Fewer dairy cows in the Netherlands in 2024

Published 2024년 11월 28일

Tridge summary

In 2024, the Netherlands experienced a decline in livestock numbers, with notable decreases in dairy cows, pigs, and dairy goats, alongside a significant drop in the sheep population due to the bluetongue virus. The number of farms with dairy cattle and pigs also fell, although the average number of animals per farm increased. Despite the overall decline, the dairy goat population has grown significantly since 2017, particularly in North Brabant and Gelderland. Additionally, statistical data from CBS highlights that Flevoland accounts for 21 percent of a certain metric, with another region contributing 20 percent.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The number of dairy cows in the Netherlands decreased by 1.9 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year to 1.54 million. The number of pigs and dairy goats also decreased slightly in the past year. The number of sheep decreased by almost 13 percent. This is due to the bluetongue virus that has been present since September 2023, mainly in sheep. This is evident from the most recent figures from the agricultural census of Statistics Netherlands. On 1 April 2024, the Netherlands had 3.77 million cattle, 1.9 percent less than a year earlier. 41 percent of the number of cattle were dairy cows. The municipalities of Súdwest-Fryslân and De Fryske Marren had the most dairy cows, namely 65 thousand and 34 thousand. The number of young cattle for dairy farming decreased by 2.5 percent in the past year to 967 thousand. Compared to 2017, there were 7.8 percent fewer cattle in 2024. In 2017, the phosphate reduction plan for the Dutch dairy industry came into effect. Companies had to sell ...

Source: Melkveebedrijf