The Netherlands will have a large surplus of manure in 2013 unless steps are taken to reduce phosphate levels and allow more animal waste to be spread on the land, the farming sector’s economic institute LEI said on Tuesday.

The organisation says if changes cannot be made, a reduction in the size of the national pig herd will be unavoidable.
Waste from intensive chicken rearing is burned in incinerators, but pig slurry is 90% water, making disposal difficult. Factory farmers pay arable farmers to take over their manure but not all of it can be sprayed on the land because of the pollution threat.
Nevertheless, the Dutch agricultural sector ended the recession in a stronger position than the rest of Dutch industry, LEI says. While the added value of the total Dutch economy fell by 3%, the farm sector remained stable.