The proposal, which has not yet been approved by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, would limit "0.35 hectares of grassland per livestock unit" in an attempt to tackle nitrogen emissions by reducing methane gas, which will place an even greater strain between the country's farmers and Dutch government.
The Netherlands, which is the second-largest exporter of agricultural products in the entire world, has seen a citizen uprising since the government announced new regulations for the farming industry which includes seizing both farmland and livestock.
The Telegraph reports that the new proposal which will place a limit on the number of cows came to light through a leaked government document prepared for negotiations between the government and the farmers.
According to the document, the Dutch government says that the livestock sector will need to shrink by 30 percent to reach the target climate change goals, citing data from Wageningen University & Research.
The country has seen mass protests along with the farmers' retaliation against the government, and the minister of agriculture says that the leaked document only damages the ongoing negotiations.
"I am incredibly disappointed that there is a leak. I don't know where it came from, but it is bad because it is not helpful to the process,” minister Piet Ademal said, according to the outlet. "We are still negotiating. Everything is still in motion."
Negotiations began in December and the minister was hoping to reach a deal this month, the outlet reports.
The Dutch farmers have been going to war with the government since last spring and have garnered a significant amount of support. The farmers formed their own political party called the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) which has grown to become the largest party in all 12 of the country's provinces.
In March, the BBB triumphed in regional elections as a result of the tractor protests against farm buyouts. The protests received worldwide attention as farmers caravaned in their tractors as they gridlocked the country's roads, threw hay barrels and manure on the roadways, and shut down government buildings.
