Federal Council for austerity: Farmers’ association demands higher incomes

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From 2021 to 2022, already low agricultural incomes have fallen alarmingly, according to a statement on Wednesday. On average, a family worker earns 56,100 francs per year. This corresponds to a decrease of 6.3 percent compared to the previous year.

The hill area was particularly hard hit, with an income drop of more than 10 percent. “Producer prices must rise!” said association chairman Markus Ritter. It cannot be that food prices in the shops are constantly rising and that hardly any of it reaches the farming families.

The Federal Council’s savings plans for the agricultural budget also met with a lack of understanding. According to an adopted resolution, agriculture is not responsible for the hole in the federal treasury. On the contrary: federal expenditure on this has been constant for twenty years at 3.6 billion francs, while total federal expenditure has increased by 80 percent.

At 17 francs per hour, agricultural income is now well below the comparable income level. However, in this case, the Federal Council has a legal mandate to take measures.

The austerity program is contrary to the corresponding article in the Agriculture Act. The delegates therefore call on Parliament and the Federal Council to continue to provide farming families with at least the same financial resources as before. (SDA)

Source:Blick