April 23, 2009

The Netherlands is the largest importer of calves in the EU, according to German statistical bureau ZMP.

The Netherlands imported 772,000 calves in 2008, of which 47 percent came from Germany, 15 percent from Poland, 12 percent from Belgium and eight percent from Lithuania.

Due to increasing problems with Bluetongue disease and related trade restrictions, German calf exporters could only send their surplus calves to the Netherlands. Nearly 90 percent of all calves exported from Germany go to the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is also the largest slaughter of male calves in the EU alongside France. The calves came from the dairy sector and were for veal production. Of the six million bulls slaughtered in Europe, half of these are processed in the two countries, ZMP said.

The main suppliers of young calves are France, Germany and Poland.