Large quantities of manure were traded in the first six months of this year. Notable trends include the first time more cattle manure was traded than pig manure. Furthermore, significantly more manure is being purchased from other countries this year.
In the first two quarters, 22.657.821 tons of manure were transported. This represents a 15,77% increase compared to the same period last year, according to figures from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). Of this, over 12.125.547 tons were sold in the first three months. At that time, the increase was a substantial 64% compared to the same period a year earlier.
| Total manure disposal | years | Amount | Ton | Verschil |
| Q1 and 2 | 2024 | 572.067 | 19.584.384 | + 1,4 % |
| Q1 and 2 | 2025 | 653.636 | 22.657.821 | + 15,7 % |
Favorable circumstances
The figures show that sales in the second quarter were somewhat lower than the previous quarter. This was due to the early arrival of spring in 2025, resulting in an early start to the season. On balance, however, a significant amount of manure was traded in the first half of this year, although it should be kept in mind that last year was very wet, resulting in a late start to the season. Sales of cattle manure, in particular, increased sharply in the first half of 2025, increasing by 23,3% to 11.685.933 tons, driven by the large supply of cattle manure hanging over the market.
More towards arable farming and export
Sales to arable farmers rose by 12,9% to 8.664.195 tons. This means that almost 40% of all traded manure goes to arable farming. Furthermore, manure exports increased by over a quarter to 1.914.605 tons. Of this, 1.070.856 tons went to Germany, which increased imports by 38,7%. Exports to Belgium (+24,2%) and France (+13,9%) also rose sharply.
| Manure export | years | Amount | Ton | Verschil |
| Q1 and 2 | 2024 | 50.649 | 1.503.188 | + 0,7 % |
| Q1 and 2 | 2025 | 64.371 | 1.914.605 | + 27,4 |
Due to the dry and therefore favorable conditions for spreading manure, Dutch arable farmers have reportedly already filled a lot of available space this year. In the first six months of this year, for example, almost three-quarters of the cattle manure volumes for the entire year 2024 have already been sold. Whether manure transport figures will remain high in the second half of the year is therefore not immediately likely.
Manure prices remain stable and high
The Dutch manure market entered a stable phase in mid-July, with prices (DCA collection contributions) for pig manure between €30 and €35 per cubic meter, depending on the region. Prices for cattle manure are generally a few euros lower. Historically, these are extremely high prices, indicating that there is still a significant amount of manure in the market, despite the good sales potential in the first half of 2025. However, prices are still below last year's level.
Click here to view fertilizer prices by region.