Nach Dürre: Frankreich plant Milliardenhilfe für die Landwirtschaft

France is providing over a billion euros in support to its agricultural sector after experiencing unprecedented heat and drought during the summer. The government aims to address extraordinary losses to prevent insolvency and stimulate agricultural production by facilitating the supply of feed and seeds to farmers, according to Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard.

The extreme heatwaves and drought have had significant impacts on French agricultural land, the country's largest producer within the EU. An exceptional drought affected 65 percent of the territory, leading to yield losses of up to 50 percent in many areas. Feed reserves were more than 50 percent below the norm in numerous regions, and farmers across the board faced a severely deteriorated economic situation, the ministry reported.

The drought threatens France's agricultural sovereignty in two ways: by significantly weakening the liquidity of some farms and by risking a lower production capacity for the 2027 harvest season, compounded by existing challenges in fuel and fertilizer supply. The minister emphasized that the aid also aims to prepare agriculture for the advancing climate change.

France recorded its hottest and sunniest summer since measurements began in 1900, according to the state meteorological service Météo France, which also reported 40 percent less rain than usual. The cause, climate change, was cited by the weather service.