THE HAGUE, 18/01/03 - No less than 70 percent of Dutch farmers and market gardeners plan to vote for the Christian democrats (CDA), according to a survey by farming journal Oogst. The party would win 105 of the 150 Lower House seats in next Wednesday's elections if they were the entire electorate.

The conservatives (VVD) follow at a distance with 12 percent, ahead of the Christian (SGP) party with 7, Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) with 5 and ChristenUnie with 2. Labour (PvdA) can only count on 1 percent of farming support.

The farmers give caretaker Agriculture Minister Cees Veerman (CDA) a healthy 7.3 rating, where his predecessor Brinkhorst had to make do with a meagre 3.3. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed wanted Veerman to return as minister in the new cabinet.