The total number of pigs and cattle in the Netherlands is slightly down compared to last year, according to new figures from national statistics agency CBS, but the manure problem keeps growing.

At the same time, the trend in the Dutch livestock industry is to have fewer farms with more animals, the CBS found.

The number of pigs on Dutch farms now totals around 10.6 million, which is down 2.6% compared to 2023.

The CBS said measures to clean up livestock farming introduced in 2020 may have contributed to bringing down the number of pig farms by 3.5% to some 3,000. However, the number of pigs per farm has risen by an average of 19% to a total of 3,400 over the last seven years.

The Netherlands is also home to some 3.77 dairy and beef cattle, 1.9% down on 2023. Compared to 2017, when a phosphate reduction plan was implemented, the number of cows has fallen by 7.8% and that trend seems set to continue, the CBS said.

Manure

The Dutch intensive farming sector is struggling to deal with reductions in the amount of manure farmers are allowed to spread on their fields, because of the risk of leaching into the waterways and the high concentration of nitrogen. Farmers are now being forced to pay high fees to have the manure disposed of in other ways.

The Netherlands’ exemption from EU limits on manure is due to end in 2026, meaning farmers will be allowed to spread far less animal waste on their own fields.

According to a report by health institute RIVM out on Thursday, manure pollution has worsened over the last few years. The institute measures the quality of ground and surface water every four years and this means the Netherlands is not complying to the European guideline on nitrates.

Brussels

The report comes a day after the European Commission challenged Dutch agriculture minister Femke Wiersma, who is a member of the pro-farmers party BBB, about plans to relax rules for manure spreading.

Wiersma has been under pressure to speed up the buyout of farmers to prevent the Netherlands from falling foul of European restrictions.

Wiersma has said she will produce a buyout plan for 2026, but on a far smaller scale than the last government’s €20 billion package. The new cabinet has cut the budget to €5 billion and told provinces to scrap the detailed plans they had drawn up to buy out the heaviest polluters.