farmer

After the exceptionally dry year last year, the Netherlands will continue on the same foot in the coming weeks with little to no rain expected. As the groundwater level has still not recovered to standard everywhere in the Netherlands, this may mean that farmers in some areas will have to kick off the growing season with an irrigation ban. Farmers and waterboards are very concerned, AD reports.

There is a strong desire among Dutch farmers to reform the agricultural sector so that it uses climate-friendly methods, according to an opinion poll among Dutch farmers by Geleen Consultancy on behalf of newspaper Trouw.

The researchers asked farmers about their own welfare, the current agricultural sector and their ideas for the future. Only 6 percent of respondents said they currently work organically. But over 80 percent said they want to switch to climate-friendly methods. 

A cow managed to escape on her way to the butcher and has been on the run in the small town of Lettele for six weeks. So far all of the multiple attempts to catch or kill the animal have been unsuccessful, the cow's owner said to newspaper AD.

According to the farmer, the cow and one of her siblings escaped last year when they were being transported to the butcher. A veterinarian managed to hit the younger cow with three anesthetic darts, after which she could be driven into the cattle wagon.

The first free wolf in the Netherlands in about 150 years spent the weekend chasing sheep in Drenthe.

Two chickens were found cut into pieces and impaled on trees in the Genneperparken in Eindhoven. The animal police was signaled at 2 p.m. by a municipality controller who found the animals in the park.

In the Frisian village of Mirns, hundreds of goats and three horses perished in a barn fire.