German Farmers Decry Pension Reform as Existential Threat to Mini-Job-Dependent Sector
25.06.2026 - 16:45:40 | boerse-global.de
Freiburg – The mood was grim at this year’s German Farmers’ Congress, where producers grappling with soaring energy and fertilizer costs warned that a planned pension overhaul could wipe out 40% of their workforce. The event, held under the banner “Strengthen agriculture – secure supply,” opened on 24 June 2026 with federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir and state Agriculture Minister Rainer in attendance.
The immediate flashpoint is a proposal from a government-appointed pension commission, tabled on 23 June, to abolish mini-jobs and make all such workers fully liable for pension insurance contributions. Currently, mini-jobbers earn a maximum of €603 per month and are exempt from many social security contributions – a status the commission wants to scrap. Farmers’ Association President Joachim Rukwied called the idea “economic nonsense,” arguing it would devastate a sector already bleeding money.
Agriculture relies on mini-jobs for around 40% of its employees, particularly for seasonal work and on medium-sized family farms. Rukwied stressed that the flexible arrangement is indispensable for managing harvest peaks and keeping labor costs manageable. The association is also demanding an explicit exemption from the national minimum wage for seasonal farmhands, a longstanding request.
Beyond pension reform, the sector’s immediate financial pain has triggered a list of short-term demands. The association wants the fuel tax rebate for agricultural vehicles, which is set to expire, extended through November – well beyond the usual harvest period. For pig farmers, the situation is especially dire: Rukwied noted that half of all German pig producers have already shut down. The association is calling for an emergency package of €200 million targeted specifically at sow holders.
Federal Minister Özdemir pointed to existing funds earmarked for converting livestock operations to more animal-friendly systems. State Minister Rainer announced on 25 June that his ministry would explore topping up the European Union’s fertilizer aid for Germany from its current €60 million to as much as €180 million – a national contribution that would require federal approval.
Rukwied, delivering his final keynote as association president, also took aim at the EU’s agricultural strategy. He declared the European Green Deal a failure, insisting that food security must again become the bloc’s top priority. The association rejects the planned cut of the EU’s agricultural budget to €289 billion, demanding instead a level of €500 billion. Particularly contentious is the proposed integration of Common Agricultural Policy funds into a general National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which Rukwied warned would lead to a renationalisation of farming policy. State Minister Rainer, for his part, promised future efforts to slash red tape and make fertilizer regulations more practical for working farms.
