Norwegian Farmers Demand More Money from Government Offer for Agricultural Settlement

The government offers farmers NOK 3.3 billion. That is less than half of the demand from Norway’s farmers’ association.

They demanded that the state put NOK 6.9 billion on the table.

– With this, the government presents a very good offer, which shows a strong prioritization of Norwegian agriculture by the government. This provides opportunities for significant income growth and is necessary to contribute to the security of Norwegian food production and increase self-sufficiency, says Viil Søyland, the state’s head of negotiations.

The government will give the farmer a wage increase of NOK 40,000 per man-year, while the farmers demanded NOK 120,000.

– If we are to remove doubt in agriculture so that the farmer continues as a food producer, we need a stronger income boost. More needs to be done to remove farmers’ doubts, says leader Bjørn Gimming of the Norwegian Farmers’ Association.

Investment in young farmers

Stable recruitment of young people is necessary to achieve the goals in Norwegian agricultural policy, the government writes in a press release.

In the offer from the state, priority is given to schemes aimed at young entrepreneurs:

• Strengthening of investment instruments with NOK 80 million. Subsidies for generational change will be continued and a separate facility for young people under 35 years of age.
• Better welfare arrangements. The welfare schemes are paid out until the next agricultural settlement.
• The discharge arrangements will be confirmed.

But chairman of Norway’s Rural Youth Association, Henrik Nordtun Gjertsen, is not satisfied.

He takes a serious look at the situation and believes that much more money needs to be put on the table to create hope for the future for young people in the industry.

– This is so disappointing from the government. They show in the government’s platform and in their words that they want to invest in Norwegian agriculture, but when it comes down to it, they are unable to deliver, says Nordtun Gjertsen.

– I expect that they have more to go on in the negotiations. The 40,000 kroner the state offers to close the income gap is not enough to create faith in the future among young people, he says.

– This offer is not good enough

Party leader in KrF and former Minister of Agriculture, Olaug Bollestad, believes the offer the government has made to farmers is far from good enough.

– This offer is not good enough. There are many farmers who count on the buttons now. When only one in four would recommend a future as food producers to young people, this is a serious situation.

– This should upset all Norwegians. We all want to feel the consequences of weakened self-sufficiency and weaker districts.

Now it is important that the state reaches out, Bollestad believes.

– I am concerned that the negotiation institute is preserved, and wish the parties good luck with the negotiations.

Breach before the negotiations

This year, only Norges Bondelag is negotiating with the state in the agricultural settlement.

In the past, the two large farmers’ organisations, the Farmers’ Association and the Norwegian Farmers’ and Small Farmers’ Association, have stood together in the negotiations with a common demand.

But this year they did not agree on the demand.

The Farmers’ Association and the Small Farmers’ Association disagree on how much money the farmers should demand and how this sum should be calculated.