Lower Saxony's agriculture: New chamber law strengthens women and agriculture!

Lower Saxony's agriculture: New chamber law strengthens women and agriculture!

On Tuesday, the Lower Saxony state parliament passed a new chamber law that fundamentally reforms the financing and supervision of the Chamber of Agriculture (LWK). Agriculture Minister Miriam Staudte in front of the MPs: "With the legal regulation that has now been passed, we are strengthening the supervision of the LWK where tasks are carried out for the state. In this way, we are creating a solid basis for our future cooperation with the LWK, which is not only a strong interest group for farmers, but also a reliable and important partner for the state." The new law comes into force on January 1, 2025 and brings significant changes to financing by replacing the previous standard value with the property tax base amount. This means that in the future the LWK will prepare the notices itself and no longer the tax administration.

Realignment of supervision

In addition to the financial restructuring, supervision of the LWK will be strengthened in areas such as the fertilizer authority and the plant protection office, which are linked to state functions. These innovations have far-reaching effects on the functioning and decision-making processes within the Chamber of Agriculture. According to information from the Chamber of Agriculture, the general meeting, consisting of 159 elected members, is the highest decision-making body made up of farmers, rural women and gardeners. Important decisions are made here, including the budget, which provides for deposits of 246.9 million euros and payments of 249.5 million euros for 2024.

The new law also strengthens the participation of women in agriculture, as part-time employees can now more easily become active in chamber meetings and their committees. This could lead to more women being included in decision-making processes and eager for broader representation in the LWK. The catalog of measures for these reforms suggests that the LWK would like to position itself even more effectively in the future as an important partner for agriculture in Lower Saxony, while at the same time optimizing its financial and organizational structures. These developments are central to ensuring sound and adaptable agriculture in the region, such as Gabot and the Chamber of Agriculture report.