The Dutch Dairymen Board (DDB) wants to cooperate structurally with other organizations in the advocacy of dairy farmers. The DDB will ask the members for permission for this at the members' meeting on 5 October, chairman Sieta van Keimpema wrote to the members.
The directors of DDB and Farmers Defense Force (FDF) recently had a conversation about cooperation. "Both organizations want to combat the fragmentation of farmers' interests by seeking more structural cooperation with each other," Van Keimpema informed the members on behalf of the board. In addition to being chairman of the DDB, Van Keimpema is also a member of the board of FDF.
Regional Challenges
In the current structure it is impossible for the DDB to also tackle the regional challenges. "While good, sharp advocacy for Dutch dairy farmers in all regions is becoming increasingly important." Collaboration must provide added value, according to the board of the DDB. "Now that we are entering a period in which many farmers' interests are also at stake regionally/provincially (including due to the intended 'area-oriented approach' in the nitrogen dossier), the DDB board believes that we must change course on a structural basis. "
According to the DDB board, cooperation is "very welcome" to gain access to "a larger network and sounding board and to a new group of dairy farmers who are not members of the DDB but who have the same goals in mind." At the general members' meeting, the DDB will therefore ask the members for permission to discuss structural cooperation with other representatives.
Cost-effective milk price
In addition to FDF, this can also be the Dutch Dairy Farmers' Union (NMV), to which the DDB was affiliated 15 years ago when it was founded. Things are rumbling in the current board of the NMV. Chairman Harm Wiegersma will say goodbye at the members' meeting next month and vice-chairman Jeroen van Maanen resigned his position with immediate effect last week, Wiegersma gave last week on request to Boerenbusiness challenges that the NMV must again be much more active in the regions for the dairy farmer.
The DDB was founded 15 years ago with its first name by realizing a revenue model and a cost-effective milk price for the dairy farmer. To achieve this goal, the organization works within the European Milk Board (EMB) together with sister organizations from the various European member states. Van Keimpema is also president of the EMB.
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