Over 120 applications submitted to Icelandic Emergency Fund for frost damage in northern Iceland

Over 120 applications have been submitted to the Icelandic Emergency Fund due to significant frost damage to hayfields this spring, particularly in the northern parts of the country. Farmers have struggled to secure enough hay for the winter, with many relying on supplies from nearby areas, and some still lacking sufficient stock.

Cities such as Svarfaðardalur and Hörgárdalur were hardest hit by frost damage. Sigurður Eyþórsson, chairman of the Emergency Fund, noted that while the worst damage occurred in Svarfaðardalur, applications have been received from across northern Iceland, stretching from Strandabyggð to Fljótsdalshérað.

The financial toll from the frost damage is in the hundreds of millions. Eyþórsson indicated that a final assessment of the applications might not be completed until December, recalling that the last significant payments from the Emergency Fund for frost damage were made in 2020, totaling 440 million Icelandic krónur. He estimates that if the average payout aligns with 2020 figures, the current requests could amount to between 150-200 million krónur.

Some farmers have managed to secure sufficient hay from better-performing local crops, yet many are still facing shortages. Eyþórsson highlighted that numerous farmers have reported losses that do not meet the fund’s criteria for assistance.

As concerns about further damage in the coming winter arise, Eyþórsson noted that the choice of crop species plays a vital role in resilience against frost, but the specific affected fields show no variation; they have been completely devastated.