Dirk Bruins from Dwingeloo will be temporary chairman of LTO Netherlands from January 1. He is being put forward because current chairman Sjaak van der Tak is stepping down. His term as LTO chairman expired at the end of this year.
Bruins will remain in office until a successor to Van der Tak has been appointed. He has no ambitions to take over the chairmanship permanently. “I have just been re-elected as chairman of LTO Noord for a year. There are still a number of assignments that I would like to complete.”
Bruins also wants to keep time for his family and dairy farming. Both matters do not seem to be compatible with a full-fledged chairmanship, which requires Bruins to be in The Hague a lot for consultations. “It is not impossible, but the task is very big,” he describes.
It is not known how long Bruins will hold the position of LTO foreman. The difference now is that Bruins will appear more in the media in his new role. The duties of chairman are further divided among the other two board members. Bruins is currently vice-chairman of that board.
Van der Tak announced his retirement from LTO yesterday. The former mayor of the municipality of Westland started as leader of the farmers’ organization in 2021. His period as LTO leader was a turbulent period with the nitrogen debate, farmers’ protests and the collapse of the agricultural agreement.
The outgoing chairman argues that his position placed a ‘great burden’ on himself and his environment. “Now that I have turned 67, I have made the decision to take a step back,” Van der Tak said in a statement. “Also because of the fact that a lot will change in politics in The Hague in the coming months.”
Van der Tak thinks it would be “more effective and desirable” if there was a new chairman who could experience all the changes from the start.