The new rule in North Rhine-Westphalia is a “step backwards,” the region’s minister of agriculture says.
Farmers in Germany’s most populous state must severely rein in their use of effective fertilizing techniques under a new set of restrictions apparently aimed at making the industry more “green.”
As of Thursday, farmers in North Rhine-Westphalia are required to use 20% less nitrate fertilizer in areas deemed to have “problematic” levels of the chemical – a designator that now encompasses a third of the province’s usable farmland.
The rules appear to be unpopular with some local farmers and political officials. Erich Gussen, vice president of the Rhenish Agricultural Association, warned that the new regulations would mean a lower quality of crop, hinting farmers would not accept the rules without a fight. “There is great indignation among the farmers, which really upsets us!” he told German outlet Bild on Thursday.
“If a wheat field needs 200 kg of fertilizer for optimal yield, farmers would now be forced to use 40 kg less. That means a drop in yield and the quality of the wheat will suffer!” Gussen explained.
The timing of the measure – coming right before Christmas with little advance notice – also seems likely to maximize inconvenience, as efforts to plead for exceptions before the local bureaucracy will be delayed due to vacations and other technicalities.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s minister of agriculture and consumer protection, Silke Gorissen, described the last-minute expansion of the low-nitrate areas as a “step backwards.” Gorissen claimed she had long sought exceptions for constituent farmers who had already proved themselves responsible stewards of the land.
A similar initiative underway in the Netherlands in the last several months has met with a high degree of local resistance. Amsterdam is reportedly seeking to buy out or forcibly shut down as many as 3,000 farms in order to meet EU environmental targets, even though farming advocates in the country claim they have some of the most advanced, sustainable farming techniques known to humanity.
Image credit: Sippakorn Yamkasikorn
it seems to me that future famines are engeneered particularly in the eu. I hope to be wrong
I’m sure some yummy insects can supplement peoples diets……(cue vomiting sounds)…………..
Disgusting Global Corruption – Jeffrey Sachs
https://youtu.be/ue4eMj2KWc0
This is good, less nitrogen on the land is less nitrogen in the rivers, next we need to get rid on GMO,s.
Nitrogen is one of the basic building blocks of our planet, it’s a significant portion of the atmosphere you’re breathing right now as you read this. There is NO nitrogen crisis, animals have been defecating into rivers for literally millions of years before the first Homo sapiens left their caves and started wheat farming.
It has nothing to do with nitrogen or carbon (or whatever other contrived “scientific” excuse they offer), it’s about CONTROL. Control the food and you control the people. Very very dangerous game they’re playing.
Agree with you on getting rid of the GMO’s, natural is always best. We should not be tinkering with genetics AT ALL.
Nitrogen = Nitrates = polluted waterways and Dairy cows have not been around for millions of years, next on the list will be super phosphate and that will also be a good thing.
Its a clever plan to starve out all the migrants,,,,
on more WEF crap
https://nationalfile.com/wef-calls-for-end-to-private-car-ownership/