Minister Carola Schouten (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) has announced more about the ban on trailing foot injectors. The issue has now almost become a headache file. Boerenbusiness made an inventory of whether a ban as of 1 January is feasible.
De reply from Minister Schouten offer few new insights into the issue that has been preoccupying the livestock farming and contracting sector since 2016. Various MPs, such as Helma Lodders (VVD) and Jaco Geurts (CDA), asked a few questions about the ban, the deadline for which is still January 1, 2019.
Influence of lobby
Inquiries in the sector show that the work of lobbyists is clear. A group of dairy farmers remains to hold spreading manure above ground. The fact is that the ban is fixed, without any details being known. This makes machine manufacturers cautious, meaning that no machines are (yet) available for the 2019 fertilizer season to fertilize correctly. There is also no assurance or an agency that assesses the technology. This results in the sector having serious doubts about the deadline.
The prohibition on trailing foot injectors on peat and clay soils distills in 2 flavors: you use a Pulse-Track injector (from Duport) or you add water (1 part water to 2 parts manure). Other techniques, such as spraying water over the manure and modified fertilizers, are not allowed. The ministry is working on developing the rules. Trench coulter injectors with discs remain permitted, provided the manure is completely in the trench. However, this method is undesirable on many grounds.
Exception to the rule
We are also working on an alternative for companies that graze their dairy and calf cows above average. They may use the trailing shoe injector, with undiluted manure, to a limited extent in the summer. The manure must be diluted in the spring. The idea is that the urine and manure (during a long grazing period) end up separately on the land, so that no ammonia volatilization occurs. To determine whether a company grazes sufficiently, the existing certification of dairy factories is adhered to.
The crux of the story lies in the securing technique. This is mandatory if water is added. It must ensure that (even after fertilizing) it can be checked whether the correct ratio has been added. The location of the injector is also recorded using GPS. In practice, this means 2 flow meters that register the manure and water flow. An EC meter registers whether clean water is actually used and not, for example, thin liquid liquid.
Manufacturer waits
It remains unclear which requirements the assurance system must meet and which authority issues the type approval. This results in manufacturers not being involved in development. "First the rules must be clear, then we assess the market potential and decide whether or not to invest," said a manufacturer. During a demonstration in 2017, manufacturer SIM Holland showed a system, although the control box that stores the data is still missing. It is also unknown how long this data will remain available. According to the ministry, recording the location has the advantage that checks can be carried out remotely.
The cost of such a system is estimated at €10.000 per machine. This amount is used as a rule of thumb, but the estimate is sometimes even higher. A possible alternative is a separate unit, which is used by several dairy farmers to spread costs. According to the ministry, this technology will soon be mandatory on approximately 300 drag hose injectors and 5.700 slurry tanks. This represents an investment of €60 million for the sector. Such amounts can only be made profitable for large companies.
In addition to costs for hardware and software, the consequences extend further. By adding water, the nitrogen in the liquid manure is used better, which increases yields. However, this difference is small and the research results are great. On the other hand, fertilizing takes considerably more time, especially if a tank is used. In the peat areas, the small plots are often widely spread out. This entails considerably more costs.
Ban feasible in 2019?
Those involved remain in the dark due to the lack of clarity. Even if rules are introduced at very short notice, a preliminary publication will first be published and national politicians will still have to decide. This will be followed by a notification in Brussels and the approval period will easily take 3 to 4 months.
It is realistic that more will become clear around the release date (February 15). However, manufacturers still have to start development and start producing the machines, after which type approval can be applied for. Delivery times must also be taken into account.
A ban on January 1, 2020 is conceivable at the earliest and even that is ambitious. Until then, uncertainty will continue to play a role. If we take cases such as the tractor license plate as an example, you can guess how the case ultimately develops. It cannot be ruled out that January 1, 2019 will still be held. For example, the new type approval for agricultural machines was also retained, without the sector being prepared for this.