Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten has calculated the possibility of introducing mandatory low-nitrogen feed in Dutch livestock farming. As a result, ammonia emissions may fall in the short term, making room for housing, among other things.
This reports the NOS based on anonymous sources close to the cabinet. The cabinet has pinned hopes on special enzymes that can be added to animal feed. These enzymes are produced for chemical group DSM and can reportedly yield a nitrogen gain of at least 10%. The addition can be entered within a week.
According to DSM, the enzymes have no effect on milk production, but they fix less nitrogen in the manure. The feed does become more expensive, but according to the NOS, the livestock farmers do not have to pay for these costs. The cabinet wants to reimburse these costs, which are estimated at 'several tens of million euros' for the coming period.
It is remarkable that Schouten seems to rely completely on the enzymes. For several years now, the Dutch animal feed industry (Nevedi) has had research carried out into reducing the nitrogen and phosphorus content in animal feed. In contrast to phosphate, for example, this is not easy, Nevedi chairman Henk Flipsen hinted at a meeting in Fort Altena this spring. At the time, the sector presented a nitrogen reduction plan for dairy farming.
Little advantage
Incidentally, this is a measure to free up nitrogen space in the short term for developments outside agriculture (construction, housing). Agriculture itself seems to have little benefit other than goodwill. An organization such as Greenpeace, for example, was quick to say that 'the farmers and nature are not helped' by these plans of Schouten. 'She chooses to continue on the same dead-end road of technical bogus solutions that once again pushes forward the inevitable choice for shrinkage of the livestock.'
Greenpeace's reaction seems premature, because Schouten's plans for low-nitrogen feed probably have no direct link to the plans to reduce livestock. Buying up companies in Natura2000 areas is seen by the government as a long-term solution and is by no means off the table. By taking short-term measures now, time seems to be bought.
Increase threshold value
Representatives of, among others, Farmers Defense Force and Agractie met with Minister Schouten yesterday (Wednesday 30 October) to discuss how to tackle the nitrogen crisis and other issues. This included raising the threshold value, as well as revising the objectives and the number of Natura 2000 areas. These discussions were of an informative nature and therefore did not yield any commitments or results.
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This is in response to it Boerenbusiness article:
[url=http://www.boerenbusiness.nl/melk/ artikel/10884505/schouten-stikstofarm-feed-for-the-short-term]Schouten: low-nitrogen feed for the short term[/url]
Feeding enough silage maize is the fastest and cheapest solution to reduce nitrogen emissions.
