News Ground
Flevoland farmers lose 10.000 hectares
Flevoland farmers will probably lose almost 10.000 hectares of agricultural land in the coming years. This is mainly due to housing construction, Lelystad Airport and the construction of solar parks. This is the conclusion of a study by Wageningen University.
The research shows that in the period up to 2040 this will be about 10% of the total area in Flevoland. In the period up to and including 2025, approximately 6.200 hectares will be withdrawn from agriculture. Approximately 1.000 hectares will be used for the construction of solar parks† This process has already started, because in the autumn of 2018 the first 500 hectares have already been distributed over the 6 municipalities in Flevoland.
Lelystad Airport plays a role
Whether the said 1.000 hectares is sufficient, however, remains to be seen. Various stakeholders in the province inform the researchers that in 2018 already 2.500 hectares of applications (for solar parks) have been submitted to the municipalities in the province. It is striking that the nearby regions, which cannot meet their energy targets themselves, are also allowed to call on acreage from Flevoland.
Until 2025, approximately 650 hectares will be used for housing, with the exception of the municipality of Almere. In Almere, about 5.000 hectares will be used for Oosterwold (not just housing), although this also counts for the period up to 2040. In that later period, an additional 2.000 to 3.000 hectares will be withdrawn for housing.
Lelystad Airport has been allocated 1.000 hectares, which is approximately equal to the policy plans drawn up earlier. On the other hand, it appears that more hectares are needed than what has already been allocated. About 500 hectares will be used in the short term. Provincial policy for the realization of the Nature Network in Flevoland is not based on new abstractions.
Land subsidence and degradation
The researchers do not only write about the extraction of agricultural land, but also about the fact that the soil quality is still deteriorating. According to the authors, subsidence and climate change are causing wetting. That is a threat to the agricultural production value of the province. Depending on the composition of the subsoil, subsidence can locally reach 70 centimeters in 2050.
The intensive use of the soil can also lead to degradation of the soil structure and soil fertility, which can cause a decrease in workability and yield. According to the researchers, this can cause problems, especially in the Noordoostpolder. Besides the physical quality problems caused by heavy machinery and intensive cultivation, biological factors (such as increased nematode pressure) are also mentioned.
Rising land price
The authors of the report also mention that the increase in scale will continue in the coming years and the land price has increased in recent years. Over the past 12 years, the acreage under ownership has also increased, at the expense of the share of rent. The leasehold share has remained unchanged.
The average land price on the free market in the Noordoostpolder is higher than in Eastern and Southern Flevoland: over €114.000 per hectare (2017) versus an average of €109.000 per hectare. The researchers write that the 'ground hunger' is particularly high in the Noordoostpolder. This, in combination with the fact that more land is being withdrawn from agriculture, may have a price-increasing effect.
Greater business succession willingness
The willingness to take up a business is greater in Flevoland than elsewhere in the Netherlands. Just like in the rest of the Netherlands, about 60% of all business heads are over 50 years old. Nevertheless, 30% of the farm managers in Flevoland have no successor, while the percentage elsewhere in the Netherlands is 40%.
In the study, the researchers also advise that plot exchange can increase land mobility and that the lease agreements must be adjusted. According to the researchers, this should contain stricter requirements to maintain soil fertility.
Click here to view the study.
Anne-Jan Doorn
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