Farmers in Saxony-Anhalt to Receive EU Payments in 2023, Says Minister
In a recent announcement, Saxony-Anhalt Agriculture Minister Sven Schulze (CDU) confirmed that farmers in the region would receive EU direct payments of around 258 million euros this year. This news comes as a relief for the agrarian sector in the region, with payments expected to be transferred to approximately 4,000 farms via the federal treasury from December 22, 2023.
The direct payments are a crucial element of EU agricultural support, serving to secure income and mitigate risks for agricultural businesses. They help offset agricultural price fluctuations, ensuring farmers can continue their operations despite market uncertainties.
With a new implementation model for direct payments in Germany, the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform will focus on targeted support for farmers who actively contribute to food security and the economic viability of farms. The reform includes degressivity and capping, simplified income support tools for small and medium-sized farmers, and greater flexibility for farmers to design farming practices tailored to their specific contexts.
The revised system also introduces a voluntary benchmarking system for on-farm sustainability assessment, simplifying and benchmarking sustainability data, as well as innovative financing tools to reward farmers for maintaining or transitioning to nature-positive practices. This could provide additional income sources for farmers, making their operations more resilient to market fluctuations.
While the specific impact on farmers in Saxony-Anhalt in 2023 depends on how these reforms are implemented by the German government and regional authorities, the general trend is towards more targeted and simplified support mechanisms, reducing bureaucratic hurdles for farmers in the region.
References:
- European Commission. (n.d.). Common Agricultural Policy Facts and Figures. Retrieved from
- European Commission. (n.d.). EU Agricultural Support - Direct Payments. Retrieved from
- FAO. (n.d.). Agriculture in Germany. Retrieved from
- European Commission. (n.d.). CAP Financial Management Regulation. Retrieved from
