Innsbruck (OTS) – In recent years, Tyrolean agricultural policy has not managed to significantly increase the income level of local farmers. On the contrary: in an Austria-wide comparison, they lag even further behind.
In recent years, Tyrolean agricultural policy has become too restrictive. The ÖVP farmers’ association in particular allowed itself to be driven down the one-way street “Wolf”. In doing so, the farm officials have neglected an important principle: do one thing, but don’t leave another.
The fact that the European Commission is now proposing to lower the protection status for the large carnivore is due to the persistence of the farmers’ association and the state government. At the same time, the political dance with the wolf has obscured the view of existential questions about local agriculture. Farmers, who are indispensable for the natural and cultural landscape as well as high-quality food production, continue to be at the bottom of the income statistics in terms of their working hours. Tyrolean agriculture even brings up the rear financially in Austria. The income from agriculture and forestry is only 38 percent of the income of their Lower Austrian colleagues.
The west-east divide in agriculture is not only particularly noticeable, but also dramatic for Tyrol. Without public payments for services such as environmentally friendly management or structural disadvantages in mountain areas of around 120 million euros annually, things would look even bleaker in Tyrol. Nevertheless, compared to Lower Austria, the income gap has widened further within ten years. That’s more than thought-provoking.
There is a general risk of losses in the coming year, and farm incomes will come under further pressure in 2024. The market environment remains difficult, but production costs are leveling off at a high level. Regionality sounds good and is intensively promoted, but it can only cushion the effort. This is already a difficult undertaking in times of inflation, because consumers turn to the retail chains’ own brands much more quickly.
With stimulus packages such as the ten million euros annually from the federal and state governments, politicians are trying to offset part of the inflation and support the around 11,000 farms in Tyrol. The farmers, on the other hand, of course define themselves through their products. However, politicians have not yet managed to structurally position the “Tirol” brand in such a way that value creation increases and Tyrolean agriculture catches up in terms of income. Despite a Habitat Tirol Holding, the specially created agricultural marketing Tirol or the assurances of working more closely with tourism. And that is bitter and takes revenge.
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