The Dutch government is proposing to phase out the Dutch nitrates derogation from 250kg down to 170kg/ha by 2026.

This is effectively a stocking rate reduction to reduce the number of animals in Holland.

The Dutch government is proposing a maximum of €130m in a compensation package for the 16,500 farmers who have applied for a derogation in 2021 to help them transition to this lower stocking rate.

The fast-tracking of the derogation elimination will be voted on this week, following a letter from the outgoing minister for agriculture to the Dutch House of Representatives this week.

The Irish Department of Agriculture recently touted a derogation reduction of 250kg to 220kg/ha very soon, without any talk of compensating farmers.