April frost cause 21 bln liras in damage, officials say

ANKARA

Severe agricultural frost in April has caused an estimated 21 billion Turkish Liras ($537.2 million) in crop damage across Türkiye, officials told a parliamentary committee this week.

The country has been hit by one of the harshest agricultural frosts in recent memory, with temperatures plummeting substantially over a three-day cold spell between April 10 and 12.

It impacted a range of other crops: Apricots, cherries, plums, walnuts and peaches all sustained significant damage.

During a session of the parliament’s agricultural frost research committee, Bekir Engürülü, general manager of the Agricultural Insurance Pool, outlined the extent of the damage.

Grapes were hit hardest, accounting for 11 billion liras ($281.2 million) in losses, followed by apricots, hazelnuts, apples, nectarines and peaches.

The official said that 1.1 billion liras ($28.1 million) in compensation has been paid out so far, while the remaining 20 billion liras in claims are still under review.

Responding to criticism that frost insurance premiums are too high, Engürülü defended the pricing structure.

He noted that in some regions, particularly those growing apricots, insurance payouts are made on the vast majority of policies, corresponding to 81 out of every 100.

“Farmers tend to insure only the plots most vulnerable to frost,” he said. “When the risk of damage is so high, it naturally drives up the cost of premiums.”

Engürülü also said they are considering new rules that would require farmers to insure all plots of a specific crop within the same district.