No generic discount, but temporarily (for example for a year) taking a substantial number of dairy cows out of production. It was one of the proposals that NSC Member of Parliament Harm Holman made on Monday in a manure debate with Minister Wiersma of LVVN. He sharpened his position as the driving force behind an anti-manure coalition.
Holman did set a sharp line, but according to him that was meant as an analysis of the manure problem as a whole. "Something has to be done, otherwise a financial disaster threatens the sector".
Incomplete sector plan
The plan to temporarily take a large number of cows out of production, he says, came 'from the sector'. When asked further, it turns out to be a still immature and also not tested for reality plan from the G7 (farmers' organizations, the NZO and ZuivelNL). As crazy as it sounds, they propose to temporarily take cows out of production, but for a kind of 'standstill compensation'. They also want feed adjustments and separate manure standards for areas contaminated with nutrients (NV) and areas outside of them.
Not what it seems
Although Holman did not mean it all as it sounded, his plan did not receive much public support within the group of governing parties. And although Holman later says that the minister follows him, that did not really appear to be the case in the debate on Monday.
Holman makes Bromet beam
NSC agricultural spokesman Harm Holman profiled himself as one of the most critical members of parliament, and he got along particularly well with GroenLinks/PvdA member of parliament Laura Bromet. Or perhaps she with him. Bromet listened to Holman beaming in the debate and apparently only had to embrace Holman's view that rapid additional action is needed. Other opposition members of parliament were also quick to support Holman.
Farmer protectors
The members of parliament from GroenLinks/PvdA, D66, SP and the Party for the Animals were careful not to attack the farmers themselves. They mainly expressed their concern about the fate of the livestock farmers, who according to them must be protected against the almost reckless plans of Minister Wiersma. He would only make them return from a cold fair.
Solution before derogation from
Holman also warns against the latter. He is in a hurry, very much in a hurry, and wants a solution for the manure problem in advance, even before Wiersma (BBB) tries to get a possible new derogation in Brussels. In fact, a derogation would then no longer be necessary, but the NSC member did not say that. Wiersma reminded him that PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB agreed in the outline agreement that a new derogation would be sought. However, Holman did not seem to care about that.
Leaking tap on sinking ship
With moisture-soaked imagery he made his position clear: the leaking tap on the ship sinking rudderlessly on a reservoir full of manure must be closed, and now. He also wants to quickly deal with the manure fraud that he sees.
Government parties not a manure coalition
In the debate it became clear that the four parties that support the current government do not operate as a coalition, while a logical ally in the agricultural field such as the SGP is also quite critical of Wiersma's plans. The SGP, together with the VVD among others, wonders why the pig and poultry farming sector should in their opinion be disproportionately affected by the skimming of animal rights in trading, while the dairy farming sector seems to be tackled mainly pro forma on that point.
For the rest, the VVD, together with former coalition partners ChristenUnie and CDA, seem to be slightly skeptical whether Wiersma is not too optimistic about her solution to the manure problems. The PVV and her own party, the BBB, expressed themselves the least critically.
Small win points
One of the few points of agreement seems to be a strengthening of the stoppers scheme, but the minister did not make any concrete commitments on that either. In concrete terms, the debate has yielded a few small commitments: the minister agrees to a slightly higher correction for gaseous losses, possibly also on the well stocks as of 1 January 2025 and she wants to adjust the excretion standards for dairy cattle, which gives more phosphate space.
No threatening amendment
The manure debate of the House of Representatives with Minister Wiersma will be continued in a month's time, but the signs point neither to an easy solution nor to a clear approach to tackling the manure problem.
Holman is keeping his proposal for a change in the law to make livestock farming completely land-based for the time being, but according to him, this should not be seen as a threat to intensive livestock farming. It is more of a kind of extra insurance, according to Holman. The amendment has not yet been submitted.