The current uncertainty in the agricultural sector plays a major role in the lack of measures regarding stable fire safety, LTO Netherlands responds to a report from the Dutch Safety Board (OVV).
“Uncertainty about the nitrogen policy and agreements that may result from an agreement on animal husbandry are slowing things down. Farmers cannot make major investments in renovating a stable or building a new stable if they do not know what their business operations will look like in the long term,” says Jeannette van de Ven, portfolio holder for Healthy Animals at the Netherlands Agriculture and Horticulture Organization. .
According to her, entrepreneurs are put in a difficult position due to an accumulation of measures in the field of the environment and animal welfare. “LTO is therefore in favor of an integrated approach. It should not be the case that a focus on fire safety means that other goals are lost, and vice versa,” says Van de Ven.
‘Enormous consequences’
According to the OVV, the council’s recommendations to make stables more fire-safe have largely not yet been followed. In a report in March 2021, the OVV announced how stable fires can be prevented more often. Compared to 2020, the number of stable fires has decreased, but more animals have died.
“The risk of a stable fire is small, but the consequences for animals, the environment and the farmer are enormous. Prevention and information therefore remain very important,” says Van de Ven.