These measures serve to compensate farmers who are willing to use extensive or environmentally sound farming methods for their resulting losses in income. This helps to improve the environmental situation, alleviate strain on the markets and safeguard the incomes of agricultural operations.
In spite of continuing difficulties in importing countries, Germany was able to maintain its high level of exports of farm products in 1995: Products with a total value of DM 37 billion were exported. Imports, on the other hand, amounted to DM 66 billion: Germany is thus the world’s largest importer of agricultural products.