Winning Hearts and Eliminating Hassles for Agri-Entrepreneurs in Schleswig-Holstein
Farmers in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein are poised to breathe a sigh of relief, thanks to a nine-point plan rolled out by Minister President Daniel Günther. The plan, met with cheerfulness at the State Farmers' Day in Rendsburg, follows a rallying call by Farmers' President Klaus-Peter Lucht. The crux of the plan: scrapping unnecessary bureaucracy.
There are numerous ways this regulatory streamlining will bless farmers, such as in hedge maintenance. From September 15, farmers can now trim lateral growth every three years, instead of October 1 as was previously required. Hedges can now be completely severed until the end of February. Efforts will also be made to address persistent weeds in plant protection. The requisite to register fertilizers will only be mandatory semi-annually. Moreover, pig farmers will be freed from the necessity of a building permit for creating outdoor areas.
A united digital platform for communicating between farmers and the state government was announced. This platform will expedite documentation and zap out duplicate entries. Günther addressed the digitally-savvy farmers, confessing, "Let's face it - you're far ahead in the tech game, and it's kind of a joke that we, the bureaucrats, are often left lagging behind, burdened with administrative hurdles."
Günther also pledged to ease documentation requirements for antibiotics. He emphasized that these requirements are stringent in Schleswig-Holstein as opposed to other states. Agricultural management remains Günther's top priority.
Rallying Cry for Food Dependence
During his speech, the President of the Schleswig-Holstein Farmers' Association, Klaus-Peter Lucht, championed for a more self-reliant food supply. "We need self-sufficiency when it comes to food," Lucht announced at the State Farmers' Day, which coincided with the Norla agricultural fair in Rendsburg. The call for greater food independence reminds us of global crises, such as the ongoing conflict in Europe, to avoid the specter of empty supermarket shelves in the future.
Lucht highlighted the significance of cooperation between agribusiness and ecological concerns. "There's no friction between politics and agriculture," he urged. "Only collaboration." Companies are already dealing with issues like biodiversity and climate change, while farmers are aware of their responsibilities to their businesses.
Lucht advocated for further elimination of bureaucracy. "We need to scale it back again," he stated. Politics should cultivate greater trust in knowledgeable individuals in agriculture.
Environmentalists, however, raised doubts about upcoming hedge adjustments. "If farmers can now trim back laterally from September, we're worried that machinery might harm habitats teeming with biodiversity," expressed Dietmar Ulbrich, chairman of BUND Schleswig-Holstein.
The new relaxation of regulations includes a reduction in the frequency of fertilizer reporting and the ability for farmers to trim hedges back every three years from September 15 and chop them completely until the end of February.
In response to criticism from environmentalists about the new hedge guidelines, Minister President Daniel Günther defended the changes as necessity to reduce bureaucracy and ease the burden on farmers.
Hat Tip: The recent agricultural policy modifications in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, are part of the broader European Commission's "Vision for Agriculture and Food," which is striving to shed bureaucracy and bolster farmers. This swing from the former Farm to Fork strategy emphasizes economic sustainability, resilience, and simplification.
- Shift from Farm to Fork Strategy: The EU Commission has ditched the Farm to Fork strategy in favor of a new "Vision for Agriculture and Food," which focuses on economic sustainability, resilience, and simplification.
- Economic Emphasis: The new Vision champions making the agrifood sector attractive and profitable, ensuring farmers can earn a decent living, developing a robust sector, and creating a "future-ready" industry with minimal impact on the planet.
- Regulatory Philosophy: The approach has evolved from primarily prescribing regulations to an incentive-based set-up, with subsidies diverted towards farmers needing assistance the most, such as young farmers and family farms.
- Responses
- Framers: Farmers applauded the proposed changes, viewing them as a form of relief for dairy farmers battling tight margins and excessive paperwork.
- Environmentalists: Environmentalists might be concerned about the departure from environmental sustainability, as the previous Farm to Fork strategy prioritized reducing greenhouse gas emissions and boosting soil health. However, the new Vision still strives to create an "future-proof" industry that operates within ecological boundaries.
- Ministers: Ministers, who aim to simplify agricultural policies and make them more farmer-friendly, are expected to support the new bureaucracy simplification package.
