Walloon farmers worried about new measures against soil erosion: farmers travel by tractor to the headquarters of the Walloon government | Interior

Representatives of the French-speaking agricultural organizations FWA and Fugea traveled by tractor to the headquarters of the Walloon government in Namur on Tuesday. They are concerned about upcoming measures to limit soil erosion.

The Walloon Minister of Agriculture Willy Borsus (MR) recently set up a working group to deal with the erosion problem. The working group met for the first time in Namur on Tuesday. The representatives of the agricultural organizations headed towards the meeting by tractor, honking their horns.

Within the framework of the European common agricultural policy, the European Commission wants to limit the risk of erosion and degradation of the soil. Until now, the slope of plots has been taken into account, but a new reference system for erosion sensitivity would also take into account the length of the slope, the soil characteristics and the average precipitation intensity.

Farmers in areas with a high risk of erosion will have to follow a different working method, although a transition period would be provided. The agricultural organizations are calling for “solutions that can be applied in the field” and a transition period of two years. They also ask for exceptions for certain lots.

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