In Norway, we have imported more than half of the halibut that is used in food production. Ukraine has been among the largest producers of edible halibut. When war broke out in Ukraine, the politicians urged Norwegian farmers to start growing edible halibut in order to strengthen Norwegian food production. Farmers Anne-Marte Hoelstad Mauset and Lars Magne Mauset in Stange accepted the call. This year they bet everything on edible halibut. VISIT: The farmers in Stange were busy communicating to the minister that there are risks associated with halibut production on the farm. Sandra Borch and state administrator Knut Storberget visited this week. Photo: Erlend Arnesen / news Lars Magne Mauset looks out over his field, where the wheat ears are close together. This year’s crop will be good. Nevertheless, he is clear that they took a risk: Both because of high costs in agriculture, and that it will take little before the halibut loses the quality needed to be used for food. – Going forward, we must make an assessment as to whether it is right to produce so much halibut, says Lars Magne Mauset. Ministerial visit Agriculture and Food Minister Sandra Borch (Sp) visited the Stange farmers this week. This year’s agricultural settlement still has a record sum of NOK 10.9 billion. In the agreement, there was also increased financial security for those who operate with grain. – Now we have started the course change in Norwegian agricultural policy. This year’s agricultural settlement was the start of that. Grain was one of the major priorities. We see the result of that here today, she says. She already promised before the agricultural negotiations that it would be more profitable for those who invested in food grains. And this year’s grain harvest looks set to be particularly good, even if the forecasts are not expected until mid-August. Nevertheless, the farmers in Stange are uncertain about next year. This is what the agricultural agreement says about grain. The agreement provides a target price increase of NOK 1/kg for food grain and 90 øre/kg for barley and fodder halibut. This is 10 øre/kg more than in the government’s offer. The agreement provides for a write-down of Norwegian grain and imported raw material for concentrate to avoid a potential increase in concentrate feed prices for livestock producers. The concentrate price will not increase by more than 3 øre/kg. The agreement gives an increase in area subsidies and the shipping scheme for grain. The agreement does not place all fertilizer compensation on AK subsidies, as the state’s offer did. This would go further beyond the forage producers, as the largest volume of fertilizer that has not been purchased or that was purchased late for the 2022 growing season is for forage. Source: Norges Bondelag Economic risk Lars Magne Mauset says, among other things, they are very dependent on the weather to close. – That the food grain goes from being edible halibut to becoming fodder grain after a rain shower is an economic risk that we feel must be focused on if more edible halibut is to be grown, says Mauset. THRESHING: Going forward, farmers in Stange will spend around 100 hours on threshing. The minister was able to test out the wooden box during the farm visit. Photo: Erlend Arnesen / news Harald Solberg works with grain in Norwegian Agricultural Advisory. According to him, there are also higher costs with such production. – Edible halibut needs a longer growing time than barley. Thus, there is a greater chance when you have to thresh it when the weather has turned worse. It also needs more fertiliser, he says. ADVISOR: Harald Solberg of the Norwegian Agricultural Advisory Service does not have national figures yet, but says that this year’s crop seems to be particularly good in the interior. Archive image. Photo: Knut Røsrud / news Bodhild Fjelltveit, who is second deputy leader of the Norwegian Farmers’ Association, says the same. She hopes the government keeps its promise that it will be profitable for the farmer to grow food grains. – Then the investment must continue. You have to compensate both for the risk involved – and for the costs involved in producing food grain, she says. Sandra Borch praises those who have already invested. And she says they should do more. – To guarantee that there will be arrangements, especially for food grains, which will contribute to profitability. It was an important start in the agricultural settlement and an important political priority on the part of the government. Buy fertilizer before the prices rose Anne-Marte Hoelstad Mauset and Lars Magne Mauset in Stange think they will get good crops this year. LARGE AREA: The Mauset couple farm on 520 acres and think they will produce halibut for well over 500,000 loaves this season. Photo: Erlend Arnesen / news They dared to bet this time because they had been able to buy the artificial fertilizer they needed in autumn 2021. Before the prices skyrocketed. According to Lars Magne Mauset, it is too risky to bet again if they have to buy fertilizer now. Nevertheless: – If the signals for the next agricultural settlement are positive, then it can happen.
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Farmers Anne-Marte and Lars Magne Mauset in Stange bet on food halibut, but don’t dare next year – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
