Authorities lenient with catch crop deadline

Maize growers who saw the under-sowing fail may also sow a catch crop again after 1 October. The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality has decided this together with the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.

Many entrepreneurs deliberately opted for under-sowing this year, in order to be able to harvest maize after October 1. Due to the drought, which particularly gripped the east of the Netherlands, undersowing failed in many places or occurred only to a limited extent. However, a best efforts obligation is not enough, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority also demands results in the form of a covered floor.

Immediate action needed after maize harvest
To give entrepreneurs leeway, the authorities have decided that a catch crop may also be sown after 1 October. The requirement is now that a catch crop is sown immediately after the maize harvest and that evidence of this can be refuted. Reportedly, the half of the maize growers violated the rules if the October 1 deadline had remained in place. 

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is editor-in-chief of Boerenbusiness. He also focuses on dairy, pig and meat markets. He also follows (business) developments within agribusiness and interviews CEOs and policymakers.

w.baan@boerenbusiness. Nl

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