The Belgian Dairy Industry Federation (CBL) has raised concerns about an increasing number of dairy farmers leaving the profession.
CBL director Lien Callewaert reports a noticeable increase in departures from the dairy farming sector. According to the annual report from the Flemish Milk Control Centre (MCC), 173 producers quit last year; 43 have already ceased operations this year.
“We’ve seen a yearly decrease of 3-4% in dairy producers. We have feedback from dairy farmers that more intend to follow. We are worried,” Callewaert affirmed.
This trend extends to Wallonia where there has also been a steady annual decline of 3%. This downward trend has been constant for about thirty years, although it is now stabilising. Catherine Bauraind, who oversees dairy projects at the College of Producers – which represents agricultural producers in Belgium – attributes the steep decline in Flanders to nitrogen regulations.
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Debate about how to reduce the region's nitrogen emissions have led to a succession of protest actions in recent years, as proposed measures would entail closing down the most polluting farms, with the owners paid compensation by the regional government. But opponents have challenged the bill's focus on farms and argue that industries instead should be subjected to tighter regulations.
Data from the state of agriculture in Wallonia show that dairy producers declined from 6,000 in 1990 to approximately 1,400 in 2022.
To explain the number of farmers leaving the profession in Flanders, the CBL highlights legal uncertainties for dairy farms due to regulations, notably concerning nitrogen. “Due to restrictive policies and the current legal insecurity, this decline will not be offset by remaining dairy producers,” Callewaert cautioned.
