How much nitrogen is emitted at livestock farms?

In 2020, nitrogen excretion in livestock manure was 489 million kg. This is 15 million kg below the nitrogen oxides emission ceiling of 504.4 million kg.

Dairy livestock excretions of nitrogen stood at 286.5 million kg, exceeding the ceiling of 281.8 million kg for this sector. Nitrogen excretion on pig farms came to 91.8 million kg, well below the ceiling of 99.1 million kg. In the poultry sector as well, excretion was lower at 54.7 million kg than the imposed ceiling of 60.3 million kg.

Higher nitrogen use efficiency

Minerals in livestock feed, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, are taken in by cattle only to a limited extent. This is referred to as the use efficiency. Part of the nitrogen ends up in meat, milk or eggs. What animals do not absorb disappears largely with the manure in the soil or the air. In the period from early 1990s to 2001, nitrogen use efficiency rose from 21 to 29 percent; it has barely increased since then.

Show datatableNitrogen use efficiency at livestock farms (%)Hide datatableNitrogen use efficiency at livestock farms (%)

Nitrogen use efficiency at livestock farms (%)

	Cattle (meat, dairy)	Pigs (meat)	Poultry (meat, eggs)	Other livestock
2000	19	35	41	10
2001	19	36	42	10
2002	20	37	42	11
2003	20	36	41	11
2004	21	38	40	13
2005	21	36	40	12
2006	22	35	39	13
2007	22	36	40	13
2008	22	36	39	13
2009	23	36	39	13
2010	23	37	39	13
2011	23	37	39	13
2012	24	37	41	13
2013	24	37	41	13
2014	23	38	42	13
2015	23	39	43	13
2016	24	39	43	15
2017	23	39	44	14
2018	23	40	42	15
2019	24	40	42	15

Not all animals convert nitrogen equally efficiently. Nitrogen use efficiency was highest in poultry, at 42 percent. In the case of pigs, use efficiency is 40 percent and in beef cattle only 24 percent. Use efficiency rates have improved very moderately since 2000. Beef cattle use efficiency was still 19 percent in 2000; in pigs this was 35 percent and in poultry 41 percent.

Nitrogen use efficiency depends on composition of feed

Cattle feed consists of concentrates and roughage. The amount of nitrogen in concentrates was 410 million kg in 2019, i.e. over 2 percent less than in the previous year. Grass, hay and silage maize contained 269 million kg of nitrogen, slightly less than in 2018.

The supply of nitrogen to livestock farms depends on both the size of the herd and the ratio of concentrates to roughage. For example, a kilo of grass or a kilo of concentrates contains up to almost three times as much nitrogen as a kilo of silage maize. If less maize is harvested, due to a disappointing harvest or a smaller maize acreage, as was the case in 2018, and the animals are fed more concentrates and grass, the roughage will contain more nitrogen.

Show datatableNitrogen levels in concentrates and roughage at livestock farms (million kg)Hide datatableNitrogen levels in concentrates and roughage at livestock farms (million kg)

Nitrogen levels in concentrates and roughage at livestock farms (million kg)

Jaar	Concentrates for cattle	Concentrates for pigs	Concentrates for poultry	Concentrates other livestock	Roughage for cattle	Roughage for other livestock
2000	130	186	106	7	291	23
2010	129	168	107	7	257	17
2019	147	156	97	10	269	18

Less nitrogen lost

According to the nutrient budget, 697 million kg of nitrogen were supplied to livestock farms in 2019. Of this, 207 million kg was converted into animal products. The unused nitrogen – 490 million kg or 70 percent of all nitrogen supplied – disappeared into plants (378 million kg), the soil, the air, outside agriculture or they were part of inventory movements. In 2000, this was still 549 million kg, or 74 percent of the used nitrogen. The decrease is partly due to the more efficient application of fertiliser in arable farming. In addition, less nitrogen volatilised from animal houses and manure storage. The fact that less nitrogen was volatilised is also the result of a stricter manure policy which prescribed use standards for nitrogen.

The questions

1. How are figures calculated by CBS?
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4. How tall are Dutch people?
5. How many farm animals are there in the Netherlands?
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24. How much nitrogen is emitted at livestock farms?
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27. Where were people in the Caribbean Netherlands originally born?
28. How many families are at risk of poverty?
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