The above-average warm March already encouraged nature to flourish. In the Wachau, for example, the vegetation is more than 14 days earlier than the 10-year average. But the cold air from the far north had prevailed once more in the past few days. In planned locations in Burgenland, Lower Austria and Styria, there were nights with temperatures as low as minus 8 degrees.
The consequence of the early vegetation on the one hand and the low temperatures on the other: frost damage in agriculture has hit fruit growing hard – especially stone fruit with apricots, plums, nectarines and cherries, and sometimes also pome fruit with apples and pears, reports the Austrian Hagelversicherung. In the case of apricots, total failures are to be expected at certain points.
more on the subject
Easter weekend will bring more frost damage
“According to initial assessments by our experts, we are currently assuming that a third of the entire fruit area, i.e. around 4,000 hectares, is affected by frost damage. From today’s perspective, the total damage amounts to around 35 million euros,” said Kurt Weinberger, CEO of the Austrian hail insurance company, in a first interim assessment: “The final extent of the damage will only become apparent when the temperatures continue to rise and it becomes clear how the cultures are developing . Temperatures below zero are also forecast for tonight.”
A recurring theme
According to hail insurance, many fruit growers still have bad memories of the catastrophe year 2016, which caused damage of more than 200 million euros. The following years (2017, 2020 and 2021) were also repeatedly frosty. And: Due to global warming, vegetation begins earlier and earlier. In combination with frosty nights, which are generally not unusual at this time, the premature start of vegetation will continue to pose an increasing existential threat in the future, according to the hail insurers.
