LTO Gelderse Vallei Board of Directors threatens to resign if the national branch does not comply with the difficult requirements of the nitrogen crisis

With 800 members, the department is one of the largest in the Netherlands. It covers the municipalities of Ede, Wageningen, Rhenen, Renswoude, Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Veenendaal and others. In the valley area, many farmers fear that they will have to close their businesses or reduce their livestock in order to reduce nitrogen emissions and protect the endangered nature.

Initially, LTO Nederland did not want to accept the invitation of broker Johan Remkes to discuss the plans. Subsequently, Chairman Van der Tak agreed to consult, after Prime Minister Rutte personally assured him that there were no taboos.

LTO Gelderse Vallei’s board of directors said in a statement that it learned “with surprise” of the transformation. “After a night’s sleep,” the council mentions five points that van der Tak should not give in to.

LTO Gelderse Vallei wants to appoint a second broker in addition to Remkes who comes from the agricultural sector. In addition, the so-called “critical sedimentation values”, the criteria that now determine the harm of nitrogen deposition, must be removed.

The LTO division is calling for the goal of halving ammonia emissions by 2030 to be scrapped. Moreover, it does not want to expropriate farms. The so-called PAS correspondents, farmers who, according to previous regulations, can only notify the calculated nitrogen load on the endangered nature, should be legalized.

If these requirements are not adhered to, according to the statement, “we as a council will stop, because there will be no added value for us.”

According to Sjaak van der Tak of LTO Nederland, the “Gelderse” and national requirements match. LTO Gelderse Vallei points belong to the three requirements of LTO Nederland: schedule, objectives, objective measures such as PAS and KDW detectors and broad technological innovation.