Survey: Requirements and bureaucracy plague farmers

Farmers across Europe have protested in recent weeks, most recently in Rome on Friday. Austria’s Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig is now presenting a survey of 1,500 Austrian farmers. This is part of the first phase of the strategy process “Vision 2028+”which has now been completed.

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The survey sees increasing legal requirements, excessive bureaucracy and price developments as the biggest challenges for your own farm. “From the farmers’ perspective, the biggest threat is the EU Commission’s Green Deal”says Totschnig.

Specifically, 84 percent of the farmers surveyed “increasing runs and production requirements” cited as a big problem, with 76 percent behind it “Documentation requirements and bureaucracy” as well as 71 percent “Unpredictability of markets”.

Totschnig sees “increasing demands from society and at the same time a lack of willingness on the part of consumers to pay for the high production standards in Austria”. The effects of climate change, work overload and lack of planning security are also seen as future challenges.

“At the end of the strategy process, we want to derive clear guidelines in order to create the best framework conditions and prospects for our family farmers”says Totschnig: “The results should also be incorporated into the EU negotiations on the future Common Agricultural Policy and the Green Deal.” The farmers needed trust again, planning security and fair conditions.

47 percent of boys have a positive attitude

Despite the numerous challenges, 14 percent of young farmers are optimistic, according to the survey “very positive” in the future, 33 percent” rather positive” and 37 percent “neutral”. Twelve percent are “rather negative” set, four percent “very negative”.

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The farmers see opportunities for their own business in particular in the trend towards regionality and quality and the increasing interest of the population in agriculture. The most important strategies for the future are further training, as well as an increased focus on cooperation, networking and the use of quality programs.