Farmers Face Sharper Fines Over Illegal Manure Spreading

Kibet Bohr

Copenhagen Travel Writer and Blogger

February 10, 2026
3:18 pm

Danish agricultural organizations are intensifying efforts to prevent illegal manure spreading on frozen fields this winter after repeated violations in 2024. Industry associations and farming cooperatives are launching awareness campaigns while the government prepares to implement a fivefold fine increase to 50,000 kroner starting in 2027.

Industry Takes Action Against Illegal Spreading

Agricultural organizations across Denmark are mobilizing to ensure farmers comply with regulations prohibiting manure spreading on frozen ground. The initiative comes after South and Southwest Jutland police responded to multiple illegal spreading incidents during last year’s frost period.

Machinery Stations Lead Awareness Push

The Danish machinery station association is using newsletters and social media to remind farmers about the rules. Aksel Duedahl, chairman of the South Jutland machinery stations, emphasizes that spreading manure on frozen fields wastes valuable nutrients that crops cannot absorb. He urges farmers to redistribute manure among empty storage tanks rather than risk violations.

The association offers to help farmers facing storage capacity challenges find alternative solutions. This cooperative approach aims to address practical constraints while maintaining environmental standards.

Agricultural Advisors Stress Unity

Spiras, a major Danish agricultural cooperative, has similarly ramped up communication efforts this year. Jacob Hjorth Høggaard, a crop advisor at Spiras in Vojens, acknowledges that overflowing storage tanks create tempting conditions when dry weather arrives. However, he stresses there is no agronomic justification for spreading on frozen soil.

The organization emphasizes collective responsibility within the farming community. When fields are frozen, plants cannot grow or absorb nutrients, making winter application both wasteful and environmentally harmful.

Environmental and Regulatory Concerns

The prohibition exists because frozen ground prevents manure from seeping into soil, causing nutrients to run directly into streams, lakes, and coastal waters. Denmark produces between 35 and 40 million tons of manure annually from intensive livestock operations.

Water Pollution Incidents Drive Enforcement

Environmental consequences of illegal spreading extend beyond regulatory violations. In 2025, a manure spill in Struer nearly eliminated all life in an affected stream, including killing a roe deer. Environmental organizations documented 19 manure spills during spring 2024 alone.

These incidents undermine broader water quality restoration efforts across Denmark. Nutrient overload in fjords and coastal areas causes oxygen depletion and fish kills, damaging ecosystems that local agreements aim to protect groundwater and surface waters.

Municipal Oversight Increases

Local authorities are strengthening enforcement following last year’s violations. Vejen municipality now inspects manure storage capacity on farms with previous infractions. Regulations require soil to be thawed to at least 15 centimeters depth before spreading can occur.

Municipalities bear primary responsibility for enforcement but often face challenges responding quickly to violations. Communities are encouraged to report suspected illegal spreading promptly to enable timely investigation.

Government Responds With Stricter Penalties

Minister for Green Tripartite Jeppe Bruus called last year’s violations completely unacceptable. The government’s response includes significantly increased penalties designed to eliminate economic incentives for breaking the rules.

Fines Set to Quintuple by 2027

Current fines for spreading manure on frozen soil range from 10,000 to 20,000 kroner. However, a government proposal sent for consultation in September 2025 raises the standard penalty to 50,000 kroner. The new fine level takes effect in January 2027 pending parliamentary approval.

Government analysis determined that existing fines were cheaper than upgrading storage facilities for average farms. The substantial increase aims to make compliance more economically rational than violation.

Targeting Minority of Violators

The penalty increase specifically targets the small fraction of farmers who disregard regulations. Officials emphasize that most Danish farmers follow the rules and support stronger action against those who do not. The measure seeks to prevent a minority from undermining water protection efforts that benefit all Danes.

Environmental advocates argue that higher fines alone are insufficient without addressing root causes. Danmarks Naturfredningsforening representative Anna Bak Jäpelt calls for automatic verification that farm animal numbers match available storage capacity. She advocates for more proactive municipal oversight beyond responding to citizen complaints.

Practical Challenges for Farmers

Agricultural representatives acknowledge the genuine difficulties farmers face during extended frost periods. Storage tanks fill throughout winter when spreading is prohibited, creating pressure as capacity limits approach.

Storage Capacity Remains Key Issue

Danish regulations require farms to maintain sufficient storage for manure produced by their livestock during restricted periods. However, enforcement of storage requirements has historically been inconsistent. Municipalities lack standardized systems for verifying that storage capacity matches animal numbers.

Weather patterns compound planning challenges. Unseasonably long frost periods can exhaust storage capacity before conditions permit legal spreading. Industry groups emphasize that addressing storage shortfalls requires both infrastructure investment and improved planning.

Cooperation Replaces Confrontation

The current approach emphasizes education and mutual support within the agricultural sector. Machinery station associations and cooperatives position themselves as partners helping farmers navigate regulatory requirements. This contrasts with purely punitive enforcement strategies.

Nevertheless, industry leaders make clear that violations harm the entire sector’s reputation and environmental standing. They stress that no legitimate farming reason exists for spreading on frozen ground when plants cannot utilize nutrients.