Farm minister Carola Schouten is bringing in a ban on live animal transports when temperatures reach at least 35 Celsius, she told MPs on Thursday. Voluntary agreements, the minister said, are too easily ignored and the time is now right to anchor the limit in law.

While factory farmers and slaughterhouses had taken steps to protect animals against the heat, government inspectors had noted several serious incidents during the high temperatures, the minister said. In one case, 90% of the chickens in transport crates had died during their journey.

Esther Ouwehand told the minister during Thursday’s debate that while she welcomed the minister’s action, 35 Celsius is still far too high a temperature to be moving animals.