LTO wants to keep talking with Schouten about nitrogen

LTO Nederland would prefer to discuss the conditions of the nitrogen policy with agriculture minister Carola Schouten. This is what chairman Marc Calon says in an interview with De Volkskrant. In doing so, he opposes the Agricultural Collective, of which LTO is also a part, which has discontinued talks with Schouten.

According to Calon, it remains to be seen whether the Landbouw Collectief, the association of 13 farmers' representatives, will continue now that the nitrogen talks with Schouten have been broken off. "We are looking at whether and how we should proceed with the Agricultural Collective," he tells de Volkskrant.

According to the LTO leader, it remains to be seen whether it was wise for the Agricultural Collective to stop the talks. "We are a bit more nuanced than a number of other agricultural clubs, because the cabinet will continue to draw up nitrogen policy. That is why we prefer to talk through it." Calon emphasizes that the contact between LTO and the cabinet is good. He gives as an example the damage estimate of €5 billion for agriculture due to the corona crisis, which LTO has issued. "This one comes back in their pieces."

The LTO foreman emphasizes in the interview that Dutch livestock farming has already done a lot to reduce nitrogen emissions. Remarkably enough, Calon indicates that LTO has never doubted the nitrogen calculations of the RIVM. Many other organizations such as the Farmers Defense Force and the Mesdag Dairy Fund have serious doubts about this. "We are clear about nitrogen: those emissions simply have to come down. We believe that more points should be measured, but we have never doubted the calculations of the RIVM."

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