Pig farmer is a child of the bill on the manure market

It seems like a spring of superlatives. The supply of manure has never been so large at this time of year, while the spring application is as good as completed. On arable land, the finishing touches are being made to the plots where corn is sown, and then it is ready as far as arable land is concerned. For grassland, after harvesting the first cut of grass, there are new spreading options, which are almost entirely used with cattle slurry.

Lots of fattening pig slurry left over
Anyone who takes stock will keep a lot at the bottom line fattening pig slurry about. The amount of manure that remains in the manure pits (compared to other years) is estimated at around 40%. And that is a worrying amount, mainly due to the weather. As a result, a lot of phosphate space is not filled. The big question is: will there be sufficient opportunities to use that space in the summer?

A smooth and/or early harvest is important for this, as well as a extension from the spreading season until mid-September. However, above all, workable weather is desirable, in order to take some of the pressure off the market. Owners of manure storage facilities smell blood and are trying to 'use' the current situation to fill some of their silos. This is for high amounts to be paid.

Export of manure
In addition to extreme weather, the export of manure is also a problem. Significantly less manure is going to Germany as a result of the new legislation, but there is also an urgent need for Belgium and France. This is because the person who makes the most interesting offer from a price point of view is a great buyer.

Mainly intermediaries who work with fixed-price contracts seem to have no choice, making exports a real price war. However, who seriously takes into account the current diesel oil prices has no financial scope, which means it will be a tough year not only for the livestock farmer, but also for the intermediary.

The expected increase in collection contributions for fattening pig slurry and cattle slurry in a number of areas has materialized, and this underlines the difficulty in selling manure.​The collection contributions for fattening pig slurry are increasing, both in the north and the south.