Farmers will keep their cows out of the pasture and in the stables on Monday 30 May to protest against the nitrogen policy. According to LTO Nederland and Team Agro NL, due to various lawsuits, the cow is no longer allowed to go out to pasture without an extra permit, which is practically and legally unfeasible. With the #30MeiKoeUitDeWei campaign, they call on the government to prevent this “absurd” outcome of the nitrogen crisis.
According to LTO Nederland and Team Agro NL, all dairy farmers who graze are invited to participate. Last year, 84 percent of the sector practiced grazing. Farmers are only called upon to participate if it fits in with their business operations, for example when it comes to animal health and requirements for quality marks. “So there will probably be another cow in the meadow on May 30. The most important thing is that the government receives a clear signal: the nitrogen policy should not chase the cow out of the meadow,” according to a press statement.
The organizations indicate that less nitrogen is emitted by grazing, and point to the Remkes Committee, among others. “That committee, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the provinces have repeatedly indicated that grazing is part of normal business operations and that no additional permits should therefore be applied for. It is therefore very worrying that the threat arises from lawsuits. that this will be the case.”
LTO Nederland and Team Agro NL say that a license application is “an unnecessary and absurd administrative burden”, which in practice will also be completely unworkable. “After all, grazing is different every year, depending on the weather, how well the grass is growing, the crop rotation and the swapping of land with others. Farmers can’t apply for a permit every year, apart from the fact that permits are still being granted. stuck in the legal quagmire of nitrogen policy.”