Alternative management practices are needed for two reasons:
To avoid environmental problems (contamination of surface
waters or ground-water) and associated possible human health problems.
To take advantage of the nutrients contained in the manure for growing crops.
When the manure is used to grow crops, this is referred
to as "beneficial use," and the manure is considered a resource
with some economic value.
When alternatives are needed simply to address environmental
or human health concerns without using the nutrients in the manure, this
is referred to as disposal of the material (that is, the manure resource
is not utilized).
There is no single alternative method for managing manure
numerous
options are needed, because there are many different situations and many
different preferences by piggery owners and managers. Click on each
manure management option on the left to learn more about that option.
There are several factors that must be considered before
deciding which option is the most appropriate for a specific situation.