Funding in Connection with the Occurrence of Fire Blight

The funding for fruit-growing enterprises in Styria offers targeted compensation to affected natural and legal persons engaged in commercial fruit cultivation (apples, pears, aronia, quinces) following official orders for uprooting due to fire blight infestation. With a subsidy of 45% of the calculated costs – considering uprooting expenses, yield loss in the year of uprooting, replanting costs, and yield loss until full production is reached – the measure aims to contain the spread of the disease and restore the productivity of the orchards. Payments are granted for damages exceeding EUR 300 to ensure an unbureaucratic process. The funding is continuously available until June 30, 2030, and is based on legal frameworks such as the Styrian Plant Protection Act and the EU Block Exemption Regulation.

Eligibility for funding requires the immediate reporting of the occurrence or suspicion of fire blight to Department 10 Agriculture and Forestry, the execution of a proper, officially mandated uprooting, and proof of this measure. Furthermore, restoration of the orchard must be guaranteed by April 30 of the year following next. The compensation application must be submitted no later than November 30 of the year of infestation and must be accompanied by a declaration of commitment to restoration. The final damage assessment is conducted by official experts who determine the individual extent of the damage. This funding ensures, on the one hand, comprehensive control of fire blight and, on the other hand, the rapid resumption of productive fruit cultivation in Styria.