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Agreements LNV and sector on ammonia emissions
More grazing, gradually less crude protein in animal feed and the application of manure diluted with water; The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) has made agreements about this with various agricultural parties. It concerns the implementation of so-called management measures to reduce nitrogen emissions and deposition from dairy farming. This should result in a reduction in ammonia emissions of 2025 to 9% by 10.
The agricultural parties involved are: LTO, NAJK, Biohuis, BoerenNatuur en Netwerk GRONdig, Nevedi and Cumela.
Calculations show that with this package of measures, dairy farming can achieve a reduction of 2025 to 9% in ammonia emissions (10 to 4,6 kton per year) by 5,2. In a letter to the House of Representatives sent by outgoing agriculture minister Carola Schouten today (20 July), she calculates: "The largest contribution is made by the reduction of the crude protein content of the ration of dairy cattle. As a result, the ammonia emission decreases by 3,5, 180 kton per year By increasing the average number of hours of grazing by 0,7 hours the ammonia emission decreases by 50 kton per year By applying slurry diluted with water via sod fertilization on 0,4% of the acreage of grassland on sandy soils, the ammonia emissions are expected to decrease by 1,0 to XNUMX kton per year."
"Because of the already low emissions and the optimal functioning of the organic systemic agriculture, organic agriculture will make its own contribution to the further reduction of ammonia," writes Schouten.
'Entrepreneurs have freedom in measures'
The formulated objectives for the 3 measures apply at sector level. Schouten: "This means that individual entrepreneurs have the freedom to determine which measures and to what extent can best be implemented on their farm. It is up to the dairy sector to ensure that the objectives are achieved together."
Dilution of slurry requires logistical adjustments at many companies, because water is not immediately available on all plots, which means that investments are necessary, says Schouten. "Various incentives are being used for the management measures to meet this."
The state of implementation of the measures and whether adjustments are necessary to achieve the objectives will be reviewed annually. In 2024, it will be examined with the parties involved whether the objectives have been achieved, which next steps must be taken towards 2030 and which alternative measures must be taken to achieve the objectives regarding nitrogen reduction in agriculture. Pilots will take place in the coming period to test the effect of possible more far-reaching agreements on business results, animal health, animal welfare, climate and soil.
Approach stable measures to new cabinet
Recently, various initiatives have presented plans to get started with reducing nitrogen emissions in agriculture, says Schouten. One of the initiatives is from the Coalition for the Future Proof Dairy Farming (CTM), which is formed by LTO Nederland, NAJK, Rabobank and NZO. Together they have drawn up a package of measures aimed at offering dairy farming in the Netherlands a future. Schouten: "I notice that there is an overlap between measures from the structural package that the cabinet is advocating and the measures from the CTM plan. to fill in the new cabinet.
Linda van Eekeres
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