Agricultural Inputs Herald – State Council Document: For the first time, the resourceful utilization of livestock and poultry breeding waste has been elevated to an institutional framework.

In response to the “Opinions on Accelerating the Resource Utilization of Livestock and Poultry Breeding Waste” (hereinafter referred to as the “Opinions”) recently issued by the General Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Agriculture convened a press conference on the document. At the event, Vice Minister Yu Kangzhen stated: “We have previously discussed the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, but that mainly referred to related efforts. This is the first time it has been put forward as a formal institutional framework. Such a system is inherently binding and long‑term, and represents a fundamental measure for addressing the issue of resource utilization of waste from livestock and poultry farming.”

At the same time, the Opinions explicitly state that the resourceful utilization of livestock and poultry manure should prioritize agricultural organic fertilizers and rural energy. With the strong impetus provided by these Opinions, will the organic fertilizer industry once again accelerate its growth?

In fact, with regard to the resource‑based utilization of livestock and poultry manure, on August 11 last year, six ministries and commissions, including the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Finance, jointly issued the “Plan for Piloting the Resource‑Based Utilization of Agricultural Waste” (hereinafter referred to as the “Pilot Plan”).

In response to these “Opinions,” a reporter from the Agricultural Inputs Herald compared them with the “Pilot Program” and identified three areas of “upgrading”:

First and foremost, this set of Opinions for the first time elevates the resource‑based utilization of livestock and poultry manure to the level of a formal institutional framework. It also clearly defines the guiding principles, institutional structure, supporting policies, and safeguard measures for such resource‑based utilization. At the event, Vice Minister of Agriculture Yu Kangzhen stated that institutions are inherently binding and long‑term in nature, making them the fundamental solution to the challenge of turning livestock and poultry waste into valuable resources.

Secondly, the 2016 Pilot Program stipulated that pilot projects for the resourceful utilization of livestock and poultry manure would be carried out in only about 30 counties (county-level cities) nationwide. By contrast, this latest “Opinion” expands the scope of implementation to cover the entire country.

Furthermore, the 2016 Pilot Program aimed to achieve, by 2020, a coverage rate of approximately 80% for manure‑management facilities at large‑scale farms in pilot counties, with the goal of essentially realizing the resource‑based utilization of livestock and poultry manure. By contrast, this latest Policy Document significantly raises these targets, stipulating that by 2020, the equipment‑fitment rate for manure‑treatment facilities at large‑scale farms will reach over 95%, and that the target for large‑scale farms will be met one year ahead of schedule, at 100%. It also sets a national target of achieving an overall comprehensive utilization rate of livestock and poultry manure of at least 75%.