'For how long will there be crowds in the outlying area'

During these sunny spring days it is busy on the roads around our farm in Oxe. Busy with walkers, cyclists, people on rollerblades and in cars. There are of course always walkers and cyclists to see here, but now it is really busy.

It is only logical that after a while you want to go inside for a while in the fresh air and try to forget the misery of now. Normally these people would flock to the terraces to enjoy the first real sun and a cool drink. Unfortunately, this is not possible due to the corona crisis. A disaster for the catering entrepreneurs.

I try to see the positive side of it. All the more people now see how rich the outer area of ​​Deventer is. The meadows with grazing cows, the forests, the birds, the hares and deer. The typical bocage landscape as we know it here. In addition to the concerns about the corona crisis that everyone is now experiencing, I also have my concerns about the survival of the landscape as we know it now.

Fear of survival
In the autumn of 2019, we farmers took to the streets to let them know that we fear for our survival due to new nitrogen regulations. And we still fear that, since the nitrogen rules are being pushed through in The Hague. Despite the fact that there is currently a crisis going on in our country. Even measures to limit nitrogen emissions on farms, proposed by the Agricultural Collective, are not being heard. Last week, those concerns were once again confirmed by the action of the Province of Noord-Brabant. They bought farms for the development of Logistiek Park Moerdijk. Fertile agricultural land for concrete and traffic.

This so-called external netting means that the industry can buy up the farms to grow. We, young farmers, cannot compete with these wealthy companies. Where we work with small margins in the primary sector. Sufficient to live happily and to develop our company. But not enough to compete with the big industry. And this development is urgently needed in this changing society with changing demand. Which we as young farmers would like to meet.

Decline of our landscape
The fact is that there are fewer and fewer young people who are interested in taking over the farm from their parents. But by removing the fence around our sector through external netting, I fear an even greater decline in the number of farms in our province. With this decline we also lose our landscape.

Because where do we still see cows in the meadow, who maintains the hedgerows, woods and fields? And what will happen to these fertile land, will we exchange it for solar parks where no meadow bird can land or will industry take its place? How does this affect the quality of life in our rural areas and the villages?

I hope that our province will not imitate the 'cowboy behaviour' of North Brabant. And is careful with its landscape and does not sell the farmers, but gives them a future. I hope that it will remain busy on our country roads with cyclists and walkers for a long time to come. That is why I continue to advocate for the fence around our sector and I hope you do too. Enjoy what the landscape has to offer us and the little things. I also do that every morning when our cows run into the meadow. Especially now, when we all need it so much.

Christian Mulerman
Christian Muilerman is a young farmer in Oxe and president of the OAJK.

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