'Preventing Brabant conditions in Drenthe'

In the run-up to the Provincial Council elections on Wednesday 20 March, it will become clear which themes are important per province. However, the focus on the theme of 'agriculture' varies greatly from province to province.

During the great Brabant election debate, which was organized by the province on Saturday, March 16, every position seemed to ultimately lead to agriculture. It provoked strong reactions during the debate, but in most provinces the theme 'agriculture' does not claim a leading role at all.

Farmers not welcome in Brabant's debate
'Agriculture' is an important theme in North Brabant. Various debates were held in Brabant in which the theme of agriculture was high on the agenda. Citizens' platform 'Less animals' recently even held a debate in which farmers were not welcome. According to the organization, it would have been decided in consultation with ZLTO not to allow farmers, but ZLTO itself denies this. The representative has not organized an agricultural debate, but has organized an election debate with employers in Brabant.

The major election debate, which was held in Den Bosch on Friday 15 March, turned out to be a constant theme of 'agriculture'. PvdA, D66, SP and Code Oranje voted against the statement that farmers deserve more respect and fewer rules. All other parties (except Forum for Democracy, because it was absent) voted in favor of this proposition. Surprisingly, VVD also voted in favor of the proposition, even though they strongly support the current Brabant policy.

The debate was often heated. And subjects such as housing eventually also came back to the countryside and the farmers. D66 said that farmers should not grow food, but energy. At the end of the debate there was a sneer from Deputy Anne-Marie Spierings (D66); she accused the CDA of having to clean up the mess of 40 years of policy by the CDA, in which farmers were given all the space they needed.

This caused quite a bit of 'booing'. For most party leaders, it went a bridge too far. Her earlier appeal that she wants more farmers did not become very credible. The elections will be exciting for farmers in Brabant in particular: if the CDA remains outside the coalition again, the future does not look bright.

Relaxed atmosphere in Gelderland
Arjan Tolkamp is a candidate for the CDA in Gelderland and indicates that agriculture was an important theme during the political debates in the province of Gelderland. Stimuland and the GAJK also organized an agricultural debate. In addition, debates on the rural area have also been organised. According to Tolkamp, ​​the debates take place in a relaxed atmosphere and people are not diametrically opposed, as in Noord-Brabant, for example.

Peat meadow areas theme in North Holland
In North Holland, the raising of the water level in the Veenweide areas was already a theme before the elections: GroenLinks and D66 are in favor of this. An agricultural debate was held on Thursday 14 March, which was organized by LTO Noord, the HAJK, the KAVB, Agricultural Collectives, Greenhouse Horticulture Netherlands, Greenport Noord-Holland Noord and Greenport Aalsmeer.

During this debate, among other things, wet cultivation was discussed, and then as a replacement for dairy farming. However, different parties are not for that. The CDA was ultimately chosen as the winner of the debate.

South Holland and Utrecht
In South Holland, farmer Mirjam Nelisse is on the list for VVD. She says that subsidence is an important theme in the province. The agricultural debate organized by LTO Noord was well attended and almost all parties took part. Agriculture also played a role in the nature debate.

The same was true for the province of Utrecht, because there too the theme of subsidence played a role and agriculture came up mainly in the nature debates. Farmer Claudia de Wit-Heuver from Montfoort is on the list for the CDA (place 47). Agriculture is not high on the agenda in Utrecht. No separate agricultural debates were therefore held in Utrecht.

Drenthe and Overijssel
In Drenthe, LTO Noord and DAJK (Drents Agricultural Youth Contact) organized an agricultural debate. One of the agricultural candidates is Eline Vedder (for the CDA). However, there is still a farmer's wife to be found: Bouche Zouine (D66). She says that in Drenthe there is appreciation for farmers as food producers. Zouine is committed to circular agriculture and hopes to be able to play a role in separating sense and nonsense. According to her, people in Drenthe do not want 'Brabant conditions'. Vedder also indicates that the atmosphere is constructive.

In the province of Overijssel, peace has returned to the agricultural area, especially now that 'Heel Salland organic' has gone out like a candle. Last year, emotions ran high there because of this movement, which had a strong polarizing effect.

Friesland: discussion about windmills
LTO Noord also organized an agricultural debate in Friesland, together with Agrarische Jeugd Friesland. Attje Meekma is a farmer and is on the list for the CDA. The CDA wants to allow small windmills and solar panels on shed roofs. This is diametrically opposed to the view of Johannes Kramer, who is now an agricultural deputy and leader of the FNP (Fryske Nasjonale Party).

His party does not want windmills, because this ruins agriculture. He also wants solar parks on agricultural land, because there would be too little space on the roofs. According to Meekma, the themes that are most alive are the peat meadows and green energy. "In Friesland there is a lot of understanding and appreciation for the farmer."

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