German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir announced on Friday 11 March that he would allow the cultivation of animal feed on about 1.2 million hectares of ecological land in order to mitigate the rise in feed prices due to the effects of the war in Ukraine started by Russia.
Normally, crops grown on fallow land or intermediate crops are not harvested, but must be ploughed in to improve the soil.
At EU level, the German Minister will advocate exceptions to the rule in force since 2022 that organic animals may only be fed with organically produced feed.
Özdemir refuses at this stage to give up the European obligation to set aside 4% of arable land from 2023.
On Monday 14 March, the experts of the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) will discuss the measures to be taken by the European Commission to help the sector. (see EUROPE 12907/6).
The French Presidency of the EU Council suggests using set-aside land for protein crop production to ensure food security.
In addition, the Commission is preparing exceptional market measures, primarily the private storage aid scheme for pigmeat, to be financed by the release of €497.3 million from the agricultural crisis reserve. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)