Farmers whose areas have been affected by storms or flooding and who, as a result, are unable to meet one or more of the conditions for receiving support will retain their eligibility for the support applied for, provided that the Rural Support Service (RSS) is informed in a timely manner about the affected areas and the situation. The RSS must be informed about areas affected by exceptional circumstances within two weeks of the damage being identified, using the RSS Electronic Application System (EAS) or the RSS mobile application, where photographs must also be submitted. This procedure makes it possible to take into account circumstances beyond the farmer’s control and retain eligibility for the support applied for even where weather-related damage makes it impossible to meet the requirements initially set.
Grassland and legume areas used in beekeeping and organic farming, as well as grassland habitat areas, which have not been grazed and which, due to excessive moisture, cannot be mown by 15 September, may be mown at a later date. To retain eligibility for the support schemes applied for, a photograph and a description of the situation must be submitted through the RSS mobile application, confirming the damage caused by weather conditions and its impact on the ability to meet the specified requirement.
In grassland and legume areas intended for seed production, where the crop should normally be harvested by 1 October, eligibility for the support applied for in respect of the affected areas will also be retained if the crop cannot be harvested due to the damage. In this case, the farmer must also notify the RSS of the affected areas using the mobile application.
Coupled income support for the production of certified seed potatoes, certified cereal seed, and certified grass and fodder plant seeds is normally granted where a specified quantity of seed is produced in the eligible area and the required yield is achieved. However, in the event of damage caused by adverse weather conditions, eligibility for support may also be retained where the crop has been lost, the quantity produced has decreased or the seed obtained does not meet certification requirements. To ensure that such circumstances can be taken into account, the farmer must notify the RSS of the affected areas and the consequences of the damage using the mobile application.
Coupled income support for vegetable areas is normally available where a crop is harvested from the area declared for support. If the crop has been damaged by flooding and harvesting is no longer economically viable, eligibility for coupled income support may also be retained in this case. The farmer must notify the RSS of the flooded and affected areas using the mobile application.
In the event of damage caused by adverse weather conditions, eligibility for EKO4 – Soil friendly agricultural practice support will be retained. If areas sown with this year’s winter crops were prepared before sowing using minimum soil tillage, and it was planned to declare these areas for EKO4 support in 2027, eligibility for support may also be retained if the winter crop has been damaged by flooding and the area is subsequently resown with another crop later this year or at the beginning of the following year. In this case, it is essential that geotagged photographs have been submitted to the RSS confirming that minimum soil tillage was carried out in accordance with the general requirements. The RSS uses the term “Soil friendly agricultural practice” for EKO4 in its English-language terminology.
We remind farmers that the RSS must be informed of exceptional circumstances in a timely manner where, due to exceptional circumstances or circumstances beyond the farmer’s control, it is not possible to meet one or more of the conditions for receiving support, as eligibility for support may be retained. Such circumstances may include not only storms, prolonged rainfall or flooding, but also localised adverse conditions, the spread of plant diseases or pests, and other unforeseeable events that the farmer could not prevent or influence. The most important thing is to notify the RSS in a timely manner of the exceptional circumstances and the areas affected. Farmers are encouraged to submit this information through the RSS mobile application. Timely submission of information makes it possible to assess the specific situation and take into account circumstances beyond the farmer’s control that have affected their ability to meet the conditions for receiving support.
