Nitrogen plans of the government unrealistic and undesirable

The most recent plans of the government for reducing nitrogen are unrealistic and undesirable. The plans undermine the future of a vital, strong industry which plays an economic, social and public key role in rural areas. There is a threat of undermining the rural area.

In the Coalitie Toekomstige Melkveehouderij (CTM = Coalition Future Dairy Farming), dairy farmers, LTO Nederland (the Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture, the NAJK (the Dutch Agricultural Young People’s Association), the Rabobank and the dairy companies (the Dutch Dairy Association) made practical proposals for nitrogen reduction. The results of these proposals have been calculated by the University of Wageningen; they are realistic, feasible and enjoy public support. Besides, they offer prospects to dairy farmers who want to invest in sustainable solutions. So far, the government has done nothing with these plans.

Now that the implementation of the government policy is explicitly shifting towards the provinces, we ask the provincial governors to include these practical proposals from this broad collective in the area processes. We also ask the Second Chamber to include these sector plans in the implementation of the government plan (NPLG). Here the facilitation of technology for reducing nitrogen, and ammonia in particular, should be given a prominent place. In this way, justice can be done to the natural bearing power and the social and economic quality of the rural area.

In fact, the Dutch Dairy Association is convinced that in order to be able to actually offer prospects to the dairy farming sector and the dairy companies in the provincial area processes, technology should play a major role in a broad sense. This means applying technology in shed concepts, feed and management measures. This is to be given ample attention in all development directions. Dependent on the most appropriate development direction in a specific area, technology will always be part of the solution. Political parties denying this, are ‘farming backwards’.

After all, the Dutch dairy chain is continuously in transition to make an important contribution to global food supply. The supplying and processing industries as well as the knowledge institutions have put the Netherlands on the map as a country with a lot of agricultural knowledge. This has made the Dutch dairy industry the most innovative dairy industry in the world. Give the sector room to permanently justify this.