How to quantify and manage nutrient balances on European dairy farms to optimise farm management, minimise nutrient losses and meet regulation. Dairy farming is characterised by the cycling of nutrients and carbon. A more efficient use of resources (feed & fertilisers) reduces costs and release of emissions to the environment. Management generally shows to be the most important factor for improving efficiency. The first step in improving nutrient cycling is knowing your current farm performance. The dairy sector in the Netherlands has been learning to cope with increasingly stringent environmental regulation, which ultimately has impacted on the size of the national dairy herd.

The ANCA model quantifies the main performance indicators related to the nutrient cycles. The ANCA model is used on commercial farms and through inputting data provides outcomes to help dairy farmers demonstrate production is in accordance with sustainability standards. Since 2015, ANCA serves as a ‘licence’ for dairy farmers in the Netherlands to produce. Jouke Oenema explains the ANCA tool in this webinar.

The recording is now available here to watch back: