Normally the hangover only follows after Carnival, at least for those who participate in that once Catholic celebration. For agriculture, the hangover was already here this week before carnival. The hopes of large groups of farmers and other rural residents for a cabinet that would pay more attention to them seem to be going up in smoke and all farmers' actions in recent weeks seem to have yielded only meager results. In any case, not the hoped-for enlightenment of existence.
For example, the EU may scrap the climate target of a 30% nitrogen reduction for agriculture in 2030, but all other targets remain intact. And removing the requirement to set aside agricultural land cannot be implemented at all in the Netherlands, says RVO.
Fear of giving up
It is just a small selection from the long series of problems and annoyances. Bureaucracy was once conceived as a tool, but the current bureaucracy no longer functions that way. It works to record and provide protocols for every step of our actions, and if we make a misstep, we get caught up in it. Bureaucracy almost always wins. The confession of LTO-Noord director Dirk Bruins in the House of Representatives this week was telling. Due to the exponentially increased number of lines he had to complete, he no longer dared to submit a combined assignment himself for the first time at the end of last year, and then you can expect that this man is not semi-illiterate and digitally ill. At most a meeting farmer who may be short on time. But one wrong check mark among all those hundreds of others and the entire system jumps on your neck, declares you a fraudster and issues fines.
One of the drivers
Agriculture may not even be the most bureaucratized sector of our society, but agricultural entrepreneurs are excessively affected by it, because maintaining administration comes on top of all those other tasks. Combined with all the goals stated in those rules and the narrow margins that have to be worked with, this is one of the major drivers behind the farmers' protests of recent weeks. The outgoing agricultural ministers also made little effort to make things a little worse for the farmers. It was more like they were emptying the trash over farmers' heads.
Not everything is allowed, but tolerance is smaller
Is it any wonder that farmers took to the road again with tractors, as did their European colleagues? The frustration is high enough. Is anything permitted in these actions? No. Yet it is striking that the understanding and tolerance in the Netherlands for farmers' actions is different than in the large neighboring countries.
Symbol motion and current look
In the meantime, something has to be done. The situation is most exciting for dairy farming: reduction of derogation, increased manure surplus, effect of buffer zones around nature (although this affects all agricultural companies) and nitrogen regulations that are still stuck. Even without symbolic political motions about livestock decline, what has been called for has been happening for a long time. People only have to follow current developments to see that. It is simply the consequence of current policy. But there may be a lot of bureaucracy, but The Hague always has difficulty with current figures. Debates almost always involve figures that are three to sometimes thirteen years old, and then the sector is usually viewed less favorably.
Sustainable loan must also be paid
Anyone who wants can always find a stick to beat agriculture with. Such as the reasoning that agriculture does not want anything and is not interested in sustainable loans from Rabobank - as expressed in including NPO 1. Because why is nothing being done with those credits? Because farmers often cannot do anything with it in the current situation. They would do well not to borrow. The income is too low, the base interest rate too high. You can also conclude that farmers are not interested in private jets, because they cannot do anything with them either. Rabo CEO Decraene knows that too.
Together and Bleker ahead
In recent weeks, Minister Adema seemed to be planning to implement some additional policy on livestock farming, and that will eventually happen, because he still has to work on a caretaker basis for a number of months. Fortunately for agriculture, the foremen are currently on the same page again. The minister cannot therefore go shopping with the various parties, something that has often happened in recent years. Talking takes place via one channel. The ferryman who sails back and forth across this canal is the recently resigned NMV chairman Henk Bleker, always good for such a job. It is hoped that the sector will find a way to arrange a somewhat soft landing for (dairy) livestock farming and arable farming from this consultation with the minister, and in coordination with Brussels.
Argument and integrity
The information will also continue in the coming week, because even if NSC drops out for a majority cabinet, another government variant may still be possible on the right. Whatever happens, a little more peace and respect in politics is also welcome in the meantime. Emotions in The Hague occasionally run high, with the latest low point being the riot between Caroline van der Plas and Tjeerd de Groot. It was clear that things were not going well between the two, but what exactly happened during the last debate in the House of Representatives? The first no longer felt safe. The integrity committee in the House of Representatives must be involved.