News 7th Program of Action
Fear for Brussels is clamping down on potato cultivation
The decision memorandum regarding the so-called 'winter crops' is rattling on all sides. The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) published the letter on Thursday 20 April. Despite the late publication date, it is decided to take measures around the 7e Nitrates Directive action program to be implemented this year. The impact is particularly enormous for consumption potatoes.
A number of crops have been moved to the winter crops column in the final list. Chicory is one of the larger crops that is now classified as a winter crop. A number of vegetable crops are also regarded as winter crops. These include spinach, chicory, winter and wax carrots and winter onions. Growers' organization TOG and vegetable growers' organization Vigef are satisfied with this.
Vavi not happy
The situation is very different for consumption potatoes. To put it mildly, the Vavi is not amused with the decision of LNV not to grant absolution to consumption potatoes. The motivation for this goes against the grain of Vavi director. That's how it gets reported by LNV that 'the harvest largely takes place in the months of July and August.' It doesn't stop there with wonderful statements. It can also be read that; 'no harvest takes place after 1 November.'
The ministry mentions that the potatoes are sprayed to death before harvest as an important motivator for omitting this crop, so that less nitrogen can be absorbed. "It is precisely this wrong policy that causes this", Middag explains. "The water quality is absolutely not helped by this." Sowing with a catch crop is mandatory on sandy and loess soils. Extra acidic, because it is precisely on these types of soil that harvesting takes place late later in the harvest season. Middag estimates the area for this later harvest at 15% of the total in the Netherlands. You are talking about 11.500 hectares. "70% of the area is grubbed up in October," adds the director.
Growers who harvest after the October 1 deadline and who have not sown a catch crop will face an increasing discount on the nitrogen application standard in the following crop. This is 5 kilos per hectare until October 15, 15 kilos per hectare until November 1 and 20 kilos per hectare after that.
Afraid of Brussels
Didn't the potato sector fall short when lobbying in The Hague? "Certainly not," says Middag firmly. "We have been in close contact with LNV and it looked positive until this week. The fact that the measures are now presented with three gross errors creates a breach of trust. Minister Piet Adema motivates his choice with the response that Brussels would not accept any other measure. That is strange to say the least, because there is no reason to do so. Caroline van der Plas has already asked questions about this."
Starch potatoes are classified as a winter crop. However, this does not apply to all breeds. Only varieties with a maturity class of 6 or higher (on the CGO list) are eligible.
Big impact
The impact of the decision is major for growers on sandy and loess soil. Not only for the harvest itself, but for the entire business. This also applies to the processing industry, which needs to be spread out during the harvest period. A reduction of up to 20 kilos is a hard blow, especially on sandy soil.
It is clear that the shoe is particularly tight in potato cultivation. Of the more than 800 online responses to the crop list, more than 300 were about consumption potatoes. There is now a signature everywhere under the contracts for the 2023 harvest year. Adjustments in the construction plan are therefore impossible. The fact that the measure will not be finally presented until the end of April is therefore very frustrating for the arable farming sector.
Specialties in beet cultivation
Sugar beet cultivation is slightly milder in the 7e Action programme, but here too there is great amazement about the decision memorandum. For example, only sugar beets harvested after 1 November are regarded as winter crops. In short: if you harvest in September or October, the discount rule still applies for those who do not sow a catch crop. In addition to green manures, this may also be winter grain.
Niels van der Boom
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