Sabine Berger takes over the management of the BBV local section in Dorfen.
She is the first woman to hold this position in the county.
Dorfen
– Sabine Berger now holds the post of local chairman in the Bavarian Farmers’ Association in Dorfen – this is how the BBV reported the result of the new election in a press release.
When asked, the 50-year-old, who is herself the manager of a farm with agriculture and pig farming, says: "Today women farmers are entrepreneurs." So far, the CSU city and district councilor in the BBV was a local farmer.
About the traditional gender segregation in the association, she says: "These are perhaps still old structures."
In the past, the role of the farmer was seen "more with children, kitchen, church", says Berger, while, for example, the BBV events usually attended by men dealt with the more serious topics from fertilizer regulations to milk prices.
"I'm more interested in that anyway," says the married mother of two adult children.
The association is well represented in the area, but candidates for honorary posts have to be found, says the new local chairwoman.
Against this background, Berger says about the previous gender segregation: "There has to be more mixing." You have to motivate young people, especially women.
“And women are often the better mouthpieces to spread these issues.
You have to inspire young women,” says Berger.
This is particularly important today, when the role of agriculture is perceived differently.
"In our country, food security is being discussed for the first time." Without regional agriculture, this cannot be guaranteed.
She was elected unanimously in the regular elections in the BBV local association with well over 100 members.
However, the meeting in the Mayer inn in Eibach was sparsely attended, and according to Berger there was no other candidate for the office.
Her deputy is Baptist Winkler, who held the office on an interim basis after the sudden death of the incumbent chairman, Hans Selmair.
According to a BBV press release, Winkler suggested Berger for the post.
When she was introduced, she remembered her predecessor Selmair, who was also her neighbor.
As a former Dorfen local farmer, she always worked closely and collegially with him.
Selmair's early death is a great loss not only for agriculture in the region.
"Today's election has shown that our association is open to new things," said Deputy District Chairman Michael Hamburger, who chaired the election.
A deputy local chairwoman was recently elected in Bockhorn.
“Today you appointed a female local chairman in Dorfen with Sabine Berger for the first time in the BBV district association Erding.
I congratulate you on this step, with which you are setting a clear signal for equal rights in the professional association," Hamburger said to those present.
One of the current topics was the price of pork, which has remained at EUR 1.80 per kilo for weeks – with current production costs of EUR 2.40.
At the weekend, the slaughterhouse company Vion even tried to impose a house price of 1.60 euros on the pig farmers.
"Thanks to the great resistance of the pig industry and because the other slaughterers didn't play along, Vion's calculations didn't work out, at least this time," explained Hamburger.
The planned takeover of the Gmundner dairy in Austria by the local Jäger dairy in Haag was also an issue.
If the project works, it would be an important step towards consolidating Jäger's market position, Hamburger thought.
In April, some dairies in the north paid more than 50 cents milk price to the dairy farmers.
According to a meeting participant, the buyer of the Dorfen milk producers should follow suit in May.