Spit and Apache analysed 969 permit applications from large-scale pig and poultry farmers in the Netherlands and compiled a list of publicly available business documents from 1,494 cattle farmers in the border region, including those in the highly intensively cultivated Noorderkempen area.
Since 2010, there has been a clear increase in the number of people moving to become cattle farmers each year. Over the past five years, the number of new farms has doubled compared to the previous five-year period.
Due to a lack of publicly available data, it is likely that there are many more Dutch companies operating in Belgium that remain under the radar. Furthermore, there are also 'hidden' forms of farm migration. For example, when a Belgian company is taken over by a Dutch person, it is not always necessary to apply for a new permit, meaning the change in ownership may go unnoticed. Similarly, it is not apparent when a Dutch person rents a location in Belgium and hires staff to manage the stables.
Photo credit: Stef Arends
