The government and the farmers have agreed on this year's settlement, which entails NOK 1,27 billion more funds allocated to Norwegian agriculture.
The increase in funds will result in a salary increase of 10.5 percent, or an additional NOK 31.000 per year. The settlement also means that the government will avoid a strike among farmers so close to the election.
"This is an important agreement. We have broken barriers. We have managed to achieve an increase in income that constitutes NOK 12.000 more than other industries," saus Nils T. Bjørke, head of the Norwegian Farmers' Union.
Merete Furuberg, head of the Norwegian Farmers and Smallholders Union, is also pleased with the outcome: "We have to go all the way back to 1999 in order to find a result even close to this."
The farmers originally asked for an increase of 46.800 per year, which would have resulted in a collective cost of NOK 1,97 billion. The government, however, originally presented an offer that amounted to a total of NOK 1,02 billion.
(NRK)
