“Take some souvenir photos, please”: Farmer Georg Eham from Agatharied calls on passers-by who pass by his farm.
But the action has a serious background.
Agatharied
- What reads like a snapshot competition for tourists, is a dramatic message on closer inspection: “Liabe Leid, if Eich de Art wia mia unsan farm gfoid, then please take souvenir photos. A agriculture in this form will be, according to the will of Bavarian politics and the food retail trade, boid nimma gem “, is written on a sign on a sheepfold at the exit of Agatharied in the direction of Wörnsmühl.
It was hung by Georg Eham - after he left the CSU non-party council in Hausham (we reported) - and his wife Anna vom Leitenbauer-Hof.
The reason for the unusual call is actually a protest.
Against politics, especially those of the CSU, and especially those of Bavaria's Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber.
Minister calls for an end to year-round tethering
As reported, in a government statement they called for the "rapid exit from year-round tethering". People's attitudes towards consumer protection and animal welfare have changed, Kaniber recently said in a discussion with farmers in the Bräustüberl at Reutberg Monastery. Even then, the minister began to feel strong headwinds from the peasants.
The discontent of the farmers is brewing in the district of Miesbach as well. For example, district farmer Marlene Hupfauer warned against turning away from the combination of stables and grazing, which has been practiced successfully for decades, especially in smallholder agriculture. The action alliance civil courage Miesbach is “concerned” that the minister’s statement referred to “all forms of traditional animal husbandry”. “From our point of view, this would have serious negative consequences for the agricultural structure in our district of Miesbach, but also beyond,” write the initiators in a letter to Kaniber, which they now had an enlightening answer (see below).
Eham, who, as a sideline farmer with an average of 15 cows, can be clearly assigned to the smallholder side, shares these concerns personally. His grandfather and father would have kept their dairy cattle in a combination of barn and pasture. He has also been practicing this "with all his heart" since he took over the farm with his wife in 2010. Building a playpen, as it would require a complete abandonment of tethering, is not financially feasible. Such an investment would have to be paid off over decades. "Until everything has been paid off, there will be new policy requirements," Eham fears. Even now, small farms like the Leitenbauer are on the brink of every generation change. If the offspring - the Ehams have three children - also had to start with a debt rucksack,the willingness to take over is much lower.
Biggest structural change since switching from horse to tractor
In general, the exit from tethering represents the biggest structural change in agriculture since switching from horses to tractors, says Eham.
Such a change must take place at European level - this is the only way to ensure the competitiveness of Bavarian farmers.
“Working under increased conditions with the same pay, that cannot work in any industry in the world over the long term,” emphasizes Eham. Nor can the farmer recognize the consumer pressure outlined by Kaniber. “The local population wants small dairy farms that enable their animals to graze.” Combined farming has a “high level of social acceptance”. Only with grazing will there continue to be biodiversity. This type of husbandry meets a standard that is appropriate to animal welfare and should also be assessed as such.
Something else is important to Eham: “I'm not an opponent of the playpen,” he emphasizes.
He even saw if the dairies would allow animal husbandry to be included in the pricing.
However, there should by no means be a ban on combined keeping.
“It can't be that you have to sell part of your land as building land in order for the farm to survive,” says Eham.
Because even then, the agricultural landscape would no longer be what it is today.
Minister fights for combination stance
Bavaria's Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber responded to the critical demand from the civil courage Miesbach alliance with a detailed statement. Animal welfare and animal husbandry have to be continuously developed "in order to be able to guarantee socially acceptable animal husbandry in Bavaria in the future", writes Ministerialdirigent Friedrich Mayer on behalf of the minister. Even today, dairies would differentiate prices depending on the type of husbandry. The food retail trade is planning to no longer sell milk from year-round tethering via its own brands in the medium term. Against this background, Kaniber took up this topic in their government statement.
However, the Minister of Agriculture only spoke of the "rapid voluntary withdrawal from year-round tethering".
There was never any question of a ban, especially not for combination husbandry with pasture or exercise yard.
On the contrary: Kaniber campaigned against the food retail trade “massively to ensure that milk from farms with combined farming is included in labeling level two and can thus continue to be used for own brands.
Incidentally, there are also alternatives to building a new playpen.
"A barn conversion or extension with the aim of animal welfare-oriented husbandry is generally eligible for funding through our in-house programs," says Mayer.
so called
