Baden-Württemberg's viticulture in crisis: winegrowers are fighting for survival!

Baden-Württemberg's viticulture in crisis: winegrowers are fighting for survival!

The situation for farmers in Baden-Württemberg is tense, as the State Farmers' Association (LBV) recently reported in Stuttgart. In the 2023/2024 financial year, farmers' income fell by around 11 percent compared to the previous year. On average, a farm only earned 63,435 euros. Winegrowers are hit particularly hard, as they are faced with a 58 percent decline in their corporate earnings. The rising costs and the decline in consumption are putting the wine market under pressure and leading LBV President Joachim Rukwied to urgently demand that “wine production in Baden-Württemberg is in an existential crisis”. The call to improve the marketing of regional wines is being voiced loud and clear.

Differences between forms of business

While wine growers are under a lot of pressure, pig farmers can report positive news. Their corporate results increased by 38 percent, a welcome relief given the previous economic challenges. Rukwied emphasizes the urgency of planning security for livestock farmers in order to secure future investments. In arable farming, the results remained relatively stable at 50,986 euros per farm, despite persistently high production costs. In the dairy sector, however, earnings fell by almost a quarter, primarily due to lower milk prices. This development makes the situation in the agricultural sector particularly challenging.

Additional statistics, such as data on agricultural structure from 2020, show that agricultural businesses in Germany are facing profound upheavals. With a continued decline in operations and a changing operational structure, it is clear that the challenges facing the industry are comprehensive. The LBV calls for more focus to be placed on the competitiveness of companies in agricultural policy, especially in times of upcoming elections, in order to create long-term prospects for the next generation of farmers. According to the agricultural statistics survey, around 37,500 agricultural businesses are active in Baden-Württemberg, with the majority being run as family businesses, as shown by the BMEL figures.