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More money for Danish cattle thanks to Dr DoAnything

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June 30th, 2014


This article is more than 10 years old.

Happier cows, more milk, more jobs and increased turnover

The food minister, Dan Jørgensen, the government's very own 'Dr DoAnything', is once again proving he listens to the animals: this time to Danish cattle.

Read more: Dairy co-operatives adapt to a global market

The Danish government has decided to double its funding over the next six years to the sector – a move that will substantially improve the cattle's welfare and create up to 2,500 new jobs.

In previous years, calves have endured long journeys overseas or simply been slaughtered – to avoid the cost of raising them in Denmark.

But with 180 million kroner in funding each year until 2020, plus an additional 93 million each year earmarked for animal welfare (improving farms' stables and capacity for organic farming), Jørgensen believes the government can really turn the cattle industry around.

READ MORE: Pig welfare set for improvement

“The cattle industry has dealt with unsatisfactory conditions for many years, making it important for me to improve them and simultaneously improve animal welfare and our ability to organically farm,” Jørgensen said in a press release.

Happy cows give more milk
“Better welfare produces more milk,” said Jørgensen, who expects dairy production to increase by around 20 percent by 2020.

The agreement, which has been signed by the government and approved by parliament, is projected to increase the industry’s annual turnover by 3.5 billion kroner and create 2,500 new jobs at slaughterhouses and on dairy farms. 


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Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

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Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

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