Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) has called on the European Commission to provide crisis aid for German fruit and wine growers. He justified this on Monday at a meeting with his EU colleagues in Brussels with "frost damage of the most massive kind" this spring. The financial aid was therefore "urgent".
Last week, the EU Commission released a total of 77 million euros for farmers in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Portugal. The aid is intended to help compensate for frost damage to fruit, wine and vegetables this spring. Meanwhile, the serious consequences of the recent late frosts are becoming increasingly apparent.
Brandenburg: Some farm shops have to close
Due to frost damage to fruit trees, the harvest of cherries and other fruit has been cancelled in many places in the state of Brandenburg. Some farm shops have to close. "We have had a total crop failure for all fruit varieties due to massive frost damage and are therefore unable to offer our own harvest," as the Marquardt fruit estate in Potsdam announced on its website. According to the statistics office, more than two thirds of the farms are suffering the same fate.
Lower Saxony: protective measures in the fight against crop losses
Many fruit growers in Lower Saxony are also worried about their harvest. At the Hahne orchard in Gleidingen, nets have to be stretched and film pulled to prevent the apricots from bursting, says managing director Klaus Hahne.
Bavaria: Massive harvest losses for cherries and plums
The weather has taken its toll on the fruit trees in Bavaria. The cold and frost in April have damaged plums, among others. Experts are therefore expecting losses in the harvest. Compared to previous years, there will probably be 30 to 40 per cent less, said fruit-growing expert Alexander Zimmermann from the State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture (LWG) in Veitshöchheim. The cherry harvest also threatens to be worse this year. Experts are expecting a "miserable" yield.
Thuringia: 'We assume that there will be almost no dessert apples'
The night of frost on 23 April this year not only caused devastating damage to Thuringian fruit growers - producers of fruit juice, tinned fruit and jam also suffered. In many cases, it is likely to be more expensive for consumers to buy regionally produced juice from the autumn onwards. And some producers are facing economic difficulties.