Livestock manure; production, transport and use, key figures

Livestock manure; production, transport and use, key figures

Manure and nutrients Periods Manure removal from farms (million kg) Manure supply to farms (million kg)
Total manure types 2023* . .
Nitrogen (N) 2023* . .
Phosphate (P205) 2023* . .
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

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 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

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.