The Dutch government plans to buy and then close up to 3,000 farms in an effort to comply with a European Union environmental mandate to reduce emissions, according to reports.
Farmers in the Netherlands will be offered “well in excess” of the value of their farm in an effort to voluntarily accept the offer, The Telegraph reported. The country is trying to reduce its nitrogen pollution and will make the purchases if there are not enough farmers to accept the purchases.
“There is no better offer,” Christianne van der Wal, nitrogen minister, told the Dutch parliament on Friday.
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An aerial view shows a tractor spreading fertilizer in a wheat field. The Dutch government plans to close up to 3,000 farms in an effort to comply with a European Union environmental mandate.
(REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File photo)
The farms subject to compulsory purchase are located near environmentally sensitive areas, according to reports.
Van der Wal said the purchases would be made with “heartache”, if necessary. Fox News Digital has contacted the Dutch embassy in Washington DC, but has not received a response.
The Netherlands is trying to reduce its emissions to comply with EU conservation rules, and agriculture is responsible for almost half of the nitrogen emitted in the nation, according to the report.
In 2019, the Dutch Council of State ruled that every new activity that emits nitrogen, including agriculture and construction, must obtain a permit. That has prevented the expansion of dairy, pig and poultry farms, which are the main sources of nitrogen, according to the Telegraph report.
Some farmers have expressed opposition to the new rules. In October, thousands of tractors clogged traffic for up to 700 miles during rush hour in protest.
Many feel that their livelihood is at stake and that their industry is being unfairly targeted, while other sectors such as aviation are not.
The flags of the European Union fly in front of the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
(REUTERS/François Lenoir)
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LTO Nederland, a farmers’ lobby group, accused the government of drafting “restrictions without perspective.”
“Of course it is positive that a good voluntary shutdown scheme is being promised,” said LTO chairman Sjaak van der Tak. “But those who stay who are critical to us will have a lot of additional restrictions placed on them.”
The Netherlands is the second largest agricultural exporter in the world according to Investopedia. The main Dutch agricultural exports include flowers, dairy products, eggs, meat, and vegetables.
