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German farmers have denounced government measures to reduce the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers on farms, or to protect insects such as groundwater. They criticize measures considered exaggerated and costly for their returns.
With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibault
German farmers announced a record mobilization since the reunification of the country thirty years ago. They succeeded. 5,000 tractors were announced, the police counted on arrival 8,600 in Berlin. The organizers, who counted on 10,000 participants, estimate that they were four times more numerous. The mobilization announced was therefore more than at the rendezvous.
" We're fed up with people making decisions over our heads who do not know anything about agriculture, " a farmer annoyed. " There are more and more regulations taken without dialogue with us, without taking care of their practical application ," laments another.
Two chahute ministers
Policy-makers are responding to the growing importance of the environment in political debates and in the public. The speeches to the protesters of two ministers were not easy. The farmers turned their back on Svenja Schulze, in charge of the environment, before booing her. Agriculture colleague Julia Klöckner, a Christian Democrat, is better off.
" The recognition of society for farmers will be higher if the pollution of the water table is not equal to them. The society has changed. I want agriculture for Germany to be accepted, "she told the demonstrators.
The Minister of Agriculture has promised a meeting next week with the Chancellor, aid measures and a campaign on the ground to resume dialogue.