Farmers Defense Force announces 'hard action'

The large-scale farmer's action of Farmers Defense Force (FDF) will take place on Wednesday 18 December. According to the farmers' organisation, this will be the 'National Action Day of 2019'. Nothing has yet been announced about the content of the actions, although FDF leader Mark van den Oever previously indicated that he wanted to put 'a hitch' in the Dutch food supply.

There are rumors that distribution centers of Dutch supermarket chains are being blocked with tractors, but this is not certain. FDF does announce the promotion with 'The hamster week has started.' The fact is that FDF has asked its followers to form groups of 50 farmers with tractors who can carry out regional actions.

According to Van den Oever, a massive turnout of farmers makes the actions of 'October 1, 16, 17 and 30 pale in comparison to what has now been set up'. On 1 and 16 October, among other things, the Malieveld in The Hague and the streets around it full of tractors.

The farmers who participate will not be informed until 6.00 a.m. on that Wednesday morning where they should go, FDF said. According to the organization, the actions are not held on private property (such as the loading and unloading area of ​​a distribution center) and therefore fall 'within the limits of the law'.

strength and power
However, according to Van den Oever, the action will be 'hard'. The promotion lasts all day and may also be extended. “The statement we make will be crystal clear and show the strength and power of the agricultural sector. This will resonate internationally and set an example for many farmers in Europe', says Van den Oever.

FDF announces the action as a two-stage missile, ie the action serves a dual purpose. 'As FDF, we want to make a structural improvement in the revenue model of the agricultural sector, as well as bring the government's nitrogen policy back to normal proportions.' FDF will start construction and earthmoving next Wednesday, united in the Construction in Resistance Foundation. 

Government has failed
In a statement, Van den Oever states on behalf of FDF that 'the government's nitrogen policy has failed, €1.000 billion is being burned up against the unproven effects of climate change, the PFAS policy is completely inadequate and €11,2 billion in subsidy for biomass from especially abroad will be strengthened' According to the organisation, the economy is also in danger of entering a recession due to a standstill in the issuing of permits.

FDF would rather see all those billions spent on 'elderly care, education, defense and the implementation of the plan of the Agricultural Collective† 'We do not want the millions that are also being released to buy up half of the Dutch farmers. We don't want to be driven from the land of our ancestors', says Van de Oever.

Farmers are fed up
Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten has so far not made any concrete agreements with the agricultural sector in the nitrogen dossier, while there is already - against the sore leg of the farmers - an emergency nitrogen law has been approved by the House of Representatives and new policy rules have been delegated to the provinces. In this, to the horror of the Agricultural Collective the occupation of latent space of agricultural companies an important part.

The Agricultural Collective meets next monday morning with Prime Minister Rutte and Agriculture Minister Schouten. However, the chance that this will lead to concrete proposals and plans for agriculture that can suspend FDF's action seems extremely small. 

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