In any case, a first step has been taken from national politics. Last spring, CDA, SGP, ChristenUnie, VVD and NSC submitted a motion. The aim is to determine the definitive width of such a spray-free zone. Municipalities, local residents and the growers themselves then know where they stand.
Agriculture Minister Femke Wiersma (BBB) responded in November that 50 meters would be ‘not unreasonable’ from a legal perspective. But first she turns to more research. Research by FTM shows that lily cultivation at a distance of 50 meters is in many cases simply not possible. “At least not if you take the health of local residents seriously,” said a lawyer in the article.
In Drenthe, 19 lily growers, the province and the Hilbrands Laboratory in Wijster are working together to reduce pesticide use to below the level of ‘conventional arable farming’ before 2027. So three years earlier that the national sector set itself the target. The Provincial Executive wants to allocate an amount of 750,000 euros for this.
Local politicians and local residents have reacted skeptically to the plan. For example, they are unclear about the feasibility and verifiability of the plan.
The initiative was discussed earlier this week in the Drenthe States, with varying responses. The parties Lijst Pormes, Party for the Animals, GroenLinks, ChristenUnie, D66, Volt and JA21 announced their opposition.