Poland, like many other countries, is facing challenges related to climate change, which contribute to more and more frequent and intense atmospheric phenomena. Farmers are experiencing the effects of these changes, such as violent storms, heavy rainfall, hurricanes and even hailstorms, which cause significant damage to agriculture.
Photos and recordings of the effects of hail and frost in Polish orchards have recently spread throughout Poland. Some entrepreneurs lit fires in desperation to save whatever they could. It was known from the beginning that the losses would be enormous, many farms would fall into debt, and some would not recover. Fruit growers looked with hope at the Ministry of Agriculture, which promised help. And finally she came.
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Kołodziejczak: fruit growers and vineyard owners will receive help
Probable support thresholds as a result of losses caused by "drought, hail, torrential rain, negative effects of wintering, spring frosts, floods, hurricanes, lightning, landslides or avalanches" distributed by ARiMR, according to the Polska z Natury Foundation, this year will be similar to last year:
- PLN 1,000/ha of crop area (including perennial grasslands where the stocking density of cattle, sheep, goats, horses or geese is at least 0.3 DJP/ha), in the case of which losses amounted to at least 70%. yield;
- PLN 500/ha of crop area (including perennial grasslands where the stocking density of cattle, sheep, goats, horses or geese is at least 0.3 DJP/ha), in the case of which losses amounted to at least 30%. and less than 70 percent yield;
- PLN 500/ha of perennial grassland area (with stocking density of cattle, sheep, goats, horses or geese below 0.3 DJP/ha), for which losses amounted to at least 70%. yield;
- PLN 250/ha of the area of perennial grasslands (with the stocking density of cattle, sheep, goats, horses or geese below 0.3 DJP/ha), where the damage amounted to at least 30%. and less than 70 percent yield.
Although it should be emphasized that the Agency has not yet officially announced the aid rates for this year.
The oldest grandparents do not remember such anomalies
Currently, committees of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are estimating the amount of losses resulting from frosts and hailstorms that occurred in 2024. The ministry receives estimates from individual voivodeships regarding the amount of this damage. The Ministry applied to the European Commission for a subsidy from the agricultural reserve (in 2024, the general EU reserve is EUR 500 million). Brussels allocated EUR 37 million (PLN 159 million) to Poland to help farmers affected by frosts and hailstorms in orchards and vineyards.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development makes budget transfers and inter-ministerial arrangements – after which the aid rates will be announced.
Number of injured farmers, source: Polska z Natury Foundation
Currently, estimates indicate that the total losses of fruit growers and farmers after spring frosts and hail amounted to PLN 845 million (data from 15 voivodeships). Extreme weather conditions that occurred in April affected 9 out of 16 voivodeships. In places, the temperature dropped to as low as -8 degrees Celsius. Later, there was also a huge hailstorm.
Total spring losses, source: Polska z Natury Foundation
– Sudden weather phenomena, e.g. hail storms, are becoming more frequent and more severe, which may be related to ongoing climate change. Crop damage caused by weather has always been observed, but in recent years it has become more and more severe. During the season, hail caused greater damage, among others, to fruit production. How big can be concluded from the estimated amount of losses. Methods of limiting the impact of weather on crops are expensive and have their limits, which translates into production costs. Unfortunately, we can probably expect similar situations in the future. However, not only hailstorms, but also long-term droughts, sudden rainfalls and extremely low and high temperatures affect the size and quality of the crops obtained," comments Dr. Paweł Kraciński from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences.
Krzysztof Cybulak, vice-president of the Association of Fruit Growers of the Republic of Poland, referring to emergency aid for the injured, stated that 1.5 thousand In his opinion, the amount of a non-repayable subsidy per hectare is too low. Cybulak appealed for the launch of credit holidays and cheap disaster loans for fruit growers who suffered as a result of hail or frost.
– When it comes to the scale of destruction, this is the first time in my 26 years of life that I don't remember anything like this, my oldest grandparents don't remember such anomalies so often. What's best from spring itself, first a frost of -10 degrees Celsius and then a large hail storm, which not only destroyed people's crops for the current season but also for the next one, because the bark of the tree was damaged in fruit trees, branches were broken and the tissue through which they spread was disturbed. pathogens, fungi and such an orchardist has very high costs of regenerating such trees and does not know whether he will save anything. There is frost every year, but -10 degrees is frost, not frost. We take into account that the climate is changing and our farms are, as they say, under the cloud, but there are no insurance packages so that everyone can insure their crops and feel at least a little safer – comments Krzysztof Chmiel, a farmer from the Lublin region.
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Force majeure and direct payments. What to do to avoid losing them?
The Poland by Nature Foundation involves local communities, organizations and institutions in activities aimed at protecting nature and the natural environment. The organization's mission is to build a space of dialogue and involvement for people who care about their little homeland and want to preserve what they love for future generations. The Foundation works in partnerships with other organizations. It conducts activities that are addressed to citizens and those that concern public policies. It implements projects respecting the traditions and values passed down to us for generations.
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There will be no harvest, the harvest festival is canceled. And never help for a saint?
