The Austrian hail insurance company estimates that the damage to agriculture caused by extreme weather events up to mid-August will be 200 million euros. The drought alone is now likely to have caused damage amounting to 100 million, the insurance company reported in a press release today.
By comparison, for the whole of 2023, damage to agriculture caused by frost, hail, storms, floods and drought was estimated at 250 million euros. The insurance company’s CEO, Kurt Weinberger, described the situation for the sector as “worrying” in view of climate change.
Damage caused by heat and drought
In recent weeks, the lack of rainfall and the heat have been particularly noticeable in autumn crops such as corn, soybeans, sugar beets and also in grassland, he explained. In addition to drought damage, the relatively early start of vegetation and the cold second half of April have also led to severe frost damage in fruit and wine growing.
From May onwards, farmers began to experience increasing storms and floods, reported the head of the hail insurance company.
