Livestock manure; production, transport and use, key figures

Livestock manure; production, transport and use, key figures

Manure and nutrients Periods Total excretion (million kg) Excretion during housing (million kg) Excretion during grazing (million kg) Nitrogen losses in housing and storages Total nitrogen losses (N) (million kg) Stored manure and manure during grazing (million kg) Manure removal from farms (million kg) Manure supply to farms (million kg) Processed manure (excluding exports) (million kg) Net manure exports (million kg) Spreading area for manure (million kg) Use of livestock manure in agriculture (million kg)
Nitrogen (N) 1980 565 . . . . . . . . . .
Nitrogen (N) 1990 691 503 188 92 599 . . 6 7 . .
Nitrogen (N) 2000 549 424 125 73 476 102 78 4 21 871 452
Nitrogen (N) 2010 490 416 74 68 421 151 80 19 37 400 351
Nitrogen (N) 2016 504 453 51 69 436 184 96 19 50 385 348
Nitrogen (N) 2017 512 460 52 70 442 194 106 19 47 385 355
Nitrogen (N) 2018 503 452 51 69 434 174 98 14 47 385 359
Nitrogen (N) 2019 490 439 51 66 424 181 100 18 46 385 343
Nitrogen (N) 2020 489 439 51 66 423 181 104 17 45 377 346
Nitrogen (N) 2021 471 423 48 63 408 176 103 16 41 376 335
Nitrogen (N) 2022 467 419 48 63 404 182 108 14 40 373 330
Nitrogen (N) 2023 464 414 50 61 402 . . . . 350 .
Phosphate (P205) 1980 232 . . 232 . . . . . .
Phosphate (P205) 1990 229 186 43 229 . . 2 3 433 .
Phosphate (P205) 2000 191 156 34 191 65 47 2 13 212 173
Phosphate (P205) 2010 179 155 23 179 80 40 9 21 159 140
Phosphate (P205) 2016 175 159 16 175 93 39 9 33 134 121
Phosphate (P205) 2017 169 154 15 169 94 41 9 31 135 116
Phosphate (P205) 2018 162 147 15 162 82 37 5 33 135 117
Phosphate (P205) 2019 156 142 14 156 83 37 7 34 134 110
Phosphate (P205) 2020 151 138 13 151 82 38 7 33 138 107
Phosphate (P205) 2021 148 135 13 148 78 37 6 30 139 107
Phosphate (P205) 2022 150 137 14 150 81 41 5 29 137 110
Phosphate (P205) 2023 147 133 14 147 . . . . 133 .
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


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 or is removed as rinsing water from air scrubbers. 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.

Status of the figures:
Final figures;
New insights in calculation methodologies can lead to recalculation of the time series.

Changes as of 28 june 2024:
Final figures on manure production in 2023 have been added.

When will new figures be published?
In the first quarter of 2025 provisional data on manure production in 2024 will be added and final data on manure transports and manure use in 2023.

Description topics

Total excretion
Total excretion of manure and nutrients. In case of manure, the amount of manure (feces en urine) stored in livestock buildings and in manure storages outside livestock buildings after several months of storage, including spilled feed, cleaning water and spilled drinking water. Including manure from grazing livestock. In case of nitrogen (N), the amount of nitrogen excreted without subtraction of nitrogen losses in the form of ammonia (NH3) including removal with effluent from air scrubbers, nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen oxide (NO) en nitrogen gas (N2) and in case of phosphate, the excretion of phosphate (P2O5).
Excretion during housing
Excretion of manure and nutrients in livestock buildings. In case of manure, the amount of manure (feces en urine) stored in livestock buildings and in manure storages outside livestock buildings after several months of storage, including spilled feed, cleaning water and spilled drinking water. Including manure from grazing livestock. In case of nitrogen (N), the amount of nitrogen excreted without subtraction of nitrogen losses in the form of ammonia (NH3) including removal with effluent from air scrubbers, nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen oxide (NO) en nitrogen gas (N2) and in case of phosphate, the excretion of phosphate (P2O5).
Excretion during grazing
Excretion of manure and nutrients from grazing livestock. In case of nitrogen (N), the amount of nitrogen excreted without subtraction of nitrogen losses in the form of ammonia (NH3) including removal with effluent from air scrubbers, nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen oxide (NO) en nitrogen gas (N2) and in case of phosphate, the excretion of phosphate (P2O5).
Nitrogen losses in housing and storages
Emissions of ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen oxide (NO) and nitrogen gas (N2) expressed as nitrogen (N) from livestock buildings and manure storages, including nitrogen removal with effluent from air scrubbers.
Total nitrogen losses (N)
Stored manure and manure during grazing
In case of manure (feces en urine) and phosphate equal to total excretion. In case of nitrogen (N), the amount of nitrogen excreted with subtraction of nitrogen losses in the form of ammonia (NH3) including removal with effluent from air scrubbers, nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen oxide (NO) en nitrogen gas (N2).
Manure removal from farms
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. The amount of transported solid cattle- and pig manure is calculated as slurry using forfeits for P concentration of solid and slurry manure. This has been done in order to compare the quantities transported with the quantities produced that are calculated for cattle and pig manure as slurry.
Manure supply to farms
Supply of manure takes place mainly on agricultural holdings with enough land available for spreading manure. The amount of transported solid cattle- and pig manure is calculated as slurry using forfeits for P concentration of solid and slurry manure. This has been done in order to compare the quantities transported with the quantities produced that are calculated for cattle and pig manure as slurry.
Processed manure (excluding exports)
Net manure exports
Spreading area for manure
Use of livestock manure in agriculture
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.