Today, LTO chairman Ger Koopmans and director Hans Van den Heuvel spoke with negotiators from the forming parties. The meeting took place at the invitation of informants Dijkgraaf and Van Zwol. In this conversation, LTO explained in a good, open atmosphere what farmers, gardeners and their families are asking for from the future program cabinet. With the aim of achieving promising, innovative agricultural policy. LTO chairman Ger Koopmans: “I think it is very positive that forming parties invite us to discuss this so early in the process. This gives hope for how the future cabinet wants to deal with the agricultural sector.”
Europe
A new cabinet must make every effort to ensure that European policy takes more account of the importance of food supply and agriculture, including in the Netherlands. That is one of the key points that LTO emphasized today. Koopmans: “Climate change is putting increasing pressure on our food production in Southern Europe. But geopolitically it is of strategic importance that Europe also produces sufficient food itself in the longer term. However, many European directives and regulations – and their Dutch translation – only confront farmers and growers with shrinkage.” As an example of this, the loss of the derogation was discussed.
Nitrogen
Another priority is to make the nitrogen policy feasible and realistic again. Koopmans: “LTO asks the new cabinet to opt for a policy that offers farmers perspective over a policy that focuses on entrepreneurs who want to stop.” LTO emphasizes that proven techniques to reduce nitrogen emissions must be legally anchored and that all permanent regulations are published as soon as possible. Koopmans: “Then farmers can not only choose to stop, but also to invest in innovation, to relocate, to extensify or to switch. That offers perspective.” LTO has once again reiterated that the critical deposition value (KDW) from the law and the licensing must be replaced by a legally guaranteed environmental value based on the European ban on deterioration. Koopmans: “A threshold value must also be introduced in the short term so that agricultural and other economic activities have room to develop again.”
Wages and labor
The current government has increased the minimum wage by more than 30%. Koopmans: “That sounds nice, but in practice we see that employer costs are rising faster than what employees see on their pay slip. For many companies in agriculture and horticulture, employer contributions can no longer be afforded. LTO wants the tax and premium burden for employers and employees to be reduced. This way everyone benefits and working more becomes more attractive for workers. This will truly increase social security effectively.”
Member meetings
The accumulation of legislation and regulations means that healthy business operations are increasingly under pressure for almost all agricultural entrepreneurs. In a search for solutions, LTO has spoken to thousands of members across the country in recent months, culminating in the Farmers’ Congress on March 7, where 800 members entered into discussions with agricultural spokespersons from the House of Representatives. The proposals that we have submitted to the forming parties and informants today are a summary of the harvest from these member meetings.
