Drought
(BRUSSELS) – EU Member States agreed Wednesday to a series of support measures to ease financial difficulties faced by farmers due to adverse weather conditions, and increase the availability of feed for animals.
“These measures should relieve European farmers financially and protect them against a shortage of fodder for their livestock,” said Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan. He said the Commission had been in close contact with Member States, and had reacted swiftly.
The actions Member States agreed on today in a committee meeting include the possibility for higher advance payments and several exceptional derogations on greening rules to help farmers provide sufficient feed for their animals. Affected farmers will be able to receive a higher percentage of their Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments to improve their cash flow. This includes:
- Receiving up to 70% of their direct payments as of mid-October;
- And receiving 85% of their rural development payments as soon as the package of measures is formally adopted at the beginning of September.
Derogations to certain greening rules will also be allowed to increase the availability of feed. This includes the possibility to:
- Consider land lying fallow as a distinct crop or as an ecological focus area even though it has been grazed or harvested;
- Sow ‘catch crops’ as ‘pure crops’ (and not a mixture of crops as currently prescribed) if intended for grazing or fodder production;
- Shorten the 8-week minimum period for ‘catch crops’ to allow arable farmers to sow their winter crops in a timely manner after their ‘catch crops’.
The package of measures should be formally adopted at the beginning of September.
The EU executive says it will continue to be in contact with all Member States regarding the impact of droughts.
