Supervisor with stretched leg in it

With the start of their own Ministry of Agriculture, many farmers hoped that calm would return to the sector. After a chaotic period under State Secretary Martijn van Dam, peace, space and cleanliness were important in order to push the sector in the right direction. 

The phosphate legislation, the derogation and further sustainability should put the sector in a positive light again. Still, calm does not seem to want to return and a red line of scandals continues to run through the sector. This raises the question for me: are farmers so bad, or do some people communicate so clumsily?

Unreliable sector?
The manure fraud was the sector's first blow, after which it was confronted with the Fipronil scandal. In any case, the choice of words in both cases ensures that the sector is portrayed as unreliable. And that is now fueled again by the fraud with the registration of livestock.

However, I still find it strange why these words are chosen this way. It seems as if there is a bigger plan or director behind it that wants to damage the sector (or at least put it in a bad light). It strikes me that it is mainly the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) that is the constant factor in this.

Why is there always such a negative way of communicating? "We advise you not to eat eggs for the time being", was the call from the NVWA. How so? In fact, there was no evidence of a food safety hazard? However, this is how it is put away.

The word 'fraud'
The most recent scandal always uses the word 'fraud'. This while it actually concerns administrative imperfections. In that case, the word 'fraud' is, in my opinion, overused. It is a pity that the minister went along with this. 

It is even more shameful that LTO Nederland went along with this. LTO Nederland strengthens the case by indicating that it will expel fraudulent members, thereby confirming that farmers are fraudsters. It would have been better if they stood by their members and stated that these accusations were far too serious. They should have demanded extensive investigation before their members were branded as fraudsters. 

The fact that they are now shouting in the media that they are demanding an apology for the affected companies is filling the well when the twins have already drowned. I think many non-members now think twice before joining.

The bitten dog
On balance, the farmer is now the bitten (damaged) dog. In addition, communication 'with a straight leg in it' is not the way in which you should want to solve this. Not from the advocates, not from the supervisors and certainly not from politics.

In comparison: what would it be like if someone who drove his car too fast was immediately expelled by the ANWB. After which he is subsequently labeled as a fraud by the Ministry of Road Safety and that the RDW describes the best man as a potential murderer. That would cause commotion.

Keith Maas

Kees Maas is director of the DCA Group. He has more than 25 years of experience in commodities trading, both on the stock exchanges and in the physical market. Maas is a specialist in price risk management and a much sought-after sparring partner for food companies for their sales and purchasing strategy.

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