The European Commission has adopted a proposal to allocate nearly US$54 million (€50 million) from the agricultural reserve to support fruit, nut, and vegetable farmers in Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania. Growers in these Member States suffered production losses following adverse climatic events in early 2025.
Pending approval by Member States, the proposal will allocate approximately US$8 million (€7.4 million) to Bulgaria, US$11.7 million (€10.8 million) to Hungary, US$4.5 million (€4.2 million) to Latvia, US$1.2 million (€1.1 million) to Lithuania, US$16 million (€14.8 million) to Poland, and US$12.4 million (€11.5 million) to Romania. These countries may add up to 200% in complementary national funding.
Late frosts, followed in many cases by hail or heavy rain, destroyed large portions of fruit, vegetable, nut, and seed harvests across the six countries.
In Bulgaria, an unusually warm February led to premature flowering of fruit trees, followed by frost in March and April that damaged almonds, apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, prunes, and walnuts. Latvia experienced warm weather in April, followed by frost and heavy rain that affected fruit trees, berries, vegetables, and seed crops such as peas, pumpkins, and flax. Lithuania recorded similar conditions, with early warmth accelerating crop growth before frost in April and May damaged apples, currants, berries, cherries, pears, and plums.
In Hungary, frost in April and May affected nearly the entire country, damaging apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, and quinces. Poland faced long frost periods in April and May, followed by hailstorms that affected berries, currants, sour cherries, and cucumbers. Romania experienced late frosts that froze buds and flowers, leading to major fruit production losses.
Payments to farmers in Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania must be completed by April 30, 2026.
Under the agricultural reserve of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027, at least US$488 million (€450 million) is available annually to help farmers manage market disruptions or exceptional production losses. The Commission emphasised the growing need for stronger risk management tools to address climate-related volatility and support long-term farm resilience.
A Commission representative stated: "More frequent and extreme weather events, this time impacting farmers from six Member States, highlight the volatility and uncertainty of farmers' working conditions. Today's help will bring a little relief to the farmers who lost their crops and their income this year. It is more important than ever to mitigate climate change but also to adapt to it."
The Commission intends to double the crisis reserve in the next CAP (2028–2034) to further strengthen support for European farmers and the agri-food sector.
For more information:
Balazs UJVARI
European Commission
Tel: +32 2 29 54578
Email: [email protected]
www.ec.europa.eu
