Flemish Minister for the Environment Zuhal Demir regrets that a text about the new manure action plan (MAP7) was leaked on Saturday. According to the N-VA minister, it is an “organized attack” and the text was deliberately leaked with the intention of “torpedoing” the consultations. That is what Demir said in De Zevende Dag. At VTM Nieuws, Deputy Prime Minister Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) indicated that he did not agree with Demir’s plan. “We cannot proceed on the basis of the plan that is on the table today.”
On Saturday a text about the seventh manure action plan (MAP7) was leaked via ‘De Tijd’. That text contains stricter rules for fertilization in agriculture. There was immediately strong criticism from the agricultural organizations and government parties CD&V and Open Vld also reacted critically. “This proposal is not a basis for discussion,” said Agriculture Minister Jo Brouns. According to CD&V chairman Sammy Mahdi, the proposal threatens to culminate in “the funeral of our Belgian fries”.
Potatoes from abroad
“The approach to this file within our party differs greatly from that of N-VA”, says Deputy Prime Minister Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) in the studio of ‘VTM Nieuws’. “We are going to consult with those involved. Employment is important. If we put this plan into practice, it could endanger tens of thousands of jobs in the food sector. If we look at food security, I would prefer that they remain Flemish potatoes.”
“In Demir’s proposal, it would no longer be possible to harvest potatoes from 1 October. If you know that 80 percent of the potatoes in Flanders are harvested in the months of September and October, this means that we have to get our potatoes from abroad,” it reads. “We have to ensure that we can provide for the cultivation of our own potatoes ourselves. We cannot continue on the basis of the plan that is on the table today,” concludes Van Peteghem.
“Nuclear bomb”
Christophe Vermeulen, CEO of Belgapom, the professional association for the Belgian potato trade and processing, spoke in De Zevende Dag of “an atomic bomb” and of “reckless” behavior on the part of the minister. Demir, for her part, regrets that the text has been leaked and that there has been a fuss. She is convinced that the text was deliberately leaked in order to “put the theme aside”. She emphasizes that the text is only a “starter” that needs further discussion, both with the agricultural and nature organizations and at the political level.
Demir regrets the “scare-mongering” and denies that she wants the end of the chip culture. “This is a first step, a text that we will use in consultation with the agricultural organizations and the nature and environmental organizations,” says Demir. “I am open to all amendments and adjustments as long as we achieve the objective (for better water quality, ed.)”, says Demir.
Watch the full studio interview below:
Also read: Demir is working on stricter rules for farmers: cultivation-free zones along water, maximum fertilization standard reduced by 15%
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