The Netherlands is considering a proposal to reduce the number of pets. The goal behind the proposal is to reduce pollution by reducing the number of pets by 30 percent. The Netherlands’ Ministry of Finance and Agriculture has come out with a proposal to reduce the number of animals.
The Netherlands is the largest meat exporter in the European Union. The Netherlands is also a leading European country in the field of animal husbandry. The sanctuary is home to over 100 million livestock, including livestock, chicken and pigs. As of 2018, there are 14 sheep, 93 cows, 298 pigs and 2372 chickens per square kilometer. The number of human beings is 414.
There are reports that farmers will be forced to reduce the number of livestock and will have to give up their land to the government.
The Netherlands is in the midst of an environmental crisis of nitrogen emissions rising sharply. Due to the large number of animals, nitrogen emissions from their excrement increase. Ammonia gas is expelled from the manure where the manure and urine meet. Environmentalists say uncontrolled levels of nitrogen levels will damage natural habitats and increase the amount of nitrate in groundwater.
In May 2019, a Dutch administrative court criticized the Netherlands government for failing to comply with EU rules. The allegation was that no effective measures were taken to reduce the amount of nitrogen in nature. Following this, one of the problem-solving projects identified by the Ministries of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality is to reduce the number of animals. The goal is to halve nitrogen emissions by 2035.
In addition to reducing the number of animals, it is recommended that the speed of vehicles during the day should not exceed 100 kilometers per hour. Yet the most important of these is the cuts in the animal husbandry sector.
Environmentalists welcomed the government’s decision. At the same time, farmers’ groups strongly opposed the proposal. There was also a road blockade.
Farmers’ representatives said that taking land from farmers was not the right move. Moreover, the agricultural sector has declined by three per cent over the previous year. Many of the farmers are leaving the area. A good portion of farmers may abandon farming in 10–15 years. However, this forced regulation will completely destroy the region. Farmers also say they will lose credibility with the government.
English summary: Why Netherlands is considering a proposal to cut livestock numbers
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