The government of the Netherlands will provide € 650 million to save farmers from complete bankruptcy and to pay off losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Of this amount, about € 50 million will be used to help potato growers.
The Netherlands is one of the world’s leading producers of potatoes for fast food chains. Due to quarantine restrictions, most catering establishments are closed worldwide. Therefore, the Dutch potato industry faces the problem of an inability to sell their products in traditional market places where they do business.
To support agriculture, the Dutch government will allocate a total spent of € 650 million to the ag sector, of which € 50 million will go to potato growers who have unfulfilled contracts because of the coronavirus pandemic, writes NOS.
The idea is that the first 30% of the loss of trade will be borne by the entrepreneurs themselves, and the remaining 70% of the damage will be “substantially compensated” by the state.
As reported by Reuters, the quarantine ban on the public catering industry can last until at least June 1. Due to such restrictions, the potato market actually collapsed in the Netherlands.
Source: Potato System
