The number of dairy cows will remain about the same in 2022. For a few years now there have been around the same number of dairy cows in the Netherlands. There is, however, a decrease of 7 percent compared to 2017, as the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) calculated on the Friday after the Provincial Council elections.
Due to the phosphate reduction plan in 2017, the number of cattle decreased. The growth of the herd had to stop and farmers had to keep less dairy cattle. At the beginning of April 2022, the Netherlands had a total of 3.8 million cattle. Of these, 41 percent are dairy cows.
The ‘pig herd’ has shrunk by 1.6 percent this year. In any case, the number of pigs has been decreasing since 2020 due to the subsidy scheme for pig farmers who want to stop. Compared to 2017, there are 9 percent fewer pigs. It concerns a total of about 11 million animals.
Despite this decrease, the average number of pigs per farm is increasing. According to Statistics Netherlands, this is because relatively small companies have stopped keeping pigs in recent years. A farm now has an average of about 3400 pigs. The average number of dairy cows per farm also increased. In 2017, a dairy farm had an average of 94 cows, now there are about 107 dairy cows per farm.
More dairy goats
The number of dairy goats increased by 1 percent last year. Compared to five years earlier, there are now 30 percent more dairy goats. In North Brabant and Gelderland, among others, a so-called goat stop has been in effect since 2017 due to possible health risks. People who live near a goat farm have about a 10 percent higher risk of pneumonia, according to research by the RIVM. Nevertheless, the number of goats increased: permits granted for the goat stop had not been revoked.
The reduction of livestock is mentioned by coalition party D66, among others, as one of the ways to reduce nitrogen emissions. In recent climate advice from officials, a smaller herd is also called “inevitable” if the cabinet wants to achieve the climate goals.
Caroline van der Plas of the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB), who emerged as the big winner of the Provincial Council elections, emphasized on Thursday that her party wants to ensure that farmers are not compulsorily expropriated. This is at odds with the government’s intentions to oblige farmers to buy out in order to reduce nitrogen emissions if voluntary efforts fail.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.
#CBS #number #dairy #cows #livestock #farming #pig #herd #shrunk