The cabinet wants to raise groundwater levels across the country in a bid to improve its quality. This could be bad news for farmers, because some pastures will become much more waterlogged.
It is one of the plans that will be discussed in the Council of Ministers on Friday, sources confirmed to this site after an article by The Telegraph. It is part of plans to reduce nitrogen and CO2 emissions.
Prevent sagging
Together with the provinces and water bodies, a plan is now being drawn up for each area. As groundwater levels rise, peat areas will rot less and therefore emit less CO2. A higher level also prevents subsidence of the land, and therefore of the houses.
But it also makes the soil more waterlogged, meaning farmers are less able to work their land with tractors. Not even the cows walk well in it.
Another part of these plans was already leaked on this site yesterday: on Friday, the cabinet will present an offer to farmers and other “peak taxpayers” who want to be bought out. If a farmer stops, he can up to 120 percent of the value of his farm. The scheme is to enter into force on 1 April 2023 and be open for approximately one and a half years.
In addition to this scheme, companies can also use innovations to limit nitrogen emissions. Farmers can also work more sustainably, for example by no longer raising livestock but by switching to agricultural agriculture. Relocation is also an option, as a result of which companies will be further away from nitrogen-sensitive natural areas.
The scheme is voluntary, but if farmers don’t cooperate, they threaten significantly stricter environmental requirements.
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