Frost causes 100 mln euros in losses for Austrian fruit farmers

Austrian fruit farmers in the southeastern state of Styria on Wednesday said they face crop losses totaling an estimated 100 million euros (113.2 million U.S. dollars) following frosty conditions overnight on Monday.

The fruit-growing regions of the state were affected by temperatures that had dropped to between minus 2.5 and minus 6 degrees Celsius.

Estimates claim up to 80 percent of the entire fruit crop has been destroyed. Primarily affected have been fruit varieties either in full bloom or those beginning to grow small, delicate fruit.

This includes apples, pears, plums, cherries and apricots. The approximately 2,000 apple farmers in the state appear particularly hard-hit, some now facing a complete crop failure.

A spokesperson for commercial fruit growers in the state said, according to an ORF report, that in the current phase of growth the fruit crop is very sensitive to frost. It can only handle temperatures half a degree below zero, and even at minus one degree most of the flowers will have died.

In preparation for further cold temperatures many farmers have reportedly also taken to placing paraffin candles amongst their crop in order to increase temperatures.

There are fears that both wine and pumpkin crops could have been jeopardized by the frost, with both also in a sensitive phase of development.

State officials are now examining how far insurance will cover the damage, and also to what extent the finance ministry will provide catastrophe funding to the thousands of families that have in some cases lost their entire income for the year.

In 2014 and 2015, weather conditions also led to massive crop failures in the state's well known pumpkin industry. Endit