. Both temperatures and rainfall were promising after dry years. This dream was destroyed within fifteen minutes – just a few weeks before the harvest.
Fridolin Dietsche from Wellendingen estimates that half to three quarters of his annual harvest was destroyed. The young farmer is deeply upset after this storm. “It makes you sad when you struggle and often make it into the night, look forward to a good harvest and experience something like that in the end.” On Dietsche’s fields, wheat, winter and spring barley, triticale, field peas, maize and fodder were made destroyed. Spelled is a total failure.
For organic farmers, however, the purchase of feed is almost unaffordable. Another farmer had no hail insurance at all. His father and grandfather said that it didn’t need to be, since all fields would never be hit at the same time. So far, both of them have been right. Now this farmer has 90 percent failure in several fields. He’ll probably take out hail insurance.
Destructive force is new
Nevertheless, there has always been damage from hail. But the fact that they appear so over a large area and with such destructive force is new. After this hailstorm, farmers cannot even leave broken grain to harvest straw. There is a risk of fungal attack and rot.
So what works is chopped up and mixed with the silage. However, some things will have to be plowed under. Whereby the fields and meadows are so wet at the moment that they can hardly be driven on.
Grain that kinks at this stage of ripeness can only be chopped. Not even straw can be harvested from it. | Image: Martha Weishaar
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Forage, green manure or bee pastures will soon be sown with unplanned expense and effort. Because the fields have to be planted for reasons of erosion protection alone.
“It is unfortunately always forgotten that farmers depend on the weather. Of course, the global stock exchanges are not interested in whether the grain harvest was hailed in Bonndorf. But you have to assume that feed will become scarce in the region and prices will rise ”, sums up Philipp Käppeler contrite. Even if the storm is a fiasco for every single person affected, it has to go on. Immediately before the interview, Philipp Käppeler had ordered 60 hectares of cereal straw.
You can also read this online
You can find more pictures of the severe storm at the beginning of the week and videos on the Internet: http://sk.de/10840477–
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