North Holland agricultural portal opening extended
The subsidy ordinance for above-legal measures to benefit soil and water quality will remain open longer. Farmers in North Holland can make a free Make an appointment with a coach through www.landbouwportaalnoordholland.nl. Coaches advise on the topics of Inherited mineral and nutrient runoff, Sustainable land use, Plant protection products, Parcel and bank design & management and Freshwater measures.
Unique collaboration
The North Holland Agricultural Portal originated from "Working Together on Soil & Water"; a cooperation initiated by Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier with LTO Noord, the four agricultural collectives, KAVB, Province of North Holland and Waterschap Amstel, Gooi and Vecht. The goal of the cooperation is to make the agricultural business and water system in North Holland healthier and more resilient in terms of water quality, sufficient fresh water and soil quality.
Already more than 1,500 entrepreneurs are participating in the Agricultural Portal. This illustrates the movement towards more water- and soil-conscious farming. Many North Holland farmers are open to the free advice of the coaches and are actually getting to work to make improvements on their farms. The success of the Agricultural Portal is reason for the cooperating partners to continue the opening of the Agricultural Portal. Due to the enormous demand at HHNK, the scheme was temporarily discontinued in 2025. Advice from coaches does remain possible this year. At HHNK, subsidies will again be available in 2026.
Improvements
Making improvements does not always require large investments. Often a fresh look at the farmyard and some tips will help them on their way. For those who can invest in measures above and beyond the law, the Landbouwportaal can make a contribution with this new subsidy round.
Popular measures
Even without a subsidy, you can contribute to better soil and water quality with certain measures. Such as not overfilling the solid manure storage and keeping the yard and feedstores swept clean. Or plowing at different depths to prevent the formation of a plow sole as much as possible. In previous rounds of subsidies, entrepreneurs often opted for a livestock watering trough so that cattle no longer trample the ditch banks when drinking water. Another popular measure is applying drift-reducing spraying techniques. This reduces the risk of plant protection products in surface water. For better freshwater availability, participants often choose an above-ground water basin or level-controlled drainage.