Around 7,000 farms in Saxony are to receive 205 million euros in direct payments for the year 2024. The payments are scheduled for December 20, according to the Saxon Ministry of Agriculture in Dresden. Accordingly, the farms together farm an area of almost 890,000 hectares.
The Free State is currently already paying out the annual equalization allowance. This year, just under 2,900 farms with a combined area of around 300,000 hectares will receive around 16 million euros, according to the information. The aim of the compensatory allowance is to support agriculture in so-called disadvantaged areas. These areas are characterized by natural disadvantages such as sandy or stony soils, which lead to lower yields.
Structural change under pressure: climate protection meets competition
"Agriculture is undergoing a long-term and far-reaching transformation," said Saxony's Minister of Agriculture Wolfram Günther (Greens). Farmers are facing the challenge of having to make a greater contribution to environmental and climate protection, biodiversity and animal welfare. At the same time, agriculture is exposed to tough competition. The premiums are intended to provide targeted support for farms and compensate for the additional burdens caused by regional, nature-related disadvantages.
The compensatory allowance is financed 75 percent by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (Eler) and 25 percent by funds from the German joint task of agricultural structure and coastal protection.
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