Update: 26/04/2024 12:59
Issued by: 04/26/2024, 12:59 p.m
Prague/Holovousy (Jičínsko) – This year’s frosts, which, according to fruit growers’ estimates, caused damage to crops worth more than a billion crowns, threaten the existence of roughly 500 fruit growers in the Czech Republic. Martin Ludvík, the chairman of the Fruit Union of the Czech Republic, told ČTK today. According to him, these are the companies that are dedicated exclusively to the production of fruit. They are also all family farms. Ludvík added that there are currently 700 to 800 professional fruit growers in the Czech Republic, and their number is decreasing slightly over time. According to Ludvík, the Fruit Union is also discussing other possibilities of assistance with the Minister of Agriculture, Mark Výborný (KDU-ČSL). These include supporting operating loans for small growers and maintaining employment in businesses that focus on storing, sorting and packing fruit for retail chains.
Výborný said on Thursday that his resort will launch a program with the help of 70 to 100 million crowns for fruit growers. “Our main concern is that the program should be able to compensate growers especially for the costs they have to incur in that orchard without having sales. It is not possible to close the orchard and open it again in the spring,” said Ludvík to ČTK today. According to him, the program can compensate growers for up to 80 percent of damages.
