In the European Union (EU) in 2020, 40% of all agricultural holdings, commonly known as farms, had manure storage facilities. The countries with the highest shares of farms equipped with manure storage facilities were Slovenia, where nearly 100% of farms had such facilities, followed by Latvia with 98% and Estonia with 92%. On the other hand, the countries with the lowest shares of farms with manure storage facilities were Cyprus at 7%, Greece at 11%, and Italy at 18%.

Among the farms that had manure storage infrastructure in 2020, 57% had facilities for the storage of solid dung, 16% had covered facilities for liquid manure, 10% had deep litter systems, 6% had pits below animal confinement, 5% had liquid manure storage without cover, and the remaining 6% had manure storage in other types of facilities.

The decline in the use of uncovered liquid manure storage facilities has been noted as a positive trend that reduces environmental risks. Between 2010 and 2020, the share of holdings with uncovered storage facilities for liquid manure in the EU decreased by 5 percentage points. Storage facilities for liquid manure without cover, such as uncovered manure lagoons, tanks, or ponds, pose environmental risks due to ammonia emissions and nutrient leaching or run-off into surface and groundwater.

Notably, in the Netherlands and Malta, there were no farms with uncovered manure storage facilities by 2020. Several other countries also witnessed significant reductions in the share of farms with such facilities, including Luxembourg with a decrease of 43 percentage points, Ireland with a decrease of 36 percentage points, Germany with a decrease of 35 percentage points, and Belgium with a decrease of 32 percentage points.

Conversely, in two EU countries, the use of uncovered liquid manure storage facilities became more common. Spain saw an increase of 5 percentage points, while Estonia saw an increase of 3 percentage points. Additionally, slight increases were recorded in Czechia (0.4 percentage points), Bulgaria (0.2 percentage points), and Italy (0.1 percentage points).

These changes in the prevalence of uncovered liquid manure storage facilities from 2010 to 2020 are depicted in the accompanying image, showcasing the shifts in percentage points across different EU countries.

Overall, the data from Eurostat highlights the progress made in reducing the use of uncovered liquid manure storage facilities in the EU, emphasizing the importance of implementing sustainable practices in agriculture to mitigate environmental risks. The information provided sheds light on the varying trends in manure storage infrastructure across EU countries and serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

Source:
Eurostat. (January 29, 2025). Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/