Livestock manure; production, transport and use, key figures

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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 15 march 2024:
Final figures on manure transport, manure processing and net exports in 2022 have been added. Provisional figures on manure production in 2023 have been added. Manure transports of slurry and solid manure with amounts of nitrogen and phosphate based on fixed values have been replaced with amounts based on analysed manure retrospectively to 2010. Before 2010, this is not possible with the available data. Classifications of postal codes and municipalities to regional classifications such as the National Monitoring network Manure policy (LMM) and manure regions have been updated, giving a better picture of transports to and from farms. The processing of registered data on manure transports (Dutch: VDM) has been harmonised for the period 2010-2022. This has led to changes in the volume of manure transports between farms. Finally, due to new insights into the extent of gaseous nitrogen losses in stables, figures on nitrogen in manure and figures on manure transports between farms and manure use have changed throughout the time series.

When will new figures be published?
In the second quarter of 2024 final data on manure production in 2023 will be added.

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.