Austrian farmers want relaxation; no demonstrations

The regional Austrian Farmers' Association for the eastern state of Lower Austria is calling for less bureaucracy in agriculture and stricter standards for food imports in the EU. But this farmers' union, affiliated with the ruling party ÖVP, sees no reason for protest actions, unlike the agricultural supporters of the right-wing extreme opposition party FPÖ.

FPÖ calls to demonstrate or block highways with tractors have so far attracted at most a few hundred participants. At a demonstration in January in Vienna, there were only eleven tractors and about 300 participants on site.

The farmers' organizations from the regions of Styria and Carinthia believe that the current agricultural rules should be revised to better align with the needs of both farmers and the environment. They argue for a reconsideration of the existing rules. 

The call from the farmers' organizations coincides with similar decisions in Germany and those being deliberated in the EU. 

In response to the agricultural call, some political parties, including the Austrian Greens, have expressed support for the idea of overhauling agricultural policy. They call for more investment in environmentally friendly farming methods and a shift towards more sustainable food production.