The administration is working to implement a new government policy. - Aid for fruit growers hit by frost reaches 3 million euros.
Brandenburg will allocate approximately 3 million euros to aid fruit farmers impacted by significant yield loss from frost damage, revealed Agriculture Minister Axel Vogel (Greens) during the Agriculture Committee meeting in Potsdam on Wednesday. The damage caused by this frost is estimated to cost 10-14 million euros, as detailed by the Horticultural Association. Damage has been inflicted on a variety of fruit trees, including apples and cherries.
Vogel intends to request extra funding from the Finance Ministry and make advance payments to affected fruit farming enterprises for the current year. To ensure that these businesses maintain their liquidity, he is advocating for this approach. It is presently unclear how much funding will be allocated for this endeavor in the fiscal year 2025. In 2020, a sum of 1.7 million euros was disbursed as frost relief, according to the minister.
Vogel also believes that the establishment of irrigation systems on fruit plantations is necessary for frost protection. He stated that the state cannot continue spending money every few years due to frost damage and suggested that irrigation systems are put in place and ponds are created as water reserves. "We're working on a solution for the immediate issue, as well as a long-term one," Vogel remarked. This will necessitate investment from businesses, he added.
Irrigation systems shield trees from frost by releasing fine water droplets that freeze and form a protective ice covering over the flower buds. According to the Horticultural Association, such systems are not commonly found in use across Brandenburg.
