Wider manure standards take effect immediately

On Thursday morning, April 6, the liberating word finally came: the equivalent fertilizer measures have been officially implemented. With the publication of the scheme in the Government Gazette arable farmers with higher yields have the option of additional fertilization.

The amendment to the Fertilizers Act Implementation Regulation concerns an increase in the phosphate and nitrogen application standard when equivalent measures are taken, crop yield-dependent application standards and row fertilization in maize. 'At 1 minute before 12, it was still successful,' says Geert Dubben of the NAV. 'It's great that we can finally start with company-specific fertilization.' 

In short, it means that with an above-average yield, which you have to demonstrate, more nitrogen and phosphate is extracted from the soil. 'This can now be compensated by adding extra nitrogen and phosphate the following year. In maize, a little more can be applied with row fertilization. Incidentally, the measure nitrogen determination based on slurry application, for which you have to use fertilizer, has gone out. This one wasn't that interesting, though, so we're not sad about that.'

Immediately active
The regulation takes effect immediately. It is now also clear that the average crop yield is measured over 3 years. Like LTO'er Jaap van Wenum, Wednesday 4 April, already in the interview with Boerenbusiness arable farmers pay 195 euros in monitoring costs. This amount is per participant.

According to Van Wenum, there are no surprises, but there is still an important point. 'There is yet to be a publication about the yield-dependent phosphate application standard. Now only the low phosphate class is mentioned, while space is also being created in the neutral class. That is not yet in here, but that is a separate publication that we expect one of these days.'

Anyone wishing to make use of the increase in the nitrogen or phosphate application standard must notify us of this before 1 June of this calendar year. 

View here what the broader fertilizer standards mean for you.

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.