Foot and mouth aid for Brandenburg: Companies can now apply for compensation!

Foot and mouth aid for Brandenburg: Companies can now apply for compensation!

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) has presented some farmers in Brandenburg with massive economic challenges. From now on, dairy farms and pig farmers in the country can apply for compensation payments, such as barnim.de reported. The European Union is providing around 4.7 million euros for this, while the state of Brandenburg is also contributing around 3.2 million euros. The aim is to provide quick and unbureaucratic help to companies that are suffering enormous economic losses due to the epidemic.

The applicants can be both natural and legal persons under private law and their associations that have their headquarters in Brandenburg. “We are happy that we can now support the companies,” emphasizes the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Hanka Mittelstädt. While the amount of milk could no longer be transported from the company premises from January 10th, 2025, the fattening pig farmers had to contend with a decline in revenue between January 10th and April 14th, 2025.

Animal disease outbreak and rapid measures

The first FMD outbreak was confirmed on January 10, 2025 in a herd of water buffalo in the Märkisch-Oderland district. However, further spread could be quickly prevented through the immediate use of animal health and veterinary measures bmel.de informed. On April 14, 2025, Germany regained its “FMD-free without vaccination” status and applied for financial resources from the EU agricultural reserve to support the affected companies.

The animal disease measures had an effect: a 3-kilometer protection zone was lifted and integrated into the monitoring zone. This is valid until February 24, 2025 - after which surveillance measures will come into force again in a smaller zone until April 11, 2025. Federal Minister Cem Özdemir also praised the efficiency of the relevant measures, which were internationally recognized.

Additional challenges in the region

But the situation is not only tense in Germany. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute warns of a critical animal disease situation in Hungary and Slovakia, where several cases of foot-and-mouth disease have occurred in recent months. Several thousand animals are affected there and intensive investigation and control measures are being carried out. What is particularly striking is that the route of entry of the disease is unknown, which makes the situation even more complicated.

In view of these circumstances, the institute appeals to all animal owners to immediately take veterinary symptoms such as fever or lameness seriously and request appropriate tests. The goal is not only to protect domestic livestock production, but also to prevent it from spreading beyond borders.

It is now very important for affected farmers to submit the application documents for compensation as quickly as possible in order to receive financial support as quickly as possible. Further information and the required forms can be found on the ILB website: ilb.de.