The case in summary: The government has put forward a plan to increase self-sufficiency in food in Norway. The plan includes measures to increase production and demand for Norwegian food, and to increase the proportion of Norwegian raw materials in the concentrate. The government wants to increase food production by increasing profitability, and wants farmers to earn approximately the same as the average wage in Norway by 2027. However, the farmers are dissatisfied with the plan, and believe, among other things, that the demand for efficiency is too high. Several politicians and organizations also believe that the plan is not sufficient to increase self-sufficiency. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – The world has changed, the world has become a more dangerous place. That is why we must increase self-sufficiency in food, said Geir Pollestad when he presented the Storting’s report on increased self-sufficiency on Friday. The plan covers, among other things: How they will increase demand for Norwegian food. How they are going to increase production and demand for Norwegian fruit, vegetables and food grains. How they are going to increase the share of Norwegian raw materials in the kraft feed. Agriculture and Food Minister Geir Pollestad presented the plan in a press conference on Friday. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB – A high degree of self-rescue is important. It also leads to increased value and settlement throughout the country, says Pollestad. What does it mean to be self-sufficient? The degree of self-sufficiency indicates what proportion of the food comes from Norwegian production. The degree of self-sufficiency will vary from year to year, among other things, due to prices, quality, size of harvest (Norwegian production) and consumption. However, the degree of self-sufficiency does not take into account the proportion of food that is exported (i.e. sent out of the country. It also does not take into account whether the feed for the animals is Norwegian-produced or imported. The Norwegian government’s plan is to increase Norwegian self-sufficiency to 50 percent According to the research institute Nibio, calculations showed that the degree of self-sufficiency corrected for imports of feed raw materials was 40 percent in 2022. The government has for a long time focused on how Norway can increase its own degree of self-sufficiency. That is, an agriculture that can supply more food for its own population. As part of this picture, the focus must also be on how farmers can get increased income. The area is full of conflict, both between the authorities and the various farmer organizations because there are different opinions and views on how to achieve this goal. Among other things, it was discussed how we here in cold Norway can grow more vegetables, and where in the country it will be possible. Source: Nibio/Government Wants to compare farmer’s salary with teacher’s salary The government also announces that they want to make changes in how the payment to the Norwegian farmer is to be calculated out. In the plan, they plan to compare agricultural income with the wages of employees in teaching professions and health-related professions. Pollestad admits that cost growth and tough ceilings in agriculture have led to great uncertainty for many. – In order to achieve greater production of food, we must increase profitability, he says. The aim is that by 2027 farmers should earn approximately the same as the average wage in Norway. Former Agriculture Minister Sandra Borch has previously advocated that Norwegians must eat more storage vegetables, such as turnips. Photo: Jan Kenneth Bråten / news The farmers are not satisfied: Ready for demonstrations – This is a lot of words and fat pork. That’s what Grim Jardar Åsgård, who is a dairy farmer and leader of the Hedmark Farmers’ and Small Farmers Association, says. He responds to the demand for efficiency. Grim Jardar Åsgård in Vingelen in Tolga municipality is a dairy farmer and leader of the Hedmark Farmers’ and Small Farmers Association. Photo: Geir Olav Slåen / news – Haven’t Norwegian farmers run fast enough for long? These are not good signals at all. This will not give us a correct starting point. We must have more farmers, not fewer, he says. – I am disappointed. Now I hope people will stand shoulder to shoulder with us now, because we need that, says the farmer in Vingelen in Nord-Østerdalen. He has taken part in two demonstrations against the wage reduction for farmers this year. First at Røros, then at Hell the following week. – I think this will get reactions within a week or two, says Åsgård. – An unattainable goal County leader Ståle Hustoft in the Rogaland farmers’ association reacts to what came from the government today. – If Norway is to become more self-sufficient, farmers must have income and welfare on a par with others. Unfortunately, the figures the government has put forward now are not enough to give our farmers an income on par with others, he says. County leader Ståle Hustoft in Rogaland farmers’ association. Photo: Marthe Synnøve Johannessen / news He believes that the government is setting too strong a demand for efficiency. – This means that one goes from measuring the income in agriculture – to setting a target based on what the government thinks we should have earned. What should have been a target for the income level will become a target for the income level. Hustoft believes it is an unattainable goal for far too many. – Not good enough – It is good that the government is presenting this plan, but it is not good enough to contribute to increased self-sufficiency, says Bjørn Gimming, leader of the Norwegian Farmers’ Association. – The economy on many Norwegian farms is bad, and a step-up plan is really needed for how the income will be raised in the coming years, he says. Bjørn Gimming, leader of the Norwegian Farmers’ Association. Photo: Camilla Alexandra Lie / news It was also revealed in the press conference that the government continues to demand that farmers work 1,850 hours a year, while other workers work 1,700. – It is outdated that Norwegian farmers must work more than others to have equal pay, says Gimming. Doubts about the plan Tor Jacob Solberg, is the leader of Norway’s Farmers’ and Small Farmers’ Association. It was he who started the farmers’ revolt in 2021. He has largely the same objections to what the Minister of Agriculture put forward as leader of the Farmers’ Association. Tor Jacob Solberg, leader of Norges Bonde and Small Farmers’ Association. Photo: Tobias Prosch Simonsen / n20348 – We think the efficiency requirement is unacceptable. Also the fact that they want us to continue working more hours than others, he says. – We do not think this is good enough and do not believe that this plan provides increased self-sufficiency. Then we have to look at the numerical basis that is presented before the agricultural negotiations, says Solberg. It was also expected that the government will present a new numerical basis for how the farmers’ income is to be calculated. Pollestad states that they will return to it before the agricultural settlement. Party speakers and air money Geir Jørgensen, Rødt’s agricultural policy spokesperson and former sheep farmer, agrees with the level of ambition, but does not think the plan is sufficient. – Self-sufficiency and food production have never been more important, so this is not the time for party speeches and air money, he says. – We demand that the efficiency requirement be dropped, so that we get a more honest picture of farmers’ income. We also demand stronger measures to get more land into use, and measures to get control of the enormous imports of concentrate. Rødt’s agricultural policy spokesperson and former sheep farmer Geir Jørgensen. Photo: Helle Westrum Storting representative and deputy leader of SV Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes is happy that the plan is finally coming. – I want to pay tribute to Pollestad for delivering a good distance on the way. But if this is to be a historic turnaround for Norwegian food production, the level of ambition must be raised. We must greatly increase our self-sufficiency, and then the profitability of Norwegian food production must increase, he says. Storting representative and deputy leader of SV Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes. Photo: William Jobling / news Storting representative and leader of KrF Olaug Bollestad reacts to the Government’s proposal. She is happy that the government is finally coming up with something, but believes that parts of the arrangement appear unreasonable. Storting representative and leader of KrF Olaug Bollestad Photo: William Jobling / news – Does Pollestad really think that farmers should run 20 per cent faster? It is certainly not sustainable, she says. – Not only does Pollestad ask the farmers to run faster, he also demands that the farmers must work more hours than others. For a real comparison with other groups, a year’s work for the farmer should also be 1700 hours – not 1875 hours.
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The government will submit a notice of self-salvage on Friday 8 March 2024. The farm team is ready for battle – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
