Q-and-A: Netherlands

 1.  What is the only way to avoid use of nitrogen/fertilizer? 

Well....you rotate crops.  This is a practice that has been around for several hundred years.  It means on X-year....you grow X, and the next year, you grow Y.  Alternating costing money?  Typically as a farmer, you have certain pieces of equipment for various crops.....so you'd have to have a business plan that figures the cost factor, and the pay-back each year.  I should note, you can't be that positive on the pricing outcome of your crops in this method of farming.  

If you present this as a business plan....it's stressful and more chaotic than just a one-single-crop operation.  

I should also note....if your operation is a dairy farm, then your crop is probably hay/grain....every single year.  So this alternating method has its limits.

2.  After the Dutch election on 17 March 2021....how long did it take to form a coalition government?

Well...10 January 2022 was first day of the new coalition government.  Yeah....near 10 months.  I think this was an issue because no one wanted a second election, and the idea of four parties making up a coalition....made things nearly impossible.

3.  What caused the early 2021 Dutch election? 

For a period of six years....the government went and accused 26,000 Dutch folks of fraud in getting childcare benefits.  One day....it came to light that the government was wrong.  A lot of Dutch folks were driven into financial chaos over this, and it triggered the government to fall apart....opening the way for new elections.

4.  Dutch PM Rutte finished?

If this coalition collapses....there's likely to be a house-cleaning by various groups....to suggest to the public that things have been resolved.  I don't see Rutte surviving past this period, and his era comes to an end.

5.  How much does the Netherlands export in terms of agricultural production?

Well....for 2019...the amount came to 94-billion Euro in terms of what the nation produced.

6.  Any truth to a Dutch meat 'tax'?

There's some political agenda at work by two parties (CU, D66) to have a special tax established....to ensure animal welfare within the country.  There are differing opinions on how this would work, and the value of the tax.  It does seem that the consumer reaction is questionable.