NRC adjusts percentage of manure fraudsters

NRC has corrected the percentage of manure fraudsters. Not 61% of the fertilizer traders have been fined or are suspected of fertilizer fraud, but 39%. These figures are based on an evaluation by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).

However, the outcome of NRC's investigation emphatically remains valid. This shows that 64% of the fertilizer companies have been fined, suspected or convicted. 

'The Manure Conspiracy'
NRC published Saturday 11 November an article ('The Manure Conspiracy'), in which the accountability framework stated that 61% of all manure intermediaries violated the rules; or suspected of doing so. This percentage has now been adjusted. NRC reports that data from the NVWA on inspections from 2014 and 2015 shows that 39% of intermediaries violate the rules.

The measurement in the 'eevaluation report compliance intermediaries' of the NVWA gives a global picture of the behavior of an average company. This showed that of the 36 checks, 14 were found not to be in agreement. This brings the compliance percentage to 61%.

The NVWA also reports that many inspections that were not approved relate to minor violations. When these are disregarded, the compliance percentage comes to 75%. These are results from studies in 2014 and 2015.

Own research 
Author of the NRC article Joep Dohmen says that the outcome of his own research remains intact. NRC investigated which companies have been fined several times by the NVWA, which were suspected of criminal offenses and which have been convicted by the administrative or criminal court. This shows that 64% of the fertilizer companies are involved.

Brabant takes measures
Monday evening 13 November called Minister Carola Schouten LTO, POV, Cumela and Rabobank on the mat. Schouten instructed them to come up with a plan of action within 1 month. Transport organization TNL is also contributing to the plan.

The provincial government of North Brabant does not want to spend money on farmers involved in manure fraud. Last Friday, November 10, the States of Brabant voted in favor of an amount of €75 million for supporting measures, in order to accelerate the sustainability of livestock farming. 

Anne-Marie Spierings, D66 deputy, says to Omroep Brabant not to subsidize criminal organizations. That is why Brabant organizes the rules in such a way that the money only ends up with 'good' farmers. Farmers must count on stricter controls before transferring money.

Rabobank has stated that it only wishes to do business with customers it knows and who do not entail unacceptable integrity risks. Branch organization Cumela wants enter a code of conduct for intermediaries and is working on a certification system.

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