Groningen permanently locks livestock farming

The province of Groningen decided on Wednesday 14 November that it will definitively lock intensive livestock farming as of 1 January 2019. It means that farmers with pigs or chickens are no longer allowed to increase the number of animals on the farm.

Although farmers are not allowed to increase the number of animals, they can still increase the number of stables. The VVD in the province wants to give farmers more space. RTV Noord reports that a transition period was chosen a few years ago, so that farmers could still expand their livestock. The VVD again asked for such a transition period on Wednesday, but there was no majority for this. 

Transition Period
"The farmers provide us with food," says VVD States member Madà Miesen at RTV Noord. "In order to keep the company profitable, it must be possible to invest. Those who shout loudest that the livestock sector must shrink, still buy the cheapest piece of meat."

The ChristenUnie and the CDA also have difficulty with the decision to lock livestock farming, but they still voted against the transition period. "Intensive livestock farming will be locked, but that is no reason for the CDA to reconsider the lock. There is no majority in favour, so we are voting against," says CDA member of parliament Robert de Wit.

Step to the right closer
previously left LTO Noord and various livestock farmers already know that they will go to the administrative court if the lock has been definitively implemented. LTO Noord then announced that it should be possible to expand intensive livestock farming if the companies are located far enough from the residential centers and therefore do not (cannot) cause any nuisance.

LTO Noord also announced at the time that it would have the courts assess whether a ban on the basis of the Environment Act would legally stand.

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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