New chairman Hartmann warns of cuts in agricultural funding!

New chairman Hartmann warns of cuts in agricultural funding!

The Ostprignitz-Ruppin district farmers' association has a new chairman, Henning Hartmann. On July 22, 2025, the 60-year-old succeeded Hans-Heinrich Grünhagen, who stepped down due to professional obligations but remains active on the board. Loud MAZ The board expressed great thanks to Grünhagen for his many years of commitment. Hartmann sees many challenges facing farmers in his new role.

A central issue is agricultural support, which is of great importance for many businesses in the district. Hartmann expressed his concerns about the new EU plans to cap agricultural premiums at 100,000 euros per farm. This would particularly disadvantage part-time farmers and could have serious consequences for the entire Eastern Germany region. Hartmann warns that a lack of funding could endanger the economic stability of many companies.

Agricultural landscape and challenges

The Ostprignitz-Ruppin district farmers' association, as shown kbv-opr.de described is the professional representation of farmers in the region. It advocates for the interests of its members towards municipalities and authorities and maintains close contacts with various associations, including forestry and hunting associations as well as nature conservation organizations.

The region offers a rich landscape with many forests and lakes, which are also attractive for tourism. The Neustadt/Dosse state and main stud farm is known for its horse breeding, while potato cultivation plays an important role. Around 300,000 tonnes of potatoes are produced annually on around 2,000 hectares in the association area, which is rather rare in other districts of Brandenburg.

The role of agricultural support

Another important point is the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is intended to ensure support for farmers. Originally created to ensure food supplies and farmers' incomes, a lot has changed since then. According to that German Farmers Association Since 2005, direct payments are no longer product-related and are instead granted based on area.

The EU's CAP strategies play a major role in the economic stability of companies, especially in volatile markets. Hartmann and the association's concerns about the planned changes to agricultural premiums are therefore related to the goal of promoting sustainable management and increasing the attractiveness of rural areas.

For the farmers in Ostprignitz-Ruppin, it remains to be seen how the new management under Hartmann will affect the farm economy and cooperation with the municipal committees. The coming months will show whether we can tackle the challenges together and promote positive development for the region.