What does change of young stock number mean?

The sector parties LTO, NZO, NMV, NAJK, Nevedi and Rabobank have an alternative worked out for the young livestock number. This was necessary because the introduction of the young cattle number a few weeks ago disrupted the business operations of many dairy farmers too drastically. She announced their proposal on Thursday, May 18. What will change if this sector proposal is introduced?

What are the changes?
In the proposal the current number of young livestock will continue to exist. However, dairy farmers are offered alternative options for reduction. In addition, removal via death, slaughter or export becomes possible and removal to other companies up to an age of 35 days becomes possible, without changing the ratio of young cattle to dairy cows.

Dairy farming will have more opportunities
The proposed change offers more options for dairy farmers. They can still dispose of their young cattle, even if the ratio of young cattle to dairy cattle becomes lower than the young cattle number. According to the proposal, there are 2 options for this:

1. Removal of young cattle at an age of less than 35 days.
2. Disposal via death, slaughter or export.

Calf farming will have more options
This proposal extends the scheme for veal farmers. The introduction of the current young cattle numbers has made it difficult for veal farmers to obtain calves. After all, the removal of young cattle no longer counts for dairy farmers and so it is not interesting for them to remove their young cattle.

If calves up to 35 days old are not included in the change in the young cattle number, they can still be transported to veal farmers without restriction. This removal has no influence on the number of young livestock. The animals can be supplied permanently by veal farmers.

Beef farming has already been excluded from the phosphate reduction plan. The change in the scheme has little effect for these companies. Young cattle from dairy farming are hardly outsourced to beef farms.

Japproximately livestock farms will find it more difficult to obtain young cattle in the Netherlands. They will rather have to import young cattle from outside the Netherlands in order to be able to keep cattle.

Bottlenecks continue to exist
This adjustment has not yet solved all problems for dairy farming. For example, for companies that removed dairy cows before the introduction of the young cattle number. They have relatively many young cattle. This means a high number of young livestock. If, according to their previous plans, they now transport young cattle to a young cattle breeder, they will not achieve their intended reduction.

What holds the young stock number back in again?
From May 1, removal of young cattle only counts if you also remove dairy cows with the young cattle. To determine this ratio, the ratio between dairy cows and young cattle is determined per farm. This ratio is called the young livestock number.

The reference date for the young cattle number is April 28, 2017. The young cattle number is calculated using the following formula: number of LU young cattle / number of LU dairy cows (cattle calved at least once). If, due to the removal of young cattle, the proportion of young cattle becomes lower than on the reference date (young cattle number), the removal is not regarded as a reduction.

It is expected that next week State Secretary Martijn van Dam will clarify whether this proposal will be included in the Phosphate Reduction Regulation 2017.