Below average grain harvest 2024: Farmers demand political solutions

Below average grain harvest 2024: Farmers demand political solutions

grain harvest 2024: Challenges for agriculture and their effects on the community

In 2024, the German farmers were once again faced with a disappointing balance sheet regarding the grain harvest. The German Farmers' Association (DBV) reports a harvest of 39.3 million tons, which is below the desired 40 million mark. This decline in production, especially with wheat and rapeseed, marks a continuous downward trend that has been pending for more than a decade

The cultivation of winter wheat has dropped by 330,000 hectares, which is due to unfavorable weather conditions at the start of harvest. These situations were not only stressful for the harvest itself, but also had consequences for the entire agricultural community. Farmers face increasing operating costs while the prices for grain drop dramatically. This leads to a tense economic situation in which many companies are at risk of securing their economic existence.

Joachim Rukwied, President of the DBV, emphasizes that the weather extreme, which already began at sowing, presented farmers with enormous challenges. The repeated rainfall during the harvest time and frost damage in critical growth phases have not only affected the quantities, but also the quality of the harvest. Rukwied warns that the consequences of climate change and inadequate legislative framework conditions are heavily burdened by agriculture. Here he appeals to politics to create practical requirements instead of restrictive regulations in order to secure the quality of the wheat produced.

Another central problem is the restrictions in crop protection, which, together with the strong infection pressure, especially in the case of fungal diseases, further favor the decline in yields. Many farmers feel abandoned by the current crop protection policy, which according to Rukwied does not offer solutions for their challenges. Effective protection of the plants is crucial to secure food production in the long term.

The situation also shows how important sustainable agriculture is for society as a whole. While the grain harvest is under pressure, other autumn cultures could benefit from the precipitation. Nevertheless, new diseases are a growing problem here too; For example, for sugar beet, which are increasingly affected by Stolbur and other diseases. The challenges in fruit growing, caused by late frosts, are other aspects that round off the image.

The DBV calls for a redesign of the agricultural framework to ensure the competitiveness of German agriculture. In view of the economic uncertainty and the existential threat from falling crop yields and increasing costs, the valuable role of agriculture in society must not be overlooked. It not only ensures food supply, but also jobs and the preservation of rural structures.

The Harvest report of the DBV is a thorough analysis based on surveys of the 18 state farmers and provides clear information about the current situation in agriculture. The report should serve as a wake -up call that both political and social support is necessary to cope with the challenges in front of which farmers are facing. Only through cooperation can the basics for more resilient and sustainable agriculture be laid.