Why fertilizer tax is a stupid plan

The ladies and gentlemen in politics in The Hague have once again come up with something that should bring farmers to a circular economy: the fertilizer tax. This levy on nitrogen fertilizers should encourage farmers to use less fertilizer.

However, what it really is is bullying the peasant and increasing the cost. Moreover, it puts Dutch farmers at a greater disadvantage compared to their fellow farmers in the rest of Europe. We want to realize circular agriculture, but every arable farmer knows that he does not supply enough for his crops with animal manure alone.

Moreover, in this way the arable farmer cannot make precise adjustments during the season. He is also hindered by the laws and regulations regarding the supply of sufficient animal manure, in order to maintain the soil stock. to hold.

Reward or punish
Apparently, politicians have not yet realized that you get further with rewards than with punishment. If you want the various sectors to work together, you have to reward this by, for example, giving more phosphate scope to collaborations between arable farmers and livestock farmers. Don't punish, that's the stupidest thing you can do. I think there is not 1 arable farmer who is less fertilizer will buy if a tax is imposed.

So it's stupid and unnecessary measure† Let the polluter pay, isn't it the policy? Then choose to increase the taxes in the Randstad, at the airport, in transport and in industry, but not at the farmer. Again with this rule the farmer has been bombarded to the head by the populist politicians, who have only one goal: to make the agricultural sector a head smaller and to make our country a national nature resort. We know how it ends if you leave it to officials, just look at the Oostvaardersplassen.

Boycott?
It may be an idea for LTO Nederland to block this plan and to call on arable farmers not to receive animal manure from fellow livestock farmers for 1 year. We'll see what the world will look like then. Minister Carola Schouten (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) says she is considering the alleged levy and does not rule out the possibility that her new policy includes such a measure.

In my view, the minister should first come up with a coherent plan. That plan should solve problems and remove restrictions on collaborations, instead of this kind of 'bite policy'. That only leads to more rules, more misunderstanding and higher costs. It's stupid and not thought through.

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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