Güstrow (dpa/mv) – According to Agriculture Minister Till Backhaus (SPD), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania takes a leading position in Germany when it comes to the production of seed for agriculture. A fifth of all viable seed potatoes nationwide come from soils between the Baltic Sea and the Mecklenburg Lake District, he said on Wednesday at a conference of the MV state association in Güstrow. The total seed for potatoes, cereals and other plants is about 13.5 percent. Accordingly, a good 200,000 tons of seedlings per year came from the north-east.
The Saatgutverband MV unites plant propagators, plant breeders and sales organizations and thus bundles the interests of more than 340 companies. It makes a significant contribution to increasing crop yields, said Backhaus. Grains and plants, which later served to feed millions of people, were exported from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to 30 countries.
In 2022, seeds and seedlings were grown and propagated on around 27,000 hectares of arable land. With around 20,000 employees, agriculture is one of the largest employers in the north-east.
