Phosphate and fertilisers

The phosphate level in the water and the Dutch soil is an important point of attention because the soil in the Netherlands is still being over-fertilised. This is due to an excess of livestock manure. Every year we add approximately 63,000 tons of phosphate to Dutch agricultural land via animal manure. This is supplemented with a further 20,000 tons of phosphate via artificial fertiliser. There is currently sufficient phosphate in Dutch soil for several decades.

The Netherlands is striving to achieve fertilisation equilibrium by around 2015. This is necessary in order to arrive at an acceptable phosphate concentration in the surface water. The Netherlands is obliged to reach this target on the basis of the European framework Water Directive. The Milieu en Natuurplanbureau (environment and nature planning office) expects  that the requirement for fertilisers containing phosphates will decrease in the Netherlands by approximately 15,000 tons of phosphates per year. Nevertheless, according to the Milieu en Natuurplanbureau we still continue to use artificial fertiliser to a certain degree. Farmers use artificial fertiliser because this enables them to target fertilisation more effectively than with animal manure. This is why the reduction of 15,000 tons of phosphate per year will primarily involve animal manure. Download here the report of environment and nature planning office.