Chain organisation ZuivelNL has unveiled its plan for reducing phosphate production by the Dutch dairy sector in 2017.
Comprising the Dutch Dairy Association, the Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture as well as Dutch dairy farmers’ trade union, the ZuivelNL chain has come up with a package of measures to tackle the phosphate problem.
The Dutch Agricultural Young People’s Association (NAJK) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs have helped ZuivelNL in this regard.
Dubbed as the Phosphate Reduction Plan ZuivelNL, the plan that has been chalked out to encourage dairy farmers to lower their livestocks by 4% in case they have more cows and young cattle on their farm compared to what they had on 2 July 2015.
As per the plan, dairy farmers who do not adhere to the advice in adjusting their livestocks will face a cut back on the milk money they are owed to.
On the other hand, daily farmers who heed to the advice of reducing their livestocks next year will not only be exempted from the measures but also will be awarded a premium.
ZuivelNL said that the premium rate would depend on how fast the farmers can achieve the 4% reduction in 2017.
It added that farms that did not have a phosphate surplus in 2015 in accordance with the Dutch manure law do not have to reduce their livestocks compared to their numbers on July 2, 2015.
The measures put up in the Phosphate Reduction Plan ZuivelNL will be reviewed for decision making by the appropriate administrative bodies in the country.
According to ZuivelNL, the measures will only apply till the end of next year. From January 1, 2018, the dairy farming industry will lower the phosphate production by the legal phosphate rights system approved by the Dutch Lower Chamber early December.
