Drought aid still needed. Last days to submit applications!

The call for applications for funds aimed at drought assistance for agricultural producers affected by the 2023 event is underway. Drought and other adverse weather events. Recruitment is in high demand. According to information published by the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture, more than 40,000 are already applying for support. farmers. Documents can be submitted until March 15. Interested parties still have a few days to deliver the forms.

Drought aid – 2024 call

The current call for applications began on February 29, 2024. and will last until March 15, 2024. Drought aid can be applied for by agricultural producers whose farms suffered crop damage caused by the occurrence of adverse weather events last year. Attrition must be at least 30 percent. average annual crop production. Causes of damage may include the occurrence of drought, hail, driving rain, negative effects of overwintering, spring frost, flood, hurricane, lightning, landslide or avalanche as defined in the regulations on insurance of agricultural crops and livestock.

The current call for drought aid applications is another such initiative launched recently. The previous one took place in November/October in 2023. and was of great interest to agricultural producers. At that time, the application deadline was extended twice, as we wrote about in a previous article in Water Matters: Drought – we are still counting losses, 251,000 have been filed. applications for support.

According to information received from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, to date, applications for the assessment of drought damage have been submitted by approx. 290 thousand. agricultural producers. The data comes from the administrator of the Report Agricultural Damage application.

Current aid rates

According to the current call for drought aid applications, four support rates apply:

1. PLN 1,000 per hectare of crop area with damage caused by 2023. drought, hail, driving rain, adverse winter effects, spring frost, flood, hurricane, lightning, landslide or avalanche caused a loss of at least 70 percent. yield, including perennial grasslands, where the stocking density of cattle, sheep, goats, horses or geese is at least 0.3 head of a large conversion unit per hectare of such land;
2. 500 zlotys per hectare of crop area with damage resulting from 2023. drought, hail, driving rain, adverse winter effects, spring frost, flood, hurricane, lightning, landslide or avalanche caused a loss of at least 30 but less than 70 percent. yield, including perennial grasslands, where the stocking density of cattle, sheep, goats, horses or geese is at least 0.3 head of a large conversion unit per hectare of such land;
3. PLN 500 per 1 hectare of perennial grassland, on which the damage occurred in 2023. drought, hail, driving rain, adverse winter effects, spring frost, flood, hurricane, lightning, landslide or avalanche caused a loss of at least 70 percent. yield and on which the stocking density of cattle, sheep, goats, horses or geese is less than 0.3 head of large livestock unit per hectare of such land;
4. 250 zlotys per hectare of perennial grassland, on which the damage occurred in 2023. drought, hail, driving rain, negative effects of overwintering, spring frost, flood, hurricane, lightning, landslide or avalanche caused a loss of between 30 and 70 percent. yield and on which the stocking density of cattle, sheep, goats, horses or geese is less than 0.3 head of large livestock unit per hectare of such land.

It is worth mentioning that the amount of aid for agricultural producers who do not have a policy insuring at least half of the agricultural area, excluding perennial grassland, will be subject to a 50 percent reduction.

Detailed information on drought aid rates in the current call can be found on the website of the Agency for the Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture.

How to apply for drought aid?

Applications for drought aid are accepted by district offices of the Agency for the Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture. Documents can be submitted until March 15, 2024. in person or by an authorized person at an ARMA facility, by mail, through the ePUAP platform or using the mObywatel service. According to information received from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, disaster aid payments are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2024.