Manure debate in The Hague also splits Drenthe politics. ‘Going back to 1950 won’t bring us anything’

Schuinder can no longer hear the word ‘perspective’, because that word is constantly used when talking about agriculture, without the farmers getting any clarity about their future, according to Schuinder. Together with his fellow party member on the board of the WDODelta water board, Jan Woldring, he calls on the government and parliament to take measures that strengthen nature without this being at the expense of livestock farming.

Fissionist

Manure is a divisive issue in both The Hague and Drenthe politics. Because at the same time, members of Parliament Siska Peeks (Party for the Animals) and Sam Pormes from the list of the same name want the provincial government to focus on reducing the livestock population. They ask written questions to Parliament about this. They point out that the European Union is forcing the Netherlands to reduce the manure load to a maximum of 170 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare, or the derogation directive.

Peeks and Pormes want to know from the provincial government how things are going in Drenthe with regard to achieving this guideline. Schuinder and Woldring say that they are completely done with all these regulations. “No one seems to know yet whether we have taken the right path, or whether we will deeply regret this,” both say in their manifesto.

They believe that the government should reward farmers for performance, which they believe works better than punishing farmers for not achieving unrealistic goals. “The desperation in the sector is great, too great,” both warn.

‘No threat to nature’

Woldring and Schuinder want to put an end to the image that livestock farming and agriculture pose a threat to nature. “Returning Drenthe to the state it was in 1950 will not bring us anything at all.” According to both, there is no manure surplus in Drenthe and agriculture, recreation, nature and housing can coexist perfectly.

Peeks and Pormes point out, however, that national warnings were issued as early as 1990 about a surplus of manure, resulting in pollution. According to them, far too little has been done about this and now the European Commission has run out of patience, which means that the manure tax must be drastically reduced.