meal time
zdemir enables farmers to grow more wheat through EU regulations
Several ears of corn stand in a barley field near Zemmer in Rhineland-Palatinate after the harvest.
Photo: Herald Teitel/DPA
Russia’s war against Ukraine is also having a negative impact on international agricultural markets: volumes are shrinking, prices are rising. German farmers can now grow additional crops to a limited extent.
05/08/2022, 19:50
Berlin. Federal Agriculture Minister Kem Zdemir (Greens) wants to allow farmers in Germany to grow some agricultural crops for food production in view of the strained grain markets resulting from the Ukraine war.
According to his ministry, a settlement proposal presented by zdemir on Friday provides for a one-time suspension of new EU regulations on set-aside and crop rotation. According to this, other species protection areas that are actually planned should not be introduced until 2024. Farmers can also grow food in these areas in the coming year.
The background to this is the EU regulations that will apply from 2023, which will stipulate what proportion of agricultural land is used for species protection and, moreover, the same crop may not be cultivated two years in a row. The same territory to protect the soil. However, Brussels left the implementation of the requirements to the respective EU states. zdemir has now submitted its proposal for the implementation of the Commission decision, which provides for the suspension and cancellation of crop rotation, to the federal states.
once exposed
According to the ministry, the first set-aside will be suspended once in the coming year. Instead, agricultural cultivation should be possible, “albeit limited to the production of food, i.e. cereals (excluding maize), sunflowers and legumes (excluding soybeans), in line with the objectives of the Commission proposal,” it said. This only applies to areas that were not already designated as fallow land in 2021 and 2022: “Existing biodiversity areas remain protected and protect nature and species.” We can provide our services for sustainable agriculture.”
In addition, according to the information available, the EU has followed zdemir’s proposal and allows exceptions when changing crop rotation. The corresponding regulation will be suspended once in 2023. This means that farmers in Germany can exceptionally sow wheat after wheat on around 380,000 hectares. According to scientific calculations, up to 34 lakh tons of wheat can be grown in this way. This is “the best way to keep grain yields stable in Germany and thus contribute to the stability of the world markets,” it said.
Check the measures carefully
Izdemir said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing it out of hunger, and he is doing it at the expense of the world’s poorest. In addition, hunger is highest where the climate crisis has already taken hold. “For me, every measure to solve a crisis must therefore be put to the test to see whether it does not escalate into another,” said the Green politician. Agriculture in Germany proposed to pacify grain markets by maintaining production.
According to Özdemir, farmers in Germany now know what they can sow in a few weeks. He reacted to the proposal without rejecting species and climate protection. Already established biodiversity areas and landscape elements remain untouched and should not be broken.
According to the information, the countries still have to agree to the Izdemir agreement.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220805-99-290706/2 (dpa)
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