Ampel wants to support pig farmers: Özdemir aims to change prices - and announces the first step

Created: 01/14/2022 05:37

By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi

Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir wants to campaign for higher prices for pork in order to support farmers.

© Marijan Murat/dpa

Traffic light minister Özdemir wants to increase the price of pork in order to enable farmers to better cover their costs.

They welcome Özdemir's statements.

Munich - The new Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) wants to support pig farmers in Germany to improve animal husbandry.

The Green politician explained that in an interview with the ARD magazine “Panorama” (NDR).

According to Özdemir, the current situation only produces losers - among farmers, among consumers, but above all among the animals that cannot be kept in a species-appropriate manner.

Green minister Özdemir wants higher prices for pork - promises public money for animal husbandry

In addition, the Greens politician confirmed to "Panorama" that pork would also have to become more expensive. A system that ensures more climate protection, more animal welfare and better wages for farmers and that no longer costs, will not exist. "Of course meat shouldn't become a luxury product," said the new minister. But nobody is interested in prices that do not cover the farmers' costs.

Özdemir continues: "And of course the question of social justice cannot only be solved with the Agriculture Minister, there are also a few other departments that make a contribution." Özdemir also promised public money for better animal husbandry.

The funding structure must be rebuilt so that, for example, more space for animals is rewarded.

He left open exactly how he would design this state support and whether he wanted to abolish the previously reduced VAT rate on meat.

Özdemir wants to increase pork price - pig farmers welcome statements by the traffic light minister

The interest group of pig farmers in Germany (ISN) told “Panorama” that the required conversion to stables with an outside climate or exercise area was of similar importance for pig farmers as the abandonment of the combustion engine was for the automotive industry. "Because well over 90 percent of the pigs in Germany are kept in closed stables," says the association. For the individual pig farmer, this means that he has to convert his pigsty with high investment costs. In the end, the decisive factor is who pays the bill, explained the ISN. The German Farmers' Association (DBV) also demands that more money should arrive at the farms. Extensive state financial aid is required here, it is said.

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft päuerliche Landwirtschaft e. V. A press release emphasized that pig prices would remain at a persistently low level at 1.23 cents per kg and that slaughterhouses would also pay a lower price for non-contract pigs. "Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir addresses the needs of the farms to be able to cover their production costs," noted the AbL.

"In view of the persistently extremely low prices, the pig farms have their backs against the wall," emphasized AbL Federal Chairman Martin Schulz, who is a pig farmer himself.

“From our point of view, the export strategy of the last two decades has failed.

The future belongs to quality markets and regionality, ”added Schulz and welcomed Özdemir's words.

"The recommendations of the Borchert Commission are concrete solutions on the table that can and must now be implemented by the federal government," the chairman also wrote, calling on Özdemir to "cast these recommendations into law immediately".

According to Schulz, every farm would count.

Minister Özdemir announces the first step - mandatory husbandry labeling for pork

As a first concrete step, the Federal Minister of Agriculture announced that it would launch binding husbandry labeling this year.

This should first come to the trade: First of all, it applies to what can be bought in the shop, for fresh and processed meat, according to Özdemir.

The environmental protection organization Greenpeace, on the other hand, calls for such legal husbandry labeling also for wholesalers and restaurants.

Greenpeace does not want to leave improvements in animal husbandry to the industry and consumers alone.

The organization calls for a tightening of the animal husbandry ordinance so that the animals have significantly more space, as well as effective controls that make it impossible to keep animals contrary to animal welfare.