News Arable
NAV: Arable farming suffers from agricultural plans
The Dutch Arable Farming Union (NAV) is sounding the alarm about the future of the industry. Due to a combination of European and national plans, plus a planned transfer of funds for other industries, there is hardly any risk of income remaining.
The NAV therefore calls on members to take action. Chairman Teun de Jong does not immediately make clear what action is meant, but in any case something must be done to stop the decline in incomes, he says.
Researchers at Wageningen University & Research have noticed that 20% to 35% of arable farms are already below the income threshold. If the new European agricultural policy comes through, it is expected to lead to a further 20% loss of income. Then there are issues such as the 7th Nitrates Directive Action Program and the transfer of EU funds that mainly benefit dairy farmers.
Profitable operations at risk
According to the NAV, the 7th Nitrates Directive Action Program can lead to an enormous loss of income for arable farming. "The Ministry of
LNV has published draft measures with far-reaching interventions in farmers' business operations and in the construction plans (crop choices) they make. An economic impact analysis by Wageningen Economic Research (WEcR) calculates that arable farmers could lose up to approximately 40% income as a result of the proposed measures."
SER ignores arable farming
The union protests against all this planning and wants to come up with alternative plans itself, plans that are also heard by, for example, the Social and Economic Council (SER). "The SER has explored an agricultural agreement, in which everyone has talked to everyone except the NAV. Because yes, that's just arable farming, that's not where the problems lie," the union denounces this exploration. It is incomprehensible to the NAV and also not in line with a widely desired development. "By focusing all attention on livestock farming, arable farming is in danger of quietly disappearing from the Netherlands, against all social wishes for a transition to more vegetable production and consumption. Why are all nature and environmental organizations participating in this in the social guidance group of the National Strategic Plan for the CAP? Where are the political parties that advocate more crop production and where is everyone who talks about a good farmer's income in the debate?"
Klaas van der Horst
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