"Dairy farming needs an agricultural agreement 2.0"

Verstraten has deliberately applied for the position of chair of the Dairy Farming section of LTO Netherlands. "But I see it as both a pleasure and a burden. In both cases because I am well informed: do you do what is good for the farmer or do you do what farmers want? That is not the same. But it should be the same," he concludes. The dairy farmer from Westerbeek in North Brabant has been part of the national Dairy Farming section for over eight years. At heart, he would like to position his section more as an association of entrepreneurs. "As an entrepreneur, you are much more soberly in the competition. In dairy farming, we are traditionally more an association of farmers, in which family businesses and inheritance play a big role." According to Verstraten, dairy farmers are emotionally connected to the place where they farm. "And it is about the energy and passion you put into your business. A way of life. Other emotions come into play. As an LTO member and a person, I feel ...