By the end of the fair on sunday, the number of visitors over the ten days of the fair will exceed 400,000. According to information from the trade show, however, the winter weather has so far prevented any major growth in sales. As one of the last high-ranking guests on friday, SPD chancellor candidate peer steinbruck demanded more environmental and animal protection from the industry.
The comparatively good mood among farmers is reflected in the latest edition of the german farmers’ association’s economic barometer, which was published on friday. After a steep rise since 2010, the index value remains at a relatively high level with slight fluctuations. Rukwied said that while prices for fattening pigs had come under pressure, prices in the arable and dairy sectors remained stable.
Farmers plan to invest 6.7 billion euros in the next six months, according to a representative survey of 2,100 farms. That’s 1.2 billion euros more than in the same period last year. According to the association, the lion’s share of the 3.9 billion euros will be spent on building stables. Other rough items are machinery and biogas plants.
Steinbruck announced reforms for the sector under a red-green federal government. "It’s not about turning away from what modern agriculture is about," he clarified. This high-tech industry deserves respect and recognition. But it is a matter of eliminating "certain deficiencies". These covered environmental and climate protection, soil fertility, species conservation and the treatment of animals. Steinbruck spoke out against intensive factory farming.
The SPD politician called for farmers to stop receiving direct payments from the EU "in the medium term. Money from brussels was not allowed to remain as a mere income support, but only if the farmers provided publicly desired services in return: for example, that they meet climate and environmental protection targets, that they pay more attention to biodiversity or animal welfare.