The goal is to increase Sweden's self-sufficiency in food. The Sweden Democrats' political program for rural areas, which party leader Jimmie Åkesson will present on a farm outside Klippan on Friday, includes 37 points.
"We need to produce more of what we eat in Sweden ourselves," Åkesson says.
According to the party leader, the highest priority is to keep fuel costs down and to introduce government credit guarantees for new agricultural companies and for generational changes.
"We have an aging group farming in Sweden today, and everyone understands that it is not sustainable in the long term," Åkesson says, continuing:
"It is not entirely easy today to take over an agricultural business that is, not least, extremely capital-intensive."
“Is madness”
To get more people to take up agronomy studies, the party wants to review the possibility of offering it in more places in Sweden, or remotely.
Municipal exploitation of arable land needs to be drastically reduced, says SD.
"In some cases, and generally speaking, it is madness to build housing or solar parks on some of the country's best arable land," Åkesson says.
SD also wants to make it cheaper to hire for green industries by removing the general payroll tax for three people in each company.
Several of the changes the party wants to see are at the EU level. Among other things, they want to exempt green industries from the EU's emissions trading system.
Wants to exempt agriculture
"We don't want it introduced at all."
"But if it becomes a reality, Sweden will work hard to ensure that it does not include agriculture," Åkesson says.
More proposals affecting rural areas will be presented by the SD later, including special support for rural schools and proposals relating to forests, hunting and fishing.
Facts: This is how SD wants to support Swedish agriculture
Some of the 37 proposals:
Abolish the general payroll tax for three people in each company.
Lowest possible diesel tax for agriculture and as low a reduction obligation as possible.
Increased national funding, for example through emergency support, as the EU budget for agriculture decreases.
Exceptions for green industries when the EU's emissions trading system for work machinery is launched.
Swedish authorities should, whenever possible, procure Swedish raw materials.
Municipal exploitation of arable land should be drastically reduced.
Domestic peat production and production of artificial fertilizer must be ensured.
Sweden will work to eliminate tariffs on fertilizers from all countries except Russia and Belarus.
Government credit guarantees for new agricultural businesses or for generational changes.
Source: Sweden Democrats
