A leaked document released in September by the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) commissioned by the Dutch ministries of agriculture and finance sparked a political debate in the country over the future of intensive farming.

Dutch farmers are the world’s second largest exporter by value after the United States.

In order to adhere to the policies to fight climate change, dictated by the EU Habitats Directive, by the European Court of Justice in 2019 and reinforced by the EU Green Deal, Dutch farmers are faced with decisions difficult.

Phosphates and nitrogen emissions from packaged herds mean the country is almost exceeding the margins allowed by EU regulations.

The document leaked in September revealed that the Dutch government was considering a mandatory farmer buyout.

The plans were dismissed by the government as a “last resort scenario,” but they sparked controversy within the industry.

To make matters worse, this year, in an effort to reduce the number of animals, the government released a plan for pig farms to apply for voluntary buyback programs. Only 278 were eligible out of 430.

Dutch farmers blame the government for the conundrum, arguing it is looking to buy cheap land.

Jeroen de Groot, a Dutch dairy farmer, told Politico: “It’s something to keep over our heads if we don’t move with the political winds.

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But Nexit enthusiasts increasingly point the finger at the EU.

Activists from Nexit Denktank said: “The EU Habitats Directive and the decisions of the European Court make life impossible for Dutch farmers.

“The Dutch government is rumored to want to expropriate Dutch farmers. They are blamed for the nitrogen problem.

“To my surprise, Dutch farmers are demonstrating against the Dutch government in the Netherlands, when the source of this problem is actually the EU.

“Our big farmers have an interest in demonstrating in Brussels or in Luxembourg to the EU. The Brussels bureaucrats are at the origin of this.

“The Netherlands is the second largest agricultural exporter in the world. We do not depend on anyone for our food and other countries depend on us for food.

“The EU seems to want to demolish everything so that we can no longer be an independent country.

“If our wonderful farmers are driven out by EU policies, which of course are scrupulously followed by our Europhile government, where do they go? They can go to countries where farmers are welcome.

“Will that stop the emission of nitrogen to the earth?” No.

“If we do end up leaving the EU, our strong agriculture will give us leverage if the EU tries to intimidate us like it did with the British during the Brexit negotiations.

“The EU needs us more than we need them. We feed other EU countries.”