Red alarm level: Brandenburg's farmers fear massive EU funding cuts!

Red alarm level: Brandenburg's farmers fear massive EU funding cuts!

In an alarming turn, the Brandenburg Ministry of Agriculture warns of drastic cuts in the EU agricultural budget, which could strongly endanger agriculture in the region. Agricultural Minister Hanka Mittelstädt (SPD) describes the planned reforms as an "attack on the rural areas of East Germany" and calls for a decisive countermeasure in Brussels. According to Tagesspiegel are affected by a area of around 1.2 million hectares. A loss of over 200 million euros, which corresponds to a degree of reduction of 62 percent in the direct payments, would bring many of these companies into serious difficulties.

For farmers in Brandenburg, this could be a veritable threat to their existences. The average loss of 177 euros per hectare makes it clear how fatal the effects of these reforms could be. This is particularly delicate for many family businesses who have built a sensitive and successful company since reunification. State farmers' President Henrik Wendorff makes his discomfort about the situation and warns of the threat of losing the nationwide agriculture, which ultimately also endangers the jobs in the villages, such as Kettner Edelmetalle reported.

the importance of agriculture in the region

The planned cuts in the agricultural area could also increase the dependence on imports and thus endanger our nutritional certainty. The uncertainty among the farmers is growing, especially with regard to future investments. There is the haunting call that German politics now have a clear position and to ensure the securing of food production.

Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer (CSU) has already announced that it is strongly committed to receiving the common agricultural policy (GAP). This is of great importance because the EU Commission is planning to merge budgets for agricultural policy with other policy areas in the future, which could further endanger the financial resources. An independent budget for the GAP could be a ray of hope for the affected farmers. The European GAP network offers a platform for the exchange of proven procedures for the implementation of agricultural policy and is particularly helpful for the implementation of relevant strategies, as the European Commission's websites show here .

The coming months will be crucial to know the future of agriculture in Brandenburg and East Germany. It remains to be hoped that a rethink will be in Brussels and that the concerns of the rural regions not only hear, but are also adequately taken into account.