German farmers seek 1 billion euros in drought aid: report

Dried out sunflowers are seen on a field near Breydin, Germany, July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

HAMBURG (Reuters) - Farmers in Germany need special aid of around 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion) because of damage to harvests caused by drought and heatwave, the head of German farming association DBV said on Monday.

The aid should be paid to farmers who have lost 30 percent and more of their harvests, DBV president Joachim Rukwied told German regional newspaper group Funke Medien.

This year's drought and heatwave caused damage to crops in large parts of northern Europe, with harvests in Britain, Poland and Scandinavia also suffering.

Farmer Holger Lampe holds a sunflower plant in a dried out sunflowers field near Breydin, Germany, July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

"A billion (euros) would be desirable to compensate for crop losses," Rukwied was quoted as saying.

German agriculture minister Julia Kloeckner said on Sunday she is concerned about harvest losses for grains, potatoes, maize and sugar beets.

German federal and state authorities will meet on Tuesday to assess the situation, Kloeckner said. On Wednesday Kloeckner said she will report to the cabinet about the impact of the drought on farmers.

Farmer Holger Lampe poses with a sunflower plant in a dried out sunflowers field near Breydin, Germany, July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

(Reporting by Michael Hogan, editing by Louise Heavens)

A dried out sunflower is seen on a field near Breydin, Germany, July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

A dried out sunflower is seen on a field near Breydin, Germany, July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch