Scientists in the Netherlands are developing ways dairy farmers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions using methods that could also benefit UK milk producers. It follows calls by the Hague government for a 50 cut in nitrogen emissions by 2030 - a target that Dutch farmers say threatens to drive them out of business, destroying their livelihoods and breaking up rural communities.Dairy farmer Herman Miedema milks 175 cows across some 100ha of grass and maize silage just outside the small village of Vyns, in the heart of Friesland province - the dairy capital of the Netherlands. Mr Miedema is already reducing emissions. He installed a curved slatted floor system in 2009, so slurry and urine are stored immediately rather than left exposed to theelements, where they would volatilise. He is also grazing cows outside for 180 days annually, reducing the amount of crude protein in feed rations and diluting manure with water before spreading it on the fields. But it is not enough. “We are being asked to do more - much more.”
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