While many agricultural organizations are not yet looking beyond their anger and frustration about the government's nitrogen plans, LTO Nederland already seems to have gone a step further. This is apparent from a webinar that the organization held on Tuesday evening and which was widely viewed.
Not that LTO Nederland wants to do business directly with Minister Van der Wal. LTO Nederland is also angry and frustrated. Chairman Sjaak van der Tak even spoke of a 'legally invented problem'. To be clear, LTO Nederland is also participating in the large farmers' protest on June 22, but consultation is preferred.
LTO initially seeks support from the provinces. At least five of the twelve have already clearly expressed their dissatisfaction with the cabinet plans. It is no coincidence that the provinces are most likely to be affected and where there is a relatively high dependence on agriculture and related activities: Gelderland, Overijssel, Drenthe, Friesland and Utrecht. LTO wants to be the first to consult with them and with the parliamentary groups of a large number of political parties.
Provinces indispensable
The provinces are of great importance for the implementation of the Cabinet's plans. Nothing will come of it without their cooperation. After all, the policy for rural areas has been delegated to the provinces and only they have the implementation apparatus for it.
Like others, LTO also strongly criticizes the substantiation of the cabinet plans, but it all sounds a bit more resigned. Just like with the Dutch Dairy Organization (NZO) is partly based on previous proposals from the sector itself, such as the plan of the Coalition for the Future Dairy Farming (CTM).
'Drive 120 kilometers into the swamp'
President Erwin Wunnekink of LTO Dairy Farming indicated that the cabinet's intentions, even if they go ahead, will not all have an immediate effect. It looks like a huge package of measures all at once, and a lot is also being poured into agriculture at once - including water and other issues - but it will take years to implement, he indicated. "This plan looks like driving 120 kilometers into the swamp," says Wunnekink. So it won't go very fast.