France offers €1bn farm aid after climate-hit summer

France announced more than one billion euros in emergency support for farmers on Friday after a summer of heatwaves, wildfires and drought, but agricultural groups said the package was too small.

Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard said the money was meant to compensate losses, prevent bankruptcies and help farms restore production. The package includes compensation for climate-related crop losses, tax relief for the hardest-hit farms and a 235-million-euro fund to help producers buy feed and seed, rebuild after fire damage and prepare next year's planting.

The agricultural sector is facing yield losses of up to 50 percent, and up to 80 percent for vegetables and fruit. The livestock sector has also been weakened by losses of fodder and animals including poultry.

Farming organisations said the support did not match the scale of the crisis, with an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 farms at risk. FNSEA secretary-general Herve Lapie said losses totalled 10 billion euros and that at least two billion euros was needed.

The Confederation Paysanne said it had expected at least three billion euros in support and warned that more than 80 percent of farmers would be excluded from the scheme.

The government has promised a major recovery plan in the coming weeks.