Erntebilanz: Landwirtschaft steckt Agrarminister zufolge in nationaler Krise

Deutscher Bundesagrarminister Alois Rainer has declared a national crisis in German agriculture due to the impact of drought on the sector. As a consequence, the CSU politician plans to provide farmers with billion euros in assistance. The focus of these aid measures will be two liquidity programs, through which farmers will be able to obtain low-interest loans without bureaucratic complications.

Normally, financial aid for extreme weather events falls under the responsibility of the federal states. The federal government can only participate if the situation is of national significance. Rainer emphasized in Berlin that "if the substance of our businesses is permanently endangered, we cannot simply move on to the next agenda."

Farmers must remain capable of action to ensure food security in Germany. In addition to liquidity programs, there will also be tax reliefs and targeted fertilizer assistance. Furthermore, Rainer announced that direct payments to German agriculture will be increased by 700 million euros in the coming year. The measures are based on the disappointing harvest balance caused by the drought summer.

In some regions, drought and heat left "devastating traces," according to Rainer. The cereal yield therefore decreased by 7.3 percent compared to the previous year, with a minus of 8.6 percent in Bavaria. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the largest rapeseed-growing region, sowing yields even fell by around 25 percent.