BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - After good business, farmers in Germany have now earned noticeably less again. In the 2023/24 financial year that ended in June, company profits fell to an average of 77,500 euros, according to the farmers' association in Berlin. This was 29% below the record level of the previous marketing year. With the exception of pig farming, almost all types of business saw a drop in profits.

Farmers' President Joachim Rukwied said: "The operating results have collapsed significantly." Farmers were particularly hard hit by falling producer prices for important plant and animal products. At the same time, costs for energy, for example, remain high.

The association is calling for a change in policy in view of the early federal elections on February 23. The competitiveness of German agriculture, including within the European internal market, must be restored./sam/DP/mis