The Polish Ministry of Agriculture announced that farmers will be eligible to receive PLN 1.5 billion ($410 million) in financial support to offset losses from the 2018 drought.
Most areas experienced hot and dry conditions from April through mid-June 2018, although some areas of western Poland experienced drought conditions through September. Over 200,000 Polish farms on 3.5 million hectares were negatively affected.
On September 14, 2018, Poland’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski announced that the government would provide the PLN 1.5 billion in subsidies for affected farmers.
Affected farmers with crop losses over 70 percent of the planted area, will be eligible to receive up to PLN 1,000 ($271) per hectare, while those with losses between 30-70 percent will be eligible to receive up to PLN 500 ($135) per hectare. Eligible farmers are required to demonstrate that crops from at least half of his/her land is insured, or payouts will be reduced by 50 percent, as per European Union (EU) legislation
Farmers can apply for assistance as of October 31, 2018.