HAILSTORMS IN 2004 AND DAMAGE TO AGRICULTURE

Abstract

On the basis of Article 35 of the Remedying the Effects of Natural Disasters Act (Ur.l. RS no. 75/03), the state of Slovenia may use funds for remedying the effects of damage to agriculture for individual natural disasters for which the assessment of direct damage is greater than 0.3 percent of planned national budget income, or if the damage occurs several times within the space of 120 days or in different places and the assessed direct damage is greater than 0.3 percent of planned national budget income. This was the case in 2004. Damage from hail storms in the period from 9 June to 9 October appeared in 80 municipalities, some of which recorded damage several times, and they also met other criteria for the use of state aid. The Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief of the Republic of Slovenia submitted to the Government RS an assessment of direct damage from hail storms in Slovenia, which was assessed at 8.3 billion tolars, affecting around 30,000 hectares of agricultural area. The contribution analyses the climatic conditions that caused the major hail storms in the period in question and the impact on agriculture. Agriculture will clearly be able to reduce the risk from the impact of these storms only with an anti-hail net and by protecting produce.