Chamber Demands Emergency Fund: Peppers Burned at 50 Degrees
Farmers in eastern Croatia battle drought, and the Croatian Chamber of Agriculture warns that without a national fund for climate change adaptation, the entire sector faces atrophy.
Farmers in eastern Croatia battle drought, and the Croatian Chamber of Agriculture warns that without a national fund for climate change adaptation, the entire sector faces atrophy.
The Croatian Chamber of Agriculture (HPK) has called for the establishment of a special domestic fund to finance production restructuring and adaptation to climate change, as reported by HRT on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. This year's drought has hit producers in the east of the country hardest, and the consequences are already visible on the ground.
On the Bošković family farm in Cerna, even the constantly running irrigation system is no longer enough to overcome extreme temperatures. "The peppers are almost entirely burned. There's been no rain for months, and the sun was relentless-it hit 50 degrees... How can peppers grow in such conditions?" wonders farmer Josip Bošković.
His colleague Mirko Bošković had counted on about five tons of peppers per hectare, but now says he'll be lucky to get a ton. For the coming seasons, he plans a significantly larger investment. "I've projected that for 35 hectares, we could install a complete network system that would also provide full protection against hail and high temperatures. To cover the entire field, that would cost somewhere between 1.2 and 1.5 million euros," Mirko explained.
Željko Mihelić, president of the Croatian Chamber of Agriculture, warns that it is precisely in such cases that the problems of Croatian agriculture as a whole begin. That's why the HPK is demanding a robust domestic fund to help farmers adapt.
"It should be efficient above all, meaning it should be used for establishing new orchards, new vineyards, new greenhouses, and especially to push for increased livestock production, where we've truly fallen below 50% self-sufficiency. And if we don't manage to do this in the next few years, given all the market changes, climate change, and shifts in lifestyle, work, and earning, I'm afraid we'll slowly atrophy agriculture," Mihelić stated.
The establishment of a strong national fund is also supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. State Secretary Marinko Beljo emphasizes that adapting to climate change also means changes in what and where to sow.
"Experts suggest going with earlier sowing, shortening the ripening period, and avoiding the crisis months-July and August, which are the most critical times, as has been evident for several years and is likely to continue. So, some crops that have thrived in certain areas will simply have to be gradually moved westward," Beljo explained.
While production adapts to the new reality, the state is also counting on helping producers who have already suffered damage. According to HRT's report, last year, 20 million euros were paid out from the state budget and EU funds to compensate for damage caused by natural disasters.
