The Saxon cabinet has approved aid for fruit and wine growers affected by frost damage. The fruit growers had already had difficult times in recent years due to the drought, said Agriculture Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) on Tuesday after the cabinet meeting in Dresden. For some, the question had arisen as to whether or not they should continue farming. There is currently a discussion about this in the sector. However, fruit growing and viticulture are important factors in Saxony - also for the cultural areas. They do not want businesses to have to give up and areas under cultivation to disappear.
A total of 22 million euros is available for this year and next to minimize frost damage. The winegrowers' association recently put the figure at around 34 million euros. However, Günther assumes that many wineries have insurance. The money now made available for the frost damage comes largely from his ministry's budget. Up to a maximum of 10 million euros can be taken from the climate fund on a temporary and one-off basis. However, the money is to flow back into this fund in 2025, it said.
