COTTBUS (dpa-AFX) - Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) has called on the federal government to make a U-turn in favor of farmers in the dispute over the abolition of tax breaks for agricultural diesel. The decision on agricultural diesel - even if it had been corrected in parts - was "a wrong decision - and I stand by it," said Woidke on Thursday at the German Farmers' Day in Cottbus. "If you do things only half right or even wrong, then you need strength - you need the strength to correct them. Above all, I wish the federal government this strength to correct things." The farmers applauded loudly. "That would send an important signal not only to agriculture, but to rural areas as a whole."

The head of government called for stable framework conditions for agricultural businesses so that they could continue to invest in environmentally friendly production methods and climate protection. Woidke also warned against too much bureaucracy. He announced that Brandenburg - like other federal states - would therefore not give the green light for the fertilizer law in the Bundesrat on 5 July. "Brandenburg will not agree to this nonsense," he said to the cheers of the farmers. Woidke is calling for the Brandenburg state parliament to re-establish a special committee on the dismantling of norms and standards. "Dear Cem Özdemir, I think that would also be a good suggestion for the federal level," he said.

The Minister President of Brandenburg welcomed the farmers as colleagues. "I grew up 20 kilometers from here as the crow flies on a farm in a small village with 100 souls," he said. Farmers' President Joachim Rukwied thanked him for his support: "This gives us courage." Rukwied does not think the federal government's relief package goes far enough. It includes, for example, relief in the offsetting of profits from good and bad years for tax purposes and less bureaucracy. At the beginning of the year, farmers showed their displeasure with tractor protests./vr/DP/tih