Europe: After floods, now hail strikes greenhouses in Germany and Switzerland

The damage to German horticulture further continues. After the floods of the last weeks, hail is the new factor causing big trouble. On Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 June, heavy hail storms took place in several parts of Germany and Switzerland. This resulted in a total loss of 4-5 million Euro in Germany and about 2 million Euro in Switzerland.

The German greenhouse insurance company Gartenbau Versicherung received 16 damage reports from the horticultural sector. In three greenhouse operations there was considerable damage to the glass. Also outdoor crops where damaged to crops. At one greenhouse operations their was a 1.5 million Euro damage caused by the hail. The glass deck of two greenhouses where completely destroyed at Arcerca. Another large Venlo greenhouse deck was shatered by 50%. Shortly after the storm the company started to clean up the mess and asses the damage. At another vegetable grower also the glass deck was completely destroyed, the damage here amounts to nearly € 60,000.

Wednesday the storm entered Switzerland, resulting in the largest damage in horticulture in the last 30 years in Geneva. The damage at the greenhouses is estimated to be 2 million Euro. Next to this there was also damage in agriculture and orchards.