Fruit growers with outdoor crops and hop farms across Germany are to receive support in the face of a difficult industry situation. The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved a decree by Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir that will allow for financial aid of 29 million euros. Since the Corona pandemic, farms have been struggling with the consequences of disrupted supply chains, and higher energy costs as a result of the Russian war against Ukraine have also had an impact, the Green Party politician said. Farmers would receive the money unbureaucratically without paperwork or application procedures. Fruit farmers are to receive a premium of 342 euros per hectare, hop farmers 375 euros per hectare.
The aid is to be paid out by the end of January 2024 at the latest. The subsidy is to be limited to 15,000 euros per farm in order to be able to consider as many farmers as possible. The money comes from an aid program agreed at EU level to compensate farmers in particularly hard-hit sectors for losses. Germany will receive a total of around 36 million euros.
Winemakers are to be supported with 6.5 million euros from this. With a support of 65 cents per liter, up to ten million liters of surplus wine can thus be processed into industrial alcohol, the ministry explained. A corresponding regulation had already come into force. According to earlier information, the background is regional market problems with in part considerable sales declines.
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