News CBS
Nitrogen surplus higher, but lower livestock emissions
The nitrogen surplus increased by 2022% in 6,5 compared to 2021 and was the largest since 2018. This is evident from the Agricultural Mineral Balance of Statistics Netherlands. The livestock excreted less nitrogen, but due to the dry summer there was less grass to absorb nitrogen.
The livestock excreted less nitrogen in 2022 compared to a year earlier. The amount of nitrogen from animal manure was 467 million kilos, compared to 471 million kilos in 2021. Cattle excreted 1,3% less nitrogen, partly due to the composition of roughage. Nitrogen excretion from the pig sector fell by 0,3% and from the poultry sector by 0,8%. The decrease in the number of animals is the cause in these two sectors.
The summer of 2022 was dry. As a result, there was less grass yield and less nitrogen was fixed in silage and meadow grass that year. Compared to 2021, the nitrogen surplus increased by 6,5% and there was the largest nitrogen surplus since 2018. 84 million kilos of nitrogen disappeared into the air, the remaining 228 million kilos were not used in the soil.
More roughage from stock
229 million kilos of nitrogen were removed from the land through forage for livestock, while 257 million kilos of nitrogen were needed as forage. The shortage was compensated with a stock change of roughage of 27 million kilos of nitrogen. 2021 was a relatively good year for roughage and there was an increase of 10 million kilos of nitrogen in the stock, according to Statistics Netherlands.
According to the CBS calculation, the nitrogen surplus is the quantity of nitrogen supplied (for example in concentrates and artificial fertiliser) minus the quantity of nitrogen that is fixed in animal (meat, milk, eggs) and vegetable products (arable crops and horticultural crops) and the nitrogen that is disposed of outside agriculture (export, manure processing, private use).
Linda van Eekeres
© 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.
