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Interview Lubbert van Dellen

'Van der Wal organizes her own opposition'

June 17, 2022 - Klaas van der Horst - 8 comments

A week after ministers Christianne van der Wal (VVD) and Henk Staghouwer (ChristenUnie) announced their nitrogen and perspective plans, an initial interim assessment can already be made, notes Lubbert van Dellen, senior agricultural advisor at Flynth.

Last week he gave a first impression, he now has a more accurate overview. According to Van Dellen, what is clear is that Van der Wal has made a serious miscalculation from a psychological point of view. Because of the way she launched her plans, she organized her own resistance and in a massive way.

View provinces coloring page
Van Dellen: "I had expected that Van der Wal would at least coordinate her letter with the provinces, which have to ensure implementation. There turned out to have been no coordination at all. All five provinces where it should actually be done in terms of nitrogen approach responded. "Completely stunned. The card that was sent was even called a coloring page. That says quite a bit to me. It is also striking that the minister saddles the provinces with this six months before the provincial elections. That does not suit provincial politicians at all."

"Another observation is that nothing is known at all about proposed measures to flesh out the policy. You would expect that at least the generic measures have been worked out for those areas where a 12% emission reduction must be achieved. And that something would be said about technical measures that livestock farmers can take. Only then can the province and also the agro-entrepreneur make matters concrete. But nothing of that."

For the protection of vulnerable areas, much is dependent on the Critical Deposition Value (KDW). Why?
"I think that's special, especially because it was said at the formation table that this wouldn't be the case. Why did they come back from that? I have no explanation for that."
'I also see other things that are difficult to explain. For example, we work with a national emissions policy. These emissions must be returned. The NLPG program talks about limiting emissions in kilotonnes of ammonia, but at a local level companies are judged on the deposition on nature reserves, expressed in moles. Something isn't right there."

You mentioned a number of criticisms and weaknesses in the plans. Are there any strong points?
"It is the first time that there is now a concrete step-by-step plan."

The list of strengths is not very long…
"There are especially many questions. The cabinet wants to tackle a lot – not just nitrogen, but also other issues, such as water, climate and even the use of crop protection products and animal health – so far, especially in agriculture, but all of this in a very short time. time frame. The new policy should come into effect in June 2023, and it should be implemented in eight years. But there is a lack of support."

Surely the minister will be able to persuade a certain category of farmers to participate?
"It will be able to persuade some end-users to accept its offer, especially in those areas where there are no other buyers on the market due to existing restrictions. Since October last year, agricultural real estate close to nature has already become cheaper, and we see in the regular open agricultural areas, on the other hand, will see a significant increase.It will also not be able to persuade some of the intended stopers because of the broad resistance it has now organized.The scheme for the purchase of stables also contains an annoying point for aspiring sellers. The purchase scheme for stables - also for those who want to move - looks at square meters and the age of the stable. The latter is especially annoying for those who have modernized an older stable in the meantime. But the minister may change this in the final scheme."

What do you expect to happen on balance?
“Suppose the minister gets her way in The Hague, then a much longer period of uncertainty than desired will follow. In the meantime, there is a chance that a new discussion will flare up about the goals set and ways to achieve them."

"The target policy for agriculture may be weakened, and policy for industry and mobility will be further clarified, especially with more room for innovation and technical measures. Without the need to further delay housing construction. But the agricultural sector needs all the support for this. from the countryside to make it clear to The Hague - Randstad politics - that this is one-sided, because that's how I see it."

"The minister is aiming for 30% less livestock. She says nothing about the development of the number of companies and family incomes. Due to natural attrition, there will already be 20% to 25% fewer companies in ten years. this accelerates, and the number of companies could decrease by 30% to 50%. Whether this actually happens will be the difference between how hot the soup is served and then eaten. Provincial elections could only provide a cooling effect."

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Klaas van der Horst

Klaas van der Horst is a passionate follower of the dairy market and everything related to it. He searches for the news and interprets the developments.
Comments
8 comments
Subscriber
anna June 17, 2022
This is in response to it Boerenbusiness article:
[url = https: // www.boerenbusiness.nl/ artikel/10899076/van-der-wal-organizes-haar-eigen-tegenstand]'Van der Wal organizes its own opposition'[/url]
Perhaps Lubbert also preaches a bit for his own parish. He knows very well that our sector has created a bizarre amount of dependence on these types of advisors in recent years. Dependence on advisors because "the farming world" has become far too complex. Our "for men" have been in talks with the government for years, and then cannot reach an agreement about the policy to be pursued. It then ends in a compromise. And it is precisely this compromise that creates an enormously complex world. A complex world that results in a high cost price (rules that lead to far too many investments for the sake of the environment). The solution is often suggested: innovation. And it is precisely the innovation that leads to a direct cost increase and even more dependence (mechanics). We must get rid of the situation where everyone on the farmyard (yard-entrymen) is allowed to earn an income, except the farmer himself. In other words, lower costs. Sober and simple, that's the future.
Dirk June 17, 2022
Today in Trouw there is an interview by Raboman Drayer.
Also start to bleat.
When you come to the money, the priority of the environmental interest / living environment drops visibly
Ben Bleckink June 18, 2022
Think we've had the longest time at Nitrogengate since Friday. Goes and must be off the table and redesign in the spirit of Denmark is needed. Because with the current approach and standards, construction is still not going to take place, Vlieland has to be evacuated and the port of Rotterdam closed. A redesign is needed with new leaders who work unifying society instead of dividing and splitting it. End RUTTE!!!
Subscriber
Southwest June 18, 2022
anna wrote:
This is in response to it Boerenbusiness article:
[url = https: // www.boerenbusiness.nl/ artikel/10899076/van-der-wal-organizes-haar-eigen-tegenstand]'Van der Wal organizes its own opposition'[/url]
Perhaps Lubbert also preaches a bit for his own parish. He knows very well that our sector has created a bizarre amount of dependence on these types of advisors in recent years. Dependence on advisors because "the farming world" has become far too complex. Our "for men" have been in talks with the government for years, and then cannot reach an agreement about the policy to be pursued. It then ends in a compromise. And it is precisely this compromise that creates an enormously complex world. A complex world that results in a high cost price (rules that lead to far too many investments for the sake of the environment). The solution is often suggested: innovation. And it is precisely the innovation that leads to a direct cost increase and even more dependence (mechanics). We must get rid of the situation where everyone on the farmyard (yard-entrymen) is allowed to earn an income, except the farmer himself. In other words, lower costs. Sober and simple, that's the future.
Dear Anna, you are absolutely right. Those who have followed that creed now have no problems either.
Willem June 20, 2022
question to Ben Blekkink: what is Denmark doing differently in terms of nitrogen policy than the Netherlands?
Subscriber
Willem June 20, 2022
question to Ben Blekkink: what is Denmark doing differently in terms of nitrogen policy than the Netherlands?
clayi June 20, 2022
A good article in breakthrough .be how the nitrogen problem in the eu was created with money from the postcode lottery, etc.
Subscriber
time bomb June 20, 2022
clayi wrote:
A good article in breakthrough .be how the nitrogen problem in the eu was created with money from the postcode lottery, etc.
The more nature there is, the less cultivated land. Agriculture/animal farming etc is also nature. The less cultivated land, the less space for N. The new nature, which with enormous amounts of government money and postcode lottery money, destroys the old spontaneous nature. New nature is not nature, but imitation.
Just saw on NOS that a lot of factories etc. deliberately emit too much N, there are still some without a NBW permit. Let them figure that out carefully, and also what the farmers have been doing for years and years, then we are just 10 years further.
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