More fertilizer fraud than animal manure in Belgium

More fraud is committed in Belgium with artificial fertilizers than with animal manure, reports the Belgian newspaper De Standaard. According to the newspaper, almost half of the fertilizer use in Belgium is illegal.

De Standaard bases the article on statements by Jeroen Buysse, fertilizer specialist at the University of Ghent. Farmers in Belgium have to declare to the Manure Bank how much fertilizer they have used, but according to Buysse, nobody checks exactly how much fertilizer is used.

In 2018, it turned out that 48,6 million kilos of nitrogen from fertilizers were used on Flemish soil. However, an examination of the accounting data of about 700 farmers shows that it concerns 84,2 million kilos. The figures draw the conclusion that approximately half of the fertilizer is used illegally.

Fertilizer cheaper than soil
According to Buysse, this is logical. He argues that agricultural land is expensive, while fertilizer is fairly cheap. "That's why as a farmer you don't take any risks and you prefer to use extra fertilizer than run the risk of yield loss." The newspaper also concludes that the exceeding of the Nitrates Guidelines may be caused by this form of 'manure fraud' rather than by the fraud with manure.

The Flemish Land Agency recognizes the problem with fertilizer. That is also the reason that fertilizer traders and farmers are obliged in the new Manure Action Plan to digitally register the sale of fertilizers and the use of fertilizers. 

Anne-Jan Doorn

Anne Jan Doorn is an arable expert at Boerenbusiness. He writes about the various arable farming markets and also focuses on the land and energy market.

aj.doorn@boerenbusiness. Nl

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