Local farmers are under enormous pressure right now: food prices in the supermarkets are rising, but prices in the farmers’ market are about to fall. “That is simply not possible for us,” says Paul Nemecek, director of the Lower Austrian farmers’ union, who argues for more transparency and discusses the course for the future in a conversation with Jana Pasching.
“Our farmers are still succeeding in supplying Austria with food. The emphasis is on still’, says Nemecek. But that is not self-evident. “We need to prioritize politics so that we don’t suppress production.” The farmers’ union has therefore also presented a package of demands to deal with the current crises (see video above).
The discussion about increased milk prices in the spring was simply incomprehensible to Nemecek. “The price that farmers receive for a liter of milk is falling. If the prices on the supermarket shelves then rise, it is quite clear that the beneficiaries are elsewhere.”
On the occasion of World Farmers Day in early June, the director of the Boerenbond thanked local farmers for their work: “They cover our table with food 365 days a year,” says Nemecek. However, one is still far from paradisiacal conditions. “You also have to let the local farmers work. Lately there have been undesirable developments at the level of the European Union, where Austrian production has been destroyed and imports have increased,” criticizes Nemecek.
“Table spitz from Brazil”
Nemecek describes the planned Mercosur free trade agreement as a shot in the knee of Austria and Europe and warns of the negative consequences: for domestic agriculture: “Beef from South America costs only a quarter of the price of Austrian meat, which is processed under higher standards. produced.” However, consumers are completely unreasonable. The Boerenbond has therefore been arguing for mandatory origin labeling of local food and fair competition for some time. “
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
