As prolonged rainfall continues, the Ministry of Agriculture urges farmers to report affected areas to the Rural Support Service (RSS) through the Electronic Application System (EAS).
Farmers whose areas have been affected by prolonged rainfall, storms or flooding and who are consequently unable to comply with any of the conditions for receiving support will retain their eligibility for the support applied for, provided that they inform the Rural Support Service (RSS) of the affected areas and the situation in a timely manner. The RSS must be informed of areas affected by exceptional circumstances within two weeks of the damage being identified, using the RSS Electronic Application System (EAS) or the RSS mobile app, where photographs must also be submitted. This procedure allows circumstances beyond the farmer’s control to be taken into account and eligibility for the support applied for to be retained where weather-related damage makes it impossible to meet the applicable requirements.
Grassland and legume areas used in beekeeping and organic farming, as well as grassland habitat areas, which have not been grazed and cannot be mown by 15 September due to excessive moisture, may be mown at a later date. To retain eligibility for the support schemes applied for, a geotagged photograph and a description of the situation must be submitted through the RSS mobile app, confirming the weather-related damage and its impact on the ability to meet the relevant requirement.
In grassland and legume areas intended for seed production, where the crop should be harvested by 1 October, eligibility for the support applied for will also be retained if the crop cannot be harvested due to damage. In this case, the farmer must also inform the RSS of the affected areas using the mobile app.
Coupled income support for the production of certified seed potatoes, certified cereal seed, and seeds of grasses and forage crops is normally granted where a specified quantity of seed is produced in the area and the required yield threshold is met. 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 yield has been reduced, or the seed produced does not meet certification requirements. In such cases, the farmer must inform the RSS of the affected areas and the consequences of the damage using the mobile app.
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. Farmers must inform the RSS of flooded and affected areas using the mobile app.
In the event of damage caused by exceptional weather conditions, eligibility for Eco-scheme 4 (ECO4) support for sustainable agricultural practices will be retained. If areas sown with this year’s winter crops were prepared before sowing using minimum soil tillage, and these areas were intended to be declared for ECO4 support in 2027, eligibility for support may also be retained if the winter crop is damaged by flooding and the area is subsequently resown with another crop later this year or at the beginning of next year. In this case, it is essential that geotagged photographs confirming that minimum soil tillage was carried out in accordance with the general requirements have been submitted to the RSS.
Please note that the RSS must be informed of exceptional circumstances in a timely manner. Where exceptional circumstances or circumstances beyond the farmer’s control make it impossible to meet any of the conditions for receiving support, eligibility for support may be retained. Such circumstances may include not only storms, prolonged rainfall or flooding, but also local adverse conditions, the spread of plant diseases or pests, and other unforeseen events that the farmer could neither prevent nor influence. The most important thing is to inform the RSS in a timely manner about the exceptional circumstances and the areas affected. Farmers are encouraged to submit this information through the RSS mobile app. Timely submission of information enables the RSS to assess each individual situation and take into account circumstances beyond the farmer’s control that have affected the farmer’s ability to meet the conditions for receiving support.
