Manure price at record level before start of spreading season

Manure collection fees, the amount a livestock farmer pays to have their manure collected, have risen to record high levels in the run-up to the spreading season. This is evident from market data from DCA Market IntelligenceWhat's striking this year is that the Dutch manure market is clearly two-faced. In the south of the country, manure prices are slowly declining, while in central and northeastern Netherlands, prices are continuing to rise.

The manure spreading season is about to begin. Starting February 16th, liquid manure may be spread on grassland again. A month later, from mid-March, it will also be permitted on arable land. Despite the approaching spreading season, manure prices in large parts of the Netherlands will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. In early February, prices ranged from approximately €30 per cubic meter in the south of the Netherlands to approximately €38 per cubic meter in the northeastern Netherlands, according to weekly prices from DCA Market Intelligence.

The stricter regulations play a significant role in this. As of this year, the derogation that determines how much nitrogen may be applied per hectare has been completely abolished. As a result, a larger portion of the manure must be sent to processing or other sales channels. This increases pressure on a market already facing limited processing capacity, while the manure supply is only gradually decreasing.

Supply pressure increased
Pressure on the manure market is particularly high in central and northeastern Netherlands. Historically, this represents a turning point. While tension on the manure market was highest in Brabant and Limburg for many years, that picture has now changed. In the south of the Netherlands, a relatively large number of livestock farmers have closed their operations in recent years, reducing supply pressure there. Moreover, the manure market in the south traditionally seems better equipped to handle structural surpluses. Until recently, manure surpluses were less of an issue in the north and east of the Netherlands, but with the end of the derogation, this has now become the new reality.

Historically, manure prices can drop once the spreading season actually begins. Much will depend on weather conditions. In dry, frost-free weather, injectors can easily enter the fields and speed up the process. However, pressure on the manure market is expected to remain high this year, as the expiration of the derogation further limits the available application space.

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