Unusual with southern neighbors
FrieslandCampina aims for grazing in Belgium
FrieslandCampina is also focusing on grazing in Belgium. The dairy cooperative informed Belgian dairy farmers this week that they are aiming for meadow milk, although this is not yet common practice in our southern neighbours.
In Belgium FrieslandCampina collects milk from more than 400 supplier dairy farmers and 27 member dairy farmers. FrieslandCampina has informed the supplier dairy farmers that the dairy cooperative will focus on outdoor grazing and A-quality milk in the coming years. According to Jan-Willen ter Avest, spokesperson at FrieslandCampina, this step is being taken because dairy sales in Belgium are increasingly demanding it.
Possibly an obligation
FrieslandCampina does not want to say whether there will be consequences for Belgian dairy farmers who do not use grazing in the long run. According to Ter Avest, the contracts with the supplier dairy farmers will run until the end of this year. Pasture may become an obligation after 2018, but that is not yet certain. According to the spokesperson, the call for grazing has been made so that dairy farmers in Belgium can anticipate this.
Limited interest
For the time being, there is limited interest in Belgium in the use of outdoor grazing, because the financial incentives for this are lacking. Also from society and Belgian politics there is not necessarily pressure on grazing. Milcobel, the largest milk processor in Belgium, has been paying a meadow milk supplement since 2017. There is now a chance that this will become a requirement at FrieslandCampina in the future.
Wouter Job
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.
