Chamber of agriculture · Germany · regional
Mandatory levy, no membership
The statutory chamber of agriculture of Saarland, founded in 1956 and based in Bexbach; the state constitution ranks it alongside the chambers of commerce and of crafts. It has a dual role: a self-governing chamber that also carries out state tasks (e.g. administering CAP payments). It offers vocational training (apprenticeship, master), advice on crops, livestock and farm business, expert services and events for farmers, gardeners and winegrowers.
The chamber's members are the agricultural and forestry holdings and parcels in the state, not the farmers; the owner exercises the membership rights (voting) and pays the contribution. There is nothing to join: for holdings subject to property tax the contribution is collected together with property tax (LwKG SL § 18).
The base is the property tax base amount (Grundsteuermessbetrag), of which a percentage set by the chamber is due; the law also sets a lower limit (LwKG SL § 19). Municipalities collect it with property tax and pass it to the chamber after a cost deduction (§ 21). According to the trade press (top agrar, 2025), the rate rose from 180% to 212% in 2025 and the minimum contribution from EUR 8.10 to EUR 9.54; the chamber's website does not state this, so ask for the exact amount.
Fee basis: land-value based (collected with tax)
For information only, not legal advice. Mandatory membership is set by local law — each profile lists its source.