DThe conflict over diesel discounts for farmers overshadowed the start of the Green Week agricultural trade fair in Berlin. The farmers' association threatened new nationwide actions as early as next week if the traffic light coalition did not drop the planned reduction in agricultural diesel subsidies. The previous protests were the “foreshock,” said farmers’ president Joachim Rukwied in Berlin on Thursday. “If nothing changes, an eruption may occur.”
There was an exchange of blows in the Bundestag about better prospects for agriculture. The Green Week was scheduled to open in the evening at the exhibition center.
Rukwied said: “From next Monday, if the budget adjustment meeting this evening does not produce a positive result in our opinion, we will continue with actions again, across the entire Federal Republic.” The following also applies: “We want to put pinpricks that hurt do, but in no way escalate or radicalize.” He did not give any details.
“First, distortions of competition must be taken off the table.”
On Thursday, the Bundestag's budget committee discussed the 2024 budget and planned savings, which should also affect agricultural diesel, in a reconciliation meeting. The coalition had already weakened the plans. The tax breaks for farmers should therefore not end all at once, but should be phased out gradually. Thousands of farmers have been protesting against this with tractors and rallies for weeks. The farmers' association is calling for the plans to be withdrawn.
“We don’t even need to ask the farmers,” said Rukwied. They keep calling and asking, “Is anything moving? If nothing moves, we'll go back on the road.” Now the issue of agricultural diesel must be taken off the table in the interests of agriculture. Only when this has been resolved can and will further topics be discussed. “It makes no sense to discuss an overall strategy now. First of all, distortions of competition must be taken off the table.”
Özdemir and animal welfare
The traffic light coalition is committed to resolving the conflict through other forms of relief for agriculture. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir advocated cross-party solutions to improve the framework conditions for the industry. You now have the opportunity to drive everyone into the trees, said the Green politician in the Bundestag. “Or we can all work constructively together to ensure that German agriculture is positioned for the future.” Farmers could protect nature and animals and at the same time produce high-quality food. “But someone has to pay for the effort.”
Özdemir once again campaigned for secure financing for the conversion of animal husbandry with an “animal welfare cent”. The position of farmers in the chain up to trade must be strengthened. The Bundestag adopted a motion for a resolution from the traffic light groups that names possible relief. This formulates the political commitment to “list specific projects in the first quarter of 2024” and to decide on them by the summer.
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt criticized the fact that the proposal from the SPD, Greens and FDP did not contain a single concrete commitment to agriculture. This is an “agricultural policy insolvency application” by the coalition. Agricultural diesel is a fair measure and not a climate-damaging subsidy. “Take back the tax increase and you will get peace in this country,” said Dobrindt. CDU leader Friedrich Merz accused the federal government of pursuing policies against rural areas. The demonstrations are “an expression of ever-increasing dissatisfaction and pent-up frustration.”
In addition to Özdemir, EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski and Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) were expected at the opening ceremony of the Green Week in the evening. The trade fair opens for visitors this Friday. For ten days they can experience large and small animals on the exhibition grounds under the radio tower, try out regional specialties or find out about careers in agriculture. Around 1,400 exhibitors from 60 countries will be presenting at this year's edition of the trade fair.
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