Bavaria plans restructuring at its costly state farms

Bavaria is planning savings and restructuring across its nine state-owned agricultural farms, which operate 26 locations and 500 buildings. The farms are intended to support agricultural education and research, BR reported.

The farms have different specialisms, including organic agriculture, livestock, poultry, pig farming, crop production and horses. Their estate also includes 2,800 hectares of farmland and a large number of animals. The Free State of Bavaria owns the farms, which operate as an independent business.

About 100 million euros has been invested in infrastructure since 2021, including 14 million euros for renovations. Managing director Anton Dippold said the aim was not to meet a specific savings target, but to make the best use of available funds for Bavarian agriculture.

The Bavarian Supreme Audit Office regularly reviews the farms’ spending and has called for clearer explanations of the goals behind investments. In its 2025 report, it again highlighted shortcomings at some farms. A new laying-hen barn at the Kitzingen farm, first recommended by auditors in 2013, is due to be built next year for 10 million euros. A new young-stallion barn costing about 2 million euros is being built at Schwaiganger, where the horse stable has mould.

Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber described the plans as a targeted restructuring. She said all nine farms would remain, though individual buildings or operations could be relinquished or reorganised.

One planned closure is the Baumannshof outpost of the Freising farm, where trials were conducted on medicinal and spice plants and specialist crops such as peanuts and rice. Research on these niche crops is expected to move to farms that grow them. The Guglhör outpost near Murnau, which had a traditional inn and kept endangered livestock breeds, will also cease operating. The decision drew local criticism, including calls to preserve the inn.

The organic pig unit at Kringell is due to close in autumn 2027 because it is too small for research. The plan for its 30 breeding sows and offspring has been criticised by the region and the Bavarian Association for Organic Farming. The association’s Maria Hohenester said its closure would be a setback for organic farming training because it was Bavaria’s only organic pig unit used for training. A replacement is planned at Hochschule Triesdorf, where a new, larger organic pig barn is due to open in 2028.