They’ve gone up to their necks in debt for a new stable. In three weeks, the 240 cows of the brothers Bas (26) and Luuk (28) Aarts will be moved there. A barn that has to deliver an ammonia reduction of 50 percent per cow. But they can’t say for sure whether that stable will still be there in a few years’ time. Their company is located 2.3 kilometers from Natura2000 area De Peel. An area where many livestock farmers will have to disappear.
They really knew that the government’s announcement would be tough. That of course efforts must also be made in their environment to reduce nitrogen emissions. But the blow was still unheard of. The disappointment prevails. “That no one wants to believe that this is not the right way”, says Luuk. “We solve the problem on paper, yes, but that is of course not the reality.”
The standards are very strict. Nitrogen emissions must be reduced by 70 percent in one kilometer around the Natura2000 area De Peel. Slightly further from the area with about 42 percent. “If we were to clean up the entire livestock sector in this area, we would not yet achieve that reduction. And besides, there is no one who can guarantee us that crushing the sector will actually lead to an improvement of nature.”
“You only get your financing when the turnover is large enough.”
Twelve years ago, their father applied for a permit for a new barn. Due to constantly changing rules, it took longer than hoped. While cows first had to leave because of new rules on phosphate rights (2015), more innovations were introduced and therefore new rules. “We first had to buy new phosphate rights to get the number of cows back up to standard. Only when the turnover of the company is large enough, you get the financing from the bank for that new barn.” That barn is now almost finished.
The stable is light (because of the translucent solar panels) and fresh, because it is largely open. Bas explains that about 50 percent less ammonia is emitted per cow in this new barn. The floor slopes slightly, so that the urine of the cows immediately runs into a gutter. In this way it hardly comes into contact with the manure, which remains on the floor. Ammonia is only formed when manure and urine come into contact with each other. “We then also spray a urease inhibitor on it, a substance that slows down the formation of ammonia,” says Bas.
“Striking out companies causes the entire chain to collapse.”
So they do everything they can to be future-proof, but that future is still very uncertain. People in The Hague do not realize that these far-reaching plans have an effect on everyone in the area, says Luuk. “Alone you are nothing. As a dairy farm, we work together with all kinds of companies in the area. We supply manure to the arable farmer and get crops in return. We get fertilizer substitutes from the pig farms, our (bull) calves go to the veal farm. Local cycle In other words, eliminating companies leads to the entire chain collapsing.”
“There is nothing easier than intervening in someone else’s environment.”
The distance between The Hague’s politics and reality makes the brothers sad. “You hope they are closer to society, but then you get a letter like this yesterday… They have no idea what the impact is locally. They talk about other people’s companies, about other people’s social environment. Just like the money, there is nothing it’s as easy as spending other people’s money.
Now it’s nail biting. At least next year. Because it is up to the province to come up with a plan on how to achieve this nitrogen reduction in the area. In any case, Bas and Luuk don’t let buy outs happen. “The purchase arrangement states in the small print that you also have to sell your land. Yes, bye. Then it’s not just about nitrogen. We’re not going to do that.”
“If this whole plan does not work, the sector will be screwed and it will not come back.”
They know it’s going to be insecure. That hasn’t really changed much in recent years. “We hope that we can stay with the best technology available, our new stable. If we have to tear it down again in two years, that would be very, very sad. It’s a shame really. If this whole plan doesn’t work out The sector is screwed up and it is not coming back.”
ALSO READ:
Farmers Defense Force foreman is furious: ‘The farmland is being closed’
Farmers Defense Force farmers want tractor protest next week
ZLTO wants the province to stop nitrogen plans