Everyone is looking for the farmer's agenda

At this time of year, the farmer's calendar is once again overflowing with invitations to meetings, demonstrations, seminars and meetings. It seems that every company wants something from the farmer. Is it such a welcome guest, or are the interests elsewhere?

Have you noticed that the media has found 'the farmer'. Nowadays nothing can happen without newspapers, broadcasters and magazines being there. I think the fipronil crisis certainly contributed to that. When it comes to food, the media is on edge. In addition to a media hype, in my opinion there is also a hype going on around the farmer's agenda. Every day there is an event or meeting to visit. Often several.

Being a farmer is a special profession, and then in the positive sense of the word. Also special is the gathering of news and the acquisition of knowledge in the agricultural sector. I don't think there is any profession that gets so much information thrown at it. In addition, every advisor wants something from you. They all help you and it always costs money. We call this property entry with a neat word.

Entering the yard
The Netherlands has more than 55.000 agricultural companies, including hobby farmers with 2 cows or 1 hectare of land. Perhaps 30.000 substantial entrepreneurs remain. I was told that there are 10 people entering the farm per farmer in our country. You're talking about a periphery of 300.000 men! And then we haven't even mentioned the organizations behind these advisors. They are all 100% dependent on the farmer. Not only do they feed the mouths of millions of citizens. They also give a complete secondary sector the right to exist. Pretty special when you think about it. All this must be paid for from potatoes, onions, milk and meat for which you receive a few cents per kilo as a producer.

A constant stream of advisors and representatives causes many entrepreneurs to sit back and relax. They look at what is coming their way, listen to the story and thus paint a picture for themselves on which to make their decisions. Obtaining independent and critical information is difficult. For that you have to make an effort and pierce through commercial talk.

Which events are useful to attend? Which advisor has your best interests at heart, and where do you gain valuable knowledge? Everyone can decide that for themselves. One feels comfortable with an independent consultant, while the other likes to belong to a brand or company name. Jackets, shirts and caps are proudly worn.

To learn from each other
Without ignoring the knowledge and skills of all these companies, I personally think that we are passing an important component: the opinion of the colleague. Why do study groups, associations and, for example, Skylark flourish? They bring entrepreneurs together. Everyone learns from that.

Thanks to modern communication, such as social media, it is easy to get in touch with colleagues at home and abroad. A phone call is quickly made and an appointment is quickly made. By nature, the Dutch farmer is open and honest. Anyone who ever visits a company abroad knows that this is not the case everywhere. Take advantage of the knowledge that is available and expand your knowledge from the inside out. There is more to be gained from this than listening to countless commercial stories.

Niels van der Boom

Niels van der Boom is a senior market specialist for arable crops at DCA Market Intelligence. He mainly makes analyses and market updates about the potato market. In columns he shares his sharp view on the arable sector and technology.

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