The Ukraine war threatens the global grain supply. Union and FDP are therefore calling for the planned set-aside of arable land in Germany to be suspended. Minister of Agriculture Özdemir must give farmers security and speak a word of power.
In view of the tense grain markets as a result of the Ukraine war, the FDP is pushing for further expansion of production, including in Germany. “The agreement on the export of grain from Ukraine is fragile and Russia’s hunger war is further exacerbating the global hunger crisis,” said FDP parliamentary group leader Carina Konrad.
Below-average harvests are expected in Europe due to the long dry period. A sustainable expansion of food production in this country could therefore help to alleviate famine, said Konrad before the consultations of the federal and state agriculture ministers. Federal Minister Cem Özdemir must recognize the difficult situation and immediately implement EU requirements to suspend planned set-asides and when changing crops. Planning security is finally needed for farmers.
The opposition Union also called for clarity. “Farmers in Germany cannot wait any longer, they need to be sure quickly what they can grow in the coming year,” said CDU agricultural expert Albert Stegemann. “Minister Özdemir must finally end his ostrich tactic.” Germany should not play a special role in Europe, but must implement the EU’s decision to suspend land set-aside one-to-one.
At the conference of agriculture ministers, the federal government is to inform the federal states about the status of the talks with Brussels on the strategic plan for the implementation of the common agricultural policy and possible compromises. It is now a question of the strategy plan being approved as quickly as possible so that the farmers have planning security, said the chairman of the conference of agriculture ministers, Saxony-Anhalt’s department head Sven Schulze. He was optimistic that “a sensible line” could be decided together. However, measures against the global food crisis caused by the Ukraine war are controversial.
With the reform of the EU agricultural policy from 2023, four percent of the arable land should no longer be cultivated. This is to protect flora and fauna. Cultivation of the same crops in a row should also be prohibited. As a reaction to the crisis, however, the EU Commission has proposed making exceptions to both requirements for one year. Whether the proposal will be implemented one-to-one remains to be seen. Özdemir supports exceptions when changing crops, but is critical of the suspension of set-aside.