Cabinet wants to lay down manure ceilings in law

The cabinet wants to lay down the sectoral fertilizer ceilings, agreed with Brussels, in the Fertilizers Act. The spreading season for manure will be extended by 2 weeks and row fertilization in maize will be mandatory. This is stated in the sixth action program for the Nitrates Directive, which outgoing Minister Kamp presented on Friday 13 October. 

Since 2006 there has been a maximum for manure production in the Netherlands of 172,9 million kilos of phosphate and 504,4 million kilos of nitrogen. Based on this, ceilings have been set per sector:

• Pigs: 39,7 million kilos of phosphate and 99,1 million of nitrogen,
• Poultry: 27,4 million kilos of phosphate and 60,3 million kilos of nitrogen,
• Dairy cattle: 84,9 million kilos of phosphate and 281,8 million kilos of nitrogen. 

Exemption from animal rights in manure processing
Minister Kamp wants these agreements to be included in the Fertilizers Act from 2020. He is also in consultation with Brussels to take into account the nitrogen and phosphorus content in roughage and the amount of processed manure and nitrogen fertilizer produced per company when calculating the annual manure production figures. Livestock farmers with a multi-year manure processing contract could then be granted an exemption from animal rights.

Extension of fattening periods
The proposal of the sixth action program also states that from 1 January 2019 the spreading season for slurry on arable land will be shifted by 2 weeks, from 15 February to 15 September. Spreading solid manure on grassland is allowed from 1 December to 15 September. Now a period applies from February 1 to September 16, depending on the soil type. 

Row fertilization in maize becomes mandatory
A very serious measure for farmers on sandy and loess soil is that they will be obliged to apply row fertilization in maize from 1 January 2021. The equivalent measure for the cultivation of row fertilization remains in effect until the obligation has come into effect.

The requirements after a catch crop in maize will become stricter from 1 January 2019. Under-sowing a frost-resistant crop will be mandatory, or at the latest on 21 September a catch crop is sown after maize.

A catch crop will also be introduced for consumption and factory potatoes on sandy and loess soil from 1 January 2021. Winter wheat must be sown by 31 October at the latest if no green manure has been sown by 16 September. 

Read the whole package of measures here

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