Schouten grants postponement for soil sampling

Dutch farmers recently had to deal with frost and snow. As a result, not every farmer was able to have his agricultural land sampled in time. Minister Carola Schouten (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) has therefore decided to adjust the Fertilizers Act Implementation Regulation for 2019.

The Fertilizers Act Implementation Regulation for 2019 states that the soils must be sampled once every 4 years before 1 February. "These results are necessary to draw up a complete and accurate fertilization plan. After all, a fertilization plan must be available on the farm on 28 February each year, within the framework of the derogation decision," writes Schouten in a letter to Parliament.

However, due to the weather conditions of recent weeks, the planning for timely sampling of agricultural land, as prescribed by the derogation, may have gone wrong. "In order to prevent farmers from becoming the victims of this situation, I will adjust the Implementation Regulation for 2019. That is why I am granting a postponement for sampling and analyzing the soil and for drawing up the fertilization plan. The deadline for this is now 1 March 2019," said Schouten.

Always frost in January
According to Schouten, the other conditions will remain in force. She also mentions that the sampling companies must take frost in January into account. "It is always the case that there is frost in January." According to the agriculture minister, it is also important that they inform farmers in good time if they expect that sampling cannot be done before 1 February. "Farmers should be able to hire another company before that time."

Finally, Minister Schouten writes that farmers must also be on time with having their soil sampled and analysed. "They must always take the spreading periods for manure and weather conditions into account at all times."

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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