Van Dam: Cows should be out in the meadow as much as possible

For the second Monday in a row, the House of Representatives is considering the subject of grazing. Should it be mandatory or not? This is in response to the initiative proposal of GroenLinks, SP and D66. Van Dam wonders what the most effective measure is, but initially leaves the ball with the sector.

Bert Philipsen, who is involved in grazing in Wageningen, has already warned that an obligation can sometimes be at the expense of grazing. He means the grazing of cows. He is afraid that it will become nothing more than a spout so that cows can stretch their legs. 

Henk van Gerven does not share that opinion, as it turns out in the debate. He states that, apart from a premium, dairy farmers can already earn 10.000 euros. Helma Lodders (VVD) also entered into a discussion with him about the number of dairy farmers who cannot meet this requirement. Rik Grashoff is also convinced of outdoor grazing. 'The optimum is 2.000 to 3.000 hours of grazing per year.' 

#pasture knows how to get and keep the tongues moving. In the last week in particular, the reports from dairy farmers about the how and why of grazing have increased. A plus here is that State Secretary Martijn van Dam recognizes that the sector is successful and that the number of grazers is increasing. 'Plus 300 in 2016.´

He believes that cows should graze as much as possible, but the question is how can this be achieved effectively? He agrees that it is a big step to start grazing again, which takes an average of 2 years. 

Apart from that, Van Dam indicates that there are quite a few snags when a farmer meets the definition of grazing and its control. 'Initiators must make clear what they mean by grazing, how it should be monitored and how it should be financed.' 

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