The Federal Minister of Consumer Protection, Horst Seehofer, followed an invita-tion extended by professor doctor Hans-Peter Mayer, EU delegate, to visit the centre of German livestock improvement breeding, the Lower-Saxony rural district of Vechta. At the Big Dutchman concern premises, top executives from the Lower-Saxony agricultural- and food industry met to talk with the visitor who is not seen often in Germany’s north-westerly regions.

After the Federal Government had changed about two years ago, many expectations were raised which now, however, give way to scepticalness. Too many issues are in disorder, too much gets left in the dust. This has been so even before the EU Ordinances for Keeping Lay-ing Hens and Pigs had taken effect.

So, Minister Seehofer made no secret of the reality that it’s a matter of public perception rather than of facts nowadays. Go visit more chat shows, he said, enthusing about Sandra Maischberger (German chat-show host) and giving advice to the auditory: Watch the polls! Medium-sized businesses in the Lower Saxony agricultural- and food industry are characterized by assiduity, activity and down-to-earthness. Populist showmanship is rarely found in this environment. Here, the entrepreneurs feel very much responsible for their customers, for their employees and for the enterprise’s economic future.

There is much interest within the agricultural- and food industry to find real solutions to real problems! That’s the weak point in the Minister’s will and expression of opinion if it comes to essential issues of improvement breeding. Being asked about, for instance, tentative efforts in pork exports, about the Law on Meat and Cattle or about the Bill of Livestock Transport, he partly got caught up in contradictions or just used flowery phrases. He was very good at ex-plaining everything, but said he would not be able to help it. So, when it came to the point, Horst Seehofer always said he could not be held responsible, it were the others’ area of authority or that of those in Brussels or that of the Bundesrat. He said the Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture should be blamed in no case. At that point, however, the question came up on what the people at that Ministry did if they did nothing. There was quite some entertainment value in the dialogue. When being asked about the Technical Inspection Authority for Livestock Protection, the Minister seemed to feel a little cornered, however countering: It’s the same thing with the Pope: You cannot hold him responsible for each and every sermon that’s held. That at least yielded some laughs. Once in a while, the former health minister or the designated Bavarian CSU’s chair-man surfaced. To some extent, there was kind of lack of nationwide orientation. However, Horst Seehofer clearly stated himself being in support of bio-energy, of biogas and bioethanol. Time could not be turned back in every point, he said. No clear statement yet was given about gene-modified organisms. Politics need to set rules, not wait until it seems opportune to come to political decisions.

There goes a saying in Northern Germany: He ploughs the furrow straight, which to some degree expresses a person’s commitment and reliability. It certainly is not so hard a thing to do, ploughing straight, if you have the plough set accurately.

One thing may be said about Horst Seehofer: That man holds charm, he can talk well and he is able to fascinate the auditory. He’s kind of a sport, said one of the guests when walking home. But for someone who desires to be taken seriously by the Lower Saxony agricultural- and food industry it’s not enough to just be nice. Respect, the way the Lower Saxony Minister of Agriculture (Hans-Heinrich Ehlen) enjoys it, needs to be acquired.

There is ever more doubt among the agricultural- and food industry’s representatives about whether or not the government in Berlin is on the right path with regard to the tasks which need to be come to terms with.

One of the headlines in the latest issue of the renowned Wirtschaftswoche magazine read: Driving Force – Everything Is a Good Match in the Lower Saxony Agriculture.
Dynamic and trend-setting – that indeed is what Lower Saxony’s agriculture is if compared with the economic power reported about from other areas in Germany. The farmers here were more productive than ever, a fact which might also be attributed to the Lower Saxony local government’s well-done job. The Ministry of Agriculture proves to be kind of a farm-ers’ lobby – those who are immediately involved don’t seem to have a problem with that, was the Wirtschaftswoche’s slightly biting comment.

As a matter of fact, the Berlin Ministry of Consumer Protection appears to be farther remote from that than it has been ever before.


Photo: Ulrich Kirschner, pig feeder from Meppen / Emsland, and ISN Board Member