Production of livestock manure and nutrients

What does the survey comprise?

Purpose

Calculation of the level of manure production and minerals excretion by Dutch livestock.

Target population

Produced manure and nutrients by livestock category.

Statistical unit

Manure types (solid, slurry) and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate and potassium).

Year survey started

1976

Frequency

Yearly.

Publication strategy

Provisional figures are available at the end of the reporting year. Final data are available 6 months after the end of the reporting year. The results are published in four StatLine tables.

How is the survey conducted?

Survey type

Calculation on the basis of livestock numbers in the agricultural census and factors for the level of manure production and nutrient excretion per animal per year for a variety of livestock categories.

Survey method

The production factors per animal per year are multiplied by the number of animals for each animal category in the agricultural census. The Working group on standardization of data on manure and minerals (WUM) sets the factors for manure production and nutrient excretion per livestock category. Statistics Netherlands is part of this working group, together with other stakeholders such as the Ministry of Economic Affairs, LEI-Wageningen UR, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), National Institute for Public health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Animal Sciences Group - Wageningen UR.

Quality of the results

Accuracy

The 95-percent confidence interval is approximately plus or minus 4 percent.

Sequential comparability

In general it can be stated that the sequential comparability is good, as the method of calculation has been systematically carried out in the same way every year. In order to obtain a consistent time series, the complete time series is (re)calculated when scientific research gives rise to new insights.

Quality strategy

Plausibility control takes place on the basis of trend analysis and monitoring information from the agricultural practice.