Sector takes a stand against Nitrates Directive

The proposal for the 7^e Nitrates Directive action program (7^e AP) that outgoing Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Carola Schouten last week presented, is causing a lot of unrest in the agricultural sector.

Various parties in the chain and sector representatives, including LTO, NAJK, NZO, BO-Akkerbouw, Cumula, Cosun and CZAV, expressed strong criticism of the 7^e ap. According to the organizations, the measures that were published last week go very far and have a negative impact on the earning capacity of the entire sector.

BO-Akkerbouw has prepared a response today (Tuesday 14 September) on behalf of the Dutch arable farming sector in preparation for the procedure meeting and the debate that will be held tomorrow in the House of Representatives. The proposed generic measures are not in line with modern agricultural practice, do not fit in with sustainable soil management and go against circular agriculture.

Threat to the entire sector
The 7^e AP is an attack on the earning capacity of the sector according to BO-Akkerbouw. Farmers are forced to include more low-yielding crops in the cropping plan and the latest sowing date of 1 October for catch crops severely restricts farmers in their actions and makes harvesting and processing, for example, potatoes or sugar beet difficult or (partly) even impossible.

In addition, the measures will apply to the whole of the Netherlands, while the standards are already being met in large parts of the country. A specific area-oriented approach does much better justice to the regional circumstances. Calendar farming is counterproductive to sustainable soil management. Harvest maturity of the crop and good weather conditions should be the starting point and not meeting a mandatory date. The economic consequences of the measures have also not been calculated. A good assessment of the measures in the 7^e AP can therefore not be made according to BO-Akkerbouw.

The goals of the Nitrates Directive are endorsed by the arable farming sector. But the proposed measures must be practicable and the earning capacity of arable farmers must be maintained, says BO-Akkerbouw.

Jurphaas Lugtenburg

He is a market specialist in grains and other agricultural commodities at DCA Market Intelligence. He also focuses on onions, potatoes, and roughage. Jurphaas also runs an arable farm in Voorne-Putten (South Holland).

j.lugtenburg @boerenbusiness. Nl

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