Farm animals that are kept in conditions that do not meet legal requirements have repeatedly caused unpleasant images in the media in recent months. In Lower Austria, too, some “scandal operations” were discovered by animal protection organizations in 2023 and in the years before and pictures of neglected animals were published. According to the Austrian Farmers’ Association, they want to further increase the number of checks on Austria’s farms in the future in order to “find affected businesses more quickly”.
For companies that have the AMA seal of quality, the frequency of inspections has been adjusted. Since the beginning of the year, the number of inspections and the number of violations of the AMA guidelines identified have also been on the platform www.haltung.at to view. Animal protection organizations are also regularly asked to immediately share their observations with the responsible authorities instead of waiting for a “scandal moment,” according to the farmers’ association. In Lower Austria, the “Animal Protection Task Force” was set up, which began its work on December 1st (NÖN reported).
According to the farmers’ association, the reasons for grievances on individual farms in the country are often linked to the farmers’ personal problems and challenges. “93 percent of agricultural businesses in Austria are run by families, there is usually no separation between home and work and several generations usually live under one roof,” says the Farmers’ Association. This combination inevitably leads to conflicts. For this reason, a motion for a resolution was submitted to the National Council a few months ago to expand psychosocial care offerings in rural areas. This was decided on July 6, 2023. Prominent initiatives include the “Farmer Concern Hotline” and the “Quality of Life on Farm” project.
Common problems include money worries, pressure from consumers and the coexistence of generations
875 telephone calls were made in 2022 as part of the “farmer’s concern hotline”. The project, which was set up across Austria in 2008, is intended to support farmers in difficult life situations. From Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., farmers can discuss their concerns and problems with qualified psychosocial advisors on 0810/67 68 10. Almost three quarters of the calls received by the rural concern hotline in 2022 were made by women.
“The concern hotline was set up to promote the mental health of farmers and thus enable them to work in an orderly manner under the best conditions,” is how the farmers’ association describes the project. Last but not least, the “inadequate infrastructure for psychological support and the possible feeling of shame about using statutory health insurance” were also reasons for farmers to have their own helpline. Common topics that come up again and again during consultations include hard physical work, putting aside sick leave and vacation, several generations living together, consumers’ increasing demands as well as fears for the future, money worries or succession problems.
In addition to the “farm worry hotline”, the “Quality of Life on Farm” project, which is carried out at the Rural Training Institute (LFI), includes training, workshops and personal psychosocial advice.
