Damage to vineyards in the Czech Republic exceeded two billion crowns, winemakers said

Commercial presentation Update: 04/26/2024 1:15 p.m
Issued by: 04/26/2024, 12:09 p.m

Brno – Damage to vineyards in the Czech Republic after the wave of April frosts is more than two billion crowns. In Bohemia, where four percent of the registered vineyards are in the Czech Republic, the damage reaches 95 percent. In Moravia, the yield will be lower by at least a quarter, but the damage may exceed 30 percent in some sub-regions. The Union of Winemakers, which is the largest trade union, found this out in a survey among members. The president of the Wine Association, Martin Chlad, announced this at a press conference. According to him, winemakers do not remember similar damage to the vines. They are asking for a more active approach by the Ministry of Agriculture and a stop to the discussion on the introduction of an excise tax on still wine. The minister invited winegrowers and fruit growers to Thursday’s meeting.

According to winemakers, the last straw would be the introduction of an excise tax on still wine. They point out that the Czech Republic would be the only country with such a tax, which would significantly reduce competitiveness. Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborny (KDU-ČSL) was invited by winemakers to a public discussion, which will take place at the beginning of May in Velké Bílovice with the participation of a hundred winemakers. They want to familiarize him with their expectations. But the winemakers are not primarily concerned with compensation, but with a systemic solution for similarly sensitive sectors.

“For our industry, this is another blow in a short sequence, which is why we called on the Minister of Agriculture to advocate for stopping the debates on the introduction of an excise tax on still wines. That would be a targeted liquidation for us at the moment,” said Chlad. “If the consumption tax were to actually be introduced, it would undoubtedly be liquidating for some wineries and at the same time it would create space for the gray economy, which of course we don’t want,” Chlad pointed out. The introduction of the tax would have an impact not only on the profits of winemakers, but also on other fields that are linked to it, especially from the field of wine tourism, i.e. for example in accommodation facilities and gastronomy.

Excellent after the press conference of winemakers at https://twitter.com/MarekVyborny/status/1783806632335396960 he wrote that on Thursday, May 2, he invited representatives of winegrowers and fruit growers to a meeting where, based on detailed data, they will present concrete possibilities for assistance. “We will not let them fall! I want to discuss the possibilities of aid from the EU on Monday at the AGRI Council in Luxembourg,” said the minister.

Chlad added that the effects of frost on the entire industry are fatal, the volume of domestic raw materials will decrease and the situation will completely affect the price of this year’s grapes.

Together with Chlad, representatives of all wine sub-regions spoke at the press conference today. They pointed out that the damage from this morning has not yet been definitively tallied and is likely to increase. “The damage will probably exceed 30 percent here, even though we tried to protect our vineyards,” said Jiří Maděřič for the Velkopavlovická sub-region.

The representative of the Czech region, Jana Líbalová, stated that in some places the damage to the vines is 100%. “Now it will be about preserving the vineyards and wine businesses as such,” Líbalová said.

According to Chlad, the problem was mainly the rapid change of temperatures, when first they rose over 20 degrees Celsius and then came the frosts. “It’s good to see how fragile our industry is,” added Chlad.

Czech Republic wine cultivation weather Vintners Association frost VIDEO