Consumer potatoes and fiber hemp are definitely not designated as winter crops. The crops must be harvested on sand and loess soil before October 1, so as not to receive a discount on manure space. This is evidenced by the list of winter crops published by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Winter squash, wax squash, chicory and winter onions, winter flax, chicory and celery were added to the list after the internet consultation at the end of last year. The category of starch potatoes which may be classified as winter crops has been adjusted from early maturity classes 6 and 5 to maturity classes higher than 6. There is no discount for Sugar Beets if they are harvested after November 1, but they are if they are harvested after October 1.
On Sandy and loess soils, an incentive scheme applies to the sowing of a catch crop before October 1st. When a catch crop is sown later, a discount on the nitrogen use standard applies to the subsequent cultivation. For sowing between 2 and 14 October, a discount of 5 kilos of nitrogen/ha applies, between 15 October and 1 November 10 kilos and after 1 nonmember 20 kilos of nitrogen per hectare. This measure does not apply to winter crops.
Consumer potato growers on sand and loess must now dig up the potatoes in good time to sow a catch crop before October 1 if they do not want to be cut back on the nitrogen standard in the next growing year. NAV is not satisfied and sees problems arising in the harvest of consumer potatoes for growers, contractors and processors of potatoes.
LTO also receives the arrangement with mixed feelings. Chairwoman Tineke de Vries is positive that a number of crops have been added, but expects that calendar agriculture will have no effect on water quality. The minister’s comment that farmers can now still take their construction plan into account is also wrong. “Construction plans have been made for a long time,” said De Vries. Although the discount on the usage standards seems relatively limited, it does stack up with the other discounts on the fertilization area, says De Vries.
Leah Kunze just graduated MBA and is proud of it. She is interested in automotive industry and innovations. She well be glad to receive a mail to leah.kunze@economicinform.com
