Farmers who do not know if and how they want to continue with their business can receive help in making a choice about their future. The province will make a team of 25 experts available for this from 17 July. By offering this help, Brabant goes further than other provinces.
The goal of the province is twofold: “On the one hand, we want to help farmers who want to stop doing so as quickly as possible, so that there is a flow. On the other hand, we want to help farmers who want to continue with their business to get an idea of how they can do that,” explains CDA provincial councilor Erik Ronnes (Nitrogen).
In many cases, this can only be done under the condition that less nitrogen from the company ends up on Natura2000 areas. This can be done, for example, with innovation, keeping fewer animals, using more land per animal (extensification) or relocating.
Farmers can also choose to organize their farm differently. For example, they can continue partly as a nature manager or as a care farm.
As soon as the ‘picture of the future’ is on the table, the farmers are not immediately on their own again. Deputy Elies Lemkes (CDA) of Agriculture: “Take extensification. You need the help of the province for that. Because the province knows which land is and will be available.”
Doubt about the future
The national, voluntary buy-out schemes will open on 3 July. The scheme, which is aimed at peak loaders (companies responsible for a large part of the nitrogen that ends up in sensitive nature areas), includes a fee for an advisor. Brabant has 250 to 300 peak loaders, all but a few companies being farmers.
But many farmers are not peak taxers and therefore do not receive a consultant’s fee. That is why the province wants to accommodate these farmers with its own scheme. And there is certainly a need for that, Ronnes also notes: “We see a lot of doubt among farmers. You don’t make the choice to stop your family business in one weekend.”
Uncertainty
The question remains how future-proof the ‘picture of the future’ will be for many farmers. Developments in the nitrogen crisis follow each other in rapid succession.
Farmers who want to stop will soon be able to buy out voluntarily. There is still uncertainty about the arrangements for farmers who want to stay. For example, the scheme for relocating farms will only be published at the end of this year.
The fact that both the agricultural agreement and the Brabant formation have collapsed does not help in creating clarity. A study by the University of Wageningen was also recently leaked, which showed that innovative stable feeds are not at all as effective as stated.
“But we can’t wait until there is clarity about everything,” says Ronnes. “Time is our enemy in the nitrogen approach.”
Lemkes: “It is true that there is a lot of uncertainty about innovative systems. That is precisely why we are working hard to get clarity about this.” Because innovation will also remain important for the Brabant nitrogen approach, thinks the deputy.
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