The goat farmers in Brabant Balen. At the beginning of this month, again, an investigation confirmed the link between the goat farms and a larger number of pneumonia near these companies. The researchers could not find a direct connection, such as one specific pathogen. As a result, goat farmers remain in uncertainty, because as long as it is not clear what exactly makes people falling sick, the measures cannot be lifted.
Since 2017 it is no longer allowed to start a new goat farm. Only companies that still had room in their permit were allowed to take more goats. Other extensions have been standing still since that time. This is called a moratorium.
“It’s a shame that the researchers cannot get a finger behind the cause,” says Eva Litjens. She is a specialist animals at Farmers’ interest organization ZLTO and sees uncertainty among goat farmers. “They don’t want to make people sick at all. If you know what it is about, you can take targeted measures and there is room again to have the sector developed.”
Because at least the Health Council will give advice on the investigation at the end of this year, the government does not want to take measures and the moratorium remains in force. According to Litjens, the ZLTO does understand that: “You don’t want to be a danger to public health. You have to stick to the precautionary principle. But it should not be for unlimited time.”
Because at the same time, the moratorium ensures that goat farmers have little room to adapt. For example, when it comes to wishes and requirements for animal welfare and sustainability, little is now possible. Goals for these requirements must be achieved, so that the industry can get even further into the pinch.
The ZLTO therefore hopes that the cabinet and the Gezonsheidsraad can quickly provide clarity. Do we find the connection between the goat sector and sick people in the area strong enough?, Farmers want to know. And if so, does the goat farm lose its right to exist? A difficult question to which a clear answer will not come soon.
What hurts the goat industry extra is that Ministers Agema (PVV) of Health and Wiersma (BBB) of agriculture also placed a calculation in their letter to the House of Representatives. On the basis of the number of extra pneumonia, which, according to RIVM, would be caused by goat farming (1200 to 1600), an estimate was made of the number of hospital admissions and deaths. According to the ministers, there are 100 to 600 and 20 to 100 respectively.
“But that estimate was made outside the context of the research,” says Litjens. According to her, it is not at all certain that practice also resembles the estimate. “That’s a shame, because it hurts the trust of the goat farmers, while they also want to help with solutions.”