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Farmers in Germany mounted a protest against the new EU environmental and agricultural policies on Tuesday outside the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Over 1,000 tractors were driven into cities across the country but the main protest was held in the German city of Bonn, where the Ministry of Agriculture is located.
In an action similar to Dutch farmer protests earlier in October, a group called "Land Schafft Verbindung" (Country Creates Connection) called for farmers to take action against a policy that will ban the use of the weedkiller glyphosate (also known as Roundup) by 2023.
A limit on the use of fertiliser in a bid to reduce nitrate levels in groundwater is also stated to come into force.
Anger
“We are not animal abusers and polluters,” said a spokesperson for the group.
“The permanent negative mood and farmer bashing leads to anger and frustration in the profession.”
The farmers group also cited the Mercosur trade agreement on their list of frustrations saying that it “threatens the supply of safe, high-quality and certified food from the region through low prices of imported goods”.
The first tractors arrive in Bonn. \ Land Schafft Verbindung
An open letter was issued to Federal Minister for the Environment and Nature Protection Svenja Schulze and the Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Julia Klöckner to attend the rally in Bonn and to take part in negotiation talks with farmers and leading responsible NGOs.
Other cities where protests were held include Munich, Berlin, Hanover, Stuttgart and Brandenburg. All the protests were peaceful and no anti-social behaviour was reported.
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