For the first time in 3 years, Dutch livestock farmers are producing less phosphate from animal manure than the European Union (EU) allows. This is according to figures from Statistics Netherlands.
Phosphate production in 2017 amounts to 167,9 million kilos. That is 5 million kilos less than allowed by the EU. The EU has set the phosphate ceiling for the Netherlands at 172,9 million kilos per year. It is the first time in 3 years that the Netherlands produces less phosphate than the EU allows.
Effects of the phosphate reduction plan 2017?
The decrease is largely caused by the dairy farming sector. The cattle population shrank as a result of the 2017 phosphate reduction plan. Dairy farmers were forced to remove dairy cows and calf heifers. The scheme reduced the number of dairy cows by 130.000, which is 8% of the total number of dairy cows in the Netherlands.
Dairy farmers in the Netherlands mainly implemented the scheme by removing calves, heifers and heifers. As a result, the number of young cows in the Netherlands decreased by 2017 in 150.000, a decrease of 12%.
Due to the decrease in the number of dairy cows, the amount of dairy cattle phosphate decreased by 2017 million kilos in 4,3. The total phosphate production of dairy farming amounts to 85,2 million kilos. The ceiling for dairy farming is established in Dutch law on a production of 84,9 million kilos of dairy cattle phosphate.
The stopper scheme was part of the phosphate reduction plan for 2017. Statistics Netherlands calculated that of the approximately 16.000 dairy farms, just under 600 dairy farmers made use of the stopper scheme and received financial compensation.
Feed track effects
The feed trace (less phosphorus in concentrated feed) has also had an effect on phosphate emissions, both from dairy and pig farming. The phosphorus content in compound feed for dairy cattle decreased by 2017 grams per kilo in 0,2 to 4,1 grams. This means 4% less phosphorus in dairy cattle compound feed. The phosphorus content of grass and maize was average in 2017.
According to Statistics Netherlands, phosphate production could have been higher if milk production per cow had not been so high. In 2017 this amounted to almost 8.700 kilos, 400 kilos more than in 2016. After all, a higher milk production means more feed and therefore more phosphate in the manure.
100.000 fewer pigs in 2017
Not only did the cattle herd shrink in 2017. The number of finishing pigs in the Netherlands also decreased by almost 100.000 animals, compared to 2016. As a result, the phosphate production of pig farming decreased by 2017 million kilos in 2,1 to 37,1 million. kilograms. This is less than the stipulated phosphate ceiling, which amounts to 39,7 million kilos for pig farming.
Poultry phosphate is also falling
Phosphate production in poultry farming has also decreased by 0,9 million kilos (compared to 2016) and amounts to 28 million kilos. That is more than the sector ceiling set by the Netherlands for poultry farming: 27,4 million kilos of phosphate.
In the video below, Cor Pierik talks about the phosphate production in 2016, and about the decline in the number of cows and calves in 2017.
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