Agricultural sector parties together with the former Ministry of Economic Affairs drew up a package of measures aimed at curbing phosphate production by the entire Dutch livestock herd to a level which is permissible under the Nitrates Directive (172.9 million kg of phosphate) by end of 2017. The package consists of three measures that target dairy farmers, namely: reducing the phosphorus content in dairy compound feed, introducing a subsidy programme for dairy farms that go out of business and a scheme to reduce the number of dairy cows and young cattle. The dairy herd - which had expanded rapidly after abolition of the milk quota - will need to be reduced by altogether 160 thousand livestock units.
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