Drought relief package: Farmers attack finance minister
Austria’s agricultural sector is facing an estimated €1 billion in losses from the country’s prolonged drought, prompting farmers to demand urgent government assistance as the crisis threatens crops, livestock feed and farm incomes.
The Österreichische Hagelversicherung (Austrian Hail Insurance) said the damage has reached a historic scale, with all of Austria’s federal states affected and almost every major crop suffering losses. The drought has also intensified shortages of animal feed, creating additional pressure on livestock farmers.
The ÖVP-Bauernbund (Austrian People’s Party Farmers’ Association) has sharply criticized Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ) after he said there would be no new government money specifically for drought-hit farmers. Instead, Marterbauer said the Landwirtschaftsministerium (Ministry of Agriculture) would have to redistribute money within its existing budget.
Farmers’ representatives are demanding that the Finance Ministry change its position. Bauernbund President Georg Strasser said the €1 billion loss was a reality for farming families facing destroyed harvests, insufficient animal feed and uncertainty over the future of their businesses. He accused the SPÖ-led Finance Ministry of blocking the financial support needed to address the crisis.
The scale of the agricultural losses varies by crop. The Grünland (grassland) sector is estimated to have suffered yield losses of around 45%, while maize production has fallen by about 25% and grain by approximately 14%. In some regions, the losses are considerably higher.
Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) has begun discussions with Marterbauer and brought together representatives from agriculture, science and the insurance sector for a round table. The government is expected to present a support package “in the next few days,” although the details and funding remain unclear.
The Bauernbund says simply shifting money within the agriculture budget will not be enough to deal with what it calls a historic disaster. Strasser is demanding rapid, targeted and low-bureaucracy assistance, arguing that protecting Austrian food production requires immediate support for the farms hardest hit by the drought.