BSW on agriculture

The BSW opposes new burdens on farmers, such as the federal government's cuts to the farm diesel subsidy. A master plan is meant to give livestock farms much more support so that animal production does not move to countries with weaker animal welfare standards. Barn permits should remain valid until the barn is fully depreciated.

The BSW does not want more burdens on farmers. It opposes cuts to help with farm diesel. That is fuel for tractors. Farms with animals should get more help. A permit for a barn should last a long time.

The program points to strain from climate change, the pandemic, animal diseases, labor shortages, inflation and energy prices. In its view, excessive burdens on livestock farmers have pushed production abroad, where animal welfare rules are weaker. Disadvantaged areas are to be supported by keeping the compensatory allowance so that land is farmed everywhere. State programs under the second pillar of EU farm funding are to be used for sustainable solutions, and biogas advisory services are to resume. Young farmers starting or taking over a farm would get more support.

The BSW believes Thuringia's farmers have too little market power compared with processors and retail chains. It wants to support regional value chains and move agricultural marketing into a separate company for Thuringia or central Germany. The Thuringian quality label and funding for producer associations would be reinstated.

Farmers have little power against big store chains. The BSW wants to change that. Farmers should sell more of their goods locally. A separate company should advertise Thuringian products. A Thuringian quality label should come back.

Agricultural marketing would be spun off from the agriculture administration. The new company could cover Thuringia alone or the wider central German region. Funding for setting up producer groups and cooperatives would resume. Long-term funding programs are to boost local marketing of farm products.

The BSW wants to cut red tape in farming and forestry, based on proposals from the farmers' association and the conference of agriculture ministers. The nutrient flow balance requirement would be scrapped. At the federal level, the BSW wants to abolish Grundsteuer A (property tax on farm and forest land), arguing it costs more effort than it raises.

The BSW wants less paperwork for farmers. One record-keeping rule should go away. Farms now have to write down how many nutrients they use. A tax on farm and forest land should also go away.

The cutback is to rest on proposals from the German Farmers' Association (DBV) and the agriculture ministers' conference. The Stoffstrombilanz requires farms to document nutrient inputs and outputs such as nitrogen. Grundsteuer A is levied on agricultural and forestry land. Farming techniques that protect the environment, soil and climate are to be funded without red tape.

The BSW wants to make the forest area payment permanent, on condition that owners replant and convert their forests. The program cites damage from drought, bark beetles and inadequate forest protection. Forest land with unknown owners is to be brought back under management by law.

Many forests in Thuringia are damaged. Drought and bark beetles caused this. Forest owners should get money for good. In return, they must plant new trees. Forests with unknown owners should also be looked after.

The BSW wants to draft the law on land with unknown owners together with the forest owners' association. The forestry research and competence center is to be strengthened so that adapting forests to climate change rests on science. ThüringenForst would be allowed to use profits from the bark beetle crisis to secure state forests, and forestry cooperatives would get more support. On damaged timber, the BSW wants active help instead of threatened fines. For species such as wolves, beavers and cormorants, the program calls for wildlife management and damage compensation, and hunters are to be supported in managing game.