President Joachim Rukwied of the German Farmers’ Association (Deutscher Bauernverband) urged the government to suspend the CO₂ levy on diesel, citing rising energy and input costs. In a Monday interview with RTL and ntv, he said that Germany should put a hold on the diesel CO₂ tax, which currently sits at about 17-18 cents per litre.
He argued that a suspension would not only benefit farmers but also the transport sector, stressing that the state must relieve the economy. Compared with many European neighbours, diesel prices in Germany are substantially higher-at peak, diesel can cost as much as €0.20 per litre more, Rukwied noted.
When questioned about the fairness of extra relief-given that agriculture already receives diesel subsidies-Rukwied clarified that his call is for a blanket suspension across all industries. “I am specifically requesting a suspension for all economic sectors, and I want to reiterate that” he said.
Rukwied also pointed to a sharp rise in farm input costs. For example, nitrogen fertilizer prices jumped roughly 30 % in just ten days, creating a significant burden for many farms. He warned that if the economic strain continues for another year or two, the risk of farms closing down would be very high.