The requirement to use the feed additive Bovaer from the new year has angered Danish farmers. On Monday, they will demonstrate.

Bovaer is used to reduce the amount of methane cows emit. In Norway, too, the use of methane inhibitors has led to strong reactions.

Many people have chosen to boycott Tine , Norway biggest producer of milk products,and instead buy milk products from small biological produser such as Rørosmeieriet, which does not use methane inhibitors. Many people have expressed concern about how methane inhibitors can affect the cows’ digestive system, which is a very advanced system with four stomachs.

Professor emeritius of microbiology, Jan Raa, has warned that methane inhibitors in animal feed can destroy the intestinal flora in both humans and animals.

– There seems to be no limit to the lengths to which people are prepared to go for the sake of financial gain, at the expense of animals’ basic biological needs.

Dairy farmer Thorbjørn Thomsen in North Jutland is taking part in the demonstration, which is ongoing at the time of writing. The requirements for the use of the feed additive Bovaer are part of the so-called tripartite agreement that Danish agriculture has entered into with the state and various environmental actors to significantly reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, writes Bondebladet.

The new requirements regime in Denmark comes on top of a demanding everyday economy for many. Farmers are expecting a large turnout for a tractor demonstration to be held in Aalborg on the afternoon of 13 January.

– Enough is enough

Thomsen has 350 cows and will be taking part with two of his employees in a total of three tractors.

– There are all these problems with Bovaer and the tripartite negotiations. It’s enough now. This thing with Bovaer – that I have to put chemicals in the stomachs of my cows – is the last straw. I’ve had cows since 1988, and I’d like to be able to make my own decisions about my cows. They shouldn’t be forced to ingest chemicals, says Thomsen to LandbrugsAvisen.

A number of farmer protests have hit several parts of Europe in recent years, usually linked to new climate and environmental requirements. In addition, British farmers have been demonstrating against the Labour government’s tax increases, which they say threaten to make it impossible for people to inherit family farms from their parents because of the new inheritance tax introduced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.

There have also been demonstrations by Polish farmers, among others, against Ukrainian agricultural products being freely imported into Europe. Ukraine does not have the same climate requirements as the EU. In addition, the EU has opened up for imports of agricultural products from South America, which also escape the costly climate requirements.

So far, farmer protests in Denmark have not been left out. But an unspecified group of organisers have now called a meeting to protest against several of the demands and levies that have been politically enacted on Danish agriculture, including the aforementioned Bovaer.

From 1 January this year, all Danish dairy farmers must either use Bova in the cows’ feed for part of the year, or add more fat to the feed throughout the year.

No agricultural organisation participates

Agriculture itself has shown little interest in the planned demonstration, and none of the agricultural organisations have become involved, according to Thomsen.

– I don’t hear much from my colleagues. But that’s probably because there’s no agricultural organisation behind it. But I still want to be entitled to my own opinion. I think there will be a lot of pressure and that Bovaer will be stopped. We need to be able to sell our milk and have a shop that makes ends meet, says the farmer.

LandbrugsAvisen has been in contact with Bæredygtigt Landbrug and Agerskovgruppen, both of which have previously threatened demonstrations in connection with the introduction of a CO2 tax on agriculture. Both organisations say that they are not involved in Monday’s demonstration.

A demonstration is being held at the same time in Holstebro. The organisers criticise the higher diesel taxes, which, according to the spokesperson, may be felt by industry in North Jutland.

In a Facebook group linked to the organisers of the demonstrations, the message is “no farmers, no food, no future”. The same message has been seen around Europe.