Federal finances National Council does not want to cut direct payments to farmers

The National Council does not want to cut direct payments to farmers. It made this decision when discussing the 2025 federal budget. The SP in particular would have wanted agriculture to contribute to the army's higher funding requirements.

On Wednesday, the large chamber rejected a motion from the SP to accept the Federal Council's cuts to direct payments by 123 votes to 58 with 8 abstentions. It followed the Finance Committee (FK-N), which wanted to prioritize agriculture alongside the army in the budget.

Payments as in previous years

The National Council wants to provide over CHF 46 million more for agriculture than the Federal Council, of which around CHF 42 million is for direct payments to farms. The majority wanted to keep expenditure on direct payments at the current level, said Pius Kaufmann (center/LU).

Yvan Pahud (SVP/VD) stated that it should not be the case that those who get up early every day to secure food should now have to make do with less. Farmers are under economic pressure and the demands on farmers are higher than those abroad, added Damien Cottier (FDP/NE).

Tamara Funiciello (SP/BE), on the other hand, argued for victim symmetry and in favor of the Federal Council's proposal for cuts. If the army received more funding, agriculture would also have to make its contribution. Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter conceded that agriculture had not received more money in recent years.

A minority wanted to use the CHF 42 million to ensure a more even distribution of income, but was defeated. Cédric Wermuth (SP/AG) said that the spread of income in agriculture was enormous. Valley farms could achieve top incomes, while incomes in mountain and hill farms were lower.

No additional funds for sugar beet

The SVP wanted to increase financial aid for crop cultivation by one million francs to around 72 million francs in favor of sugar beet cultivation. The aim was to strengthen domestic sugar production, said Andreas Gafner (EDU/BE). However, the motion was rejected by 84 votes to 107.

Minorities around Corina Gredig (GLP/ZH) had wanted to cut several subsidies, for example for the promotion of sales and quality and the disposal of meat. Gredig said that this would allow proposals from the group of experts on the federal government's announced austerity package to be implemented in advance. These subsidies are not a government task.

The National Council wants to pay CHF 12.5 million into the special fund for regional development. The fund is already well endowed and can finance all the planned projects well, said Gredig, calling in vain for the Federal Council to stick to its guns and not make the contribution for 2025.

In contrast, the Council reduced the financial aid for Switzerland Tourism and for the Innotour funding instrument at the request of the majority, with the agreement of the Federal Council. Keller-Sutter said that the Federal Council plans to ease the burden as part of the austerity package from 2027 at the latest.

SDA