Christmas demand tightens the supply

 The frosty winter weather has obviously signaled to hobby bakers in Germany: Now it's high time to bake cookies. The demand for eggs, which was so low after the first Sunday in Advent that suppliers feared for their Christmas business, increased significantly in the week before the upcoming third Sunday in Advent. So strong that the offer in the preferred weight class M has already become scarce. In view of the bottlenecks, some of the packing stations have already increased their demands again. This means that the price level also remains consistently high at the shop level. At the beginning of December, a pack of ten eggs of weight class M from cage farming cost 1,27 euros on average across Germany, compared to 96 cents a year ago.

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Clear differences across the EU

The proportion of alternatively produced eggs in the EU is increasing, in 2002 there were 39 million laying hens in barn, aviary, free range or eco systems. That is 14 to 2002 percent of the approximately 280 million laying hens kept in the EU in 1,3. However, only around XNUMX percent of the eggs sold to consumers in the EU were organically produced in accordance with EU guidelines.

It remains to be seen whether this proportion will be expanded in the coming years, as some exemptions from EU regulation 2005/1804 will expire in August 99. This entails a tightening of the husbandry requirements:

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The Federal Research Center for Viral Diseases in Animals confirmed BSE when examining the brain sample of a cow that came from a farm in Thuringia and died there.

The Ministry of Social Affairs, Family and Health and the administrative authorities involved immediately initiated the necessary measures. No animals susceptible to BSE may be moved from the herd concerned. The responsible veterinary and food inspection authority establishes the identity of all cattle kept in the livestock and determines the so-called cohort animals (cattle that were born at the same time and were fed together with the cattle concerned). As soon as the investigations are completed, the animals of the birth and feeding cohort as well as the last offspring will be killed and disposed of in accordance with the applicable EU regulation.

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Sonnleitner emphasizes the need for modern study programs

The German Farmers' Association (DBV) has sharply criticized the intended disproportionate austerity measures in agricultural faculties or even their closure as a result of budget cuts in the federal states. "The students and professors are right when they demonstrate against the dismantling of teaching and research in agricultural faculties. Our agricultural faculties are of considerable importance for the development and thus jobs in the local agriculture and food industry. With modern training structures they make young people from Germany and all parts of the world fit for a wide range of professions, "said DBV President Gerd Sonnleitner on the occasion of tomorrow's hearing in the nutrition committee of the German Bundestag. A modern, interdisciplinary link, especially in research, could enable further structural and efficiency improvements. The tense situation of the public budgets undoubtedly requires savings and an effective spending policy, emphasized Sonnleitner. But when it comes to austerity measures, politicians must ensure that the burden is fairly shared among all universities and faculties, so that the faculties that are highly renowned in science and agriculture are retained. The faculties in Göttingen, Halle and Berlin are currently at risk.

Sonnleitner turned to the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, with the request to do everything possible so that the agricultural and horticultural faculty of the Humboldt University is not broken up and dissolved. In the past few years the number of students has risen to 1.500 students. In the 2002/2003 academic year alone, the number of graduates rose by 50 percent. The Agricultural-Horticultural Faculty provides worldwide, practical answers for the agriculture and food industry and is at the same time a training center for many farm managers, especially from the new federal states. More than 500 development workers would be prepared for their tasks in the third world at the seminar for rural development. With the development of a modern training structure for Bachelor and Master courses, the Berlin faculty has a range of courses that meets the requirements of business and students. The Agricultural and Horticultural Faculty of the Humboldt University in Berlin meanwhile has the largest number of new students within the agricultural faculties, noted Sonnleitner.

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Livestock farms and arable farming most affected

The economic situation in German agriculture deteriorated drastically in the past 2002/2003 financial year. The average company result for full-time farms fell by 25 percent to 22.900 euros. This emerges from the situation report of the German Farmers' Association (DBV), which DBV President Gerd Sonnleitner presented at the federal press conference in Berlin. In the previous year, German farmers had to accept an average drop in income of 13 percent. A self-employed farmer earned an average of only 2002 euros gross in 2003/16.325, which corresponds to a monthly income of 1.360 euros gross including all payments from Brussels and from the Berlin agricultural budget. The income gap to the commercial economy has increased to around 40 percent.

The main reason for the collapse in income was the significant drop in producer prices for key products such as milk, pork and grain. Depending on the type of business and the region, the business results of the businesses developed differently in the past financial year: the livestock processing businesses (pig and chicken husbandry) were particularly badly hit. In the year 2000/2001 they still had a company result of more than 61.000 euros. They had to suffer a massive decline for the second year in a row; corporate profit fell by an average of 62 percent to 18.900 euros. The cash crop farms specializing in arable farming achieved an average of 24.500 euros, a company result that was 35 percent lower. Low grain prices and wet-related damage due to constant rain and flooding, especially in northern and eastern Germany during the 2002 harvest, have caused problems for arable farms. Among the forage farms, the dairy farms had a 23.300 percent lower company result than in the previous year with 10 euros. The loss of income for the beef producers was lower in percentage terms, but in absolute terms they complained about a very low income of 19.700 euros.

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25 percent is the drop in income for full-time businesses

The situation report presented today by the German Farmers' Association clearly points to the worrying situation in agriculture. 25 percent is the drop in income for full-time businesses! Completely unsatisfactory is the fact that the monthly income of a self-employed farmer is only an average of 1360 euros and the difference between agricultural income and commercial economy has now grown to 40 percent. And the profession is not expecting any significant improvement for the current financial year either!

