Many Polish farmers have "lost everything" to the floods which have damaged about 50,000 farms and fostered a 6.1% decline in spring cereal sowings.

The full extent to agriculture of damage to last month's flooding, which killed 18 people and left thousands homeless, will not be known until after Polish farmers file claims, with a deadline at the end of this week for filings for state compensation.

However, initial assessments show 400,000 hectares of land and 50,000 farms damaged in the European Union's third biggest arable economy, with grains production of 30m tonnes last year, significantly ahead of fourth-placed UK.

"Some farmers near swollen waterways lost everything in the deluge, and will require years to restore their lands and farms," a report from US Department of Agriculture staff in Warsaw said.

'Too much humidity'

Besides damaging crops already in the ground, the deluge hampered sowings of spring crops, which official data said would come in 6.1% lower at 4.8m hectares, excluding corn.

"Abundant rainfall caused too much humidity in the soil, hampering agricultural work, as well as growth and development of plantings."

Waning crop hopes have already made themselves felt in fruit and vegetable prices, which have shown steep increases.

Worst affected

However, larger-scale farmers in northern and western areas of the country are expecting "good quality and high yields" of rapeseed and wheat, the USDA briefing added.

"The flood did not reach these regions," the report said.

Indeed, it may be small-time, subsistence farmers which suffer the most long-term damage, being ineligible for conventional support under the European Union's common agricultural policy (CAP).

Farmers with more than 1 hectare, and registered for CAP payments, "receive roughly 50% of their income from subsidies, so have a welfare net in place to handle some losses".