Agriculture through change: Klenkes rely on sidelines in Bad Sooden!

Agriculture through change: Klenkes rely on sidelines in Bad Sooden!

Tobias and Elzbieta Klenke have switched their farm in Bad Sooden-Allendorf to sideline. After growing asparagus and strawberries in the region for over two decades, including organic cultivation since 2016, they are forced to make radical changes. The trend in the region shows that the Werra-Meißner district counts by 131 farms less from 2009 to 2024, which corresponds to a significant decrease of 14 percent. In the past 15 years, the number of main businesses has decreased by a fifth, which illustrates a worrying trend in German agriculture.

The decision of the Klenkes for switching to sideline is justified by various factors. The increased level of bureaucracy and the bureaucratic requirements flowing in have increased the workload. In addition, a change in social security law for seasonal workers led to an increase in costs that endangered the profitability of its company. While at times they employed up to twelve seasonal workers, there are now only four. These changes in the context of the labor force evaluation result in the wage costs have risen on a soul.

professional reorientation

The Klenkes have changed their professional orientation. Tobias Klenke is now a technical employee at the University of Kassel, while Elzbieta Klenke works as a school assistant at the social company Weadi. Despite the changeover, they continue to manage their areas, but mainly with grain and arable beans instead of the earlier special cultures.

"We hope for more sensitivity in mandate for the challenges of agriculture," emphasize the Klenkes. Their experiences reflect the current situation in front of which many family businesses are standing in the region. A growing number of companies is forced to change their acreage, which has not only economic but also social effects.

insight into agricultural work in Germany

in 2023 a total of 875,900 people worked in agriculture in Germany, and the activities in the field, stable and the administration are important part of the agricultural economy. With a work performance of 457,200 workforce units (AK-E), an average stock of 2.8 AK-E per 100 hectares of agricultural area was used. This measure shows the efficiency and personnel deployment of the companies, whereby regional differences become clear.

• Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: 1.1 AK-E per 100 hectares
• Saxony-Anhalt: 1.2 AK-E per 100 hectares
• Brandenburg: 1.5 AK-E each 100 hectares
• North Rhine-Westphalia: 3.9 AK-E per 100 hectares
• Hamburg: 12.5 AK-E per 100 hectares
• Baden-Württemberg: 4.1 AK-E per 100 hectares
• Bayern: 3.7 AK-E per 100 hectares

These figures make it clear that regions with animal husbandry tend to have higher labor resolutions. In contrast, the focus in the east of Germany is more on agriculture, which is often dominated by large areas and powerful machines, while in southern labor -intensive special cultures such as vegetables, fruit and wine shape the landscape.

The challenges that agricultural family businesses are facing are diverse. The Klenkes are just an example of the change that the industry has hit. Her experiences and statistics from the region are indicators for the necessary awareness of political decision -makers for the concerns of agriculture.