The reluctance to invest on farms, which has persisted for years, is particularly worrying. According to the farmers' association, net investments in the 2002/2003 financial year fell by more than 60 percent! Half of the farmers rate their future prospects as bad or very bad! The agricultural policy environment in particular plays a major role in future-oriented company decisions. The federal government is in no way living up to its responsibilities here. Instead of meeting agriculture in this difficult situation with solidarity and pointing out perspectives, red-green have decided on massive and disproportionate cuts in the agricultural budget for the coming year! The numerous national tightening of environmental and animal protection by Red-Green lead to massive disadvantages for our farmers in the EU internal market. The government is completely divided on the question of green genetic engineering and is therefore unable to act in a key area of ​​modern biotechnology!

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Consequences of economic development

The President of the German Farmers' Association (DBV), Gerd Sonnleitner, called for an end to the systematic weakening of farms and Germany as a location for agriculture when presenting the 2004 situation report. Before the federal press conference in Berlin, Sonnleitner pointed out that the current extremely difficult economic situation in German agriculture not only a consequence of the market or EU agricultural policy, but also a result of national policy. "In our country, politicians are long overdue to realize that we need a prosperous, successful agricultural sector again," concluded the DBV President. In the past financial year 2002/2003, the average company result for full-time farms fell drastically by 25 percent to 22.900 euros. This means that only EUR 16.325 gross was achieved per family worker. As a result, a self-employed farmer earned an average of just 1.360 euros gross per month including all payments from Brussels and from the Berlin agricultural budget. The income gap to the commercial economy has thus increased to around 40 percent, Sonnleitner determined.

As a political consequence, Sonnleitner called on the Bundestag and Bundesrat in the ongoing mediation committee proceedings to withdraw the massive special sacrifices planned by the federal government for the farmers. The federal government is planning tax increases for agricultural diesel for farmers, increases in contributions to agricultural social insurance and a reduction in bureaucracy through the planned elimination of the input tax flat rate. This further increases the pressure on farmers' incomes, stressed Sonnleitner. That is why the DBV also sharply criticized the federal budget passed by the Bundestag with disproportionate cuts of minus 7,4 percent in the agricultural department. A consolidation of public budgets and a reduction in debt must affect all social and economic groups and must not be carried out unilaterally to the detriment of farmers. As a result, the Koch-Steinbrück concept met with more understanding among farmers. Sonnleitner hopes that the mediation committee will now enforce equal treatment for the farmers.

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This increases the pressure on the trading company Metro

 With the food discounter Lidl, the first large discounter has assured Greenpeace that even after the introduction of the new labeling regulation in April 2004, only food without genetic engineering will be offered. At the request of Greenpeace, Lidl has now made a corresponding clear statement. Now that almost all well-known food manufacturers have committed themselves to this standard, the pressure on Metro is increasing. The trading company is currently the only company actively trying to introduce genetically modified food and even wants to enter into an alliance with the genetic engineering industry.

"We are very pleased that Lidl has positioned itself so clearly on the consumer side," comments Alexander Hissting, Greenpeace's genetic engineering expert. "GM food has no place on the shelves. The safety of the products cannot be guaranteed. We call on Metro to end the cozying up to the GM industry now and to ban genetic engineering from its TIP products as well."

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Allergy prevention - what is guaranteed?

Around 15% of infants and young children are at risk of atopic dermatitis in the first 3 years of life. The next most common allergic disease at this age is bronchial asthma. The risk of developing such an allergy is inherited by the allergy-ill parents to their children. One third of all newborns are currently at risk of allergies.

Allergies in infancy are triggered mainly by food; Cow's milk and chicken eggs make up the tip of the iceberg, followed by wheat and soy. But how can parents protect their babies? According to the motto "breast is best", infants should be breast fed exclusively for as long as 6 months. WHO also recommends this - regardless of whether or not there is an allergy risk. Study results show that children who have been breastfed exclusively for 4 months to 6, not only in the first 4 to 5 years less likely to develop food allergies, but also to the 17. Less suffering from hay fever and asthma.

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Current market graph

The meat consumption of German citizens increased slightly in 2003 compared to the previous year. According to initial projections by the Bonn ZMP from mid-November, meat sales for food, feed and industrial use, including losses, rose by a statistical average of 1,2 kilograms to a total of 90,2 kilograms per capita. Pork and poultry in particular increased. In contrast, beef and veal consumption was unable to recover any further. The domestic beef supply was significantly smaller than in 2002. This minus was just offset by higher imports, declining exports and a reduction in intervention stocks.

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DBV Presidium calls for a package of countermeasures

The producer prices for slaughter pigs in Germany have fallen to an all-time low. This revenue situation allows neither the generation of profits nor income, nor a covering of the variable costs. High production, increased feed costs and unexpectedly restrained consumption determine what is happening on the market. At its meeting today, chaired by DBV President Gerd Sonnleitner, the Presidium of the German Farmers' Association (DBV) stated that the incomes of German slaughter pigs and piglet producers have fallen so drastically that serious economic problems are to be feared in the most important processing regions. That is why it is now important to take countermeasures and counteract the discouragement, especially of younger entrepreneurs in the processing industry, also by avoiding national legal solo attempts.

The DBV Presidium has therefore requested the European Commission to support export efforts immediately by structuring the reimbursements for third country exports accordingly. The promotion of private storage must be opened immediately after Christmas in order to achieve a short-term balance on the market. The promotion should be limited to products for third country export. In addition, intervention grains for animal feed are increasingly being released.

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