Farmers hit by 2017 drought likely to be compensated

The Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry has submitted for comments a bill proposing that the Government should greenlight financial aid for farmers who suffered crop damage last year due to extreme drought, TASR learnt on Tuesday. "In light of the extraordinary situation caused by last year's drought, we request that a sum of €34,225,947 should be earmarked in the form of a budgetary measure from the coffers of the Finance Ministry, aimed at offsetting 2017 revenue losses in plant production of the agricultural companies in Slovakia that were affected by drought and lost more than 30 percent of their harvests," reads the submitted material. Extreme climate conditions last year adversely affected at least 210 farmers and agricultural companies employing a total of 6,578 people, with combined losses of nearly €52 million due to reduced harvests.