Last-Minute EU Agricultural Aid Shuffle in Thuringia
With EU agricultural aid worth three-digit millions on the line, Thuringian farmers are set to receive compensatory allowances and direct payments from their businesses in the final fortnight of the year. The Thuringian Ministry of Agriculture revealed this morning, in response to an Erfurt query, that the issue stemmed from a complicated digital land management monitoring system using satellites.
Close to 200 Million Euros at Stake
"Unfortunately, satellite tracking hasn't performed as reliably as we had expected," conceded a Ministry spokesperson. Based on past records, Thuringian direct and compensatory payments accumulate to around 200 million euros, traditionally distributed by mid-December. To date, approximately 2,200 farms have received compensatory payments, and roughly 4,000 direct payments. The completely digital application process is intact.
Prompted by Berlin
Earlier, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture established December 22 and 27 as the earliest possible payment dates. "The federal states need to craft the necessary conditions for payment disbursement," it said from Berlin.
Nearly Complete Checks
"Of the total 47,000 inspections, 90% have been completed," shared Thuringia's Agriculture Minister, Susanna Karawanskij (Left Party). The State Office for Agriculture and Rural Areas staff is doing an admirable job, even in offering technical assistance and support to farmers in adapting to new technology.
Additional Tasks over Christmas
The State Office employees now have a hefty load of work between Christmas and New Year. Overtime is likely to occur as well. Time pressure ensued due to technical complications that only allowed the use of one satellite to record the areas. The EU had promised to replace the defective satellite by December.
Unnoticed Agricultural Land
Approximately 20 to 30% of Thuringia's agricultural land remained unnoticed by the satellite - partially due to the excessive moisture in the spring. Farmers, consequently, resorted to digitally submitting necessary proof using a newly developed Thuringia app and featured photos. Nationwide, the app was used for the first time, with the state office providing tech support.
Essential Direct Payments
Direct payments constitute a critical component of EU agricultural support. According to the Ministry, farms that cultivate lands in disadvantaged ecological locations and yield below-average returns benefit from the compensatory allowance.
Late EU Agricultural Payments in Thuringia
Owing to satellite monitoring issues, EU agricultural subsidies, which include direct and compensatory payments valued at approximately 200 million euros, may be delayed in reaching agricultural businesses in Thuringia. This shift in the payment schedule is directly related to the intricate digital monitoring process of land management using satellites.
Though facing challenges, the Thuringian Ministry of Agriculture has managed to accomplish around 90% of the mandatory inspections for these subsidies, with the remaining tasks to be handled overtime between Christmas and New Year.
Sources:
Enrichment Data: The EU agricultural aid delay in Thuringia predominantly results from implementation and policy issues rather than any specific satellite monitoring technology issues. Implementing agricultural policies and measures, particularly the Water Framework Directive, and Floods Directive, have faced difficulties in many regions of Germany, including the completion of all planned measures in the River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). Also, areas related to nutrient pollution and hydromorphological pressures have not been fully addressed, which may impact subsidy payments. Though Farmonaut's technology - utilized in precision farming and agricultural monitoring - is mentioned, there's no solid proof to suggest that satellite monitoring problems directly caused the subsidy payment delays.