Netherlands: Dutch livestock farmers filed 40 percent fewer loan applications with the bank

A significant decrease in the volume of lending to livestock breeders in the Netherlands in 2022 was noted by the Dutch agricultural bank Rabobank, on February 9, according to the portal Nieuwe Oogst. Outstanding loans to dairy farmers fell from €9bn to €8.7bn Capital provided to pig producers fell from €1.2bn to €1.1bn Lending to the cattle sector also fell slightly. This was stated by CFO Bas Brouwers of Rabobank at the presentation of annual figures. The total assets provided by the bank in the form of loans to the food and agricultural sectors increased from €35.7 billion to €40.4 billion, but this was mainly due to investments in the food sector. Representatives of the livestock and horticultural sectors in general borrowed less money from the bank. Various factors are contributing to the decline, Browers said. On the one hand, the bank is more critical of the future prospects of farming companies, especially those located in the Natura 2000 zones (specially ...