Livestock manure; production, transport and use; key figures, 1950-2017

Dataset is not available.


This table comprises information about livestock manure production and production of nitrogen and phosphate in manure. It also includes data on excreted nitrogen that evaporates as ammonia and other nitrogen compounds. The use of nitrogen and phosphate in agricultural holdings is calculated from the manure production and the difference between supply and removal of manure. The use of manure is related to the available spreading area based on fertilising standards.

Data available from 1950 to 2017.

Status of the figures:
The 2017 data is provisional; all other data are final.

Changes as of 4 May 2018:
None, this table has been discontinued.

When will new figures be published?
Not applicable anymore.
This table is succeeded by Livestock manure; production, transport and use; key figures. See paragraph 3.

Description topics

Manure production
Manure production is defined as the amount of manure present in animal housing and in storages outside housing after a few months of storage. It includes feed residuals, cleaning water and spilled drinking water. For cattle, sheep, horses and ponies it includes also the amount of manure produced during grazing.
Nitrogen excretion (N)
Nitrogen excretion
Nitrogen excretion consists of the excreted amount of nitrogen (N-total) without deduction of gaseous losses of NH3, NO, N2O and N2.
Phosphate excretion (P2O5)
Excretion of phosphate (P2O5).
Manure removal from farms
Removal of manure from agricultural holdings.

Removal of manure is mainly due to a lack of sufficient land area for spreading manure. The manure spreading allowance for a farm is calculated as area of agricultural land multiplied by the amount of manure allowed per hectare.

Phosphate (P2O5) in removed manure
Manure supply to farms
Supply of manure takes place mainly on agricultural holdings with enough land available for spreading manure.
Phosphate (P2O5) in supplied manure
Manure processing
Manures processing where end products are no longer considered as manure.

For example manure incineration or emissions of nitrogen during aerobic treatment of manure from fattening calves.
Processed phosphate (P2O5)
Net manure exports
Manure exports minus manure imports.
Phosphate exports (P2O5)
Spreading area for manure
Spreading area for minerals is calculated as the available area of agricultural land multiplied by the permitted amount of mineral per hectare (fertilising standard) for animal manure.
Spreading area for phosphate (P2O5)
The spreading area for phosphate is calculated by multiplying the fertilising standard for phosphate by the available area of agricultural land.

The fertilising standard for phosphate per hectare differs for grassland and arable land and is progressively becoming more and more strict. Since 2010, the fertilising standards for phosphate per hectare are differentiated according to the phosphate condition of the soil. If no information is available about the phosphate condition, the lowest fertilising standard is used (phosphate condition high).
From 1998 to 2005, the maximum amount of phosphate per hectare is calculated from the sum of the allowed phosphate losses and phosphate removal with harvested crops.

Use of animal manure
Use of nitrogen and phosphate in animal manure on agricultural holdings. Use is calculated as production of manure on agricultural holdings plus supply of manure to agricultural holdings minus removal of manure from agricultural holdings. The use of manure comprises the spreading of stored manure by means of application techniques and the manure produced by livestock during grazing.
Use of phosphate (P2O5) in agriculture