MP Gilles Baum (Democratic Party) as well as MPs Léon Gloden, Françoise-Hetto Gaasch and Octavie Modern (CSV) both requested further information on vineyard damage in their parliamentary questions addressed to Romain Schneider, the Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture, and Rural Development.
Grape vines are delicate and can be impacted by cold weather as well as hail stones. The MPs submitted their parliamentary questions in the context of the two unseasonally cold nights in the last month, which also featured hail stones. Some grape vines were damaged by the frost and hail.
The parliamentary questions first of all requested further details as to the extent of the damage of the frosty nights of 4 and 7 May. The minister specified that he did not have specific figures yet, but estimated that around 30 to 50% of the average harvest of 120,000 hectolitres could be affected.
Schneider also responded that over a period of the last ten years, the grape vines seem worst hit in this year. Some areas experienced damage on up to 100% of their grape vines, mainly due to the frost. The minister compared the frost damage with that of 1991. However, keeping to ten years, 2019 is definitely the year with the most significant amount of hail damage.
All four MPs also asked for further details concerning wine grower compensation and insurance. In the two questions, they acknowledged that the state accounts for 65% of the costs relating to damages, but asked how any wine growers had this insurance.
Schneider's response detailed that of the total 1,250 hectares of vineyards, 815 hectares are insured against frost and 1,060 are insured against hail stones. In other words, 82 out of 294 wine growers have taken out insurance against hail stones and frost, whereas 72 have only taken out insurance against hail stones.
The minister also highlighted that the state does not envision providing further aid given its generous contribution in the domain of insurances. As for preventative measures, Schneider also explained that protecting vineyards against frost with the help of open fire places is not a comprehensive solution given the high workload and costs.
