0
In the second round of the pig farm buyout scheme, 210 companies agreed to shut down operations and demolish their barns in exchange for compensation. This adds to the 156 farmers who opted in during the first round. Notably, 60% of second-round participants—127 farms—are located in West Flanders, a region with fewer nitrogen-sensitive areas but the highest concentration of pig farms.
The first buyout phase, which closed in June 2023, saw fewer participants than expected. Although it was launched to help farmers during a severe crisis in the pig sector, delays in European Commission approval meant that by the time funding became available, the market had already started to recover.
Of the €200 million budgeted for the scheme, not all was used in the first round. This led the Flemish government to ease eligibility criteria for the second phase, allowing farms with a lower environmental impact score to participate.
The buyout scheme supports the goals of the nitrogen reduction decree, which aims to cut the pig census by 30%. Minister Brouns says Flanders is on track; By 2023, the pig population was already down 19% compared to 2015, even before the latest buyouts are fully counted.
According to VLM, the scheme has already reduced the pig population by 367,000. Statistics Flanders reports that in 2023, pig numbers dropped for the third consecutive year, reaching five million, 6.5% less than in 2022 and the lowest since 1990. Slaughter figures from Statbel show a similar trend continuing into 2024.
June 10, 2025/ Vilt/ Belgium.
https://vilt.be
