Romania will insure seven million hectares against drought under a singular mechanism in Europe by offering an insurance premium of RON 3,000 per hectare, Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu on Tuesday told a conference on great challenges and risks generated by climate change.

And this is possible because „we have set up a risk fund under which 3% of the subsidy from the European Union is withheld from farmers, and by applying this mechanism under which we practically insure these crops against drought, we receive another EUR 17 million annually from the European Union. As an offset, we come up with other amounts from the national budget, so that the seven million hectares are ultimately insured,” Barbu said.

Also, Romanian farmers will receive this year an aid of EUR 200 per hectare for crops affected by drought, currently covering an area of two million hectares.

Barbu also called the anti-hail system in place good, saying that investment in it will continue although he decided to halt the launch of anti-hail rockets in certain areas at the request of farmers.

AGERPRES