I was recently able to go on a CAFRE-led Farm Innovation Visit (FIV) to the Netherlands. As it turned out this was the last visit as the programme has now closed. Hopefully the funding can be sourced to begin a new programme early next year.

I have been on a few of these farm innovation trips. As usual this one was very well organised with four excellent visits, along with an evening session, all of which was within a two-day itinerary. There was a lot packed in, with early starts and late evenings.

Most farmers would really enjoy these visits, but a lot are reluctant to leave the farm for even a few days.

I have found the events to be really beneficial and there is simply no way I could organise the different farms and transport if I was trying to do it on my own.

Instead, farmers who take part in a FIV are able to turn up at the airport with confidence that everything is sorted and you can relax and enjoy everything that is laid on for you.

Ammonia

This latest trip was on the subject of ammonia reduction and mitigation.

It was very much dairy orientated, but I was not too concerned as I am a firm believer that agriculture must tackle the whole environmental issue by working together.

Before travelling to the Netherlands, I was well aware of the serious problems that were affecting agriculture in that country.

Its government seems to have abandoned farmers and, in fact, seems to be actively trying to dismantle the whole agriculture industry.

As a result, I was very keen to find out what the farmers were doing in the Netherlands to try and survive against this never-ending tide of environmental bashing. In all probability what is happening now in the Netherlands will come to us within the next number of years.

Reclaimed

A lot of the farms in the Netherlands has been reclaimed from the sea and are below sea level, with the land owned by the government and leased out to the farmers.

However, the main issue at present, relates to the management of nutrients, especially nitrogen.

Excess slurry has to be exported under licence, off many farms. It had to be analysed before being exported and the exporting farmer also had to pay €37 per 1,000 litres.

I am not really sure how farmers in NI would take that. In the Netherlands this was a massive expense put on farmers.

Lely

The second day we visited the Lely campus and factory to see the modern technologies that are being developed to try and reduce problem ammonia emissions.

The most notable piece of kit that I saw was the Lely Sphere system, which comes in two parts.

First a robot moved around the cattle shed collecting the solid manure and depositing it in a separate area.

Meanwhile, with specially designed flooring, the urine would go to another separate tank. By stopping urine from mixing with manure it helps prevent the release of ammonia gas.

Then the second piece of kit was the Sphere machine which captures any ammonia emissions from the shed, converting that ammonia into a valuable liquid nitrogen fertiliser.

Farm

The technologies behind the Sphere system are well above my pay grade, but we went to a farm to see it in action.

I was extremely impressed. The farm was now making better use of manures, reducing emissions, cutting the amount of artificial fertiliser that was needed and did not have to pay someone to take away their slurry. Overall, it was a massive win for the farmer and the environment.

On the way home, I could not help but be impressed with the Dutch farmers. They are facing massive challenges, but they are not lying down – they are actively looking for solutions and being incredibly positive about the future.

I think that we could learn a lot from these farmers. We can also find solutions to our environmental issues if we are positive and proactive.

Giving up is simply not an option.