“The expropriation of farmers must be off the table. We will not let the forced buyout happen,” said Mark van den Oever of Farmers Defense Force (FDF) on Wednesday evening after a meeting of the action group in Nijkerk. The action group is considering new actions if the plans are not changed.
The farmers first want to wait for the cabinet meeting on 14 October. If this thorny point is not removed, action will follow. The farmers support only the voluntary buy-out of farmers and for the whole of the Netherlands, not just close to nature reserves.
On Wednesday, nitrogen broker Johan Remkes presented his report. In it, he stated that nitrogen emissions should ‘just’ be halved by 2030. He also believes that 500 to 600 livestock farms in vulnerable nature areas must be bought out within a year, possibly forcibly. But the latter is not an option for the Farmers Defense Force.
Powerlessness, anger and frustration
The board of the action group held the meeting to find out what members think of the nitrogen advice of mediator Remkes. More than twenty people attended the meeting.
According to Van den Oever, the feeling of powerlessness, anger and frustration predominated. They have the feeling that there is a lot of talk, but the farmers ‘demand actions’. In the coming period, FDF will further study the sixty-page advice.
Source: Omroep Brabant
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
