Sustainability report VLB
Dairy farms produce more efficiently
Milk production increased again in 2016, both per cow and at farm level. The total energy consumption on farms has also decreased further. This is evident from the sustainability key figures of the Association of Accountants and Tax Advisers (VLB).
Milk production per company in 2016 amounted to 1.004.473 kilos. That is 14.045 kilos more than in 2015. Milk production per cow also increased. This increased from 8.658 kilos in 2015 to 8.794 kilos in 2016. In addition, more milk is produced per hectare. In 2015, that was still 18.116 kilos per hectare and in 2016 that number increased to 18.456 kilos per hectare.
Young stock density is decreasing
Due to the decrease in the number of young stock per 10 dairy cows, the cattle density drops to 2.8 LSU per hectare. The young stock therefore makes way for dairy cows in order to be able to continue to meet the requirements for land-relatedness.
The increase in the number of farms with an automatic milking system is also striking. Despite this increase, the number of farms with some form of grazing has remained the same. However, an increase is visible in the number of hours of grazing per farm. In 2015 that was 6,8 hours a day and in 2016 that increased to 7,3 hours a day.
Total energy consumption is reduced
Energy consumption, such as diesel and electricity, has been decreasing for several years in a row. This trend will continue in 2016. This despite the large growth in the number of farms with an automatic milking system. In 2016, companies used 6,68 kWh per 100 kilos of milk. In 2015, that number stood at 6,41 kWh per 100 kilos of milk.
In addition, the use of nitrogen from manure has decreased. This is partly due to the decrease in the share of grassland in the construction plan. In 2015, this share was still 141 kilos of N per hectare. That share has fallen to 132,6 N per hectare.
Phosphate production decreases, nitrogen production increases
The sector must focus on reducing phosphate production. This is also clearly visible in a higher phosphate efficiency (from 32,8% to 33,6%) of the livestock. However, the downside of this is that the negative phosphate soil surplus has increased to -11,6 kilos per hectare. In 2015, that was still -8,2 kilos per hectare.
Due to the increasing phosphate efficiency and the slightly decreasing nitrogen efficiency (from 25,5% to 25,3%), the nitrogen-phosphate ratio in the manure increases further. As a result, within the derogation, the annual phosphate extraction due to the cultivation of forage crops can no longer be compensated with our cattle manure.
This development could have been reversed by exchanging fertilizer for cattle manure, but this is not permitted under current legislation. Due to the decreasing nitrogen efficiency and the growth in milk production, the total nitrogen production has increased, causing an increase in ammonia emissions per tonne of milk. In 2015, this was 3,63 kilos of ammonia per 1.000 kilos of milk. In 2016, that number rose to 3,82 kilograms of ammonia per 1.000 kilograms of milk.
Reservation capacity too low
A sustainable dairy farm is only possible if sufficient money is earned in the sector. In 2016, the reservation capacity turned out to be too low. Thanks to the milk price increase in the last quarter, the capacity eventually came to €4,41 per 100 kilos of milk. However, double the amount is necessary for financially sound business operations, with room for investment.
Kimberly Baker
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