And suddenly in the red area: farmers' association criticizes expulsion in the north of the district

Once again, the farmers' anger is directed at the water management authorities and their designation of red areas.

As reported, this involves areas with high levels of nitrate pollution, which farmers are only allowed to farm to a limited extent according to a new regulation.

This time, the anger affects parts of four communities in the northern district of Erding and also extends to the district of Landshut.

Northern district - The Bavarian Farmers' Association (BBV) Erding/Freising speaks of "family liability", now an interest group (IG) that he oversees has been founded.

It is about the so-called groundwater body (GWK) Buch am Erlbach, which covers an area of ​​around 95 square kilometers.

Of these, around two-thirds – two larger and one smaller area – are red.

Affected: Parts of the district communities of Wartenberg, Bockhorn, Fraunberg and Langenpreising, in the Landshut part especially the community of Eching.

Red areas can be found in Mauggen, Unterstrogn, Grucking, Reichenkirchen, Fraunberg, Maria Thalheim, Vorderbaumberg, Riding, Langenpreising, Kirchasch or Pesenlern.

What annoys the Erding-Freisinger BBV around Managing Director Gerhard Stock according to a press release: "When the Federal Fertilizer Ordinance was implemented and red areas were first designated in 2021, the GWK Buch am Erlbach was still designated as an unpolluted area and classified as a green area ." But then the about-face followed: "During another check by the water management authorities, larger areas were designated as red areas from January 1, 2023."

Recently there were several information events of the BBV with the affected farmers, with the result that exactly one week ago 35 farmers from the districts of Erding and Landshut founded the IG in an online event.

According to the announcement, the purpose of the IG is "to inquire about the background to the new expulsion and to initiate the preparation of an expert report on the legality of the expulsion".

Contact has already been made with a “nationwide recognized expert office”.

In addition, one wants to establish “in addition to talks with the responsible offices, contacts with the MPs”.

For the farmers affected, the expulsion means additional requirements.

In an interview with our newspaper, Stock addresses the most serious of these, such as reducing the use of nitrogen.

This is then “20 percent below what a plant actually needs.

That costs income,” says the BBV managing director.

He also cites restrictions on the spreading of manure, such as a shorter window for this and upper limits.

Last but not least, manure is understood to mean liquid manure.

In a district with a large number of cattle like Erdinger, the whole thing means “serious conditions for spreading manure”.

Those affected would have to “invest in liquid manure pits.

That costs quite some money.

Or you would have to lease additional areas, which is not possible in practice".

Despite all the criticism, the BBV emphasizes: "The protection of groundwater is also a high priority for farmers." The implementation of the fertilizer ordinance with strict and technically justified specifications has been part of "good professional practice" for years.

However, the large-scale designation of red areas is not acceptable to farmers, "because this means that many farms are taken into 'family liability'".

The BBV is currently appealing to all affected companies in the GWK Buch am Erlbach to take part in the IG.

"It's not for everyone to participate," Stock knows.

His goal is to convince around 100 farmers, which is about three times as many as there were when the company was founded.

An information event of the IG will take place on Monday, April 17th at 7:30 p.m. in the Gasthaus Bachmaier in Pesenlern.

Its chairman is Bartholomäus Pfanzelt from Forach.

Assessors are Christian Fahrmair from Langenpreising and Anton Wurzer from Scheideck.

Farmers can also look up exactly who is in the red area on the Internet portal of the Bavarian state government, www.ibalis.bayern.de.