Freight forwarders warn of supply bottlenecks

Farmers across Germany are planning a week of action in January to protest against the German government's plans to make cuts. The haulage industry wants to join in, which is why supply bottlenecks are possible. Meanwhile, farmers are continuing to demonstrate.

The planned removal of subsidies for agriculture continues to stir up emotions: The haulage industry, which intends to take part in a week of protests against agricultural policy in January called by the farmers' association, pointed to possible supply bottlenecks. The Federal Environment Agency, on the other hand, expressed support for the planned end of subsidies for agricultural diesel.

Farmers also protested against the austerity policy in several cities on Saturday. According to police reports, around 350 tractors and trucks attended a rally in Holzminden in Lower Saxony, while another demonstration was planned in Hermeskeil in Rhineland-Palatinate. There had already been several tractor demonstrations on Friday.

Dirk Engelhardt, President of the Federal Association of Freight Transport and Logistics (BGL), told the newspaper "Bild" that farmers and the transport industry were keeping the country running. "No farmers and no trucks mean no supply." With their protests in January, farmers and the transport industry would "show the traffic light government what they think of its anti-economic policies", said Engelhardt. "It's now five past twelve."

On Friday, the German Farmers' Association called for a nationwide week of action against the government's policies from January 8 to 15. The hauliers want to take part. Following the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court, the government had decided, among other things, to abolish subsidies for agricultural diesel and the motor vehicle tax exemption for agricultural and forestry machinery in order to consolidate the budget.

Rukwied: "Demonstrate peacefully but clearly"

"We will demonstrate peacefully but clearly throughout Germany," said Farmers' President Joachim Rukwied on Friday about the week of action. "The tax increase plans must be withdrawn," he demanded. A major demonstration is planned in Berlin on January 15.

Support for the farmers comes from the federal states. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Agriculture Minister Till Backhaus from the SPD commented on a video conference between his state colleagues and Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir from the Greens on Friday. He shared their opinion: the measures proposed by the federal government for the agricultural sector "must be taken off the table". Agriculture and the food industry are "systemically relevant". According to Backhaus, there will be another meeting before January 8, the start of the protest week.

"We must no longer incentivize in the wrong direction," said the head of the Federal Environment Agency, Dirk Messner, to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. It was therefore right to abolish the agricultural diesel subsidy. Fossil energy use should not be favored. Instead, Messner suggested that farmers should receive more support for climate transformation.