Overview

• The Federal Ministry of Agriculture is reviewing whether the Agrarstruktur‑ und Küstenschutz fund can co-finance a nationwide policy covering multiple natural hazards.
• Germany currently relies on a patchwork of state programmes with differing rules and payouts, creating unequal protection and administrative complexity.
• The German Farmers' Association calls for at least 50% of premiums to be covered for perils such as late frost, heavy rain, drought and storms.
• Insurers back a federal scheme, cite Bavaria’s programme as the most comprehensive, and note many EU countries already subsidize such cover, with states globally paying about 70% on average.
• Research shows persistent soil‑moisture deficits, especially in central and eastern regions, and the environment agency is drafting water‑scarcity guidance while authorities set withdrawal limits.