The regional Agriculture Ministry of Castilla y León has completed its extraordinary aid program for farmers hit by the 2022-2023 drought, approving just over 54,000 euros in complementary payments to 22 farm holders in the region.
The new funds top up indemnities already paid by Agroseguro, Spain's agricultural insurance pool, under policies covering drought damage to herbaceous crops taken out through the 2022 Combined Agricultural Insurance Plan. The 22 recipients had their damage assessments and indemnities determined after 2023, according to the ministry.
Earlier rounds of aid
The Junta de Castilla y León already granted more than 37.4 million euros in complementary drought aid during 2023, through two separate orders that benefited more than 12,500 farm holdings across the region.
The 2022-2023 season was declared an exceptional agricultural campaign under Agreement 50/2023, adopted on June 15, 2023, following a severe lack of rainfall. That agreement included measures to supplement indemnities recognized by Agroseguro for affected farmers.
Why some payments came later
Certain herbaceous crops have production cycles that require a later assessment of damage, meaning their indemnities could not be included in the 2023 payment rounds, the ministry said. Once Agroseguro reported the final indemnity figures for these cases to the regional administration, the ministry moved to add these farmers to the complementary aid system, ensuring they receive the same treatment as those already paid in 2023.
How the payments are calculated
The aid amounts follow the same criteria used in previous rounds. Professional farmers receive a payment equal to 25 percent of the indemnity recognized by Agroseguro, while non-professional farmers receive 12.5 percent of that indemnity.
The ministry said the aid complements the national agricultural insurance system and reinforces protection for farms against adverse weather conditions, while also encouraging farmers to take out insurance policies as a risk management tool.
Funding and classification
The subsidies are financed through the regional government's General Budget for 2026 and are granted directly for reasons of public and economic interest. They fall under the agricultural sector's de minimis aid regime.
With this latest round, the Junta de Castilla y León said all farmers affected by the 2022-2023 drought will now receive equal treatment regardless of when their damages were determined, completing the extraordinary support measures adopted for one of the most difficult agricultural seasons in recent years.
