The Dutch provinces must obtain clarity from the government about the conditions under which permits can be granted for the modifications of stables. That is the call made by the Vencomatic Group, the stable system builder in Eersel.
“Legal certainty must be established quickly. The legal framework is now gone,” says Victor van Wagenberg of the company, which specializes in systems for poultry farms.
Research recently showed that the standards set by the government in the so-called Ammonia and Livestock Farming Regulations (RAV) often paint an overly positive picture of the reduction of nitrogen emissions from housing systems.
Hesitant
As a result, farmers have become reluctant to make large investments in the systems, while at the same time there is great pressure to reduce nitrogen emissions. Vencomatic Group has developed a system that, according to Van Wagenberg, reduces nitrogen emissions by at least 90 percent. “We dare to guarantee that, we have confidence in this technique.”
The system he is referring to is a heat exchanger that pumps fresh air into the house and removes the house air. By adding water, the air can be cooled.
“If we acidify that water, we can bind the gaseous ammonia to salt crystals. We measure in our systems and see that 90 percent of the nitrogen is removed from the air and we also measure that it remains in the water. And that can then be used as a replacement for nitrogen fertilizer.”
Pilot
Because the system is not yet on the so-called RAV list, no permit can be obtained for it. It was recently chosen as the subject for a pilot project, which will start after the summer and will last a year. “But we really can’t wait for that. Many farmers already have to make a decision about buying out or continuing.”