Netherlands: Dutch Government Increases Agricultural Budget
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The Dutch government has presented its budget for the next annual budget cycle (which begins on January 1, 2021). In recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget has increased sharply -- from €0.8 billion in 2018 to more than €2 billion for 2021. The government has identified four key areas in which it wants to invest: 1) structural measures to address nitrogen pollution, 2) a national protein strategy, 3) sustainable European agricultural production, and 4) continued development of a sustainable livestock sector and improved animal welfare. Through these policy goals, the Ministry hopes to provide clarity and perspective to farmers in terms of future policies. Parliamentary discussions on the 2021 budget revealed that not all Ministers of Parliament were in agreement with some of the proposed policies, particularly the proposal to address nitrogen emissions.
