A farmer from Kempen is trying his luck in Denmark due to legal uncertainty in Flanders

favorable climate for dairy products

According to the farmer from Kempen, average production on Danish dairy farms is higher than in Flanders, and many companies produce 13,000 kilograms or more of milk per cow per year. As an explanation, he points to climate and finance pressures, among others. “In Denmark it is usually a little cooler and the wind is stronger, so the cows experience less heat stress.”

On funding pressures: “Banks are anticipating performance. Most companies own most of the land, which leads to a high financing burden. After the banking crisis in 2007, there was also a crisis in agriculture, which halved land prices. In order to make the farms more resilient, there was more performance monitoring at that time,” says Dennis.

In one year, Kempenaar has seen a sharp rise in interest from farmers from Flanders and the Netherlands in Danish agriculture. “We regularly receive phone calls from farmers who are also considering the option of migrating and ask about our experiences.” The calls from Flanders are mainly about farmers from Antwerp and West Flanders, he says. Last year, another Fleming from our region started in Denmark. The company combines the arable farming of Denmark with the arable farming of Flanders.”