According to ASAJA, the frost in April has left losses in Catalonia estimated at more than 600 million euro, the same as in Aragon. In total, some 30,000 hectares of insured fruit trees and more than 70,000 hectares of uninsured almond trees have been affected, which will surpass the 40 million in losses estimated by Agroseguro.

Pere Roqué, the president of ASAJA Lerida, one of the provinces most affected by the frost, said the frost had damaged more than 80% of the crops. The most affected sectors are stone fruit (peach, nectarine, peach donut) and pome fruit (pears and apples), with more than 75% of the crops affected.

Faced with this situation, he criticized that the insurance against cold weather and hail has a 30% deductible, which means producers must respond for 30 euro out of every 100 euro they lose to these events.

He also said insurance companies had decreased the size of the potential crops they can insure in recent years. "This means that, if producers in the Ebro Valley have the potential of producing 30,000 to 35,000 kilos of nectarines per hectare, insurance companies will only let you insure 20,000 to 25,000 kilos the second year there are frost conditions. This increases the deductibles so farmers are wondering about what will happen next year with this insurance."

ASAJA demands a decrease in deductibles, as producers are unable to pay for 30% of the damages, and that the producers can ensure the productive potential they have in their area since the northern zone is not the same as the southern zone. "Agricultural insurance is not attractive at the moment."

"The modification of the insurance must be effective before the 2023 campaign starts," the president of ASAJA Lerida stated.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com