BERLIN: Hundreds of farmers used tractors to block access to key ports in Germany on Monday, intensifying their protests against the government’s plans to slash agriculture subsidies.
According to western media reports about 100 tractors were parked on key routes leading to Hamburg’s port area, affecting access to Germany’s largest such facility and one of the busiest in Europe for global container shipping.
Moreovwer smaller ports along Germany’s northern coast — Wilhelmshaven and Bremerhaven — were also hit by the protests.
Police at Bremerhaven said talks were going on with farmers to ease access to the harbour area. Police said some 1,500 tractors were blocking up traffic across Hamburg.
Farmers' protests in Germany are in full swing
Thousands of farmers are blocking roads using agricultural machines across the country. In Augsburg, tractors were placed in the stadium due to a shortage of space in the city.
Farmers are protesting against the cancellation of… pic.twitter.com/XPbTdDuYqK
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Farmers in Germany have been protesting since December over Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s plans to cut subsidies in the agricultural sector after a court verdict blew a huge hole in the government’s spending plans.
The rallies forced the government to partially step down on the cuts, promising to reinstate a discount on vehicle tax and to withdraw a diesel subsidy over several years instead of immediately.
However, the agricultural sector has not let up on the demonstrations, with the federation of farmers asking the government to reverse its subsidy cut plans completely.
In neighbouring France, farmers were also blocking major roads in protests focused on pay, taxes and regulations.
