Farmer Jolanda Nooijen (53) from Volkel received an unexpected visit on Wednesday from employees of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The reason was the angry vlog she had shared on social media, in which she expressed her frustration about new guidelines for arable crops. “I feel like we had a very nice conversation,” says Jolanda.
Jolanda’s vlog went viral on social media in recent days. Tens of thousands of people saw the farmer’s wife express her frustrations. She made the video after she got wind of the new guidelines for arable crops.
It says that many crops that are still in the ground must be harvested by October 1 next year. “How can they think of that in The Hague?” she said in her vlog. “Look around you. Potatoes, celery, carrots… it should all be out.”
The video prompted the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality to pay a visit to her on Wednesday afternoon. “She had expressed her concerns online and approached us in various ways. We were in the area and wanted to see and speak to Jolanda ourselves,” spokesperson Elise van den Bosch said shortly after the conversation.
“I was completely snapped and I was crying to my toes.”
Jolanda had had a telephone conversation with a policy officer the night before. “I was very angry and disappointed about that. At one point I completely snapped and I cried to my toes. Last night I sent an email to everyone I could reach at the ministry, saying that I made me very worried and that they had to come to Volkel,” says the farmer’s wife.
That also happened on Wednesday afternoon: the spokesperson, director-general and a policy officer of the ministry suddenly called that they wanted to come for coffee. Yolanda is happy with it. “I really appreciate that they traveled to Volkel. It means that they really took me seriously.”
“We want the same thing: healthy nature and good water.”
According to the farmer’s wife, the conversation went well. She even managed to quickly put two fellow entrepreneurs at the table. “I was able to say everything. We also clearly stated to each other that we want the same thing: healthy nature and good water. What I have insisted on is customization per company.”
According to Jolanda, she has finally really been listened to. She feels much better after the conversation. “I am a lot calmer now. I will continue to follow everything. But if they had not come, I would have really gone to The Hague tomorrow afternoon.”
Spokesperson Van den Bosch also speaks of a ‘constructive’ conversation. “She was able to share her concerns with us and we were able to explain a bit more about how certain things work. It is important to always do these kinds of things together with the sector, which was also apparent during this conversation.”
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