AgriNL implodes after publication of nitrogen action plan

AgriNL, the network organization of eleven agribusiness companies and LTO Nederland, is being blown up from within because of the Action Plan for the future of the agrifood sector presented yesterday (Tuesday 12 October). In doing so, the pact proposes solutions for the nitrogen problem. LTO Nederland has distanced itself from it and the cattle feed companies ForFarmers and De Heus are withdrawing from the club.

There was immediate commotion among farmers about the action plan, in which the network organisation makes all kinds of proposals to solve the nitrogen problems to solve. Many farmers believe that agribusiness companies should not act as their representatives at all. "I think you are really farming across the border," said Mark van den Oever, chairman of Farmers Defense Force (FDF). in a vlog on† "Peasant interests are defended by peasant advocates."

LTO distances itself
Van den Oever then also added that agribusiness should take a better look at how it can reduce its own emissions of nitrogen and CO2. The issue took a different turn late on Tuesday evening when Sjaak van der Tak, chairman of LTO Nederland, indicated in a tweet that his organization is distancing itself from AgriNL's action plan. According to Van der Tak, this action plan has not been approved by LTO Nederland. It may be concluded from this that representatives within AgriNL have therefore acted too quickly and probably too much on their own.

According to Van der Tak, LTO does endorse the advertisement that AgriNL placed in the Financieele Dagblad on Tuesday and in which the organization called for tackling the major agricultural issues. It is also not the case that LTO Nederland wants to put the brakes on everything. In a interview in the Telegraaf Van der Tak just said: "We are eager to take steps forward."

Large feed companies are withdrawing
Due to all the complications, livestock feed companies ForFarmers and De Heus have decided to withdraw from AgriNL. De Heus and ForFarmers indicate that 'they want to leave the discussion about the future prospects to agricultural entrepreneurs and their representative organisations'. It is striking that they use the same words here. Agrifirm says the same thing in slightly different terms.

LTO Nederland says it is considering the future and positioning within AgriNL. The organization sets this a statement on its own website. LTO indicates in it that it has been chafing between it and the other parties for some time about the question of how far the guideline to the government coalition should go. "We have repeatedly provided the documents from AgriNL with very critical comments. In our view, insufficient progress has been made with that justified criticism."

FrieslandCampina CEO Hein Schumacher defended in an interview The plan is with the Veeteelt magazine, but the company is now distancing itself from the summary, it said. "Hein explained the advertisement in the interview and it states the direction of the plan. The direction must be worked out. There is a variant of this on the website, but many elaborations are possible. There is no supported elaboration yet. That is why we disassociate us from the text on AgrINL's website," a comment read.

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