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Prairie Swine Centre is an affiliate of the University of Saskatchewan
Prairie Swine Centre is grateful for the assistance of the George Morris Centre in developing the economics portion of Pork Insight.
Financial support for the Enterprise Model Project and Pork Insight has been provided by:
Animal Waste Management Technologies: An Explorative Study of Farmers' Knowledge and Perceptions
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2003 | No Comments
This report presents the results of a survey of 66 farmers in North Carolina to assess their perception of waste management technologies. The main objective of the project was to investigate farmers’ knowledge and their perception of these new technologies in comparison with the traditional lagoon/sprayfield system.
Introduction
Swine waste in North Carolina is managed predominantly through anaerobic lagoons and sprayfields. This waste management practice poses potential risks to human health and the environment through transport of pollutants via surface water, groundwater and the air. Recognizing these risks, in April 1999, a state plan was issued to identify and evaluate the need to convert lagoons and sprayfields to alternative technologies and it is expected that the lagoon-sprayfield technology will be phased out in due term. At the same time new federal regulation has been proposed focusing on the land application of animal waste at agronomic rates, which at present is largely unregulated. These proposed federal rules further undermine the future of the lagoon/sprayfield practice in North Carolina.
Work is currently underway in designing and assessing new technologies to replace the lagoon-sprayfield system but none are yet operational. Specifically, in July 2000 an Agreement was made between Smithfield Foods, Inc. and the Attorney General of North Carolina to provide $15 million for the development of ‘environmentally superior technologies’. Since then, research, development, and demonstration efforts have been initiated for several alternative technologies.
In this report we present the results of an exploratory study of farmers’ knowledge and perceptions of a series of alternative waste management systems. Farmers’ attitudes and perception are of crucial importance to successful R&D strategies. Many promising agricultural innovations and supporting policies have failed because they were inappropriate to farmers’ needs. To prevent such failures, a good understanding of the behavioral and operational constraints at the farm level is required. The contribution of economic analysis in addressing this state of affairs is that it can identify the behavioral factors and farm level constraints determining adoption. Lack of information, organizational characteristics (labor requirements) and management skills can be decisive in the adoption decision. Insights in these constraints can support developing ways to overcome them. Interview techniques are very useful in this respect as it enables an ex-ante assessment of the impact of farmers’ subjective perceptions and (lack of) knowledge on their choices among management practices.
Biofilter Reduces Odorous Gas Emissions by 80%
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Studies conducted by the University of Manitoba show biofiltration can reduce swine barn emissions of hydrogen sulfide, one of the major odor causing gases, by about 80%. The University, in partnership with the Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative, has unveiled a new odour reducing biofilter technology. The technology uses a combination of woodchips and compost to harbor a natural population of microorganisms, which use the odorous molecules as a food source. Evaluations are still forthcoming but they appear to be effective at reducing hydrogen sulfide, which would typically suggest similar types of reductions would be obtained on the other odour causing compounds.
Lower Protein Diets and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
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The Pig Farmer Survey 2003 found that one in three farmers was unaware that reduced protein diets can reduce slurry production from pigs by 10% while nearly two in three were unaware that it can also reduce water consumption. About 2/3 of protein fed to pigs is lost, half of which escapes into the air as ammonia gas while the other half is spread in slurry or manure. When managed properly, ‘precision protein feeds’ can reduce nitrogen in slurry by 14-22%. Other research has found that as slurry is reduced by 10%, so is the ammonia that is emitted into the air.
The survey found that one in three pig farmers estimated the cost of complying with Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations to be more than ₤5,000/year. Research has shown however, that a slightly higher feed cost was balanced by significant savings on slurry, storage and transport together with the reduction in water costs.
Under pollution controls (PPC) for intensive pig farms this method represents the ‘best available technique’ (BAT) because it brings benefit to the farmers and the environment. Guidance to farmers on PPC is available on the Environmental Agency’s website. The Pollution Prevention and Control (Wales and England) Regulations 2000 are designed to prevent and eliminate pollution at the source through the efficient use of natural resources. They apply to all farms with 40,000 birds, 750 sows or 2,000 production pigs. PPC covers most aspects of farming activity including the handling of raw materials and waste, intensive rearing of pigs, manure management planning, the spreading of solid manure and slurry, energy use, accident management as well as monitoring and reporting.
EVALUATION OF A PERMEABLE, 5 CM THICK, POLYETHYLENE FOAM LAGOON COVER
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Soluble and insoluble non-starch polysaccharides on digesta passage rate and voluntary feed intake of grower pigs
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The effects of purified non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) fractions (soluble, guar gum (SOL) and insoluble, cellulose (INSOL)) NSP fractions on digesta passage rate, retention time and voluntary feed intake was studied in grower pigs. Compared to control, adding SOL + INSOL increased digesta viscosity, slowed digesta flow rate and increased retention time in the total tract. Voluntary feed intake and daily weight gain reduced with SOL + INSOL NSP, compared to pigs fed the control diet. Reduction in voluntary feed intake associated with feeding high fibrous diet in pigs may be a direct effect of the fibre fractions slowing the flow rate of digesta through the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, reducing the negative effects of soluble and insoluble NSP may enhance feed intake and improve grower pig performance.
Towards a baseline assessment of organic pig welfare.
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A commonly used premise in the marketing of organic products is that the welfare of an animal is ensured through good management and only when these management techniques fail, are veterinary medicines used. However, the truthfulness behind this claim needs to yet be proven. Therefore an assessment of nine organic pig farms, primarily located in the South West of England, was conducted. The survey included direct assessments of the animals and the facilities, as well, questions were asked of the staff. The average herd size was approximately 210 sows and the herds had been in operation for an average of 3 years. From farrow to finish, offspring were raised outdoors. The highest ranking health concern according to the producers was mange and lice, while the highest-ranking historical report (based on post-mortem analysis) was endoparasitism. These were chosen from a list composed by the authors. The main welfare concerns according to the stockpeople were keeping the animals clean and dry during periods of moisture, managing porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS) and postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). Another concern expressed was the difficulty in finding and keeping good stockpeople. The assessment of the facilities found good overall living condition, with the only problem being the possibility of the paddocks being too wet during the winter. The assessment of the body condition of the sows was within acceptable target values during the entire production cycle (breeding, farrowing and weaning). For any stock classification the levels of lameness, skin lesions and cleanliness were also acceptable.