Declines in production, supply bottlenecks and a lack of seasonal workers are having an impact on domestic agriculture. Are bottlenecks now threatening in supermarkets?
- The corona crisis * is stressing production in Germany
- Food producers and agriculture are also affected
- The Federal Minister of Food writes an aid letter to the government parties
Update of March 26, 11:23 p.m .: Are Germany threatening food shortages? Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) has already appeased. There will be more information at lunchtime: Scheuer and Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) have announced a press conference in Berlin at 1.30 p.m. The topic is food supply including supply chains, mobility and logistics.
Corona crisis: food shortages in Germany?
Munich - Customers are clearing supermarket shelves , others are shaking their heads in front of it - and asparagus farmers are worried about harvest helpers from Eastern Europe: the consequences of the Corona crisis are also increasingly affecting consumers and agriculture. Again and again it is said: The food supply is secured. And: the supermarkets remain open. Nevertheless, it is clear that without the intensive European and international food trade, the citizens will sometimes have to do without. If domestic agriculture is not supported now, a food shortage could arise sooner or later, because food production in Germany is under pressure. This danger has now also reached politics.
Distance regulations * and delivery bottlenecks have a strong impact on German production . Agriculture is also feeling the crisis. Seasonal workers who are urgently needed now are simply not allowed to enter. In extreme cases, the German harvest could simply rot in the field.
After weeks of calming down, Federal Food Minister Julia Klöckner now spoke of impending bottlenecks in a letter to the SPD and CDU .
Under normal circumstances, around 30,000 seasonal workers are needed in March in Germany. In May there will be 85,000. This endangers “our original production ” enormously. In her letter to the business insider, the minister stated that seasonal workers are currently impossible to raise.
Corona crisis: 11-point plan to secure supplies in Germany
To prevent gaps in supply, Julia Klöckner is now calling for an 11-point plan . "In the current situation, maintaining the food supply is very important." First of all, the food industry must be classified as " systemically relevant infrastructure ".
Check out this post on Instagram
Statement on the Federal Government's Corona Aid Package
A post shared by Julia Klöckner (@juliakloeckner) on Mar 23, 2020 at 2:11 pm PDT
Overall, working hours are to be treated more flexibly for a limited period and seasonal workers are now allowed to work in Germany instead of the previous 70, now 115 working days without social security.
In order to relieve various industries, temporary workers can be hired without permission . For example, companies severely affected by the crisis could shift their staff towards agriculture.
Corona crisis: "Massive labor shortage" possible
Goods traffic is also to be secured . After all, this supplies the supermarkets and thus the consumers. The Minister is also asking the following points:
- Workers who are already receiving short-time work allowance can earn extra money in agriculture. And in the amount of their previous wages.
- The platform daslandhilf.d e tries to find employers with job seekers
- The additional earnings limit of early retirees in pension insurance should be increased
- Even farmers between April 1 and June 30 should not be able to be terminated lease contracts for arable land if they are in default of payment - as is already the case for tenants
- The “ Corona Emergency Aid Program ” of the federal government should also be possible for farmers with up to 10 employees
- Aid for seasonal workers is also to be secured. A program of the agricultural pension bank provides for this. Loans with a term of up to 10 years are to be given one repayment year. In the case of existing loans, repayments can be suspended until March - however, an application is required for this.
Corona Crisis: Aid to the Agriculture and Food Sector
At the moment, the "level of supply for some foods is over 100 percent," said the minister. But fruit and vegetables are less than 40 percent.
"What is not sown, planted, harvested, processed and transported ends up missing to supply our population." The minister hopes to help agriculture with her points plan . The supply chains must stay in sync.
mak
* merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital network.
List of rubric lists: © dpa / Thomas Frey
