Production of nitrogen and phosphate well below the ceiling

The production of nitrogen and phosphate by Dutch livestock farming is well below the ceiling set by the European Union. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of preliminary figures. Production decreased further in 2019 due to a decrease in the number of cows, pigs and chickens.

Staying below both ceilings, for nitrogen and phosphate, is crucial for the derogation that the EU has granted to the Netherlands. Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten will negotiate an extension of this derogation in the course of the year. Now that production remains well below the ceilings, an important condition for extension has been met.

The so-called nitrogen excretion in animal manure amounted to 490 million kilos last year, a decrease of 2,6% compared to 2018. The nitrogen ceiling for the Netherlands is 504,4 million kilos. The excretion of phosphate amounts to 156 million kilos, 3,7% lower than in 2018. The phosphate production is thus 10% below the phosphate ceiling of 172,9 million kilos that the EU has set.

Also dairy farming under ceiling
It is the second consecutive year that nitrogen production has fallen below the ceiling. For phosphate it is already the third consecutive year that production is well below the European standard. Dairy farming, pig farming and poultry farming all fall below the limit set for them. For the dairy sector, nitrogen excretion in 2019 amounted to 280,6 million kilos, 3,2% less than in 2018. The European production ceiling is 281,8 million kilos. 

The dairy sector has worked hard last year to below the nitrogen ceiling to come out. Dairy farming was already well below the phosphate ceiling for this sector of 84,9 million kilos. The phosphate production of dairy cattle decreased by 2019% in 4,6 to 75,1 million kilos.

A main reason for the decreases is the decrease in the Dutch dairy herd by an average of 0,9%. Young stock is now kept 8,4% less than in 2018. The number of calves, heifers and heifers remained constant. Overall, there was also less nitrogen and phosphorus in the feed for dairy cattle, Statistics Netherlands reported. The production per dairy cow last year, with an average of 8.870 kilos, remained virtually the same as in 2018.

Also decrease in pig manure 
The amount of nitrogen and phosphate in pig manure fell in 2019 by 2,7% to 94,2 million kilos and 2,9% to 36,6 million kilos, respectively, compared to 2018. This means that the amounts are well below the production ceilings of 99,1%. 39,7 million kilos of nitrogen and XNUMX million kilos of phosphate. 

The decrease is the result of a decrease in the number of finishing pigs by 1,1% and the number of breeding pigs by 6,6%. The effect of changes in feed composition has not yet been incorporated into the figures, Statistics Netherlands reported.

Also lower figures in poultry
In 2019, the nitrogen and phosphate excretion of laying poultry fell by almost 6% compared to a year earlier. In the broiler sector, manure production at 54,5 million kilos hardly changed. However, this production is well below the production ceiling of 60,3 million kilos. The phosphate production of poultry in 2019, at 24,7 million kilos, was also well below the ceiling of 27,4 million kilos. 

Manure production from other animals increased on balance in 2019 by 1,3 million kilos of nitrogen to 24 million kilos. There was an increase in the number of sheep and goats and a decrease in the number of mink. Phosphate production remained unchanged at just 8 million kilos. 

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