He has only been able to read part of the proposal from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), but his initial response is clear. “I can’t imagine Overijssel without agriculture.” Commissioner Gert Harm ten Bolscher of the province of Overijssel therefore believes that proper discussions should be held between the parties involved.
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According to the PBL, instead of the current ‘non-area-oriented’ nitrogen approach, it is better to look at solutions per region. A tightening of the nitrogen rules could mean that agriculture is no longer possible in the provinces of Gelderland, North Brabant and Overijssel. “We have a problem,” the deputy admits. “But we have to talk to each other to find a solution.”
‘Do together’
Ten Bolscher says he is committed to the agricultural sector. “I am in favor of a healthy future for agricultural companies in Overijssel. But we have to do it together, including society.”
Don’t talk about each other, talk to each other
According to the commissioner, the province should follow national policy. “A national agricultural agreement is in the making. We want to link it to our own provincial agricultural agreement. The message to The Hague is therefore: don’t talk about each other, but talk to each other.”
‘Another such report’
Livestock farmer Jawin Klein Hegeman from Bathmen has to fight back. “Another report like this”, was his first reaction when he read about the PBL proposal. A reaction that is almost identical to that of chairman Sjaak van der Tak from LTO Netherlands. “The ink of one report hasn’t dried up yet or hoppetee, there’s another report already. It seems that all those organizations are getting the assignment from guys, how can we eliminate agriculture.”
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Klein Hegeman is part of the Voll Gass action group and notices that after the latest publication, the willingness to participate in the various farmer demonstrations on Wednesday is only increasing. “I am very proud of our sector. You cannot start a conversation with such an attitude of ‘all farmers out of Overijssel’.”
‘This is also a living environment’
When he talks about the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, he becomes almost emotional. “This is also a living environment, isn’t it,” he points out to his company. “We cannot eat from an ordinary piece of nature, but our cows here produce milk and the meat comes from our pigs. We need that.”
It seems it’s ‘down with that agriculture’
Klein Hegeman is despondent by the constant reference to agriculture. “Industry and aircraft movements simply don’t count anymore. It seems that agriculture is gone.” He has to search for the right words. “You can’t imagine that the entire agriculture would leave Overijssel, can you?”
‘It’s done once’
With regard to the actions of the day after tomorrow, the farmer thinks that these actions will not stop there. “It’s done once. Around us I hear more and more ‘why again you?’ We are not alone. Not today, not tomorrow, not Wednesday and not next year either. Our 12-year-old son really wants to be a farmer and that also makes me very combative.”
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