Farmers' president does not rule out further protests

Agriculture - Farmers' president does not rule out further protests

Farmers' Association President Joachim Rukwied does not rule out further protests against the agricultural policy of the German government. "We are keeping further protest actions in reserve," he said in the ZDF-"Morgenmagazin". After nationwide tractor protests by farmers at the beginning of the year, the coalition of SPD, Greens, and FDP agreed on a relief package on Tuesday. It includes tax relief and less bureaucracy. The Farmers' Association is demanding further steps. The situation in agriculture is also the main theme of the German Farmers' Congress, which begins today in Cottbus.

"The traffic light hasn't delivered", criticized Rukwied. The agreed-upon agricultural package is "just a little package". "We need to rebuild agriculture, base it on knowledge and innovations, give prospects to our young generation", said the Association President. The frustration among the young generation is enormous.

Rukwied called on the government to involve farmers' wives and farmers more strongly. "We are not taking a confrontational course", he emphasized. "On the contrary, we are making offers and expect that they will be accepted and that we will work together to implement things, so that the young generation has a future." The protests at the beginning of the year were mainly directed against the expiration of diesel subsidies.

Rukwied calls for higher food prices

Previously, Rukwied had campaigned for higher food prices at the RND (Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland): "Consumers must understand that food produced in Germany, such as meat or sausages, is produced to higher standards than elsewhere. These foods must then also have a higher price."

"We need a societal consensus that food from Germany is not a given and must also have its value", urged Rukwied. "Otherwise, we will increasingly import food from abroad and continue to push back regional, domestic agriculture."

1. Joachim Rukwied, the Farmers' Association President, is pressing for higher food prices, arguing that consumers should recognize the higher standards of German-produced food.
2. Rukwied believes that food from Germany is not a given and should have its value, stating that if we continue to ignore this, we will see more food imports from abroad, potentially threatening domestic agriculture.
3. The German Farmers' Congress, beginning today in Cottbus, has agriculture as its main theme, with the focus on rebuilding agriculture based on knowledge and innovations to provide prospects for the young generation.
4. The Agricultural relief package, agreed upon by the Federal Government recently, includes tax relief and less bureaucracy, but the Farmers' Association deems it inadequate and is demanding further steps.
5. Joachim Rukwied, the Farmers' Association President, criticized the coalition government (SPD, Greens, and FDP) for failing to deliver on agricultural development, deeming the recent package as "just a little package."
6. Rukwied has emphasized that protests against the agricultural policy are not a confrontational course but rather offers aimed at building a partnership to ensure a future for the young generation in agriculture.
7. The protests earlier in the year were primarily aimed at the expiration of diesel subsidies, not just about agricultural policy, but Rukwied is also advocating for stronger involvement of farmers' wives in the decision-making process.

Read also:

• Opel has been manufacturing automobiles for a staggering 125-year duration.
• Few cars weigh under a ton in present times.
• Lack of snow also opens up new opportunities for winter tourism
• Abrupt end to e-car subsidies