Environmental problems have caused the The Netherlands to put a freeze on the country's rapidly growing poultry population. According to a news report from Reuters, the number of chickens has surged 10 percent to 98.7 million since 1995. "The manure is the biggest problem," Agriculture Minister Haijo Apotheker wrote in a letter to parliament. The Netherlands has long fought a battle against phosphates from mountains of manure, to curtail groundwater pollution from intensive livestock farming. A new law requires that the number of pigs be cut 10 percent this year and then reduced another 10 to 15 percent in 2000.
Under previous agreements with farmers, most chicken manure was meant to be shipped abroad, but the actual export levels fell far short of expectations, a government spokeswoman told Reuters. An increase in turkey numbers to 1.5 million-a 25 percent increase since 1995 - also brings them under the freeze.
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