An agreement on the future of agriculture is still a long way off. This emerges from the documents available to NOS regarding the progress of negotiations between agricultural organizations and the cabinet.
The agreement should enter into force by the end of April. Some stakeholders NOS spoke to said the chances of reaching an agreement were not very good.
The parties have been discussing the future of farmers since December. To protect and restore nature, the government wants to reduce nitrogen precipitation by 70 percent in 131 regions by 2030. Around 3,000 “peak loaders” should also receive a bid to reduce their emissions. Minister Van der Wal wants to explain who they are and how they will move forward in April.
At the same time, the government wants to come up with a plan for farmers who don’t want to stop but want to be more sustainable, relocate or change course. The basis for this should be the agricultural agreement. If such an agreement is not reached, the minister’s job will be difficult: then the cabinet will have to sell only the sour without the sweet.
“No perspective”
Interview reports show that most of the interlocutors found the government’s future prospects to be unsatisfactory. For example, the dairy and beef sector sees nothing in the cabinet framework that needs to be agreed, such as the current European and Dutch nature protection targets.
The dairy and beef sector fears the country will shrink by 10 percent if it has to meet these conservation targets. They say milk production could drop by more than a third with additional environmental regulations. One concerned says an agreement is not in sight if the requirements for nature, climate and fertilization do not change.
Documentation indicates that the herd will indeed shrink, though it is unclear how much. Some parties are uncomfortable with this uncertainty. There is also anger about the new nature frameworks that Van der Wal introduced in November. “Remkes convinced us to sit at the table. But between his advice and the first sector chart, the rules of the game changed again.”
more agriculture
At the same time, the documents show that agricultural organizations are sticking to innovations previously designed to emit less nitrogen. For example, the use of other animal feeds, for which the government expects little profit.
In the future perspective for 2040, the government sees less land for livestock and more for arable farming. There will be more room for organic gardening as well as vegetables like potatoes, cabbage and zucchini. Farmers are not against it, but there are no concrete plans. Chicken breeders, beef farms, dairy farmers, ornamental and onion growers: all sectors at the table are calling for more government support for developments and innovations.
Last week, Agriculture Minister Adema wrote to the House of Representatives that discussions on the farm deal are “ongoing” and decisions are “taken”. According to him, everything will be done for the deal to be successful. But it also says it will present a cabinet plan “for agricultural return” if it “fails unexpectedly”.
Negotiations between the parties continue in Nijkerk today. From now on, talks will intensify until early April, when a draft agreement should be reached. According to those concerned, more meetings are needed as the parties want more time and space for content.
Source: NOS
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
