LTO does not hide the fact that the consequences of the war in Ukraine are noticeable among farmers in Drenthe. The need is great among all farmers, explains Dirk Bruins of LTO Noord. “It makes a big difference per sector: high energy prices for farmers with greenhouses, expensive diesel for arable farmers and livestock farmers who drive tractors and, in particular, the shortages of proteins such as grains in animal feed.”
Organic poultry farmers such as Corts are particularly affected, he says. “If you look at grain, for example, they have no alternatives. You could still get other grains from South America. But they are not certified organic, they do not meet European requirements.”
Tipping point?
Farmers taking matters into their own hands and now sowing grains such as barley are the first examples. Is growing products such as grain and rapeseed closer to home than the solution? According to Bruins, this has been considered, but you have two problems.
“It could be, but if you want to do that organically certified, you have to do that for a number of years in a row. You can’t just switch, the soil has to be inspected for that and that takes years.”
The Netherlands also does not have the right climate for grain. “The quality of the grain is really different here. Here we mainly have soft wheat, in Ukraine durum wheat. It contains more protein. We now have very nice weather, but we don’t have such dry summers where such a grain is good. can mature.”
Corts is concerned about the long term. If something is being renovated in Ukraine, you still have a logistical problem now that the infrastructure is also broken. Or how about the rapeseed factories? According to him, they deliberately stand still for fear of bombing.
hoarding
LTO called on farmers on Friday not to hoard. Corts laughs when asked about it. “I have hoarded. Of course that is not allowed, but you do it anyway. But actually you can’t hoard at all, because they just don’t deliver it.”
Corts is not awake, he also mentions that the damage is only relative in comparison with the inhabitants of Ukraine. He does hope that politicians will provide more air by adjusting the requirements for organic feed. Discussions are underway.