According to Vermeer, the farmers know how to find the website and regulations, but agree it’s a complicated process. “I also had contact with a farmer who said he was a top loader this morning, but not anymore this afternoon,” Vermeer says. Let’s hope it’s not temperature related. So there will still be some teething problems.’
‘This morning a farmer was still a top loader, this afternoon not anymore’
And that’s disappointing, says Vermeer. Especially since the launch of the tool was accompanied by high expectations and delays, because ‘it had to be right the first time’. Despite this, the Ministry of Agriculture today reported long waiting times for the so-called environmental check, in which farmers can check whether they are within the peak load regime.
Popular
Vermeer confirms that there is a lot of interest in the instrument, and therefore also in the government’s acquisition. “It’s been known for a long time that many farmers don’t have an inheritance,” he says. “They’re watching anyway. Also, all farmers are interested in whether they are listed on an emission list, as no lists have been published. It’s kind of a predicate you get.’
And so today can safely be seen as an exciting day for many farmers, Vermeer says. He thinks it says something about the way the ministry targets companies. “People would like clarity on this, because there’s been uncertainty for so many years,” he continues. “Farmers crave every bit of clarity possible.”
Van der Wal
According to political journalist Leendert Beekman, Nitrogen Minister Christianne van der Wal wants to achieve with the launch of the tool that farmers take the first step in a long process. (…). “It becomes particularly clear to those entrepreneurs if they qualify for the cessation scheme,” she says. ‘But there is still no clarity on other schemes, such as extensification. The minister himself says that they have the menu, but the dishes themselves cannot be served yet. So there’s still a lot to sort out.”