Swiss farmers protest cuts 'at the expense of farming families'

Swiss farmers gathered in the capital, Bern, on Wednesday to protest the proposed cuts to the agricultural sector. Swiss farmers’ associations have urged the government and parliament to abandon austerity measures in agriculture. “Austerity measures at the expense of farming families are unjustifiable,” said Markus Ritter, president the Swiss Farmers’ Association, on Wednesday. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Twenty years ago, the Swiss government allocated 7.4% of its budget to agriculture. Last year it was 4.7%, the Farmers’ Association told the media in Bern. Furthermore, annual spending on agriculture has remained steady at around CHF3.6 billion ($4.1 billion) for the past 20 years, while overall federal expenditure has increased by nearly CHF40 billion, or more than 80%. “Agriculture is therefore not responsible for the financial shortfall.” One of the reasons for the farmers’ protest outside the federal parliament building on Wednesday was the ...