We explain why farmers in Germany are on strike and what the background is.
- The farmers and farmers are protesting primarily once morest this Federal government savings plans according to the budget ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court. These initially stipulated that the Tax relief for agricultural diesel fall away and also those Vehicle tax exemption for agricultural and forestry vehicles will be deleted. The President of the German Farmers’ Association, Joachim Rukwied, spoke of an additional burden on the industry of one billion euros.
- The federal government announced a partial U-turn on Thursday: the exemption from vehicle tax should not be abolished following all. And the tax break for agricultural diesel is only to be reduced by 40 percent this year and then completely eliminated in two further steps by 2026. A first success for the farmers.
- The German farmers’ association once more called for the planned cuts to be reversed on Monday. “They deprive agriculture of its future viability. Above all, we end up jeopardizing the secure supply of local, high-quality food,” said association president Joachim Rukwied on RBB Inforadio. “We are counting on the Berlin government to see reason and reduce this disproportionate burden on agriculture. That is our core goal in the demonstrations.”
- Last year was the first in decades in which the company’s results were “right” due to increased prices for milk, grain and meat, said Rukwied. “The Milk prices have now collapsed. We had a peak of 60 cents, now we’re back to around 40 cents. Pig prices are declining. Prices have collapsed, especially for grain and rapeseed,” said the farmers’ president.
- In combination with higher energy prices and the subsidy cuts now proposed, this leads to one Farmers’ income fell by at least a thirdl. “And that is unacceptable,” Rukwied said.
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