Pig money transferred to the purchase of peak loaders

Minister of Agriculture Carola Schouten is going to transfer € 130 million that was intended for the remediation of pig farms to buying out peak loaders around Natura 2000 areas. €40 million from the Subsidy Scheme for the Remediation of Pig Farms (Srv) will also be used for other nitrogen-reducing measures.

Schouten reports this in a letter to the House of Representatives. The millions are left because too few pig farms want to make use of the Srv scheme. Of the 430 pig farms that have applied, 278 pig farmers ultimately want to make use of the scheme and discontinue their business. The scheme was originally intended to limit the odor nuisance caused by companies in the south and east of the Netherlands for the living environment.

Setback for nitrogen ambitions
Because pig prices have been generally good in the past year due to an increasing appetite to buy from China, in particular, fewer pig companies have ultimately decided to stop. Ministry of Agriculture had originally thought. That is another setback for the nitrogen ambitions that Schouten had added to this scheme. By stopping pig farms, nitrogen emissions could be reduced by 8,5 mol, but in practice that is now 2,8 mol. 

Schouten explains that this is not only due to lower than average expected nitrogen emissions per farm that stops, but also to the location of the pig farms. Because the regulation is aimed at limiting odor nuisance, many of the discontinuing pig farms are not located near Natura2000 areas. As a result, the construction of 75.000 homes and the construction of 7 major infrastructure projects are at risk, because there was eagerly awaited a successful remediation scheme for pig farming. 

Animo veal farms
That is why Schouten also wants to invest the remaining €170 million in, among other things, buying peak loaders at Natura2000 areas. This could go to Gelderland, for example, where the enthusiasm for a provincial purchase scheme for veal farms exceeds the available budget. If there is budget left over from the purchase of peak loaders, the first tranche of which is currently running, the central government and the provinces will transfer this to the second tranche after the summer. Relocation of livestock farms in combination with innovation is also an option.

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