How does Brabant want to finance the transition?

A package of supporting measures is ready for the transition to lower-emission livestock farming in Brabant. The province has made €75 million available. The States of Brabant will vote on this proposal on Friday 10 November. What do these support measures mean?

Of the €75 million, €12,5 million, approximately one fifth of the total, will go to the farmers (see table at the bottom of the article). The remainder consists of loans that can be applied for. This is €15 million investment credit for the investment fund and €30 million for an investment in land. Finally, €17,5 million is a provisional amount. The policy consists of a number of parts.

Promote innovative barn systems
Low-emission systems must be applied more often to ensure a better stable climate and better health for livestock farmers and local residents. The new stables must have a positive influence on odor nuisance and particulate matter emissions. These housing systems are currently under development, but cannot yet be fully applied. Development and testing in practice costs a lot and money and must therefore be accelerated. The available budget is €1,9 million.

Support young farmers
Young farmers need financial help. This is because they often have high financing due to a recent takeover. They can make use of the young livestock scheme and also claim funds from the Rural Development Program (POP). The available amount is €181.000.

Older farmers who want to quit can also be supported in their search for new opportunities. This includes, for example, the use of the 'work-to-work trajectory' (€93.000), the scheme 'stable off, sun on' (€181.000) or 'demolition and asbestos remediation' (€171.000).

Parking with stoppers (an extra fee for parking) would also be an option. This measure is seen as illegal state aid and must first be approved by Brussels. If Brussels gives permission for parking with stoppers, this arrangement will not come into effect until mid-2018 at the earliest. 

Fund for investments
Livestock farmers can claim a fund that helps them to finance accelerated renewal. €7,84 million has been reserved for this. The fund is used to invest in new technologies and to support individual livestock farmers through subordinated loans.

A support network, together with livestock farmers, maps out the perspective of their future and supports them in their choices and next steps. Livestock farmers should always be able to ask their questions. €432.000 has been made available for this. In addition, a voucher program (€700.000) has also been made available for seeking advice.

Goals
The package of support measures has a number of objectives. The most important is contributing to the acceleration of the development of housing systems based on 'separation at source'. Secondly, livestock farmers must be supported in order to be able to make the extra and early investments. This is especially important for companies with little equity capital.

Stopping and switching livestock farmers must also be supported with this package of measures in their trajectory from work to work. This can also be done by switching to more ecological (organic) agriculture and nature-inclusive farming.

Finally, it must contribute to other objectives, such as preventing vacancy and thus reducing the overcrowding of rural areas. Reducing opportunities for criminal activity and accelerating the energy transition must also be achieved. 

What was it for again?
In Brabant there is on July 7 voted by the Provincial Council on a package of measures to clean up livestock farming. The measures that have been approved concern mandatory manure processing, stabling and low-emission barns in 2022.

Overview of money distribution:

Source: Province of Brabant

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