Drenthe farmers received almost 680,000 euros last year as compensation for damage that animals caused to their land. That is almost 350,000 more than in the previous year and the highest amount since 2012.
Nationally, farmers were paid almost 37 million euros. That is more than five million euros more than the year before.
Geese cause by far the most damage. They mainly eat grasslands bare in the spring. Farmers then have to buy replacement feed for their livestock. The compensation they receive for their damage is based on how much that extra feed costs.
The greylag goose, barnacle goose, white-fronted goose and brent goose were the most damaging animals. The rest of that list is occupied by other bird species such as the tit and the rook.