Livestock manure; production, transport and use, key figures

Changed on: 25/02/2025 02:00

Livestock manure; production, transport and use, key figures
Manure and nutrients	Periods	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)	Use of livestock manure in agriculture (million kg)
Total manure types	1980	85,634	.	.	.	.	.
Total manure types	1990	87,445	.	.	.	.	.
Total manure types	2000	75,558	13,209	11,484	.	.	73,833
Total manure types	2010	72,172	18,909	14,489	.	.	67,752
Total manure types	2016	78,211	25,624	19,251	.	.	71,837
Total manure types	2017	77,878	25,922	19,724	.	.	71,680
Total manure types	2018	75,163	25,259	19,813	.	.	69,718
Total manure types	2019	74,602	25,519	20,054	.	.	69,137
Total manure types	2020	74,328	25,816	20,524	.	.	69,037
Total manure types	2021	73,462	25,490	20,728	.	.	68,701
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 25 February 2025:
Final data on manure transport and manure use in 2023 have been added. Provisional data on manure production in 2024 were added. New insights into nitrogen losses from stored manure caused changes in manure transport and manure use data from 2010.

When will new figures be published?
In the second quarter of 2025 final data on manure production in 2024 will be added.

Description topics

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.