Aid for farmers affected by frost damage

11.5.2007

ORAL QUESTION WITH DEBATE O-0026/07
pursuant to Rule 108 of the Rules of Procedure
by Zdzisław Zbigniew Podkański, Roberta Angelilli, Liam Aylward, Peter Baco, Sergio Berlato, Adam Bielan, Martin Callanan, Paulo Casaca, Sylwester Chruszcz, Brian Crowley, Marek Aleksander Czarnecki, Joseph Daul, Albert Deß, Valdis Dombrovskis, Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, Maciej Marian Giertych, Béla Glattfelder, Bogdan Golik, Genowefa Grabowska, Dariusz Maciej Grabowski, Małgorzata Handzlik, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski, Michał Tomasz Kamiński, Sergej Kozlík, Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, Urszula Krupa, Wiesław Stefan Kuc, Zbigniew Krzysztof Kuźmiuk, Bogusław Liberadzki, Marcin Libicki, Astrid Lulling, Jan Tadeusz Masiel, Cristiana Muscardini, Seán Ó Neachtain, Péter Olajos, Neil Parish, Bogdan Pęk, Józef Pinior, Mirosław Mariusz Piotrowski, Umberto Pirilli, Paweł Bartłomiej Piskorski, Zita Pleštinská, Jacek Protasiewicz, Bogusław Rogalski, Dariusz Rosati, Wojciech Roszkowski, Leopold Józef Rutowicz, Eoin Ryan, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Andreas Schwab, Czesław Adam Siekierski, Francesco Enrico Speroni, Grażyna Staniszewska, Andrzej Jan Szejna, Konrad Szymański, Csaba Sándor Tabajdi, Salvatore Tatarella, Witold Tomczak, Bernard Piotr Wojciechowski, Janusz Wojciechowski, Andrzej Tomasz Zapałowski and Roberts Zīle
to the Commission

Polish farmers are experiencing a crisis as a result of the recent frosts which struck Poland in late April and early May, destroying around 90% of this year's fruit and vegetable crops, a situation exacerbated by the lack of protection afforded to the fruit market. Farmers are describing the crisis as the worst for decades. Many fruit growers will not harvest even a single kilo of apples, cherries or other fruit this year, leading to higher prices on the national market, as well as the loss of many overseas markets, where Polish producers have been successfully selling their produce for many years.

 

The Polish Government has promised assistance to farmers in the form of deferred repayment of loans, new emergency loans and relief on farm taxes.

 

Unfortunately, the Polish Government on its own is not in a position to resolve the problem of fruit and vegetable growers faced with bankruptcy.

 

In the light of the above, what assistance does the Commission intend to provide for Polish fruit and vegetable producers?

 

 

Tabled: 11.05.2007

Forwarded: 15.05.2007

Deadline for reply: 22.05.2007