Chamber adopts motion above ground fertilization

On Tuesday 26 June, the House of Representatives adopted the motion to extend the exemption for above-ground fertilization. Last week, the minister advised against the motion after Tjeerd de Groot (D66) and Frank Futselaar (SP) submitted it.

The Association for the Preservation of Farmers & the Environment (VBBM) and the Dutch Dairy Farmers' Union (NMV) are pleased with this development. Last week they offered the standing committee for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality another manifest to maintain the exemption. "The adopted motion is a first step on a long road to a more source-oriented approach," said NMV chairman Harm Wiegersma.

Legal basis
By adopting the motion, VVBM and NMV are calling for a study into the effectiveness of source measures, in order to reduce ammonia emissions. Ultimately, however, a legal basis must be laid for this. "The time is right," the organizations said in a press release.

Erik Valk, chairman of the VBBM: "The current manure policy has seen better days. With our system you score well on all environmental and/or nature objectives that you want to achieve. In the coming 5 years we will fully focus on development and recognition of the NKS (Natural Cycle System) certificate developed by us. Now we still need government recognition, so that we can lay the required scientific basis together."

200 users
In July 2013, the motion to exempt from above-ground fertilization was passed by the entire House; this for a period of 5 years. About 200 land-based dairy farmers have since made use of this exemption. They believe that this is the natural way of fertilizing, with only positive effects on soil life and meadow birds.

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