The matter summed up Agriculture Minister Geir Pollestad will change the new requirements for cows in stalls that were introduced from New Year. The requirement for regular exercise will be lifted, and the requirement for airing will be divided geographically. The changes come after feedback from farmers who said they could not continue operations with the new requirements. The Animal Protection Alliance criticizes the changes and believes that Pollestad lacks a basic understanding of animal welfare. The Ministry of Agriculture is now asking the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to send this for consultation, with the aim of establishing the regulations before 1 May 2024. The summary has been prepared by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Last week, news wrote about new requirements for cows in stalls being introduced from the new year. They were to be ventilated 16 weeks a year and get regular exercise. But already after a week, Agriculture Minister Geir Pollestad will change the requirement. He will abolish the requirement for regular exercise. The requirement for aeration is divided geographically. The Minister of Agriculture says that they have received feedback from farmers who thought they could not continue operations if the new requirements were introduced. – We have listened to the concern. That is why we are now revising the decision, says Pollestad to news. The Animal Protection Alliance believes that Pollestad lacks a basic understanding of animal welfare. The Minister of Agriculture: – Difficult to implement In parts of the country there is still 16 weeks of airing the cows as a requirement. This map shows the various zones for land grants. It is zone 5-7 in the map where airing the cows is reduced from 16 to 12 weeks. That means Northern Norway, Western Norway and higher-lying parts of Southern Norway. Photo: Source: Directorate of Agriculture However, the areas that are the most difficult geographically and weather-wise, such as Northern Norway, high-lying parts of Southern Norway and Western Norway, may change the requirement to 12 weeks. The Minister of Agriculture says that they are canceling the requirement for regular exercise and free movement for the rest of the year because it would be very difficult to implement. – I don’t think that requirement has been thought through very much. If you took a cow out of its barn just for a walk in the middle of winter, I think the cow would go completely bananas. – Do the animals get enough exercise and enough free air when they now change the collar? – We are concerned that it is at least stated in the articles of association. So at least 16 weeks, and for parts of the country now at least 12 weeks, says Pollestad and adds: – I think it’s good that the animals are out. But the geography and weather in Norway means that it is not a given that it will be better for animal welfare to go up to 16 weeks. Therefore, we have seen the requirement of 12 weeks. The Minister of Agriculture says the change takes place after a total assessment, both out of concern for animals, but also to be able to have milk production throughout the country. Farmer: – Enough with eight weeks Dairy farmer Trond Klausen on Vestvågøy in Lofoten has previously told news that the requirement that would come in 2024 would be difficult to implement for many farmers. He thinks it is positive that the requirement will now remain. – But in a way it should only have been eight weeks, and those who could make it happen could have them out more, he says. Last year the weather in Lofoten was too bad for him to let the cows out before St. Hans. In addition, September is a challenging month for many years. Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news The reason is that the weather has a lot to do with how long the farmers can keep the cows outside. If there is a lot of rainfall, the pasture will be completely grazed. It also affects the quality of the milk, says the farmer. – I am for as much grazing as possible, but Our Lord has created some boundaries online there. The farmer in Lofoten believes that one should trust that the farmer has the animals’ best interests in mind. – If you have an order that decides what to do with the animal, without you being able to assess it yourself, it will be crazy. Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news The 62-year-old still believes he will be able to air the cows enough to meet the new requirement. He actually only has a small farm. – But if I had twice as many animals, it would have been more difficult, he says and adds: – It’s getting so hectic to be a farmer now that many people can’t cope with the workload. If you are then going to manage to maintain a fence to air the cows in winter, it will be very demanding. When there is snow and frost, it is not easy to get an electric fence to work. It does not make contact with the frozen ground. Therefore, it will be more difficult for farmers with many animals to have them outside, Klausen believes. Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news – Lack of basic understanding of animal welfare Live Kleveland, head of communications in the Animal Protection Alliance, believes, however, that the requirements are now not strict enough. – Geir Pollestad shows with this that he lacks a basic understanding of animal welfare, she says. The Animal Protection Alliance believes that barns should have been banned in Norway a long time ago. In booths, Kleveland says that almost all movement is prevented. – Stall barns seem to lead to a higher risk of poor bone health and movement problems. On pasture, the cow can live a freely active life, in line with its species-typical behavioral needs, says Live Kleveland in the Animal Protection Alliance. Photo: Iselin Linstad Hauge / Dyrevernalliansen – When cows are allowed to choose for themselves, they spend more than half of the day grazing. She believes that the exercise requirement would have resulted in better animal welfare. – If a farm has both barns and lacks the opportunity to give the cows a long grazing period, the farm lacks grounds for keeping cows. The Farmers’ Association is satisfied The changes in the collar are in line with what the Farmers’ Association wanted. – It is good that there will now be 12 weeks of grazing in the areas where the climatic conditions are no longer there, says leader of the Farmers’ Association in Nordland, Trond Bjørkås. At the same time, he gives a little nudge to the Animal Protection Alliance. – We do not want animal welfare organizations without knowledge and familiarity with the industry to set the conditions, says Bjørkås. Should make the transition “softer” The idle operation requirement that was supposed to come in 2024 has been postponed to 2034. That is the reason why the strengthened rules came in the first place. – Do you think they will manage the transition in 10 years? – Then it is 30 years since the requirement was notified, and the time to make new investments is starting to approach, says Pollestad. – We believe this is a rule that finds the balance in the care of animal welfare, and having the opportunity to operate in a good way, says Agriculture Minister Geir Pollestad. Photo: Irmelin Kulbrandstad / news The Minister of Agriculture says he is concerned with income for the farmer and arrangements for investments so that as many as possible will manage to be milk producers also after 2034. Among other things in Nordland, he says there will be better arrangements for a lot of subsidies for investments that farmers can get . – It is because we want agriculture in all agricultural villages. I am an optimist, but it will be demanding. It will be a task for the farmers and the politicians in cooperation. The Ministry of Agriculture is now asking the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to send this for consultation. The aim is to establish the regulations before 1 May 2024. Then the grazing season begins. – It will be possible to give input at the consultation, but I am determined that we will implement this in line with the order to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, says the Minister of Agriculture.
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Agriculture Minister Pollestad criticizes the requirement to ventilate cows – news Nordland
