‘Less enthusiasm than expected for buyout scheme pig farmers’ | NOW

Far fewer pig farmers than expected want to make use of the buy-out scheme that the cabinet has set up to reduce nitrogen emissions. This has emerged from research by Platform for investigative journalism Investico in collaboration with EenVandaag, recorded by Faithful.

The Producers Organization Pig Husbandry (POV), which represents the sector’s interests, expects that only half of the 407 farmers who meet the conditions will sign. Agriculture minister Carola Schouten, however, had counted on 361 farmers.

The scheme was initially popular, early January the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality had received 503 applications from pig farmers who wanted to buy out. At the time, that was more than the cabinet expected.

Many farmers have now dropped out, the agricultural consultancies DLV and ABAB confirm the figures. Pig farmers earn well at the moment and in Brabant, where most pig farmers live, stricter environmental regulations have been postponed by two years.

Buy-out scheme favorable for farmers with modern, clean stables

The buy-out scheme, for which half a billion euros has now been allocated, is also attractive to farmers who already have modern and relatively clean stables. The reconstruction of EenVandaag and Investico shows that Rabobank had influence in drawing up the scheme. Farmers with modern stables have more debts with the bank than farmers with old stables. The bank would have wanted to secure investments in the sector.

The study also shows that the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) made a calculation error and estimated the effects of the measure almost three times too high.
Minister Schouten wanted to use the buyout rule to limit nitrogen emissions after the cattle feed measure was scrapped in mid-August.

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