Luxembourg’s agricultural sector marked the official start of its new season on Thursday, gathering under the motto “bring together what fits together” to champion local produce while voicing concerns over public criticism and policy contradictions.
Farmers, winegrowers, and gardeners convened at the Cercle Cité in Luxembourg City to showcase their commitment to progress across the industry. However, the event also served as a platform to express their dissatisfaction with what they perceive as unfair criticism of their products.
The spotlight of the new season falls on Luxembourgish apples, alongside the country’s crémant and wine. Winemakers are promoting these beverages as part of the nation’s cultural heritage, always advocating for responsible enjoyment.
This theme of moderation was central to comments from Jean-Claude Müller, president of the fruit-growing association, who addressed the recent “Dry January” campaign. “We were all a bit shocked when the health ministry announced Dry January”, Müller stated. “Excessive alcohol consumption is damaging, of course, but a hundred years ago, Prohibition had the opposite effect. It’s better to focus on raising awareness and education about the risks of excessive drinking”, he argued.
The sector’s concerns extend to public institutions, particularly the food served in school canteens. Müller pointed to a disconnect between official policy and practice at Restopolis, the state-run catering service. “Restopolis guidelines say they should try to buy local and organic produce”, he explained. “We support that in theory, but it ends up being the case that all sorts of organic products from around the world are prioritised over our homegrown produce. This applies not just to fruit and vegetables. We couldn’t deliver Luxembourgish chicken to Restopolis because the chicks hatched in Belgium, so Belgian chicken was delivered instead”, he lamented.
This situation, he argued, highlights a fundamental contradiction. Industry representatives find it “grotesque” for the government to promote domestic agriculture on one hand while simultaneously subsidising imports of goods that are readily available from local producers.
Looking ahead, the sector’s ability to thrive is contingent on a growing workforce, from highly specialised professionals to unskilled labourers. However, discussions around raising the national minimum wage have sent a “chill through the gardening, wine-growing, and farming sectors”, according to Müller. The primary fear is that the resulting increase in operational costs could make Luxembourgish produce too expensive and uncompetitive.
For this reason, Müller spoke out unequivocally against “further increases and manipulations of the minimum wage”. He argued that instead of wage adjustments, it would be more effective for the government to first address the country’s housing crisis.
The strong message from the agricultural sector was delivered to a sizable audience at the Cercle Cité, with numerous government members and Members of Parliament in attendance. Prime Minister Luc Frieden responded by assuring the industry of the government’s full support. The Minister of Agriculture, Martine Hansen, also addressed the gathering with unequivocal remarks.
Minister Hansen emphasised that Luxembourg, through its farmers, gardeners, and winemakers, is a producer of healthy food. She specifically addressed recent media reports concerning pesticide residues found on apples, expressing outrage at the subsequent impact on consumer behaviour. According to the minister, these stories led to a sharp drop in apple consumption, noting the decline was particularly severe on the first weekend following the reports.
In an effort to conclude on an optimistic note, Minister Hansen highlighted a promising trend for the future of the sector. She announced that so far in 2026, 15 applications have been submitted to establish new farms, a figure she described as “a new record”.
