Bavaria: Economy on the liquid manure exchange: high demand

There should be less liquid manure on the fields - that was the ultimate goal of politics, not least to protect drinking water.

Bavaria: Economy on the liquid manure exchange: high demand

There should be less liquid manure on the fields - that was the ultimate goal of politics, not least to protect drinking water. But because artificial fertilizers are becoming scarce due to the gas crisis and the Ukraine war and prices are rising, natural fertilizers are in great demand again.

Munich (dpa / lby) - The sometimes unloved liquid manure as a residue from animal husbandry is experiencing a new boom in the face of the gas crisis. In view of rising prices for artificial fertilizers, liquid manure is in high demand again, according to the German (DBV) and the Bavarian Farmers' Association (BBV). Artificial fertilizer has not only increased to three to four times the price of the previous year, but is also difficult to obtain.

"If mineral fertilizers become more expensive and scarce, all organic nitrogen sources gain in value and attractiveness," said DBV General Secretary Bernhard Krüsken of the German Press Agency. There is movement on the liquid manure exchanges. These bring together farmers with liquid manure and colleagues with a corresponding need. "Slurry exchanges are registering higher demand. This is also reflected in the fact that sales prices are rising and slurry is sometimes transported over longer distances than before."

However, not everyone can be served with this, the amount of liquid manure is limited - and has also fallen with the decline in animal husbandry. Liquid manure fertilization as part of the circular economy makes sense because the mineral nitrogen fertilizer it replaces is produced with a great deal of energy or gas.

Krüsken warned of a shortage of artificial fertilizer, for the production of which gas is absolutely necessary. "We were still reasonably adequately supplied for this season, but we are worried about next year," said Krüsken. "If the mineral nitrogen fertilizer fails severely next year, then we will see lower harvests."

If the fertilizer is halved, 20 to 25 percent lower yields can be expected. "When we talk about winter and the distribution of gas, we also have to keep in mind that fertilizer is responsible for the food supply."

Around 2.5 to 3 million pure nitrogen are applied to Germany's fields every year, half of which comes from artificial fertilizers. This cannot be offset by liquid manure, compost and biogas fermentation residues from the biogas plant.

In recent years, spreading manure on fields has been increasingly regulated, not least by the EU. Slurry can pollute the drinking water with nitrate - and occasionally stinks the residents. Some farmers therefore no longer knew what to do with the legacies of their animals.

Because, among other things, stricter regulations for animal husbandry caused a decrease in the number of animals, the amount of liquid manure also decreased. Lately, less and less liquid fertilizer has been used on Bavaria's fields: Between 2010 and 2020, the amount of liquid manure, manure and biogas fermentation residues used by farmers fell by around 15 percent, according to the Bavarian State Office for Statistics.