The end of the farmers in the Netherlands

What's wrong with the farmers? They are the only group in society to have reported to the government exactly how many livestock they have. When a farmer wanted to expand, he had to buy animal rights from a quitting farmer. In order not to emit more nitrogen.

The nitrogen emitted by the stopped agricultural company was then credited to the farm that bought the rights. The government therefore knows exactly how much nitrogen and phosphate each farmer has. Industry and traffic, on the other hand, have never had to buy these rights - with the exception of a few large industries, because the government did not ask for them.

Too much work to check
Now the judge has said: no more nitrogen may be emitted in the Netherlands. A very big problem for the government. After all, with more traffic, industry or expansion of roads and houses, nitrogen emissions increase. How should we solve this now, The Hague thought. Construction, industry and traffic can no longer expand. Then the farmers only have to surrender part of the rights they have bought. The farmers were so willing to think along and made a proposal to emit less nitrogen. No, says The Hague, your proposal is too much work for us to check.

So agriculture minister Carola Schouten has pushed through a ministerial regulation, which can only be objected to after the government has returned from vacation. The scheme will come into effect on 1 September and means that farmers may have less protein in their concentrates. Veterinarians, animal feed industry and experts say: this is at the expense of animal health and milk yield.

Rights taken
The government gives these rights taken to construction, industry and traffic. Schiphol can then expand again, while they have not bought nitrogen rights, pay no taxes and also receive more than € 2 billion in subsidy to get through the difficult corona times. What will happen with nitrogen in the coming years? Will the government continue to steal this for free?

By the way, nitrogen is mentioned as one denominator but consists of 2 types: NOx and NH3. NOx is harmful and does not belong in nature (comes from combustion of all kinds of fuels) NH3 (ammonia) is the largest component of our air and is only harmful at a very high concentration, which does not occur in the Netherlands. Only a few plants that do not like nitrogen are displaced by plants that do like nitrogen NH3. NH3 promotes plant growth.

Swap nitrogen
Because NH3 and NOx are collectively called nitrogen, the government exchanges NH3 from farmers for NOx for traffic, industry and construction. There are already municipalities that have taken over nitrogen rights from farmers, for example in the municipality of Barneveld and the Moerdijk. The government and industry have much more money than the farmers. 

It is therefore not inconceivable that within the foreseeable future the nitrogen rights (NH3) of farmers will be replaced by nitrogen rights for construction, industry and traffic (NOx). This is disastrous for the environment and farmers will disappear. Schiphol can probably buy nitrogen rights with the more than €2 billion subsidy. I am afraid that if all NH3 from agriculture is exchanged for NOx, there will still be a large shortage of nitrogen rights for all traffic and industry. Especially if they also have to apply for a permit.

Lock up farmers
There is a discussion going on in society about discrimination. If there is one group in society that is being discriminated against, it is the farmer. To top it off, the government is now also taking their rights. The rights bought by the peasants, without paying. The peasants were not locked up just yet. Provinces are enacting ordinances that farmers are no longer allowed to demonstrate with their tractors. The first farmers with children have now been arrested in Drenthe.

Will this be the end of the farmers?

Jaap Major
Low Zuthem

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