On the second day of his visit to Belgium and the Netherlands,
DAERA Minister has travelled to a sustainable
dairy farm and met the Dutch Director General for Rural Areas,
Nature and Fisheries, Mark Roscam Abbing.
The Minister travelled to Hoeven where Johan Molenaar guided him
on a tour of his 67-acre farm where he saw firsthand how
cutting-edge research and technology is being used to reduce
ammonia and methane emissions from a dairy herd.
Mr Molenaar runs a dairy enterprise with 200 cows which is part
of a Network of Practical Farms across the Netherlands involving
100 dairy farms focused on addressing climate challenges by
reducing ammonia, nitrogen and methane emissions.
Minister Muir said: “The Netherlands is a leading light in
sustainable farming. In Hoeven, we heard from the Network of
Practical Farms about the collaboration between dairy farmers and
research companies on an integrated approach to addressing
emissions in a feasible and affordable manner. Together they are
future proofing Dutch dairy enterprises by addressing these
issues and ensuring their economic viability while protecting
animal welfare and improving both biodiversity and water quality.
“In Northern Ireland, we have a real challenge with levels of
ammonia emissions which is why it's valuable to learn from the
Dutch experience of how to marry sustainable agricultural
development with emissions reductions.
“The new Sustainable Agriculture Programme in Northern Ireland is
key to helping our industry transition to a more sustainable
farming sector through policy interventions designed to support a
thriving and resilient farming and agri-food sector whilst
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving water and air
quality and promoting nature restoration.”
Minister Muir also held constructive discussions with the
Director General for Rural Areas, Nature, and Fisheries Mark
Roscam Abbing in The Hague where farm sustainability and trade
issues were on the agenda.
Minister Muir said afterwards: “Northern Ireland's agri-food
sector has long had ties with the Netherlands and it's been good
to explore with Mark Roscam Abbing how we can further enrich our
relationship by sharing knowledge and expertise on sustainable
farming. We very much value the relationship we have forged with
the Dutch Government and look forward to further developing trade
links under the emerging SPS agri-food and drink arrangements
between the UK and the EU.”
