Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer (CSU) stated that German farmers are currently facing several severe challenges simultaneously. During the presentation of the official harvest report on Wednesday, he characterized the situation as “a decidedly serious overall picture.” Numerous pressures are coinciding, including drought and dryness, regional losses in crop quality and yield, massive feed shortages, high operational costs for diesel and fertilizer resulting from geopolitical crises, economic strain in livestock farming-especially in the pork market-and significant stress on our forests.
Rainer emphasized that while each of these burdens would be a challenge in isolation, their combined and simultaneous impact is placing immense pressure on agricultural businesses, threatening their economic viability. The post-harvest balance sheet clearly indicates that agriculture must carry multiple risks at once, and the matter is more profound than simply a poor harvest.
The Minister reiterated his commitment to standing “by the side of the farmers” at all levels. He cautioned that aid cannot be distributed arbitrarily. However, following the harvest report, he declared a “crisis of national importance,” a declaration that is necessary to qualify for financial assistance from the federal government.
