Agriculture - Schmitt criticizes planned cuts: Farmers demonstrate
The Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Agriculture, Daniela Schmitt, sees an urgent need for change in the cuts proposed by the federal government for agriculture. The FDP politician appealed to Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) to revise what she considers to be surprising proposals for cuts. "We cannot cut back on agriculture again and again," said Schmitt on Thursday in Mainz. "We need our regional agriculture for good food, for short delivery routes and to supply a growing population." Agriculture strengthens rural regions.
According to police reports, around 150 farmers demonstrated with around 100 tractors in the state capital against the federal government's plans. The subsidies served "as compensation for German agriculture and forestry in order to maintain their competitiveness in comparison to other countries in the EU", the Rhineland-Palatinate South Farmers' and Winegrowers' Association explained.
As a consequence,cuts for farmers also meant higher prices for consumers, said Schmitt. "After a high wave of inflation and rising energy costs, this is not the time for that either."
The federal government's austerity plans presented on Wednesday envisage abolishing the vehicle tax concessions for forestry and agriculture as well as the tax concessions for agricultural diesel. At the Agriculture Ministers' Conference in April 2022, Rhineland-Palatinate, together with eight other federal states, had advocated further tax relief for agricultural diesel in particular - also due to the war in Ukraine. Her ministry also advocated retaining the motor vehicle tax exemption for vehicles used in agriculture and forestry.
Statement from the LSV-RLP
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- Cem Özdemir, the Green Party's Federal Agriculture Minister, received a request from Daniela Schmitt, the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Agriculture, to reconsider the proposed cuts in agriculture.
- Daniela Schmitt expressed concern about the potential impact of the proposed cuts on regional agriculture, stating that it could lead to higher food prices for consumers.
- The Rhineland-Palatinate South Farmers' and Winegrowers' Association argued that cutting subsidies for farmers could make German agriculture less competitive compared to other EU countries.
- Farmers in Rhineland-Palatinate demonstrated against the federal government's plans, arguing that further cuts could harm agrarian businesses in the region and lead to food scarcity.
Source: www.stern.de
