The agricultural agreement is pending for the time being. There is probably not even a final text of a negotiating agreement this week.
LTO, an important party for the cabinet to keep at the table, rejects the draft text as it is now. According to the farmers’ lobby organization, “significant adjustment” is needed. LTO actually wanted to have a definite answer last month, but that desired clarity is therefore not forthcoming.
In the course of this month, organizations will discuss the agreement, which should offer farmers prospects for the future.
According to LTO, the knots must really be made on May 17, at the next negotiating moment. A final agreement is then submitted to the constituencies involved. The Ministry of Agriculture also hopes to be able to provide clarity on May 17.
The organization writes in a statement that the current text offers insufficient perspective. “The criticism of the concept was more widely shared by various participants at the table,” said LTO. A “last attempt” is therefore made to make “significant improvements” to the text.
The agricultural agreement has been rumbling for some time. According to the ANP, this mainly concerns agreements about land, fertilizer policy and the earning capacity of farmers.
For the latter theme, chain companies, including supermarkets and livestock transporters, must contribute, according to the cabinet, among others. LTO also mentions the legalization of PAS detectors as an important point. Under the old nitrogen policy, they did not need a permit for (the expansion of) their company, but are subject to a permit requirement following a ruling by the Council of State in 2019.