Several associations reject agricultural structure law

Several Saxon agricultural associations reject the draft agricultural structure law from the house of Agriculture Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens). The Saxon State Farmers' Association (SLB) and other interest groups announced in Dresden on Friday that a legal course was needed to support farmers and their companies in the acquisition and ownership of agricultural land. The Saxon government could make an important contribution to the goal of "farmland in farmers' hands". Contrary to Günther's statements, however, the present draft bill "in no way does justice to this concern".

"None of our critical objections were heard or even considered. Instead, the draft aims to politically control the established agricultural structures in Saxony and interfere with farmers' freedom of occupation and ownership. We cannot allow this," said SLB President Torsten Krawczyk on behalf of the signatory associations. They therefore unanimously reject the current draft and instead advocate an amendment to the Land Transfer Act with the involvement of professional interest groups.

Minister Günther made it clear on Wednesday that he intends to put the agricultural structure law jointly agreed by the CDU, SPD and his party to a vote in the state parliament in May - although the CDU parliamentary group has now also rejected the draft law. The law is urgently needed to prevent the sell-out of agricultural land to capital investors and food corporations, said Günther. If the CDU wanted to change the content of the law, then it had to make this clear now. The draft law had been discussed and adapted several times with the associations with the participation of the CDU. There were also no outstanding issues during the voting rounds.