Agricultural damage still not recognized as a disasterPosted at 16:53h in climate, agriculture, Flemish Parliament by Stella VansummerenVlaams MP Steven Coenegrachts pleads for rapid recognition of abundant waterfall as a disasterThe Flemish Government has previously indicated that it will recognize the abundant waterfall as a disaster in July and to provide compensation through the disaster fund.

This only appears to apply to damage for which the fire insurance already intervenes. For damage to agricultural crops, the recognition is not yet a certain fact, is evident from the question that Steven Coenegrachts (Open Vld) asked prime minister Jan Jambon this afternoon.Damage resulting from floods is not covered by the broad weather insurance that farmers have been able to take out for several years. After all, it is not considered an unfavourable weather, but it is considered a natural disaster and therefore an uninsurable risk for farmers and horticulturists. The agricultural organisations have already called for this water damage to be compensated through the disaster fund. After a few questions from Steven Coenegrachts during the General Policy and Finance Committee, it appeared from the prime minister's answer that the recognition that is needed for this is not yet a certain fact. Damage caused by the abundant rainfall could be reported until 14 September. The services are currently working on the analysis of the reports. The Prime Minister could not yet give an indication of the order of magnitude of the damage and is awaiting the advice of the scientific bodies for final recognition. Only if the recommendations and accompanying investigations make recognition as a disaster possible, the recognition can be submitted to the Flemish Government for approval in October, November. Within three months following that, damage sufferers can submit an application for compensation. The first payments are then expected in the first half of 2022, according to the prime minister's response. If the damage is compensated by the insurer, the Flemish Disaster Fund does not intervene. Given the extent of the damage, Steven Coenegrachts argues for a quick handling of the files. "With such a large damage on the site, it is important for agricultural entrepreneurs to quickly get clarity about a possible compensation. I also call for the broad weather insurance and its relationship to the disaster fund to be evaluated in a joint committee meeting of the General Policy and Agriculture committees, where stakeholders from the sector can also be heard." For example, Coenegrachts pointed to the strange situation that an insured farmer sometimes receives less through insurance for the same damage than an uninsured farmer through the disaster fund. "These kinds of teething problems need to be addressed," Coenegrachts concludes.