According to German grower Florian Amberger, EU subsidies are useful but not essential, even after a poor potato season on his Rhineland farm. As a grower of high-value crops, he says farm subsidies do not have a big effect on his farming even after wet weather in June hit the harvesting and yields of his early potato crop.
He farms in the middle Rhine valley, 60 miles south of Frankfurt, in an area of intensive vegetable growing which relies heavily on irrigation.
“If there were no subsidies, we would not be that much worse off. Subsidies are not really necessary in this region,” he tells Farmers Weekly.
He argues that his high-value crops, such as early potatoes can produce an output worth €20,000/ha (£16,900/ha) compared with an EU subsidy of about €200/ha (£169/ha).
“If my potatoes are making €20,000, I should not be farming if I can not work without subsidies,” he adds.
This comes after a tough season for his 60ha of potatoes which suffered from cold temperatures in February and March following planting.
“Yields decreased and soil conditions were bad, so it took a whole day to fill a 26t truck with potatoes whereas normally it takes four hours,” he says.
In addition, the late season in Germany forced many retailers to buy more from Spain, Egypt and Greece and, with plenty of spuds, the price fell from about €50/100kg (£42/100kg) at the start of the season to below €40 (£34).
He grows a range of crops including spuds, sugar beet, lettuce, cabbage and peas.
Mr Amberger has been expanding his farming operation over the past four years from 70ha, despite high rents which average between €500/ha-€800/ha (£423/ha-£677/ha) with some land renting for as much as €2,500/ha (£2,116/ha).
