Agriculture
Undulating yellow fields of rape in the springtime, green meadows, cows and sheep on luscious pastures: the face of our state is characterised by agriculture. The farmers of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are the designers and guardians of these cultural spaces. They farm and tend to almost two thirds of the state’s surface area and thus contribute considerably to the image of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a land dedicated to tourism attracting hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers every year to the Elbe, to the Müritz or to the beach of the Baltic Sea.
Agriculture is the branch of the economy with the longest tradition here. And the course has been set for future development: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s agriculture of today is a modern and efficient line of business contributing 2.7 per cent to the state’s gross value added (the average for the Federal Republic of Germany is just 1.1 per cent). Approximately 5,150 companies have ensured this result. Labour productivity exceeds the federal average by approximately 20 per cent. These are only a few facts and figures which underline the great significance of agriculture for this state.
This position is strengthened by various supportive measures and target-oriented agricultural marketing. Along with conventional agriculture, organic farming plays an increasingly important role. There is a great demand nationwide for these organic products. The farming of renewable raw material implicates a great potential, which will open new market opportunities for the farmers. In our state the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (Registered Agency for Renewable Raw Material) in Gülzow deals with the research, development and marketing of renewable raw material. Last but not least, the production of biomass is a significant factor for the increasing number of biomass and biogas plants.
In this area there are also opportunities available for farmers to obtain support. Furthermore, agricultural subsidies are granted for investments or structural changes in agricultural enterprises.