17/09/2003 
The toll charge's effects on pig keepers: Nivea gets more expensive - does pork, too? - A comment by Friedrich Brand-Welteke, ISN board member
Since some of our politicians have never learned to get along with the
Now that the trial period for the HGV toll has started (in a very chaotic way indeed), first enterprises speak about price increases caused by the toll. Hamburg's Beiersdorf group (Nivea) as well as the Holsten brewery announced that their prices would be raised. And the postal services, too, think about increasing their postage, due to the HGV toll.
So, me as a pig keeper I really do wonder: Will our
The pig keepers in regions far from the market, in particular, will have to keep an eye on it, in order to avoid to be taken on a ride. This is my appeal to you: Do not accept whatever increase of costs to be paid in advance, but sell your pigs via your / our ISW!
income, the HGV toll was decided to be levied also on German motorways, under the pretext of
equal rights. Which -- of course! -- is just used as an excuse. The true story about this is increasing the State's income.
Now that the trial period for the HGV toll has started (in a very chaotic way indeed), first enterprises speak about price increases caused by the toll. Hamburg's Beiersdorf group (Nivea) as well as the Holsten brewery announced that their prices would be raised. And the postal services, too, think about increasing their postage, due to the HGV toll.
So, me as a pig keeper I really do wonder: Will our
partnersfrom the businesses around pig husbandry be able to pass on the increasing costs to the consumers? The farmers will certainly have to pay for the feed cost increase. But what about the costs paid in advance for the animals for slaughter? To me it's clear that the consumers will have to pay their contribution towards those costs. No enterprise whatsoever which wants to be taken seriously will try and deduct this from the pig keepers' prices. To my mind, any other way of proceeding would be dishonest and morally reprehensible.
The pig keepers in regions far from the market, in particular, will have to keep an eye on it, in order to avoid to be taken on a ride. This is my appeal to you: Do not accept whatever increase of costs to be paid in advance, but sell your pigs via your / our ISW!
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