The droughts of recent years have added to the groundwater in the north-east. Farmers should therefore drain the soil less and store more water. This is what Minister of Agriculture Backhaus calls for. A planned measure could also contribute to this.
Güstrow (dpa / mv) - According to Agriculture Minister Till Backhaus (SPD), farmers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are facing significant changes in arable farming. Water urgently needs to be kept in the area for longer than before and the production of food needs to be more closely linked to energy production, Backhaus said on Thursday at a conference on the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive in Güstrow. The aim is that enough water remains available in the soil even in dry seasons and that less water runs off.
Broader edge strips are to be laid out on fields near bodies of water and biotopes are to be connected more easily, even across large fields. As an example, Backhaus named so-called agroforestry systems, in which shrubs and crops are cultivated in combination. Without enough water, the production of hydrogen could not work, said Backhaus. Ten liters of water are needed to produce one liter of hydrogen, which is often forgotten. Hydrogen can be produced from water, among other things, from excess wind and solar energy. It is considered a key building block in the future climate-neutral energy mix.
In addition, according to Backhaus, nutrient loads - i.e. substances contained in the wastewater such as nitrate - are to be reduced. The new fertilizer ordinance also serves this purpose, according to which 32 percent of the fields in the country may be fertilized a little less. This is intended to improve the status of the groundwater. According to the ministry, the limit values for nitrate are exceeded in 39 of the 53 groundwater bodies in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, i.e. the individual sections of groundwater. "But agriculture is not under general suspicion," said Backhaus. Pesticides will still be needed.
The minister also announced that with the new water law, farmers will also have to pay for the use of groundwater for irrigation in the future. The price will be below the usual price, which Backhaus stated at 10 cents per cubic meter. He did not give any more details. The bill is currently in the hearing phase. The consultation in the state parliament is still pending.
Vice-president of the State Farmers' Association of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Manfred Leberecht, said the farmers are willing to work together to protect the water. For example, a cooperation with drinking water suppliers is being prepared. However, Leberecht criticized the rigid regulations of the EU Water Framework Directive. This was created under completely different conditions at the end of the 1990s, no longer met today's requirements and had to be reformed. Backhaus agreed.
Among other things, the EU directive defines criteria for plant diversity, nutrient content and the continuity of water bodies for fish and other animals.
