Advies 'Mestverwerkingspercentages 2017'

On 1 January a system of compulsory manure treatment was introduced in the Netherlands. All livestock farmerswith a manure surplus (expressed in kg phosphate) are required to have part of this manure surplus treated. Eachyear the State Secretary for Economic Affairs determines the official manure treatment percentages per region inconsultation with the agricultural organisations. These percentages are based on the results of an analysis by theScientific Committee on the Nutrient Management Policy (CDM), which is carried out in accordance with a protocolagreed with the ministry. This report presents the results of the analysis of the calculated manure treatmentpercentages per region for 2017, under different assumptions. These percentages are based on an empiricalanalysis of the manure production per region in 2015 and an analysis of the maximum permitted manure allocation(in kg phosphate) and expected actual manure input per region in 2017. The analyses take account of the effects ofredistribution of manure between farms within and between regions, and of exemptions from the compulsorymanure treatment regulation. The total amount of manure to be treated in 2017 is 45±5 kg phosphate. The manuretreatment percentages in the ‘baseline’ variant are 10% for the region ‘Other’ (minimum manure treatmentpercentage), 55% for the region ‘East’, 60% the region ‘South’, and 45% for the whole of the Netherlands. Changesin the assumptions about manure production and the manure input ratio (the ratio of actual manure input, in kgphosphate, to the average total permitted phosphate input) have a large effect on the manure treatmentpercentages for region East (34–75%), region South (39–82%) and for the Netherlands as a whole (30–60%).Implementation of the Responsible Growth of Dairy Farming Act (Wet verantwoorde groei melkveehouderij) incombination with the Order in Council on ‘land-based growth of dairy farming’ leads to figure for the total amount ofdairy farm manure (in kg phosphate) to be treated of 3.7 million kg phosphate