Valentine's Day is around the corner, and therefore, Bavarian Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber finds it the best time to promote regional produce. "To give joy, you don't need exotic beauties arriving by plane from Africa. There are already wonderful heartwarming, colorful flowers from regional production, whether in a bouquet or in a pot. And the same goes for fruit and vegetables, by the way. Our Bavarian family companies produce everything we need for our hearts and for a healthy diet. I am convinced: security of supply only works with domestic production," Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber.
The minister emphasized that the Bavarian state government is also actively supporting the horticultural businesses. Be it with hardship aid now in the energy crisis or through advice on energy saving. After all, the attack on Ukraine almost a year ago has caused energy prices to multiply. In addition to consumers, this is hitting the horticultural sector particularly hard. Many businesses have therefore looked to the cold months with great concern. Even though the winter has so far shown itself with many mild days, many plants would not have withstood the low temperatures without a warm place in the greenhouse.
On Valentine's Day, it is a cherished tradition that the top representatives of Bavaria's horticultural associations pay a visit to the Ministry of Agriculture. The representatives had an intensive exchange with Agriculture Minister Kaniber about the current challenges facing the horticultural sector. For example, in addition to the energy issue, climate change is also impacting the companies' work. And support is needed to hedge risks against the increasing weather caprices. In addition, horticulture has an increasingly important role to play with regard to the climatic and ecological welfare effects of greenery. The shortage of skilled workers in horticulture was also discussed. "Helping with the shortage of skilled workers is a real concern for us. Additional advanced training positions in horticulture and landscaping are one component of this. That is why I am particularly pleased that we have been able to implement a concern of the horticultural associations with an additional class at the technical school in Landshut-Schönbrunn," Kaniber said. The Bavarian technical and horticultural colleges enjoy an excellent reputation beyond the state borders. This is proven by the number of students who come to Bavaria every year from other federal states for further education.
The associations involved in the discussion, the Bavarian Gardeners' Association (BGV), the Bavarian Gardening, Landscaping, and Sports Grounds Association (VGL Bayern), and the Association of German Nurseries (BdB) Bavarian State Association, represent a total of just under 4,000 Bavarian companies specializing in the production of vegetables, ornamental plants, woody plants, cemetery horticulture, and gardening and landscaping.
Source: www.stmelf.bayern.de