The nitrogen surplus in agriculture is the part of the supplied nitrogen that is not converted into agricultural products but remains in the soil or disappears into the air (for example, via animal manure). This is calculated by subtracting the amount of nitrogen fixed in animal (meat, milk, eggs) and plant products (arable and horticultural crops) from the amount of nitrogen supplied, including concentrated feed for livestock and fertilizer.
In 2024, about 7 percent less nitrogen disappeared into the air compared to a year earlier; 75 million kilograms. This is partly due to a shrinking livestock population and innovations in agriculture, such as new stable systems. The amount of nitrogen from agriculture that ended up in the soil increased by 21 percent to 220 million kilograms. This is due to the lower harvest, resulting in less nitrogen fixed in crops. In 2023, the harvests were larger, so less nitrogen ended up in the soil.
The wheat harvest in 2024 was the lowest in 25 years. Especially the winter wheat harvest was relatively low due to the wet autumn in 2023. The silage maize harvest was the lowest in nearly 30 years, due to the wet spring. 253 million kilograms of nitrogen was removed from the land via the harvest of roughage for livestock. This is 10 percent less than a year earlier.
Livestock farming uses 260 million kilograms of nitrogen in the form of roughage (animal feed). This is 7 million kilograms more nitrogen from roughage than was harvested; this comes from bales and silage from the 2023 stock.
The two largest sources of nitrogen input in agriculture are concentrated feed (384 million kilograms) and fertilizer (201 million kilograms). The nitrogen input via concentrated feed decreased by 3 percent compared to 2023, due to lower nitrogen content in concentrated feed and a shrinking livestock population. 201 million kilograms of nitrogen was used in the form of fertilizer, which is 2 percent more.
The Netherlands must comply with the standard in the Nitrate Directive of 170 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare of agricultural land for fertilizing farmland with animal manure. Under special conditions, the Netherlands may deviate from this standard, the derogation. Since 2023, this derogation has been gradually phased out, and from 2026 there is no longer an exemption for the Netherlands.
The excretion of nitrogen in animal manure amounts to 449 million kilograms, 3 percent less than in 2023. Of this, 332 million kilograms of nitrogen was applied to agricultural land.
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