Lower Saxony in Europe

1. Lower Saxony in Europe

2. The Chamber of Agriculture • is an area-wide organisation – always close to its members. • is professionally competent, neutral and independent. • puts the concept of self-government into daily practice – in the relationship between central administration and honorary offices.

3. The tasks • The Chamber of Agriculture in Lower Saxony performs numerous duties and tasks, such as: Duties: Responsibilities as agricultural technical authority and for the issuing of guidelines Promotion of agricultural production with special consideration for protection of animals and resources as well as consumer protection Professional training and promotion of further education Provision of advisory services

4. Duties Employee advisory services Sales promotion and quality assurance of agricultural products Support and development of quality standards and quality assurance marks System of expert services Provision of expert reports Participation in price listing

5. Other tasks include: Responsibilities under animal breeding laws Responsible authority for plant protection legislation Responsible authority for fertiliser use laws Certification approvals office and testing station under laws on trading of seeds Provision of technical reports based on test data Duties under milk quota rules Implementation of area grants system Granting of financial assistance under agri-environmental schemes

6. Financing • The budget of the Chamber for 2011: 159 million euros. Other incomes and fees 41 % Federal state contribution 43 % Chamber contribution 16 %

7. The organisation • The Chamber is a professionally-based self-governing organisation. Chamber assembly 168 elected an appointed honorary members Board and President Director Departments Agriculture Forestry Horti- culture LUFA North- West Admini- stration Grants

8. The administrative centres • The Chamber of Agriculture is organised into local offices

9. The agricultural regions • Cultivation in the south, livestock processing in the north Oldenburg Osnabrück Main activity: food processing Main activity: grassland farming Main activity: wheat cultivation Main activity: potato cultivation No particular main activity in livestock farming/agriculture Hanover

10. Efficiencies and yields • Growth through advances in production techniques 2010 1971 79.0 630.0 461.0 408.0 8800.0 25.0 (dt/ha) winter wheat (dt/ha) sugar beet (dt/ha) total maize (5 years average) (dt/ha) potato (kg) milk yield per cow per year reared pigs per sow per year 49.0 (dt/ha) 446.0 (dt/ha) 460.0 (dt/ha) 312.0 (dt/ha) 4750.0 (kg) 15.6

11. Agricultural enterprises • On 42,000 farms, about 2.6 million hectares of land are managed. Permanent crops 2 % Arable land 72 % Horticulture 3 % Feedstuffs 42 % Arable farming 24 % Combined operations 16 % Permanent grassland 27 % Permanent crops 1,0 % Livestock processing 13 % Enterprise types Agricultural area Position in 2010

12. Farm sizes • The average size of farms has nearly quadrupled since 1971. 0 - 20 ha 71 % 20 - 50 ha 23 % 0 - 20 ha 32 % 20 - 50 ha 24 % 50 - 100 ha 4 % > 100 ha 1 % 50 - 100 ha 27 % > 100 ha 18 % 1971: 180,157 farms average farm size: 16 ha 2010: 42,000 farms average farm size: 62 ha