Agricultural nitrogen surplus at lowest level since 1990

© ANP
In 2023, the agricultural nitrogen surplus decreased by 14 percent year on year to a total of 265 million kilograms. This level had not been this low since 1990, when statistical records were first kept. This is evident from the national nutrient balance calculated by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Agricultural nitrogen surplus is that part of the input nitrogen, which is not fixed in animal and plant products, but is taken up by the soil or emitted into the air.

The nitrogen surplus is calculated by subtracting the amount of nitrogen input (including in the form of concentrates and fertilisers) from the amount of nitrogen fixed in animal (meat, milk, eggs) and plant products (arable crops and horticultural crops), and the nitrogen removed outside agriculture (for example, through exports and manure processing). The excess nitrogen can be divided into a portion that remains in the soil or disappears into the air.

Agricultural nitrogen surplus
JaartalTotal (1990=100)Soil (1990=100)Air (1990=100)
1990100.0100.0100.0
1991103.6103.4104.0
199295.8103.583.9
199394.9102.283.9
199496.1113.070.2
1995101.1126.762.1
199694.8114.964.1
199790.7110.959.8
199896.2123.854.0
199988.3110.754.1
200076.996.247.5
200168.683.545.9
200258.968.743.9
200369.285.943.7
200462.775.842.7
200560.572.542.2
200661.873.943.4
200757.066.642.3
200850.758.638.6
200949.857.438.2
201049.356.238.7
201147.756.035.0
201247.956.335.0
201348.256.935.0
201445.751.736.5
201555.366.837.8
201654.465.138.2
201749.757.038.7
201855.066.737.1
201947.655.236.1
202049.658.635.9
202147.455.734.6
202249.259.333.9
202342.548.433.5

In 2023, compared to a year earlier, about the same amount of nitrogen was emitted into the air, 83 million kilograms. The amount of nitrogen taken up by the soil fell by 18 percent to 182 million kilograms. Compared to 1990, the total amount of nitrogen surplus was reduced by 57 percent in 2023. The gradual decrease in nitrogen surplus over the years is related to a multitude of factors such as animal numbers, nitrogen levels in feed and innovations in agriculture including new barn systems and low-emission fertilisation.

Fairly wet summer increased nitrogen uptake by grass

Since there was quite a lot of rainfall in the summer of 2023, the yield from roughage, such as silage and pasture grass was high. Due to weather conditions, the nitrogen levels in grass were higher than in 2022. As a result, only 281 million kg nitrogen was removed from farmland through harvesting for livestock roughage. That was 23 percent more than in 2022.

In 2023, livestock farmers used 267 million kilograms nitrogen in roughage for their herds. The surplus of 14 million kg nitrogen in roughage was stored in bales and pits, while the 2022 summer drought led to roughage deficiencies and reductions in the feed inventory.

Nitrogen (N) flows in the agri-food system (million kg), 2023 farmland barn air soil pasture & crops removal outside agriculture plant products animal products roughage concentrates 396 267 roughage 281 200 66 84 182 other deposition 193 livestock manure 464 21 34 43 56 83 16 livestock manure 342 inventory movements 14

Input through concentrates fell, fertilisers slightly increased

In 2023, the two major sources of nitrogen in agriculture were concentrates (396 million kg) and fertilisers (193 million kg). Input of nitrogen through roughage decreased by 4 percent relative to 2022. Nitrogen levels in various concentrates decreased in 2023. The use of concentrates also decreased due to the decline in pig and poultry herds.

The input of nitrogen in fertiliser was higher than in 2022, when the use of fertilisers fell sharply compared with the previous year, partly due to high prices.

Livestock excreting less nitrogen

The nitrogen application from livestock manure decreased slightly in 2023, to 464 million kilograms (a decrease of less than 1 percent). Cattle emitted nearly 2 percent more nitrogen than in the previous year, while cattle numbers remained virtually unchanged. This was partly due to the composition of the roughage, which contained slightly higher levels of nitrogen due to weather conditions.

In the pig sector, nitrogen excretion dropped by 8 percent, and by 2 percent in the poultry sector. This was partly due to a decrease in the number of pigs and chickens, but also because nitrogen levels in concentrates decreased in 2023. These animals do not eat roughage, instead they only eat concentrates.

Nitrogen in animal manure
JaartalCattle (million kg)Pigs (million kg)Poultry (million kg)Other animals (million kg)
1990452.2149.762.927.6
1991477.5142.267.929.7
1992460.7150.974.229.6
1993448.4157.972.329.8
1994436.0152.963.228.3
1995437.8149.662.927.6
1996426.1147.863.029.5
1997412.0142.559.928.1
1998376.2136.159.528.5
1999360.2131.564.327.0
2000339.2120.660.526.6
2001347.7110.355.726.1
2002320.299.158.124.9
2003313.196.842.325.4
2004299.793.751.021.1
2005297.1101.256.422.1
2006289.7102.455.921.4
2007294.7104.857.221.1
2008299.8108.859.621.2
2009292.8108.061.220.3
2010298.6105.562.721.2
2011287.6107.360.520.2
2012277.3104.956.620.4
2013289.4102.258.920.6
2014307.798.758.420.3
2015315.699.360.420.5
2016327.496.960.517.8
2017337.097.457.318.8
2018327.596.656.822.7
2019315.793.756.024.3
2020320.191.854.722.9
2021305.988.954.322.0
2022302.388.653.922.3
2023307.181.752.622.3