Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) – The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Agriculture is recording a growing demand for subsidies for insurance against climate damage. After the state approved 1290 funding applications for the first time in a pilot project for the 2020 crop year and distributed around three million euros, 1640 applications have already been received for the current year in the application period that ended in March 2021, reported the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” (Thursday) .
–
Agriculture Minister Peter Hauk (CDU) told the newspaper: “The great response to the possibility of insuring yourself against heavy frost, storms and heavy rain in agriculture confirms our concern to enable farmers to plan reliably and to take responsibility for themselves.” Farmers are ready to take responsibility for operational risk prevention. The ministry assumes that five million euros will be available for aid this year.
–
The importance of such insurance in times of climate change is also underlined by Franz-Josef Müller, President of the Regional Association of Commercial Fruit Growing. The association brings together 3,500 member companies that are either full-time or part-time. The current onset of winter down to the lowlands will not leave the industry unaffected, said Müller. “We’re getting a poor harvest.” It is not yet possible to estimate how high the damage will be. But: “That could affect the existence of some.”
–
There have been cold days with snowfall before, said Müller. However, due to climate change, the trees would start flowering earlier today.
–
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210408-99-122708 / 2
– .
