Intensive livestock farmers want POR decision reversed

The intensive sector is furious with State Secretary Martijn van Dam who decided on Friday not to extend the POR scheme after December 31. Van Dam announced this in the Letter to Parliament about the phosphate reduction plan of dairy farming. CDA and SGP want a debate.

The decision comes as a complete surprise to LTO-Pluimveehouderij/NOP, Dutch Trade Union Poultry Farmers (NVP), LTO Pig Farmers and the Dutch Trade Union Pig Farmers (NVV). In a press release they say that the decision was reached without consultation. 'That while we have had almost daily contact with the ministry about poultry farming lately', Eric Hubers, chairman of the Poultry Farming Department/NOP and chairman of the NVP Hennie de Haan, react indignantly. 'Now we have only been informed of the plans at the very last minute. We find this unacceptable.' Eric Douma and Ingrid Jansen of LTO Varkenshouderij and NVV agree with this.

The advocates completely disapprove of the conduct of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. They point out that this approach is not appropriate in the usual way of collaborating with the ministry, namely that decision-making is jointly made.

Hubers, De Haan, Douma and Jansen therefore call on Van Dam to reverse the decision and to enter into consultation with the sectors. "If Van Dam is not prepared to reverse the decision and consult with us, we will consider next steps," said the chairmen of the interest groups of the poultry and pig sectors.

In the meantime, politicians have also heeded the emergency call. CDA MP Jaco Geurts has requested a debate on this. And SGP Member of Parliament Elbert Dijkgraaf responds with: 'After making life miserable for the fishermen and dairy farmers, Van Dam is now thwarting the chicken and pig farmers. And that without any consultation. Unimaginable. Entrepreneurs want to stick their neck out and invest in manure processing. The scheme would in any case remain until the end of 2017. That's what they assumed. And now this? This is not how you treat entrepreneurs. We will start the debate on this as soon as possible. Van Dam must withdraw this.' 

The POR scheme (Exemption from the production rights of the Fertilizers Act) dates back to the time when the late Wien van den Brink was a Member of Parliament. The scheme was last opened to pigs and poultry in January 2015. The scheme offers space for 121.622 pig units and 1.200.000 poultry rights and means that no animal rights can be expanded, provided the manure is processed one hundred percent and sold outside the Netherlands. The abolition of this regulation will affect the poultry and pig farmers who have stuck their necks out to get the manure processing off the ground.

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