October 6, 2023

Farmers in Lower Saxony, Germany encouraged to shift away from swine farming

In an effort to promote agricultural diversification and sustainability, farmers in Lower Saxony, north-western Germany, will receive government support to transition away from swine farming, Plant Based News reported.

The Agricultural Investment Promotion Programme (AFP), administered through the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture, has introduced new rules offering preferential funding to swine farmers who reduce their herds or exit swine farming altogether.

The move comes as swine farming faces economic uncertainty, partly due to declining pork demand. German Agriculture Minister Miriam Staudte said there is a need to assist companies willing to make changes and build alternative foundations, marking another essential component of their diversification programme.

Under the AFP, funding applications will be evaluated using a point system based on the proportion of swine-keeping capacity to be dismantled. Farmers looking to reduce capacity by at least half will receive five points, while those aiming to exit swine farming entirely will be awarded 10 points.

Furthermore, the AFP places a strong emphasis on environmental and climate protection, as well as improving animal housing conditions.

Lower Saxony has historically been a major pork producer, supplying one-third of all pork in Germany. However, at the end of 2022, the state's swine population, which had been growing for years, declined to its lowest level in a decade at 7.1 million swine.

The intensive swine farming sector has raised significant environmental concerns, including water pollution from excess manure spreading. South Oldenburg, for instance, has reported ammonia levels more than double the environmentally safe upper limits.

Factors like falling pork demand, low prices, and export bans from China due to African swine fever outbreaks in Germany have forced the sector to contract. Initiatives aimed at addressing environmental degradation and climate emissions, such as the AFP funding rules, are expected to further reduce the industry's size.

-      Plant Based News