With Jansen and Douma
One pig sound can start all over again
After Monday evening, the Producers Organization for Pig Farming (POV) can again focus on a future with 'one pig sound'. On Thursday 9 March, the bomb exploded in the boardroom of the POV, after dormant irritations had led to a breach of trust between the Jansen, Douma camp and the other members: Donkers, Van Hal and Tijssen.
“The situation had become untenable after our integrity had been violated. We have attached our conclusions to this by resigning early," said Jansen and Douma on Monday evening during the GMM. On Monday evening, the members of the POV were allowed to consider whether they would again put their trust in Jansen and Douma. The answer was a resounding yes. It seems that calm has returned for the time being.
Because Jansen and Douma had already resigned on 9 March and Van Hal and Donkers a week later, Mark Tijssen was still the sole director of the POV. So he started the evening with his side of the story. 'I regret the course of events in recent times, but despite everything we have to look for a solution.' According to Tijssen, unity is crucial for vital pig farming. According to Tijssen, a lot is subordinate to that.
Integrity compromised
Before the audience was allowed to vote on the renewed appointment of Jansen and Douma as directors of the POV, they were first allowed to respond to the situation that had arisen. 'The working method within the board had become untenable and every member is guilty of that,' said Ingrid Jansen. 'We have been accused of having made commitments in our own name to the slaughterhouse Vion to join the coalition of the POV, but that is absolutely not the case. This has damaged our integrity and Eric and I have drawn our conclusions by resigning', Jansen reconstructed her side of the story.
The necessary discussions were also held within the board of the POV about the phosphate file. All the drops together made the bucket overflow. Possible liquidity problems within POV and disagreements about membership fees were not decisive, Jansen and Douma contradicted the rumours.
Members speak
After Jansen and Douma had spoken, the members of the POV had the floor. A Limburg pig farmer wondered whether Jansen and Douma should return, because: 'If board members leave the course, have you not completely resigned? And can a relatively small delegation of the approximately 2500 members of the POV just decide whether Jansen and Douma can return?' According to Jansen, it is not up to her to determine that, but the hall must decide that through a vote. Someone also wondered whether it wouldn't be a 'Jansen and Douma party', now that the other board members are gone. On balance, however, the comments from the audience were mainly in favor of Jansen and Douma. "Who else is going to do the job?"
After the votes had been counted, it turned out that more than 90 percent of the more than 120 voters again put their trust in Jansen and Douma as the leaders of the POV. A symbolic applause followed, giving Jansen and Douma another chance to move the pig sector into one pig sound.
Afterwards, a pig farmer expressed himself moderately satisfied. 'I don't know who should have done it differently, because are there any alternatives at all?' Given the events of recent weeks, one pig's sound is still a long way off. 'We have suffered damage to our reputation and so we more or less have to start all over again.'
Financial position
With the current financial balance, the POV can support itself for another year and a half. Thus, Monday evening from the minutes. This means that members will probably start paying dues sometime in 2018. Only then will it become apparent how much capacity the POV actually has among pig farmers. For the time being, Jansen and Douma are given time to prove themselves again.
Wouter Job
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