The French government has pledged 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) of financial aid for farmers who were worst affected by this month’s spring frosts and cold weather, the prime minister’s office said late on Saturday.
The measures include a mix of tax rebates, state-guaranteed loans, and state-subsidized furlough programs, it said, adding that local government officials provide emergency funds for farmers who can’t make ends meet.
Growers who have suffered the most significant losses will be eligible for an “agricultural disaster” scheme, under which they will be granted compensation equivalent to up to 40% of lost crops.
Similar measures will be put in place for winegrowers, who are not yet covered by the scheme.
Temperatures have fallen well below zero for several nights in a row in many parts of France, the European Union’s biggest grain producer. The unfavorable conditions have caused major damage to vineyards, orchards, and sugar beet, leading to record frost-related losses.
Winemakers lit candles and burned bales of straw to try to protect their vineyards from the frosts, which have triggered fears of serious damage and lost production.
France’s largest farm union, the FNSEA, welcomed the government’s emergency measures, adding that it estimates losses for French growers at more than 3 billion euros. ($1 = 0.8345 euros) (Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain and Sybille de La Hamaide Editing by David Goodman)
