Farmers’ action group Agractie is moderately positive after a breakfast at the Catshuis with Prime Minister Rutte and Ministers Van der Wal (Nitrogen) and Adema (Agriculture). Nine farmers’ associations were present at the table, including LTO Nederland, Agractie and Farmers Defense Force.

The conversation was about advising nitrogen broker Johan Remkes. The government will give an official response on Friday. Then it will become clear in which direction the nitrogen policy is going.

The meeting started around 7 a.m. and lasted almost three hours. Afterwards, Agractie’s Bart Kemp said it had been agreed that there should be “support in the sector” for the nitrogen policy.

“They really want to start working together,” he said. And from his point of view, that is also necessary, “because after Remkes’ advice, we are once again at the mercy of this cabinet team and the farmers have no confidence in that.”

He also reported that he believed the cabinet had expressed the right intentions, but: “Now those intentions must be translated into action.” He is therefore waiting to see what will be decided in the Council of Ministers on Friday.

“No charm offensive”

Minister Christianne van der Wal emphasized that the breakfast was expressly not intended as a charm offensive towards farmers and that talks were also being held with other sectors, including nature associations, in the run-up to Friday. This morning it was all about hearing what the farmers think of the “Remkes train of thought”. “We’ll take that with us,” she said.

Upon arriving at his official residence in The Hague, Prime Minister Rutte said it was important that the cabinet and farmers continue to talk to each other. He called the mutual relationship “complicated”.

Farmer Defense Force’s Mark van den Oever, before sitting down, reiterated that the plan to force “top trucks” to stop in nature reserves was “a red line” not to be crossed. He threatened that otherwise there would be harsh actions again. But like Agractie, he wants to wait and see what the cabinet comes up with on Friday.