With 77 million euros, the EU supports fruit growers and winegrowers hit by spring frosts from Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Portugal. The money comes from the EU agricultural reserves. Austria receives 10 million euros, the Czech Republic 15 million, Poland 37 million and Portugal 15 million euros. The countries themselves can double the EU aid.
The frosts in the spring of 2024 mainly caused damage to fruit growing in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and the north and east of Germany. According to the German fruit growers’ organisation, the Bundesfachgruppe Obstbau, due to spring frost and bad weather in the spring of 2024, 25% of the German apple crop and 40% of the German cherry crop was lost. Therefore, the organisation reacted with some surprise to the EU aid for the countries mentioned. The German Ministry for Agriculture (BMEL) has asked the European Commission to make the EU aid for farms hit by frost also available for German fruit growers and winegrowers.
