BB Agricultural Congress
'Victim behavior does not suit dairy farmer'
Dairy farmers still have major steps to take, said Lubbert van Dellen, commercial director at Accon avm, at the National Economic Agriculture Congress. "It's time to stop victimization and complete your own picture."
Phosphate rights still dominate the kitchen table discussions. Logical, because it is a far-reaching, and in various places expensive, measure from the government. But Van Dellen made it clear at the National Economic Agriculture Congress that there are more points for attention than phosphate for 2018, although phosphate still demands something from the livestock farmer.
Distribution of rights
"Dairy farmers still have big steps to take," says Van Dellen. "What does your picture look like?" Points of attention are the distribution of rights (with those who have young stock rearing carried out by third parties), but also the registration of cooperation agreements and transfers with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl). "Make sure the transfer is completed in 2017." With this, Van Dellen makes the audience think; especially by pointing out that phosphate rights can come to the cows, but that cows can also be brought to the phosphate. This in connection with a discount of 10% with every transfer. "Can it be smarter?", asks Van Dellen.
A question that is on the minds of dairy farmers is what the status of the Kringloopwijzer is. Van Dellen says it is positive that a pilot with 250 dairy farmers can start. "Due to the stories surrounding manure fraud, there is now being asked for a guarantee up to the second degree. The fact that there will still be a pilot gives confidence."
Land-relatedness and biodiversity
But there is more than phosphate. For example, the director indicates that dairy farmers must also take the land-related and biodiversity committee into account. The fact that they are there alone says something about the course that politics can take. "There are 832 dairy farmers with more than 4 LU on the farm. They are known by name at the ministry, which also says something about what can happen." Taking into account forage harvesting from own land, Van Dellen indicates that 2,8 to 3 LU is a good balance.
Fun at work
However, the most important thing that dairy farmers have to do now is to get pleasure from their work again and pass that on to potential successors. "They are now giving up because of all the negative developments." An emotion that Van Dellen understands after the accumulation of rules, but it is something that must be done with.
He indicates that it is wise to look beyond phosphate. "There is a lot to choose from. It is not about which factory you are going to deliver to, but about which milk flow suits you." The differentiation within the milk flows is also increasing and will probably increase further. "You can opt for taste, organic, nature-inclusive, outdoor grazing or completely grass bases, VLOG (GMO-free milk), high protein, Omega-3 and CLA." Closer to home, optimization of feed utilisation, animal welfare, life production and soil health can be looked into.
There are plenty of reasons for Van Dellen to step out of the victim role. As Ruud Huirne, director of Food & Agri at Rabobank, it described: choose from strength, not from cramp.
Herman van den Pol
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