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DE 
George Moeritz
Dresden. At least 22 million euros to combat existential fears: as of this Friday, fruit growers and winegrowers in Saxony can apply for the aid money that Agriculture Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) promised them after the hard frost in April. Günther also made it clear on Friday that the aid announced by the European Commission will be available in addition to the money from the state.
During the night of April 23, fruit blossoms and vines were severely damaged because they had already made great progress in the unusually warm spring. Jörg Geithel, President of the Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt Fruit Growers' Association, spoke of losses of up to 70 million euros due to frost damage. For Germany as a whole was expected to be the smallest apple harvest since 2017, according to the Federal Statistical Office. According to initial estimates, a quarter fewer apples were picked this year than the average of the last ten years. A loss of up to 90 percent is to be expected in the south-eastern federal states.
Relief only for damage of 5,000 euros or more
Saxony's state government released 22 million euros for fruit growers and winegrowers in June, who were "existentially affected" by the late frosts. Anyone who has lost more than 30 percent of their average annual production can apply for the aid. It is only paid for losses of 5,000 euros or more. The documents are now available on the Sächsische Aufbaubank funding portal on the Internet ready. It states that applications can be submitted until the end of the year. Companies with insurance against frost damage are rewarded: they receive up to 80 percent support, without insurance for up to 40 percent of the damage. Independent experts must assess the damage.
Minister Günther said in Dresden that the aid money would come from the state budget. He had "fought hard" to support the hard-hit businesses. It was important to him "that fruit and wine growing in Saxony has a perspective". Fruit and wine from the Free State are "strategically indispensable" for the goal of expanding regional value creation.
Günther: Additional millions from Brussels should reach the farmers
The commitment to the sector has now also led to the European Commission contributing "additional money". On September 23 in Brussels, it announced that it would support the member states affected by the frost damage with emergency aid from the agricultural reserve. Germany is expected to receive 46.5 million euros. It has not yet been decided how much of this will be allocated to Saxony. However, other large apple regions such as the Lake Constance region or the Alte Land near Hamburg were not as badly affected.
According to Günther, separate applications must be submitted for the aid money from the EU agricultural reserve. The website of the Sächsische Aufbaubank states that third-party services must be used as a priority - including the additional funds from EU aid. Günther wrote in his press release: "We will ensure that this additional money also reaches the industry." It is important that the state funding starts now.
In June, the fruit growers' association complained that the 22 million euros announced by the state were "not enough in the end". The farms had already been unable to build up reserves in recent years - sometimes because of hail, sometimes because of sunburn. Saxon apples would be in short supply this fall. The local fruit growers would prefer to sell their apples in their own farm stores and at markets, where they achieve higher profit margins than with supermarkets. Saxon winegrowers announced that they would do without Federweißen this year due to the losses. However, Federweißer was served at the wine festivals in Radebeul and Meißen last weekend.
