Hail Destroys 21,000 Hectares of Crops in Thuringia

Severe storms, including hail, in the German state of Thuringia have damaged at least 21,000 hectares of farmland. The agricultural insurer Vereinigte Hagel estimates the scale of the destruction, which has resulted in substantial financial losses for farmers in a short period.

The damage varies between 25% and 95% on affected farms, with some regions experiencing hail as large as tennis balls. The Agrargenossenschaft Martinroda in the Ilm-Kreis district is among the hardest hit, reporting approximately 500 hectares of winter rapeseed, wheat, rye, and pea crops destroyed. Ralf Gumpert, spokesperson for the cooperative and head of the district farmers' association, described the event as destroying months of work in mere minutes.

Smaller farms have also been severely impacted. The organic farm "Ross und Rettich" in the Ilmenau area reported that its fields and crops were almost entirely wiped out. This also complicates the planting of new crops, as the destroyed seeds have been scattered across the land.

The Thuringian Farmers' Association has not yet been able to provide a total figure for the economic losses. However, the organization emphasizes the increasing importance of insurance for farmers, particularly given the rise in extreme weather events linked to climate change. While insurance can cover some of the losses, it does not resolve all the financial and production challenges farmers face.