Pig production in the Netherlands: understanding sector upturn

This article describes the upturn in pig production in the Netherlands since 2003 and the changes in farming contexts. It analyses the sector upturn in a country under heavy constraints. It is of interest to Brittany to learn more about farm restructuring in the Netherlands, as these changes might herald the emergence of similar trends in France. In the future, the national pig herd stock should reach a plateau in the Netherlands. The reduction of ceilings for fertilizer inputs generates growing surplus levels, and the cost of managing them is spiralling. Competition between pig and milk production over land used for manure spreading will heighten.A significant drop in herd stock is foreseeable if the production capacities of those farms that cannot invest in upgrading to meet new standards do not find new ownership. The high animal densities in the Netherlands pose costly sanitary problems that have tarnished the image of livestock farming. Among the factors contributing to the Dutch dynamic are lobbying by sector professionals, which is based on research and is effective, and the attitude of the government, which is pragmatic. Competition in livestock farming, which is a strategic economic sector for the country, is fierce. Despite technical and regulatory difficulties, entrepreneurial freedom and the room to adapt to the economic and regulatory context has been maintained in the Netherlands, thus making the necessary restructuring and other changes possible, as well as allowing for a growth margin.