397 mink farmers still await compensation decisions

Six years after Denmark ordered mink farming to shut down, 397 of the 966 farmers who applied for compensation are still waiting for a decision, DR reports.

The order was announced by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on November 4, 2020, after a mutated form of the coronavirus was found in mink. The mutation had spread to people and was considered a significant risk to public health. At the time, 207 mink farms had reported coronavirus infections.

The state has so far paid almost 9.5 billion kroner in compensation to mink businesses. A total of 341 farmers had their cases settled through a fast-track scheme, but some cases do not meet its criteria.

Transport Minister Karina Lorentzen Dehnhardt acknowledged that the process had taken a long time. She said all former mink farmers would receive a decision on their compensation before April 1 next year.

The Danish Transport Agency, which handles the claims, says processing a single case takes more than 500 hours. Its staff has grown from an initial 30 to 40 employees to 180. Deputy director Tina Henriksen said the cases were more complicated than expected, requiring assessments of factors including mink quality, cages, buildings and machinery.