Additional measures to keep cows in the fields

The Dutch dairy sector is taking additional measures to maintain an acceptable level of grazing at dairy farms. A number of dairy companies are further increasing the compensation for dairy farmers who practice grazing. These farmers will receive a higher premium on the milk price than they do now. In some cases, premiums will even double.

The dairy industry supports responsible development of the dairy farm, one that keeps it land-based and protects cattle grazing. The grazing premium will be financed through the higher sales prices of milk from grazing cattle, through dairy companies’ own contributions, and via deductions from milkpayments from dairy farmers.

With these measures, dairy companies are living up to the commitments they signed in the 2012 Grazing Agreement. In this contract, 63 partners across the dairy chain agreed to maintain grazing at least at its 2012 level. At that time, 81% of dairy farms in the Netherlands practiced grazing. Since then, dairy farms have indicated that the percentage is under pressure. Next week during a meeting with the partners in the Grazing Agreement, they will announce the grazing percentage from the last grazing season.

In addition to increasing the grazing premium, dairy companies, together with LTO Netherlands, have initiated several projects to encourage dairy farms to apply grazing at their companies. The project Robot & Grazing is one of these projects, where 500 dairy farmers using milking robots are studying ways to integrate grazing into their operations. Farms with milking robots are more inclined to keep their cattle inside throughout the year than farms without milking robots. In order to promote grazing at these “robot companies”, and at the initiative of the dairy industry, these farms are receiving support from the Grazing Organization and Wageningen Livestock Research. These farms also have access to the experience of other farms which use automatic milking systems alongside grazing.

The dairy industry has also invested in training grazing coaches who can guide dairy farmers towards optimizing their cattle grazing. 40 grazing coaches have already been trained. In 2015, another 30 advisors will be trained.