News in brief:
– The EU Commission will disburse €98.6 million to support farmers in Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, Latvia, and Spain affected by extreme weather events in 2024.
– This aid, aimed at compensating for agricultural losses, is set for distribution by 30 September 2025.
The European Union Commission is set to disburse €98.6 million to farmers in Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, Latvia, and Spain who were affected by natural disasters in 2024. In a press release, the body reports that Member States were positive about the proposed budget and gave their approvals.
Croatian and Hungarian producers combated extremely high temperatures and drought during 2024 summer, which affected their maize, sunflower, soya, sugar beet, fruit, potatoes and wine output.
In Cyprus, low rainfall and high temperatures early in 2024 affected cereal, olive, fruit, and vegetable production as dry conditions persisted.
Meanwhile, Latvia faced record-low winter temperatures which combined with Spring frost and heavy summer rain to lower cereals, rapeseed, fruit, vegetables, and potatoes production.
Spain suffered heavy rainfall and floods, which led to hundreds of casualties along with significant agricultural losses. The country had initially witnessed rain deficit and extreme heat, that caused drought during summer.
The support package is aimed at helping farmers who saw reduced income due to loss in production. This aid is expected to be distributed by 30 September 2025 and the national authorities must have presented details of how they would reach affected producers by the end of May.
EU countries benefit from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which has a reserve of up to €450 million annually to protect farmers from market disruptions. The commission urges that countries should embrace stronger risk management tools and proactive measures to enhance farm resilience.
European countries facing extreme weather events are receiving structured financial aid. African nations should develop strong risk management frameworks, including climate insurance and emergency response funds for farmers. Governments can adopt measures like drought-resistant crops, improved irrigation systems, and early warning systems to prepare for climate shocks.
Like the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reserves funds to protect farmers from market disruptions, African nations could consider regional or national agricultural support schemes to stabilise food production and farmer incomes.
However, such funding must be structured, with deadlines for aid distribution and implementation plans that underscore the need to act swiftly in assisting affected farmers to prevent food insecurity. Since extreme weather is increasingly affecting yields, African nations should prioritise investments in climate-adaptive practices such as agroforestry, soil conservation, and precision agriculture to sustain production.
