Time to Tee Off on Farms, W. German Says
West German Agriculture Minister Ignaz Kiechle proposed Sunday that farmers retire early and let their farms be used for leisure activities such as golf in order to reduce the European Communities’ food surplus.
In an interview with the Bild newspaper, released ahead of publication today, Kiechle said: “Farmers over 55 years old (about 180,000 in West Germany) should be able to cease production. Their land could be used for leisure and recreation, for hiking or riding, playgrounds or golf courses.”
The federal government would pay retired farmers a rent for the acreage taken out of production, he said.
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