The German Green party is pushing for a ban on farming strawberries and tomatoes.
In the state of Lower Saxony, Green environment minister Christian Meyer is looking to curb water-intensive agriculture.
As the scorching summer continues across Europe, Lower Saxony finds itself grappling with a water shortage, putting strain on its agricultural sector.
As a result of government policy, trees and fields cannot be irrigated during daytime when temperatures go over 24 degrees Celsius in many regions.
Meyer has put forward an unprecedented proposal in response to the water crisis, suggesting an outright ban on the cultivation of water-intensive fruits such as strawberries and tomatoes. These crops are exacerbating the already extremely concerning water situation, he argues.
The Green environment ministry has stated that if groundwater levels continue to plummet, local authorities could revoke permits for both field irrigation and water extraction.
A ministry spokesman told German newspaper Bild that “restrictions on water withdrawals” could mean that “certain crops in affected regions can no longer be cultivated”.
As a result, it may become impossible to grow strawberries and tomatoes in Lower Saxony, experts say.
The proposal has sparked concern among the region’s farmers. Holger Hennies, President of Landvolk, the Lower Saxony Farmers’ Association, staunchly opposes any such ban.
He argued that such a ban would only worsen the environmental impact as it would increase the reliance on imported farm produce.
“This does not solve a problem, but only increases the already very high import of vegetables and fruit, which are often grown abroad with a significantly greater environmental impact,” he said.
Fred Eickhorst, the managing director of the Association of Asparagus and Berry Growers, suggested that rather than banning crops, it would be more effective to “optimise” water use in farming.
He said the majority of strawberry and fruit farmers already use so-called “drip hoses”, ensuring precise and efficient water delivery to plant roots. Many farmers also now use polytunnels, which considerably reduce water consumption.
Hennies said innovative water-management strategies were required, and emphasised the need to retain water in the ground.
“We must keep the water in our soil,” he said. He suggested using treated wastewater to irrigate the crops, instead of discharging it into the North Sea.
As the drought continues, the state government is working on a comprehensive “Master Plan for Water”. This includes the promotion of “retention basins” and long-distance pipelines to transport water from regions with spare capacity to areas suffering scarcity.
Increased water prices, in the form of “water extraction fees” designed to promote “responsible water usage”, are also expected.
