Bare grain fields do not yet make the fertilizer market smoother

The grain harvest is in full swing and the spreading season has started again. In both the south and the north of the Netherlands, manure transporters and contractors are busy serving everyone and supplying liquid manure. Customer demand in many areas is good for the time of year, several manure transporters indicate. "We have already done more than we expected," says a manure transporter. This will partly have to do with the amount that customers receive extra. In some areas, the practice still needs to be loosened up a bit, but there is plenty of information about the possibilities.

A sore point is the holiday period and therefore a shortage of manpower. As a result, the maximum capacity cannot always be used. "We have the cars for it, but the staff is not always available during this period due to holidays. That is natural every year, but it remains difficult when a lot of work can be done," says a contractor.

Manure provides extra balance
Inquiring about manure supplies is nothing new and has already started in recent weeks with the grain harvest in sight. With the current sky-high sales prices, the supply of manure creates a considerable extra balance and buyers do not want to pass that up. They sometimes aim high and when an agreement is reached, it drives the price up even more. Conversely, some manure transporters and contractors are also looking for as much installation space as possible and sometimes outbid each other. This also gave selling prices a small boost in recent weeks, in addition to the fertilizer supply, which remains unchanged this season.

The differences that buyers can expect for manure are enormous and depend on the distance, but also the time of delivery. In Flevoland, the NOP and Friesland, customers who make agreements now receive an average of €20 per tonne in the silo or storage. Including driving out onto the land, this is a few euros less, about €15 to €16 per tonne. Slightly more is given for fattening pig slurry, but that difference is sometimes very small, depending on the supply. In the north above the A7 in Groningen, cattle slurry is driven into the silo for an average of €15 per tonne.

Cattle slurry in demand
The cattle slurry is currently draining well. The fattening pig slurry, on the other hand, has a much more difficult time finding buyers and this is mainly due to the price issue. Comparatively, cattle slurry - just like at the beginning of 2024 - still yields a higher balance than fattening pig slurry per hectare thanks to the more favorable fixed contents. Contractors note that arable farmers opt for cattle slurry more than otherwise for their green manure, despite the fact that fattening pig slurry is normally preferred due to the faster action of the manure.

Due to the increased manure prices, the demand for solid manure has also fallen. "The demand has been very bad, but is now picking up somewhat. People are looking much more at liquid manure. What can I earn with that this year?" says a manure transporter. The demand for solid manure is expected to increase again as soon as September 15 approaches and buyers will use this to fill the remaining placement space.

Manure prices quite stable
DCA's weekly fertilizer quotations remain stable this week. In recent weeks, cattle and pig slurry prices have increased slightly. The average price for cattle slurry is €31 per cubic meter and is slightly higher or lower depending on the region and/or distance. Fattening pig slurry comes to an average of around €35 ​​per cubic meter, with collection contributions also varying greatly. Manure prices are on average the highest in the southeast of the country. Anyone who does not have a regular buyer for manure sometimes pays something extra on top of these prices.

For a complete overview of all DCA fertilizer quotations per region click here.