Do., März 21st 2024
Swiss agriculture faces a harsh year with CHF 30.8 million in damages due to hail.
Hail caused damage amounting to CHF 30.8 million in Switzerland last year. A total of 5,904 claims were reported for insured crops. Around a third of the total amount can be attributed to drought and storms.
More than half of the total costs were caused by hail, as reported by the Swiss Hail Insurance Company (Schweizerische Hagel) on Wednesday.
Around 30 percent of the damage was caused by drought. This was particularly evident in maize and sugar beet in western Switzerland. Storm damage was responsible for just under a tenth of the total. Crops, vegetables, vines, fruit and berries were severely affected.
Schweizer Hagel insures agricultural crops of farmers in Switzerland and neighboring countries in France and Italy.
The insurance company also covers livestock from pigs, dairy cattle and laying hens against animal epidemics. In 2023, Schweizer Hagel insured agricultural crops to the tune of CHF 4.1 billion.
©Keystone/SDA