Transporting animal manure
Do you transport animal manure? In the Netherlands, transporting animal manure is generally only allowed if your company is registered as an intermediary with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). You must also register your manure storage, equipment, and vehicles. And you must keep records.
Rules for manure intermediaries (hauliers)
As a haulier of manure you are responsible for the whole process of transporting manure (in Dutch): the transport, loading, weighing, sampling, and unloading.
You must comply with the requirements:
- you transport the manure with vehicles equipped with AGR and GPS devices
- you weigh the load
- you sample the load
- you have the sample analysed
- you fill out a real-time animal manure consignment note (realtime Vervoersbewijs Dierlijke Meststoffen, rVDM, in Dutch)
Using AGR/GPS devices
Manure transport vehicles must be equipped with satellite tracking devices (GPS) and Automatic Data Registration Equipment (AGR). AGR/GPS devices must be inextricably affixed to the transport vehicle's chassis (in Dutch).
Weighing
You must weigh the manure as soon as possible. You can do this in different ways, for instance, with the use of a weighbridge. The weighing installation must follow the requirements stated in the measuring instruments and market operators Decree (Besluit meetinstrumenten en marktdeelnemers) for non-automatic weighing instruments. You should have the weight dockets with you during transport.
If you export manure, you weigh the consignment before it crosses the border. If you import manure you can weigh it abroad. If you do not weigh it abroad, you must weigh the consignment as soon as you enter the Netherlands. When importing or exporting manure (in Dutch) you must make sure to also comply with the rules of the country you import from or export to.
Sampling and analysing
If you transport manure, you must sample the consignment. There are several rules for sampling manure (in Dutch), depending on type: slurry (drijfmest), solid manure (vaste mest), and solid fraction (dikke fractie). If you transport slurry, the transport vehicle must be fitted with sampling and packaging equipment. Solid fraction must always be sampled by an accredited institution (in Dutch). You are not allowed to do this yourself.
Consignment note (rVDM)
Every time you transport manure, you need to fill out a real-time animal manure consignment note (realtime Vervoersbewijs Dierlijke Meststoffen, rVDM, in Dutch). You send the consignment note (rVDM) to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO, in Dutch). A paper copy must always be present in the lorry during the transportation of manure. In some instances you can use 1 rVDM for more manure transports.
Transport with exemption
Weighing, sampling, and analysing is almost always mandatory. Sometimes this is not compulsory and you may transport the manure with an exemption (in Dutch). But you must always fill out a rVDM. For more information, please contact the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
Transport by pipeline or conveyer
Will you be transporting manure via a pipeline (in Dutch) or conveyer (in Dutch) to an intermediary company? The pipeline or conveyer must be part of your company. The pipeline or conveyer must also be registered with RVO (in Dutch).
Keeping records
As an intermediary (haulier) you must keep proper accounts showing that you transport the manure according to the rules (in Dutch). You must keep records of the origin and destination. You should keep the documents for at least 5 years. You have to record any changes within 30 days. You should submit details relating to the past calendar year to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency by 1 February of each year (in Dutch).