Today, Minister of Agriculture Piet Adema is holding the first talks that should lead to an agricultural agreement in March next year. It should state what the future of agriculture will look like.
Dirk Bruins, chairman of LTO Noord, already knows what should be included in that agreement. A long-term perspective. “That’s about looking 10 to 15 years ahead.” Because he misses that in the current policy. Or the plural of it actually. “We have rules coming at us and they are then adjusted. It changes almost every day.”
As a result, it is impossible to invest in it, according to Bruins. “Farmers are willing to change. They have invested heavily in recent times. But a year later, the barn no longer meets the requirements. That is crazy.”
The conversation that the minister is having today, however, is not yet about the content. The conversation is mainly about the process. For example, who should be spoken to when.