Netherlands ends tolerance of surface manure spreading
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The Dutch government will stop allowing farmers to spread cattle manure on the surface of fields starting with the next spreading season.
This decision follows research from Wageningen University & Research which showed that the additional emissions from this practice outweighed any benefits. The government aims to reduce emissions without broadly cutting animal rights, focusing instead on methods of manure application. Alongside ending the tolerance for surface spreading, the government plans to require manure injection on arable land.
To help farmers and contractors afford the necessary equipment, officials are exploring a subsidy program. The government is also developing and financially supporting other solutions, including daily manure removal, monomest fermentation, nitrogen stripping, and manure acidification. A subsidy scheme for renure installations, equipment used in manure processing, is planned for the first half of 2027, in response to feedback from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and the Council of State regarding the country’s nitrogen approach.
