Farmers in Sonneberg demand less bureaucracy for better harvests!

Farmers in Sonneberg demand less bureaucracy for better harvests!

The farmers in the Sonneberg district are sounding the alarm: ever new requirements and increasing bureaucratic hurdles are putting a strain on agricultural businesses. At the annual round of discussions with the district administrator at the Rohhof dairy farm, which is run by the agricultural company Agroprodukt Sonneberg e. G. was organized, the demands for practical solutions and more sense of proportion from authorities became loud. Douglas Groß, the representative of District Administrator Robert Sesselmann, who could not be present due to scheduling conflicts, listened carefully to the farmers' concerns. The farm keeps around 2,780 cattle, including around 1,040 cows that are milked.

Farmers complain that the ever-changing regulations not only make their daily work more difficult, but also prevent younger generations from taking over the farms. Like the website of Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture reports, work has been underway for years to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy in agriculture. This should not only relieve the burden on companies, but also promote the basis for sustainable agriculture.

Innovations to reduce bureaucracy

A number of relief measures were recently brought into force as part of the new CAP direct payments regulation, which was passed by the Federal Council on November 22, 2024. From 2025, among other things, lower requirements will apply to the cultivation of legumes and vegetables. In addition, the ban on converting permanent crops on carbon-rich soils will be limited to permanent fruit tree crops, giving farmers more scope for action. Reducing the shape and size requirements for flower strips to a minimum width of five meters also contributes to simplification.

In addition, many controls and sanctions have been abolished when using agricultural holdings with less than ten hectares. Loud Bundestag information The proposal to strengthen agriculture “Shaping agriculture in Germany for the future” will also be discussed soon. The focus is on strengthening animal husbandry businesses, especially dairy farmers. Measures to improve biodiversity should be made more effective within the framework of eco-schemes.

• Erleichterungen bei der Bürokratie für Landwirte sind in Arbeit.
• Neuerungen im Ackerbau und bei der Tierhaltung sind geplant.
• Ab 2026 sollen Maßnahmen zur Stärkung der Landwirtschaft umgesetzt werden.

However, the situation of farmers in Sonneberg is symptomatic of many regions in Germany, where concerns about bureaucratic burdens and their influence on the competitiveness of companies are becoming increasingly louder. It remains to be hoped that the political measures will be implemented quickly and consistently in order to strengthen farmers' backs and give them future prospects.