Manure surpluses in agriculture, 1970-2023
Between 1970 and 2023, the nitrogen surplus in agriculture has fallen by about 49 percent. The surplus did not change a lot in the last ten years and we see a small decreasing undulating trend depending on weather conditions. Compared to 2022, the surplus has decreased by 14 percent in 2023. The surplus of phosphorus has nearly disappeared in recent years.
Nitrogen surplus
Between 1986 and 2006, the nitrogen surplus in agriculture halved from 775 to 385 million kg N. The nitrogen surplus has mainly decreased due to increasingly lower fertilizer application (since 1999) and smaller production of manure by livestock. A new manure policy came into effect in 2006, with application criteria for fertilisers. In the following years, the surplus fell significantly. In 2023 the nitrogen surplus was 265 million kg N. This is lower than the surplus of 306 million kg N in 2022. The difference was mainly due to dry weather conditions in the summer of 2022 and good weather conditions in 2023 in the Netherlands. The nitrogen surplus partly dependents on weather conditions, because crops fixate nitrogen.
The fertilizers supplied to agricultural land are being used increasingly better. In 2023, 64 percent of the nitrogen supplied to agricultural land was converted into plant production (roughage and crops). This is called the nutrient use efficiency. In the 1990s this was still approximately 47 percent.
Phosphorus surplus
In the last decade, the phosphorus surplus in agriculture has virtually disappeared. In 1990 the phosphorus surplus was 69 million kg P, in 2022 and 2023 the surpluses were 13 and 4 million kg P respectively. The phosphorus use efficiency on agricultural land is almost 100 percent. In 2022, utilization was only 78 percent, due to the dry summer in 2023. With normal weather conditions we are around 94 percent in 2023. In the 1990s, phosphorus utilization was approximately 50 percent.
Policy
In 2006 a new fertiliser policy based on application criteria for fertilisers was introduced in the Netherlands. Manure production has also been restricted. Since 2010, varies policies were introduced to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus. The two most well-known examples are Fosfaatrechten (Phosphorus Rights) and Programma Aanpak Stikstof (Program Approach Nitrogen) or better known as PAS. In 2018 Phosphorus Rights were introduced by the Dutch government. In 2015 the “PAS” was introduced for nitrogen, but rejected by law in 2020. Therefore the Stikstofwet (Nitrogen law) was introduced the following year. The law requires that by 2025 at least 40% of the area of nitrogen-sensitive nature in protected Natura 2000 areas has a nitrogen level that does not exceed the critical deposition value (KDW).
Sources
- Bruggen, C. van, M.J.C. de Bode, A.G. Evers, K.W. van der Hoek, H.H. Luesink & M.W. van Schijndel (2010). Standardised calculation methods for animal manure and nutrients. Standard data 1990-2008. Werkgroep Uniformering berekening Mest- en mineralencijfers. CBS, Den Haag.
- CBS (2016). Mineralenbalans landbouw. Centraal Bureau voor Statistiek, Den Haag / Heerlen.
- Vonk, J., A. Bannink, C. van Bruggen, C.M. Groenestein, J.F.M. Huijsmans, J.W.H. van der Kolk, H.H. Luesink, S.V. Oude Voshaar, S.M. van der Sluis & G.L. Velthof (2016). Methodology for estimating emissions from agriculture in the Netherlands. Calculations of CH4, NH3, N2O, NOx, PM10, PM2.5 and CO2 with the National Emission Model for Agriculture (NEMA). WOt-technical report 53. WOT Natuur & Milieu, Wageningen UR, Wageningen.
- CBS (2024a). Dierlijke mest en mineralen 2023. CBS, Den Haag/Heerlen.
- CBS (2024b). StatLine: Mineralenbalans landbouw. Centraal Bureau voor Statistiek, Den Haag / Heerlen.
- CBS (2025). Laagste stikstofoverschot landbouw sinds 1990 Centraal Bureau voor Statistiek, Den Haag / Heerlen.
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Reference of this webpage
CLO (2025). Manure surpluses in agriculture, 1970-2023 (indicator 0096, version 22, ), www.clo.nl. Statistics Netherlands (CBS), The Hague; PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague; RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven; and Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen.