Areas where more than 30 percent of the produce is damaged can expect financial aid from the budget reserves. However, the aid can only be distributed next year.

The State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Tanja Strniša, says this year’s drought has reached catastrophic levels. "It will most likely leave more dire consequences than the drought in 2003, which has until now been considered as the worst in the last two decades."

The ministry, together with the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, has already launched the necessary proceedings and called on municipalities to report the damage. The damage will be assessed later in the autumn, and that will be followed by the preparation of a program and the giving out of financial aid to farmers, which will happen in around a year. Among the short-term measures the ministry is to secure help for farmers by purchasing animal feed.
Tanja Strniša warns that the frequent occurrence of droughts presents a big problem, which points to the gravity of the issue of climate change. Priority will now be given to irrigation.

L. L., MMC; translated by K. J.