News Agricultural Agreement
The government wants farmers to come up with perspective themselves
The industry looked forward to the letter on the future of agriculture being published today. But anyone who hopes to discover some perspective in this will come home from a rude awakening. "There is a change of approach compared to before the summer," Prime Minister Mark Rutte indicates during the weekly press conference after the Council of Ministers. The government is not coming up with the perspective, but Agriculture Minister Piet Adema will flesh it out in the first quarter of next year with farmers, nature organisations, governments and chain parties in an Agricultural Agreement.
"The Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality will work with relevant parties to make choices about the future prospects for farmers in 2040 and the support that is required for this", according to a message from the cabinet.
For farmers who want to become more sustainable, €226,6 million will be available over the next two years. This money is intended, among other things, for switching to organic or nature-inclusive agriculture, independent advice or innovations on the farm. The minister is also working with the sector in the Agricultural Agreement to develop business models that fit with the development opportunities for farmers, such as (technical) innovation, conversion or relocation.
PAS detectors
The cabinet is making €250 million available for provinces to apply tailor-made solutions to legalize PAS reporters. As previously promised, the government will help to think about the possibilities. If enforcement cannot be avoided, a claims desk will be set up. Nitrogen minister Christianne van der Wal says in a press release: "I understand that this does not remove the uncertainty of the people affected, but the cabinet is making every effort not to drop these people."
The government is making an extra €400 million available for the Clean and Emission-free Building program and €200 million for a number of specific (non-statutory) nitrogen measures in the fields of industry, construction and mobility. The space created by national source measures is carefully registered in the nitrogen registration system. The cabinet is committed to strong control over the distribution of the nitrogen space created and over the exchange of NOx and NH3.
Peak loaders
As was already leaked this week, the cabinet wants to make 2.000 to 3.000 agricultural companies significantly more sustainable through (a combination of) innovation, conversion and extensification, relocation, or voluntary termination. There will be a cessation scheme that is 'as attractive as possible, there will not be a better scheme'. Rutte explains that with the nitrogen space that will be released in this way, nature must recover, PAS detectors must be legalized and infrastructure and housing must be made possible. 2023 will be a transition year. Only then will mandatory instruments be considered. But the prime minister assumes that the 'little pig can be washed with it'. It is remarkable that talks will be held with farmers next year about those mandatory instruments. More information about the voluntary buy-out scheme will be available in January.
Soil and water
The cabinet has also decided to base its decisions on the organization of the Netherlands on soil and water. For farmers, it is especially important to strive for a higher groundwater level. A higher groundwater level provides sufficient water if it does not rain for a while, slows down the subsidence of peat soils and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. This is achieved by better retention of water with a healthy soil, but also by gaining insight into all withdrawals.
Linda van Eekeres
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