Wednesday, 27 April 2016 07:55

Grass-fed milk gets EU farmers another subsidy

Written by 
EU dairy processors are paying an allowance to farmers who are grazing cows outdoors. EU dairy processors are paying an allowance to farmers who are grazing cows outdoors.

One of Europe's largest dairy cooperatives is paying farmers to graze cows on pasture as demand for grass-fed milk products rise.

FrieslandCampina says the number of dairy products made from pasture milk is increasing.

Last year more dairy farms let their cows graze on pasture, ending a decline in the number of dairy farms doing outdoor grazing, which started in the 1990s.

FrieslandCampina suppliers' pasture-grazed cows increased by 100 in 2015, the co-op says. Some 78% of its member 12,618 farms in the Netherlands grazed outdoors in 2015 versus 77.25 in 2014.

The co-op wants to have 81.2% of the farms doing outdoor grazing by 2020.

FrieslandCampina and other dairy companies in the Netherlands are said to be pushing this policy. The co-op aims at a minimum of 400 farms, whose cows are now barn raised and milked. It plans to approach dairy farms that stopped outdoor grazing in the past three years, to prompt the farmers to use a national scheme for 'new grazers'.

The co-op says grazing cows have been part of the traditional Dutch landscape for many centuries.

Dairy farmers who pasture graze their cows at least 120 days/year for a minimum of six hours/day are entitled to an outdoor grazing allowance of 1 euro (NZ$1.63)/100kg of milk. And FrieslandCampina rewards partly grazing outdoors with 0.46 euro (75c)/100kg milk.

Campina cheese, a series of Gouda cheeses made from pasture milk, was launched in March 2016. Milner and the North Holland Gouda cheese with the red label are also made from pasture milk. Some supermarket chains will soon start buying FrieslandCampina pasture milk cheese for their private labels, the co-op says.

More like this

Dutch co-op's profit slumps

One of the world's largest dairy co-operatives is reporting a slump in half-year profits on the back of declining commodity prices and lower sales volumes.

Dutch co-op turns 150

One of the world's largest dairy co-operatives celebrated its 150th birthday this month.

Featured

Farmstrong marks 10 years of rural support

Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.

National

Machinery & Products

Farming smarter with technology

The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

110,000 visitors!

OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.

Sticky situation

OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter