As of: February 9, 2024, 5:23 a.m
By: Daniela Petersen
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The farmers' protests have made one thing clear: dissatisfaction is brewing among farmers.
This is about much more than just agricultural diesel subsidies.
Farmers from Hesse explain where else the shoe hurts - or rather the rubber boots that have become a symbol of the protests.
Fulda/Schüchtern - A lack of planning security, demands from retailers and excessive bureaucracy are part of everyday life for Mark Trageser.
The 38-year-old took over a farm in Linsengericht from his father.
120 dairy cows, 300 hectares of land.
Farmer protests: What farmers in Hesse are struggling with
For him, the job of farming is still the most beautiful one there is: “The daily interaction with animals and nature, the use of natural resources, is what I love about this job,” says Trageser, who is also chairman of the district farmers’ association in the Main-Kinzig district, in conversation with fuldaerzeitung.de.
In this role he gets a good insight into the challenges farmers in the region face.
“There are a lot of construction sites.
There are always new editions.
“Some of these are things that contradict what we have learned,” says Trageser, giving an example: For some time now, the Fertilizer Ordinance has stipulated that no organic or mineral fertilizers should be applied to the fields during frost due to groundwater protection may.
“As a farmer, however, you learn that it makes sense to clear manure in light frost because this means you damage the soil less.
These are little things that cause a lack of understanding among farmers.”
Since the beginning of the year, farmers across Germany have been expressing their dissatisfaction in protests.
(Symbolic photo) © Stefan Sauer/dpa
New obligations, for example when building a stable, would also bring problems: “You have to build new stables in order not to fall short of the distances, but sometimes you don't even get permission from the authorities.
In addition, the construction costs have increased to such an extent that it is no longer economically feasible.”
The bureaucracy also makes it difficult for farmers: There are many detailed regulations on sowing periods, plant protection, fertilization, requirements for insect and bird protection as well as the set-aside of arable land - all of this must be documented, also in order to be able to apply for agricultural subsidies.
In addition, the area available for agriculture is becoming smaller and smaller - for example due to photovoltaic systems in the fields.
“70 percent of the cultivated areas are leased.
And the photovoltaic companies pay prices that farmers can never afford,” says Trageser.
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Two months ago I would have said that there is a lack of appreciation among the population.
But since the protests, I no longer have that feeling.
Mark Trageser, Main-Kinzig District Farmers' Association
But farms often end for a very simple reason: there is no successor.
“I know many who stopped because their children didn’t want to continue farming,” says Trageser.
“Many farms lack future prospects.
The industry is looking for workers who then have completely different income opportunities.”
And the wolf is also causing problems for farmers in the region.
“The urban population would like to have the wolf, but the rural population has to struggle with it.
We are being let down here.” It is not just the wolf’s tears that are the problem: “Once a wolf has been in a herd, the animals are often disturbed.”
Thomas Schneider (40) from the Fulda-Hünfeld district farmers' association also sees it that way.
“We need wolf management with regulation that ensures grazing livestock in the Rhön in the future.” Schneider runs part-time farming in Giesel with a few cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens and horses.
He adds other challenges: extreme weather events with crop failures and pricing for milk, for example.
Mark Trageser loves his job as a farmer - despite the many challenges.
In addition to bureaucracy and ever new regulations, wolves are also a problem for local farmers.
© private
Trageser can also tell you a thing or two about that.
He is in the dairy association and says: “There are four big retailers – Lidl, Aldi, Edeka and Rewe – who all always want to be a few cents cheaper than the competition.
This is a difficult negotiating position for the 70 dairies in Germany.” A dairy farmer currently receives 40 cents per liter.
Price competition in the globalized agricultural market also causes difficulties.
Farmer Michael Schneller (61) from Niddatal-Assenheim in the Wetterau is currently feeling this: He has stored wheat from previous years in his silo.
With the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, wheat prices rose dramatically to around 400 euros per ton - now the price is a good 200 euros per ton, still below the pre-war level because there is currently a massive amount of duty-free wheat coming onto the market from Ukraine.
Farm death, planning security and wolves: farmers face challenges
Price drops of 20 to 30 euros per ton of wheat mean thousands of euros in lost income for the farmer - and all this with significantly increased production costs.
Farmers are exposed to such fluctuations in many products.
That's why political support and continued aid are needed, says Schneller.
Of his income of around 300,000 euros, Schneller has between 50,000 and 100,000 euros left over each year, which varies greatly from year to year.
However, this still excludes items such as social security and interest on the capital invested in buildings, machines and land, as well as investments.
The planned abolition of the tax refund for agricultural diesel would cost him around 2,000 to 3,000 euros annually.
For Mark Trageser it would even be 10,000 euros per year.
“Even if it gradually disappears now, it will ultimately disappear.
That’s money I can use to pay my two employees for two months.”
There have been protests by farmers and tractor rallyes in many places for weeks against the politicians' plans.