Agriwa2040 presents itself
Association must pull Walloon farmer out of the doldrums
The organization Agriwa2040.eu has officially presented itself as a representative of the interests of farmers in Wallonia. The aim of the organization is to protect companies and at the same time to ensure that the agricultural sector in the Belgian part of the country is pulled out of the doldrums.
At the beginning of this year the organization Agriwa2040.eu (Agriculture Wallonia -Europe 2040) already presented itself, but now it is official. That writes news site felt.be† By bringing farmers into contact with scientists and other organizations, they should develop a broader vision. The entire sector is involved in the establishment.
Technological advancement
The organization is concerned about the situation in which Walloon farmers find themselves. This is due to volatile prices, an aging sector in the sector and a difficult position in the food chain. In addition, land prices in the French-speaking part of Belgium are high and production costs continue to rise. Agriwa2040 hopes to make knowledge available to entrepreneurs. The ultimate goal of the 15 founders is to make it a melting pot of technological progress in Europe.
"We want to think together about the future of farmers," said chairman Joseph Charlier. "In the first place, farmers must be able to count on a stable income. In addition, we want to supervise research projects and start a dialogue with the authorities. In time, we also hope to start international collaborations."
2 worlds
Wallonia has 13.000 agricultural companies, 10.000 fewer than Flanders. There is already 1 representative active: Federation Wallonne de l'Agriculture (FWA). The policy in the 2 parts of Belgium is decent different† A Walloon farm covers an average of 49 hectares, compared to about 20 hectares in Flanders.
Almost half of Wallonia consists of agricultural land, accounting for 750.000 hectares. The largest part consists of beef farmers (24%) and arable farmers (22%). In Flanders, 10% of farmers are arable farmers and 13% are dairy farmers. The number of mixed farms is relatively high at 20%.
Wallonia has traditionally been a province of cereals and 'industrial crops' (sugar beet, flax and rapeseed). The areas are much larger than in Flanders, with the exception of potato areas. In 2007, Flanders accounted for the largest percentage of the Belgian potato area.
potato cultivation
The dominance of Flanders is partly due to early potato cultivation. Flanders had 2007% of the main harvest in 56. Years of low grain prices, however, have had an impact on farmers' building plans. Moreover, the Belgian chips industry is very active there. There is also sufficient land for cultivation. Dutch and Flemish farmers also take the distance for granted to grow potatoes in Wallonia.
In 2007 the area still covered 23.000 hectares of storage potatoes, 10 years later that is 41.300 hectares. Flanders has also succeeded in increasing the acreage further. Last year, according to the PCA, Belgium accounted for more than 95.000 hectares, a stark contrast to the 41.000 hectares in 2007. We are talking about a plus of no less than 131%. It is clear where this growth is coming from. In 2007, grain was grown on 121.000 hectares, including grain maize. However, 10 years later it is still 84.000 hectares.
The onion area is also growing. Especially in Wallonia, where the soil is perfectly suitable. There is also interest in onions in Flanders, partly due to interest from local industrial processors who have onions grown under contract. The percentage increases are significant, but in hectares it is not that bad: 3.000 to 5.000 hectares is estimated as an ambition by seed companies. This is very small compared to the Netherlands.
Niels van der Boom
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