Many Dutch farmers are not insured for weather-related damage

Photo: Depositphotos.com
Photo: Depositphotos.com

Dutch farmers are less likely to be insured against the impact of the weather than farmers in other EU countries, the Volkskrant said on Tuesday.

Most farmers consider insurance to be too expensive and this is becoming a problem because damage due to extreme weather conditions is increasing, the paper said.

This year, for example, just 3% of farmers and market gardeners are paying for a broad weather-related insurance package and last year even fewer did so, according to figures from the Dutch insurers organisation.

The insurance covers farmers for damage caused by frost, rain, drought, storms, hail, lightning, snow and black ice.

More problems

According to the VvV, damage due to too much rain will rise by between 5% and 139% in the coming 70 years. In the most optimistic scenario, the amount of damage caused by hail will double to €100m.

Farming lobby group LTO Nederland says farmers in Limburg and Noord-Brabant have made claims totalling €500m for damage caused by the recent storms.

However, many of them are not covered for damage under the weather-related policy because the damage was caused by flooding, not the rain itself. Farmers argue that the water boards are failing to keep drainage ditches clear because they want to protect breeding birds.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation