Tax: Farmers intensify protest at Frankfurt airport

 

FRANKFURT – Hundreds of farmers have demonstrated against the expiry of tax refunds for agricultural diesel with a protest drive around Germany’s busiest airport in Frankfurt.

According to a police spokesman, the farmers set off towards the airport at around 6 am (0500 GMT) on Saturday morning. Up to 2,000 tractors had been announced, but initially far fewer turned up. By early Saturday morning there were 500 to 600.

A protest drive around the airport site was planned. The police expected road closures until the afternoon.

The airport operator Fraport asked people to travel to the airport by public transport or to allow more time for the journey by car. Although there were brief disruptions in the morning, there was no major chaos, according to the police.

The farmers did not choose Frankfurt airport by chance. The protest was no longer just about agricultural diesel, but about fair competition, according to several of the participating farmers’ organizations.

“What applies to aviation must also apply to us farmers: Aviation fuel is still not taxed because this would put German aviation at a competitive disadvantage,” they said.

Frankfurt airport and the cargo sector symbolize the integration of the German economy and agriculture into global supply chains and markets, they said.

The German coalition government has already watered down its savings plans for agriculture for the 2024 budget. The tax breaks for agricultural diesel are not to end in one fell swoop but will be phased out gradually over the next few years.

Farmers have been protesting against this across Germany for weeks. The demonstrations are also about what farmers see as overly strict regulations and excessive bureaucracy.