German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 20/27, pp.
3595-3596.
Herr President. Valued colleagues.
We stand before the next crisis, a crisis which puts into
play the supply security of foodstuffs in Germany, and in regards to which
there can no longer be room for ideological or unworldly fantasies. The AfD
demands a crop-oriented fertilizer [pflanzengerechte
Düngung] so as to produce the highest possible yield from our domestic
fields.
Ladies and gentlemen, this should actually be self-evident.
Unfortunately however, the policy in this sovereign house in the last years,
and especially since the formation of the Ampel
government, is rather therein intent on inducing our farmers to give up their
operations and farms and on deconstructing our agriculture. There now must be
an end to that! We can no longer conduct such an irresponsible policy. We need to
secure the supply of our population, and beyond that we need also to be in the
position to support economically weaker countries with foodstuffs so as to
prevent refugee movements to Europe.
This requires, as described in our motion [Drucksache 20/1865], as intensive
agriculture with crop-oriented fertilizer – and not a scarcity and shortage
supply like the government strives for. A further reduction of our production would further allow
prices to increase at the cost of the population. In regards the current
inflation, this is scarcely bearable for the people in our homeland.
In the CDU/CSU motion, it was said that we can get along
with this. It would have been nice, dear colleagues, if you had gone more into
such points as, for example, point 11, where you demand that the idling of 4
percent of the agricultural area should be suspended in 2023. This
unfortunately you have not now done. Yet in considering the situation, this
point is exactly right and we therefore support your motion.
Unfortunately, with you the theme of fertilizer is a bit
lost. We have therefore associated with a motion. Fortunately, we are
represented in this house. Last Monday in the public hearing, it was quite
clear that we have to expect a large deficit in the fertilizer supply, and that
also there the Federal government will again not do its household duties. Herr
Hemmerling, the assistant secretary-general of the Deutschen Bauernverband,
very impressively set forth that the foodstuffs supply in Germany is not to be
guaranteed with organic fertilizer alone, and that the mineral fertilizer
supply is critical. It is fully clear that we should listen to the experts and
need to immediately secure the supply with fertilizer as we have demanded in
our motion.
Valued colleagues of the government, concern yourselves with
the fertilizer supply, and with reliable suppliers which in regards mineral
fertilizer are not to be reckoned from Russia and the Ukraine. We need to make
our agriculture crisis-proof, and not whenever but now.
Herr Minister, you unfortunately are not present – I proceed
however in case you follow this debate from afar – in addition please
reconsider how you deal with our farmers. Our farmers are not radical people on
the margins but are of the middle of society and guarantee our supply with the
means of living. The German farmers do not think themselves clever but have a
well-founded, practical education. I here and today demand of our Federal
Agriculture Minister to apologize to the farmers whom he has insulted
Renate Künast (Greens): What?
and to occupy himself preferably with the real problems of
German agriculture, instead of insulting our farmers.
Many thanks.
[trans: tem]
