With 160,000 chickens close to De Groote Peel nature reserve, farmer Joris van Lierop is probably a peak loader. But Joris does not hesitate to find out whether he qualifies for the new squeeze-out arrangement. “We do not intend to stop. Not even if we get double the ‘wildly attractive offer’ that is out there,” he says firmly.
With 160,000 chickens near the De Grote Peel nature reserve, farmer Joris van Lierop is probably a peak loader. But Joris does not hesitate to find out whether he qualifies for the new squeeze-out arrangement. “We do not intend to stop. Not even if we get double the ‘wildly attractive offer’ that is out there,” he says firmly.
A few years ago, Joris and his brother took over the poultry farm from their parents in Heusden. “It has taken us a long time to build the company into what it is today. And now that we’re finally there, we’d call it quits. We don’t see that at all. I see a future in this sector and so does my brother, so we want to continue here.”
“For us, the buyout amount does not change anything, because we do not intend to stop.”
To restore nature, the cabinet has decided to turn off the nitrogen tap. The minister promised a ‘wildly attractive’ buy-out scheme for farmers and after more than a year of waiting, it has finally arrived. Farmers who emit a lot of nitrogen near a nature reserve can receive 120 percent of their farm value. Non-peak loaders can get 100 percent.
But Joris doesn’t feel like finding out whether he is a peak loader or not. “It doesn’t change anything for us, because we don’t intend to stop anyway. Not even with twice the wildly attractive offer that Minister Van der Wal is now proposing.”
“Some farmers are close to a residential area and that is not allowed.”
If farmers stay, this could lead to damage to the nature reserve. But Joris finds that argument negligible. “We are not in the most favorable place, but there are few of them in the Netherlands. Some farmers are close to a residential area and that is not allowed. You never get it 100 percent right.”
Minister Van Der Wal can cross the poultry farm of the two brothers off her list. But also that of their neighbours, because the farmers in the area are not interested either, according to Joris. “The focus is always on stopping, but there is far too little attention for farmers who do want to continue,” he says. “These are the companies that will produce our food in the future. And I hope I can continue to do so for a long time.”
