“Agricultural Agreement Talks in The Hague: Updates and Challenges”

On an estate in The Hague, the cabinet and farmers’ organizations are still discussing the future of agriculture. Halfway through the night, other parties involved in agricultural consultations, such as representatives of provinces, nature organizations and supermarkets, left the building. It is certain that there will no longer be an agricultural agreement today, but discussions will continue in smaller groups.

Prime Minister Rutte also joined the consultations at the beginning of the night. A person involved told NOS that he joined in an ultimate attempt to reach an agreement. In any case, that is no longer the case today.

Exactly how it stands remains unclear. Both LTO and the minister spoke last month about the importance of reaching a conclusion by mid-May. Rutte was in Iceland earlier today for a meeting of the Council of Europe.

According to sources around the negotiations, there is clarity about the restrictions and obligations that will be imposed on farmers, but it is less clear what the revenue model for farmers should look like. In addition, there would still be discussion about possibly setting a maximum number of cows per pasture.

Earlier, a note from the Ministry of Agriculture leaked, stating that the minister expects to need about 6.7 billion euros to implement the measures from the agricultural agreement. It is not yet clear whether the government will pay such an amount and how that money will be distributed.

Other measures that are discussed in addition to the maximum number of cows, according to the document, are technical measures such as low-emission stables, adjusting animal feed, fewer crop protection agents, more manure processing and low-emission spreading of manure, and measures such as raising the water level and sustainable soil management. .

There is also still discussion about the production rights of farms that stop. For example, the question is whether the right to keep animals can in that case be transferred to someone other than immediate family members.

The government has been talking to several organizations about the future of farmers since December. In order to protect and restore nature, the government wants to have significantly reduced nitrogen precipitation by 2030. Some 3,000 ‘peak loaders’ must also receive an offer in exchange for reducing their emissions.

At the same time, the cabinet wants to come up with a plan for farmers who want to improve sustainability, move or stop. The agricultural agreement must form the basis for this.