Livestock numbers falling; Less than 10 million pigs for first time in 45 years

The number of pigs in the Netherlands has fallen below 10 million for the first time in 46 years due to the continued decline in livestock numbers. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the number of pigs decreased by 5 percent last year, a slightly larger decrease than the previous year. This number has been declining since 2019.

CBS attributes the decline to government regulations for phasing out pig farming due to the nitrogen crisis. In 2000, there were over 13 million pigs in the Netherlands. By April 1 of this year, that had fallen to 9.96 million. Pork remains the most consumed meat in the Netherlands and is also a major export.

Small and medium-sized farms, in particular, are closing down. The number of pig farmers with fewer than 500 animals has decreased by two-thirds over the past decade. Consequently, the average number of pigs per farm has increased by 50 percent in the same period. A pig farmer now has an average of 5,000 animals.

Cattle numbers have also declined further, by over 3 percent compared to the previous year. This is a larger decline than in previous years. As of April 1, the Netherlands had 3.7 million cattle, compared to 3.8 million in 2020 and approximately 4 million between 2000 and 2015. In 2017, farms were required to dispose of dairy cows to reduce phosphate levels. In recent years, dairy farmers have also been eligible for nitrogen-related buy-out schemes.