Assistance for farmers after the 2024 floods – what support does ARiMR offer?

In response to the recent floods that affected Polish agricultural holdings in 2024, the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR) has provided detailed information about support programs for affected farmers. These initiatives aim to help restore damaged production potential and mitigate the negative effects of the floods.

Types of available assistance

ARiMR provides support to agricultural producers who have suffered losses due to flooding. National assistance takes two main forms:

1. Financial assistance for agricultural producers who suffered losses due to flooding of agricultural land with unharvested crops such as corn, sugar beets, potatoes, soybeans, fiber hemp, tobacco, hops, flax, vines, herbs, sunflower, or vegetables.
   
   Financial assistance is granted to an agricultural producer:
   a) in whose agricultural holding damage occurred in crops of corn, sugar beets, potatoes, soybeans, fiber hemp, tobacco, hops, flax, vines, herbs, sunflower, or vegetables caused by the flood that occurred in September 2024, and in connection with which a state of natural disaster was declared;
   b) who has been assigned an identification number under the provisions on the national system of records for producers, agricultural holdings, and applications for payments;
   c) who is a microenterprise, small, or medium-sized enterprise as defined in Annex I to Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2022/2472;
   d) who in 2024 submitted an application for direct payments referred to in the Act of February 8, 2023, on the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy for 2023-2027 and declared in that application the area of crops of corn, sugar beets, potatoes, soybeans, fiber hemp, tobacco, hops, flax, vines, herbs, sunflower, or vegetables.The amount of assistance is determined as the product of the declared damaged crop area and the applicable assistance rate.
   
   The rate is: PLN 5,000 per hectare for crops of corn, sugar beets, potatoes, fiber hemp, tobacco, hops, flax, vines, herbs, sunflower, or vegetables;PLN 4,000 per hectare for soybeans.The application process began on October 21, 2024, and lasted until November 15, 2024. A total of 2,149 applications were submitted.
   
2. Assistance in the form of refunds for the third and fourth installments of agricultural tax for producers affected by flooding.Support is provided to agricultural producers whose holdings suffered crop damage caused by the flood that occurred in September 2024, and in connection with which a state of natural disaster was declared. The assistance is equivalent to the value of the third and fourth installments of agricultural tax, based on an application submitted by the agricultural producer from October 25, 2024, to November 29, 2024. Applications for assistance are submitted electronically through the ARiMR online platform – the Electronic Services Platform (PUE). As of November 27, 2024, over 400 applications have been submitted.

Additional support

Farmers may also benefit from measures under the Rural Development Program 2014-2020 aimed at restoring the production potential of farms damaged by floods.
Eligible farms are those that suffered losses of at least 30% of their average annual agricultural production in crops or livestock. Assistance is provided for restoring farm components requiring costs eligible for financing, such as re-establishing orchards, perennial plantations, or agricultural infrastructure destroyed by the flood.

Key details:

• The maximum support amount is PLN 300,000, not exceeding 80% of eligible costs.
• Damage assessments are conducted by a commission appointed by the provincial governor.
• The support amount is reduced by any insurance compensation received. If no mandatory insurance was in place for certain crops (e.g., hop plantations or orchards), the assistance amount is halved.

Applications for this program are accepted from November 22 to December 30, 2024. Assistance will be granted in the order of submission of completed applications. Submissions can be made through regional ARiMR offices, local offices, or via mail or electronic means. The application process has just started, with submissions gradually arriving.

Source: based on ARiMR press release