Background Nitrogen
Agricultural consultations to an operetta-like finale
Viewed from a distance, the process surrounding whether or not to conclude the Agricultural Agreement is almost a comical process, were it not for the fact that so much is at stake for farmers. On Tuesday, after a turbulent weekend, the consultations suddenly seemed to fail.
The national media already knew for sure, but while the agricultural administrators already had the doorknob of Kasteel de Essenburgh in their hands, so to speak, they were pulled back inside by process director Chris Kalden. At this location in Hierden, people have been 'dining' for the past few days.
The 'wheeling and dealing' continued in full swing. Today, LTO chairman Sjaak van der Tak indicated that, as far as he is concerned, achieving the emission and shrinkage targets for agriculture may also take effect from 2030, provided that a series of other targets are met.
Dizzying
This immediately raised the question among those involved at a slightly greater distance from the negotiations whether the LTO chairman might not have been alert for a while. That indeed turned out to be the case. In a statement afterwards, LTO reports that confusion has arisen, which is regretted. "Once again, let it be crystal clear that bringing forward this legal date to 2030 is not a viable route for LTO."
According to participants, the consultations of the past few days have been dizzying. For example, even the chairman of the agricultural table meeting at times did not seem to know who had and had not been invited. People who shouldn't have been there showed up and vice versa. It also happened that discussion papers were distributed for reading and were withdrawn before the end of the reading break because new proposals arrived.
Grassland standard
In part, these proposals contain largely the same plans, but arranged differently and in slightly different wording. For example, the LSU standard was suddenly dropped to make way for a 'grassland standard'. There can undoubtedly be a considerable difference in interpretation, but it could also be a sauce to get the unsavory morsel down the throats of the resisting dinner companions more easily, as was suspected. It also remains unclear to many parties what should and should not be included in an agricultural agreement.
Frame is missing
There is no clear framework for this. There are naturally key points for agricultural organizations, such as feasible and clear emission targets, legal certainty and a good earning capacity. For the latter, efforts have been made, among other things, on sustainable concepts, such as the further development of Albert Heijn's 'Beter voor' (Beter for) program and also on fair additional income from (agricultural) nature management. But Brussels still has to give permission for the latter, according to a calculation by Wageningen UR.
Confessor seeks solution
These days, Kalden would resort to a confessional procedure as a last resort to reach an agreement, as is often practiced in difficult negotiations in Brussels. The confessor knows all the information from the one-on-one conversations, other participants do not. The former tries to take advantage of this and get parties to where they were previously unwilling. The outcome may even be an agricultural agreement without a signature, it was said on Tuesday. Apparently the minister, or the cabinet, desperately needs a success, however meager. Agriculture can say yes in the way it wants, as long as there is a kind of yes.
Transition Fund
In the meantime, the House of Representatives is debating a temporary fund that can help buy up farms. There is still a short window of time until May 30 to get a number of legal instruments passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate before a different balance of power occurs in the latter body. On the said date, the new Senate will be installed, with many BBB members and a sizeable minority for the current coalition.
Klaas van der Horst
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.
