German Farmers Block Road to Stuttgart With Some 200 Tractors on Way to Rally - Reports

BERLIN (Sputnik) - German farmers on about 200 tractors paralyzed traffic for several hours on a highway to Stuttgart, the capital of southwest Germany's Baden-Wuerttemberg state, where they are expected to rally later on Tuesday, German news agency DPA reported, citing police.

The traffic jam occurred on the section of the A81 road between the towns of Sulz and Empfingen and was cleared with police involvement, the news agency said.

The farmers headed onward to Stuttgart, where more than 2,000 tractors are expected by 1 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT) for a demonstration against the abolition of subsidies, the report read. Traffic jams can also be seen at the entrances to the city, DPA added.

In December 2023, the German government announced plans to scrap diesel subsidies for farmers amid the budget crisis, which would bring 440 million euros ($476 million) to the federal budget. The government also planned to end tax breaks on vehicles for forestry and agriculture, gaining an additional 480 million euros. The announcement triggered multiple farmer protests throughout the entire country.

In early January, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said that instead of canceling diesel subsidies all at once, their level would be cut gradually, and vehicle tax breaks for forestry and agriculture would remain in place. However, farmers have continued to protest and strike across the country.