The countdown to the spreading season, which officially begins in four weeks, has begun. Historically, January is therefore a waiting month. Until fertilizer application is allowed again, manure prices generally remain relatively stable. This year, it's a completely different story. Prices for pig manure are under considerable pressure and are therefore showing a striking movement this week.
In the first week of quotations of the new year, it was already suggested that the manure market is, perhaps even more than before, supply-driven. This week's developments confirm this once again. Several manure intermediaries indicate that the market's supply of pig manure for finishing pigs is very limited. This is still related to the large number of pig farmers quitting in the south of the country, but pig farmers' holding on to manure is also a factor. They expect manure prices to decline further in the coming period. One manure transporter reports that he offered a pig farmer in the south of the country a price well below the DCA quotation for this week, but despite this, he was unable to load the manure.
Lower price to be able to run manure trucks
The market is advising that the lower supply of pig manure for meat production will force prices down to allow cars to even be driven. This development has resulted in a decrease in the average price for pig manure in the southern Netherlands of €1,33 per cubic meter, bringing the price this week to €32 per cubic meter. This means the price has reached its lowest level since early September of last year. In the central Netherlands, the price remains unchanged at €36,67 per cubic meter.
Pressure on cattle manure market remains incredibly high
The start of the spreading season should really bring some relief to the cattle liquid manure market. Although most intermediaries indicate that the peak has now been reached, prices are still trending upwards rather than downwards. This is partly due to the further restricted application space this year, but also because arable farmers are fiercely competing. Because financial crop yields are under considerable pressure, arable farmers are doing their utmost to maximize the manure price. Market prices for cattle liquid manure delivered in silos are around €27 per cubic meter in the eastern and northern Netherlands.
Regional disposal determination of cattle manure
Many transporters from the southern Netherlands are currently trying to transport manure from regions with higher price pressure, driven by the difference between central and southern Netherlands. Once that difference becomes large enough, it can be profitable for transporters to collect manure from those areas. In practice, however, this proves not always easy. While it's still somewhat feasible from central Netherlands, the biggest bottleneck is in Friesland. Due to the high supply in that region, much cattle manure is primarily sold regionally to Groningen and Drenthe. Because this sales occur relatively close by, transport costs remain limited, and arable farmers in that region can command higher prices.
This week, the DCA collection fees for cattle manure amount to €30,33 per cubic meter in the South of the Netherlands. For the Central Netherlands, the collection fees amount to €35,83 per cubic meter.