ZAGREB, 14 Oct (Hina) - The Croatian Chamber of Agriculture (HPK) calls for the activation of EU emergency aid for Croatian farmers affected by climate change, notably drought and hail, the HPK said on Monday, calling also on Agriculture Minister Josip Dabro to cooperate more closely with the farmers.

The HPK recalls having recently sent the minister a letter asking that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries request the European Commission to provide aid from the EU's financial reserves for local farmers who this summer were affected by extremely inclement weather conditions, including drought and hail, suffering extensive crop damage.

"Our farm sector has suffered extensive damage, and preliminary estimates put the damage caused by drought at more than €130 million while damage caused by hail is certain to exceed €10 million," the HPK said.

It notes that the farmers' request was sent after the European Commission decided to mobilise €119.7 million from the EU's agricultural reserve as aid to farmers in Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Italy and Romania.

"In this difficult situation, the HPK has called on the minister to see to it that the necessary support is allocated also to our farmers so they can restore production and overcome the challenges they are faced with," HPK president Mladen Jakopović said.

He added that member countries have the option of adding up to 200% of the allocation amount from the national budgets.

HPK calls for closer cooperation with farmers 

The HPK also called on Minister Dabro to cooperate more closely with the farmers.

It also called on the ministry to respond to its numerous letters, which, it says, concern requests for meetings sent over the past two months in connection with problems in the farm sector, including outstanding subsidy payments, damage caused to turkey farmers by the bird flu, pig farming, climate change, etc.