On Monday morning, the president of the Young Farmers' Association joined our colleagues on RTL Radio to discuss Luxembourg's level of self-sufficiency and working with two newly appointed Ministers.
Emering explained that further food shortages are to be expected if the EU fails to take a new policy decision, such as freeing up the grain stocks located at the Black Sea.
Aside from driving up energy prices, the war in Ukraine has also lead to an increase in fertiliser costs, noted the president of the Young Farmers' Association. This necessarily affects prices in the Grand Duchy.
Emering also drew attention to the fact that supply issues felt in Luxembourg are likely to be much worse in developing countries, which is another reason for why the EU's response must be coordinated.
How self-sufficient is the Grand Duchy?
Emering elaborated that Luxembourg is self-sufficient in the areas of milk and beef. The pork sector, however, is in deficit. When it comes to poultry, eggs, fruit, and vegetables, the Grand Duchy is also unable to rely on its own production.
Emering thus criticised the government's agriculture goals, which he believes to lack coherence. He cited greenhouse regulations as one example of lengthy procedures that prevent the Grand Duchy from becoming more self-sufficient in the area of fruit and vegetable cultivation.
What has to be improved?
Although the president of the Young Farmers' Association also criticised inter-ministerial communication, he acknowledged that Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development Claude Haagen and Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development Joëlle Welfring both deserve time to familiarise themselves with current dossiers, given that they have only been appointed recently to their respective roles.
Nevertheless, Emering stressed that the Association sees many potential ways for combining environmental protection with agriculture, thus advocating for a better dialogue between all involved parties.
It is not enough to have ambitious goals, their implementation also has to be coordinated with people who are actually working in the sector, concluded Emering.
