Mixing catch crop no longer required

Farmers are no longer required to mix at least 2 catch crops at their ecological focus areas. The European Parliament Committee on Agriculture supports the motion of CDA MEP Annie Schreijer-Pierik. Fodder radish and yellow mustard are added to the list.

Since the last reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, farmers are obliged to designate 5 percent of their building land as an ecological focus area. This is necessary to meet the greening requirements and thus to be able to claim their subsidy.

Obligation does not serve the purpose
One of the requirements in the greening package is that a mixture of at least 2 catch crops is sown. According to Schreijer-Pierik, this obligation does not contribute to the main objective of the measure. That is the creation of ground cover. According to the MEP, the removal of the measures should reduce costs and reduce the bureaucratic content of the greening measures. According to her, the obligation is merely an obstacle.

If it is up to the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture, the list of optional crops with fodder radish and yellow mustard will be expanded. In this way, the obligation for a green manure mixture can be circumvented. These 2 types of green manure are widely used and are therefore not a new problem. The European Parliament still has to approve the requirement.

Niels van der Boom

Niels van der Boom is a senior market specialist for arable crops at DCA Market Intelligence. He mainly makes analyses and market updates about the potato market. In columns he shares his sharp view on the arable sector and technology.

n.vanderboom@boerenbusiness. Nl

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