Page 13 of articles about manure

The Dutch pig-farming sector is operating within a competitive European market, and production costs play an important role in the sector’s competitiveness. At €1.41 per kg of slaughter weight in 2009, the Netherlands’ production costs are fairly average compared with those in rival countries within Europe. However, Dutch pig farmers pay a relatively high price for the disposal of manure: 5% of the production costs.

Manitoba pig producers will soon have access to more than $26 million to help them improve manure management and to reduce the risk of water contamination. This strategic investment was announced today by federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Stan Struthers.

Farmers have welcomed a bid to develop technologies aimed at increasing the use of organic pig and poultry manure on tillage farms.

The GIRO Foundation Technological Centre (Catalonia) and the Danish Centre CBMI (Innovation Centre for Bioenergy and Environmental Technologies) have won a European Commission open competition to make a European inventory of livestock waste treatment activities and to define future trends that need strengthening in the EU 27.

The changes included in the National Action Programme (NAP) under the Nitrates Directive, agreed between the Government and the EU Commission are positive for both Irish farming and the environment.

Jim Paice, Minister of State for Agriculture, today announced funding of £12.6 million, from Defra and the Devolved Administrations, to improve our understanding of how UK agriculture contributes to climate change.

Copper and zinc are routinely used as additives in feed for livestock and aquaculture farming. During their use as feed additives, it is inevitable that Cu and Zn will be released to the environment. Under Regulation (EC) 1831/3003 (EC, 2003), in order to protect human health, animal health and the environment, feed additives should undergo a safety assessment through a Community procedure before being placed on the market, used or processed within the Community. This project therefore assessed the environmental impact of Cu and Zn arising from use as additives in feed for livestock and aquaculture animals.

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Biological Hazards was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on Lime Treatment of Solid Pig and Poultry Manure. A European association submitted a novel process and asked the European Commission to approve it as a safe means of disposal under Article 5 (2) (g) of Regulation 1774/2002/EC, i.e. as far as Category 2 material are concerned. The European Commission asked EFSA to i) assess the ability of the process submitted to safely dispose of Category 2 animal by-products and ii) in case the process is considered to present a risk, to advice on the risks of the use of that process and on possibilities for addressing them. After an information exchange with the applicant it was clarified that the terms of reference of the mandate were focused only on pig and poultry solid manure treatment and that the solid pig manure consisted of dewatered manure.

Teagasc has proposed twenty-one amendments to the Draft European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) regulation 2010 as part of the consultation process to review the nitrates regulations. The detailed 120-page scientific document has been submitted to the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.