Nitrogen and phosphate in livestock manure exceed future emission limits

© Hollandse Hoogte / Werry Crone
In 2024, 449 million kilograms of nitrogen compounds were emitted in livestock manure, a fall of 3 percent compared with the previous year. That quantity was below the nitrogen emission limit that was in place at the time. The amount of phosphate emitted was 148 million kg, which was similar to the previous year and also below the phosphate emission limit. However, the volumes produced in 2024 do exceed the new national emission ceilings that will take effect in 2025. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of provisional figures.

In 2024, the quantity of nitrogen compounds excreted in manure by cows, pigs, chickens and other livestock was 8 percent below the relevant nitrogen emission limit of 489.4 million kg. The nitrogen emission limit will be lowered to 440 million kg in 2025.

Less nitrogen excreted by dairy cattle

Nitrogen excreted by cattle was down by 3 percent to 298 million kg in 2024. Dairy cattle (including young stock) excreted 267 million kg of nitrogen compounds in 2023, which was 3 percent less than in 2023.

Following the abolition of the milk quota in 2015, the number of dairy cows increased which resulted in higher production of manure. Measures to reduce the population of dairy cows subsequently led to a reduction in manure production from 2017 onwards. The quantity of nitrogen excreted by livestock has been reduced by 63 million kg since then, while phosphate emissions have been reduced by 21 million kg.

The reduction in emissions from dairy farming is mainly due to a drop in the number of cows and young stock, but nitrogen emissions per animal have also decreased compared to 2017. The excretion of phosphate per dairy cow increased slightly, however.

Excretion of phosphate from dairy cattle have increased slightly

The quantity of phosphate in livestock manure was almost the same as in 2023, and at 148 million kg was below the phosphate emissions limit for 2024 (150.7 million kg). The dairy sector was responsible for 78 million kg of phosphate, 3 percent more than in the previous year. In 2025, the phosphate emissions limit will be reduced to 135 million kg.

The fact that the dairy cattle sector produced a higher volume of phosphate but less nitrogen was partly due to the composition of the roughage (such as silage and fodder maize) that the animals consumed. The phosphorus content of the roughage they were fed in 2024 was higher than that of the previous year, but this was not the case for nitrogen.

Less nitrogen and phosphate emissions from pig and poultry manure

The quantity of nitrogen and phosphate excreted in manure from pigs and poultry has been falling since 2016, primarily because there are fewer animals. In 2024 there was a fall of 3 percent in nitrogen and phosphate emissions from the pig sector and a fall of 4 percent in emissions from the poultry sector compared with the previous year. Together, pigs and poultry produced a combined total of 130 million kg of nitrogen and 54 million kg of phosphate.

Nitrogen emissions from other livestock (including horses, ponies, sheep and goats) was down by 2 million kg in 2024, to 53 million kg of phosphate. Phosphate emissions from other livestock were stable at 16 million kg.

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