1.2 million euros in damage for Upper Austria’s farmers thanks to “super cell”

A “super cell” with heavy rainfall, hail and storms caused damage worth 1.2 million euros to Upper Austrian farmers at the end of August. Austrian hail insurance drew this conclusion after initial surveys by its experts on Thursday. The extreme weather events are also placing increasing psychological strain on farmers.

Large parts of Upper Austria were recently affected, particularly the districts of Braunau, Vöcklabruck and Schärding. The damage occurred to arable and vegetable crops as well as grassland. The Schärding district was hit particularly hard. “A corn harvest is simply impossible. What was nurtured and cared for from spring onwards is razed to the ground in one fell swoop. Extremely bitter, especially since the corn in particular has put a lot of strain on many farmers this year anyway: at first it was far too wet and cold “, then great heat and drought followed – and now a total loss,” said Agriculture Regional Councilor Michaela Langer-Weninger (ÖVP).

Crop losses due to extreme weather are a concern for eight out of ten farmers, according to a survey by the Market Institute on behalf of hail insurance. Three quarters of farmers say that the psychological demands and challenges have generally increased in recent years, as 80 percent of the yield depends on the weather. Appropriate risk management and a comprehensive psychosocial counseling service should provide a remedy. “With the farm helpline, farmers already have the opportunity to talk to trained people about psychological challenges – in many cases just a conversation often helps,” says Langer-Weninger.

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