Stoppers scheme officially announced

The stopper arrangement will be featured in the Government Gazette on Friday. It states exactly what the subsidy scheme for quitting dairy farmers will look like. You can choose from slaughter or export cows. 

'On application, the minister grants a subsidy to the holder who terminates the milk supply in his name to a dairy company and whose dairy cows: die, slaughter or are exported.' This is an attempt to bring about a significant decrease in phosphate production.

There are a number of conditions. For example, a subsidy is granted for cows that the holder had on the first day of opening the subsidy or for the number of cows that were walking around on 1 October. The latter option is only available if the number of cows is lower than during the opening of the subsidy. 0,44 calves applies to calves and 0,36 to heifers.  

The first round will take place from 20 February to 3 March 2017. As is known, the compensation is 1.200 euros per cow. Each subsequent round will be announced 2 weeks in advance. The ceiling of the first round is 12.000.000 million euros. The first to register will receive the subsidy when the pot is overwritten.  

When the grant is announced, a recipient has 6 weeks to meet the requirements. The only exception is made for heifers and heifers that are more than 5,5 months pregnant at the time of award. These may remain up to a week after calves, but no longer than 20 weeks after issuance of the decision. Until January 1, dairy cows may no longer be kept. The arrangement is slightly different for young stock and male cattle.  

Since 2012, the number of dairy farms has barely decreased. The termination scheme encourages dairy farms to dispose of the dairy herd in 2017. The aim of the government is to have 60.000 dairy cows disappear from the Netherlands. This results in a phosphate reduction of 2,5 million kilograms of phosphate.

It is still difficult to estimate who will make use of this arrangement. Logically, the older entrepreneur is looked at, but at the same time it is also indicated that it is probably not financial motivation that will convince an entrepreneur. This is partly because the cattle have to leave. previously gave Wiebren van Rayen already indicated that by exchanging livestock there are possibilities to keep the better breeding stock. At NAJK they also hear from young entrepreneurs who move their cattle to, for example, Germany. Apart from that, it has recently been the relatively young entrepreneurs who have stopped as a result of the proliferation of rules and the high degree of uncertainty. Which means it can go either way with this arrangement.  

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