State funding: This is how Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania supports its farmers!

State funding: This is how Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania supports its farmers!

In an impressive step, farmers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania use EU funding to make their companies more environmentally friendly and promote climate protection. Almost half of the 4750 farms in the state benefits from state support funds that have been provided for rural development programs in the past three years. In its survey for 2023, the state's statistics office announced that an average of 2140 agricultural companies fall back on these funding programs.

facts about support dries

The funds obtained flowed around 1810 cases into special agricultural environment and climate measures. What is striking is the difference between the company sizes: for small companies that manage less than 20 hectares, only 12 percent applied for aid for sustainable measures, while for large companies with over 500 hectares of 64 percent made use of the funding.

The new funding guidelines for periodic aid from the European Agricultural Fund (ELER) have been in force since 2023. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania receives impressive 653 million euros in the 2023 to 2027 funding period. Combined with national funds, a total of 956.5 million euros are available to further develop rural areas. In addition, direct payments from Brussels, which are based on the size of the managed areas, flow into the coffers of farmers. In 2023, almost 4,700 applicants received around 311 million euros from these funds.

In the middle of protests against agricultural policy and a tense market situation, around 400 young farmers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have successfully founded themselves every day and receive financial aid for their start. Despite all the challenges, the efforts to protect environmental and climate protection in agriculture are more alive than ever.