Dresden (dpa/sn) - Almost 3,000 agricultural businesses in Saxony will receive compensation for lower yields due to natural location disadvantages this year. In the next few days, a total of around 16.1 million euros will be paid out for the 2,985 farms with an area of around 303,000 hectares, as the Ministry of Agriculture in Dresden announced on Sunday. This promotes management in so-called disadvantaged areas with sandy or stony soils. The companies in the Ore Mountains and their foothills, the north-east of Saxony and in the Upper Lusatia heath and pond area are repeatedly challenged - because of the natural disadvantages and climate change.
The annual compensation payment is intended to help preserve the cultural landscape in these areas, promote sustainable management, prevent the loss of biodiversity and help secure jobs in agriculture and in the upstream and downstream areas and counteract migration from rural areas. The allowance has been paid out since 1991 and is financed from federal and state EU funds.
