Questions to Jaap van Wenum
'Good year for the farmer, bad for the entrepreneur'
Arable farmers were faced with a lot in 2017. This in the light of top yields, but at rock-bottom prices. This gives the sector a black edge, while the year started on a positive note. Jaap van Wenum, chairman of LTO Akkerbouw, talks about his view on 2017 and the coming year.
Arable farmer Jaap van Wenum, from Kootwijkerbroek in Gelderland, has been arable chairman at LTO Nederland for almost 2 years now. He took over from Jaap Haanstra. Last year Van Wenum made efforts, among other things, for crop derogation and implementation of the new fertilizer rules in the sixth Nitrates Directive Action Programme.
If you had to name 1 topic that you remember most about 2017, what would it be?
"I would like to mention this year's abundant yields. Beet and potato cultivation reached record heights. Unfortunately, this also means very low prices. Just look at the WUR's recently published income estimate. This is how I remember 2017. A good year for farmers, if plant grower, but a bad year for the entrepreneur. In addition, 2017 is also remembered as the year in which the sugar quota disappeared."
It seems that we cannot achieve decent product prices without disaster. Is that a worrying development?
"No disaster is also a disaster, it is often said. It seems like that and unfortunately we must indeed hope for extreme weather conditions. That is very twofold, because it is a catastrophe for individual entrepreneurs. subsidies from Brussels, as happened in the past. The disappearance of free trade has changed the sector. Onions are still the only truly free crop and that cultivation is also changing."
What do you think needs to be done to turn the tide?
"Good chain agreements are required for this. This wish is also reflected in government policy. We should not arrange it through price support with Brussels money. You notice that farmers no longer support this. The vast majority of potato growers criticize the lack of a free market, but does sign contracts. Take a look in the mirror and try to take advantage of market forces. There are sales forms that make this possible, such as the click contract. More attention and awareness is needed for this."
Shouldn't chip factories just come up with a decent contract price?
"Of course I am in favor of good contract prices, but the chip factories are each other's competitors in negotiations with the retail sector. That complicates the discussion. It is easy to judge from the farmer's side, but we are hardly cooperatively organized in chip processing ourselves. At a potato cooperative as Avebe, the members benefit, but you don't see that in the French fries industry. Keep in mind that in negative years you as a member also have to bear the losses. Cosun is also a good example where a cooperative can have a very positive effect for the members and develop worldwide Despite this, beet cultivation also has to deal with falling prices."
The European arable sector has been busy conserving glyphosate. Is the book now closed?
"The admission is positive, but the discussion continues. The debate is shifting to glyphosate-free food. This means that the import of glyphosate-resistant varieties will be difficult and that could work out to our advantage. We must therefore act ourselves. The opinion of LTO Nederland is that we need to look critically at the application. For example, is pre-harvest spraying necessary? By making concessions there, we can preserve glyphosate for critical situations such as root weed control. The debate about glyphosate is extremely polarized. Politicians must make decisions take on the basis of science. The sector must also be critical for this. We owe it to society. Precision agriculture, for example, can help to reduce emissions and use."
A topic that is alive in arable farming is the capture of CO2. Is it possible to earn money with this in the Netherlands?
"Capturing CO2 in the soil means increasing the organic matter (OS) content. Everyone in the sector agrees that this is essential, regardless of whether you are trying to capture CO2. The revenue model is difficult to implement in the Netherlands. Austria is successful, but compost is allowed there without limit. Unfortunately, our fertilizer legislation does not fit into the picture. We have to look for other crops, chopping straw and growing green manures. That €300 per hectare for Austrian farmers you really need it for the balance if you replace harvested fruit with mowed crops. Perhaps it is far too little. The new CAP should address this by rewarding this way of doing business. By promoting cut crops, the acreage of harvested fruit stabilizes and the soil is given rest."
Is the Dutch manure sector a burden or a blessing for arable farmers?
"The manure surplus creates pressure, which even leads to fraud pressure. That does not help the discussion at all to make manure legislation workable for arable farmers. You have Brussels on your neck all the time. Arable farmers want animal manure with a high OS content. They even make money. The vegetable sector has to sit down with livestock farming to put a mark on the horizon. You cannot immediately implement changes in manure production. This requires, for example, different housing systems. Collaboration between sectors, circular agriculture, is an important point of the new government. With its own ministry and agriculture minister Schouten at the helm, I am positive. She has a heart for farmers."
Niels van der Boom
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