Dutch agricultural groups seek legal certainty and better damage compensation

Agricultural organizations in the Netherlands are raising concerns regarding regulatory pressures and financial compensation for farmers. Erik Stuurbrink, Chairman of LTO Bomen, Vaste planten en Zomerbloemen, highlighted an increase in enforcement requests from provinces and municipalities, often initiated by NGOs. These requests, which include inquiries into pesticide use and land permits, are described as creating legal uncertainty and discouraging entrepreneurial initiatives aimed at environmental health.

Simultaneously, several agricultural groups, including LLTB, NFO, LTO Noord, and ZLTO, are calling for adjusted compensation regarding bird damage (mezenschade) in fruit cultivation. They argue that current policies conflict with biodiversity goals. While farmers are encouraged to plant hedges to support nature, these landscape elements attract birds that cause damage to fruit. Currently, fruit growers face a 40 percent deductible for this damage, significantly higher than the 5 to 10 percent deductible typical for other types of fauna damage. The organizations have petitioned the Interprovinciaal Overleg (IPO) to harmonize these rates to ensure that investments in biodiversity do not disproportionately penalize farmers.