The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) will provide emergency financial support for the fruit-growing sector affected by the late frost in the spring of 2025, worth 58.54 million lei (11.5 million euros), fully financed from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), based on a European Commission regulation.
According to a draft decision published on the MADR website, the measure exclusively targets agricultural producers in the fruit-growing sector whose fruit plantations were significantly affected by the frost episodes in April-May 2025. The financial support will be provided in the form of a grant worth 2,000 euros/ha (10,180.6 lei/ha), and it will depend on the degree of damage, agerpres reports.
Thus, for plantations with a degree of damage between 90% and 100%, the maximum value of the aid will be granted. In the case of damage between 30% and 90%, the financial support will be calculated proportionally to the percentage of damage. If the requests exceed the budget ceiling, the amounts will be cut down proportionally for all beneficiaries. The fruit species for which the grant is granted are: apple, pear, plum, apricot and cherry, peach, cherry and sour cherry, nectarine, walnut and hazelnut, almond.
The draft also shows that the total area affected by the late spring frost at the national level is estimated at approximately 8,800 hectares of fruit orchards. The average eligible expenses taken into account when granting emergency financial support are estimated at 67,580 lei/ha, respectively 13,274 euros/ha, and the income losses for the fruit species affected by the late spring frost in 2025 at 6,647-18,000 euros/ha, depending on the degree of damage.
The emergency financial support, in a maximum amount of 10,180.6 lei/ha, equivalent to 2,000 euros/ha, covers 15% of the average eligible expenses, respectively between 11% and 29% of the loss of income, depending on the degree of damage to the species in question.
Romania undertakes that the total support, cumulated with possible insurance compensation, shall not exceed 80% of the eligible expenses or 40% of the loss of income.
The scheme applies throughout Romania, based on objective and non-discriminatory criteria and does not cause distortion of the market or competition, and payments of the amounts representing the grant are made until April 30, 2026. The aid cannot be cumulated with other state aid or de minimis schemes for the same eligible costs and cannot be subject to forced execution by attachment.
According to MADR data, in 2025, extensive agricultural areas were affected by the manifestation of unfavourable climatic phenomena, such as late spring frost, drought, storms and floods, hail. These unfavourable phenomena generated negative effects on plantations, by freezing flowers, buds and shoots, which resulted in significant production losses, up to the total compromise of crops in the case of fruit orchards.
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