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MAGDEBURG/BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – After lengthy discussions, the federal and state agricultural ministers have not been able to agree on a common line for dealing with so-called ecological priority areas. There is no common result, it was said on Friday after the spring conference of the Agriculture Ministers’ Conference (AMK) chaired by Saxony-Anhalt. The topic was discussed controversially.
The Union-led and SPD-led states have spoken out in favor of temporarily releasing the fallow land for the cultivation of food. Last week, the EU Commission cleared the way for temporary management in view of the threat of food shortages.
Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem zdemir (Greens) and the Greens Ministers of Agriculture of the federal states reject this. They see it as playing off the crises against each other. They only want to allow the cultivation of animal feed on the land. zdemir thinks the additional yield potential is overestimated, according to calculations it would only be 0.6 million tons with a grain harvest of 45 million tons.
A final decision is to be made in the Federal Council next Friday. The federal government will look at and evaluate these in a timely manner, said zdemir.
The ministers were more united when it came to the principles of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). “Nobody questions that at this conference,” said the Baden-Württemberg Minister of Agriculture and coordinator of the Union-led state departments, Peter Hauk (CDU).
According to their own statements, the ministers were also able to agree on the restructuring of animal husbandry. “The new federal government will soon get the long overdue mandatory animal husbandry labeling on the way,” said Saxony’s Agriculture Minister Wolfram Gnther (Greens). The federal plans mean planning and investment security for Saxon farmers and transparency for consumers.
zdemir rejects moving away from more climate and environmental protection in agriculture because of the consequences of the Ukraine war. You have to do justice to all crises, he said after the conference with his country colleagues. The climate crisis and species extinction continued, threatening the basis of agriculture and ultimately food security. As zdemir announced, Germany intends to provide up to an additional 200 million euros for the United Nations World Food Program.
With a view to rising food prices and higher energy costs for farmers, zdemir referred to the two relief packages launched by the traffic light coalition. He emphasized that there was no reason to buy hamsters. Purchasing amounts customary for households can help to ensure that price increases do not come about as a result. The minister explained that price drivers are primarily energy costs. “It’s not the flour that makes bread so expensive.” In general, however, the following applies: No measure by the Federal Government can undo the war and its consequences.
zdemir also demanded: “We urgently need to stop food waste.” At the same time, there is a debate about how the biomass should be used./wee/DP/he