Farmers do achieve crop protection targets

The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) misled everyone with a report on crop protection. That is the opinion of the Agri Facts Foundation (STAF). In its publication, the PBL makes it appear in the summary that the farmers and horticulturists have not met the crop protection targets. After reading the complete report, STAF concludes that the farmers have achieved the targets.

According to the agricultural fact-checkers, essential information is hidden in the so-called 'Interim evaluation crop protection' of June 2019, also known as the 'drinking water research'. The report showed that exceedances of plant protection products had fallen by only 15%, while this should have been 50%. National media also reported that farmers and horticulturists were not achieving their objectives in the field of plant protection products.

Big misconception
However, research by STAF shows that the drop in the standard exceeding of 15% is not the national picture. This percentage concerns the most polluted measuring points. When all measuring points in the Netherlands and the European assessment system are used, it appears, according to STAF, that farmers and horticulturists have more or less achieved the target of 50% fewer standard exceedances. The PBL did not explicitly state in the summary that only the 15% most polluted measuring points were used.

STAF is excited about the fact that this is not the first time is that the PBL hides vital information. “The PBL has often been called to account for this. It was then said that 'the bibliography is not mentioned for nothing'. The reader is therefore expected to read not only the voluminous report to the last letter, but also the publications in the footnotes," said Jan Cees Vogelaar, interim director of STAF, in a statement.

Publication has to be renewed
The foundation has wrote a letter to the PBL. In it it insists that through 'the art of omission' others also make mistakes. STAF also wants PBL to redo its communication about its Crop Protection Evaluation. Earlier, Joris Baecke, portfolio holder Plant Health at LTO Nederland, gave in an interview with Boerenbusiness already indicated that the PBL reported incorrect facts.

Anne-Jan Doorn

Anne Jan Doorn is an arable expert at Boerenbusiness. He writes about the various arable farming markets and also focuses on the land and energy market.

aj.doorn@boerenbusiness. Nl

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