Minister pledges legislative changes to help farmers post-floods
Ljubljana, 8 August - Agriculture Minister Irena Šinko announced changes to agriculture legislation alongside the changes to the disaster relief law, as she met on Tuesday stakeholders in the agriculture sector to discuss effective help for flood-affected farms, beekeepers and food companies.
Ljubljana
Agriculture Minister Irena Šinko.
Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA
File photo
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food said that Šinko briefed the stakeholders on the changes to the disaster relief act that concern the agricultural sector.
The changes for instance enable farmers who have insured their crops to get 100% advance payment for the lost crops based on the de minimis scheme.
The government adopted the changes today and they are expected to be passed by parliament on Wednesday, but the Agriculture Ministry has already initiated damage assessment with the Defence Ministry so that the procedures can start as soon as possible.
Šinko met representatives of the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, the Farmers' Union, the Rural Youth Association, the Women Farmers' Association, the Cooperatives Association, the Chamber of Agricultural and Food Enterprises, the Beekeeper's Association, the Association of Professional Beekeepers, and the Association of Hill and Mountain Farms.
They briefed her on the various problems and challenges facing the agricultural sector in the days following the floods. She promised to provide assistance to those involved and announced amendments to the agriculture act's force majeure provisions in order to simplify administrative procedures.