EC proposes emergency aid to farmers affected by natural disaster in Mayotte

The European Commission is proposing new more effective and flexible measures for farmers affected by natural disaster on the island of Mayotte, which is an overseas territory of France.

Report informs with reference to the European Commission that to help Mayotte, an adjustment to the EU POSEI program is proposed, which was initially adopted to support the most remote regions of the EU, including agriculture, where farmers and rural communities may face serious problems after natural disasters.

The remote region of Mayotte was recently hit by Cyclone "Shido" and tropical storm "Dikeledi," which caused extensive damage across the entire island. The impact on agriculture and food security has been significant.

In addition, infrastructure was destroyed, particularly roads, which made transportation of agricultural products difficult.

Given the damage caused by the cyclone, Mayotte will have the opportunity to use additional available EU funds for the rapid recovery of the agricultural sector.

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) contribution to Mayotte's rural development program amounts to 83.1 million euros for the 2014-22 programming period.

Funded through the common agricultural policy, Mayotte's rural development program has supported the improvement of road infrastructure for better connection of agricultural plots and helped modernize farms to increase their competitiveness compared to imports. It also supports the viability of small farms, which play a key role in local food supply, the EC points out.