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Dutch dairy farmers are queuing for a ‘death subsidy’ for cows as part of a plan to reduce the size of the national herd.
Media reports say 60,000 cows, or 3% of the total number, have to be slaughtered this year to comply with European phosphate norms or the Dutch dairy industry will be hit with a hefty fine. This means dairy farmers will either have to give up their business or return to the number of cows they had prior to July 2, 2015.
The Dutch Government has earmarked €12m in compensation for the first 10,000 cows but the subsidy was oversubscribed by 30,000 within a day. Farmers who fail to get the subsidy, which will now be allocated by drawing lots, will have to wait until the next round of subsidies which are expected to be lower.
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