By: Jason Yan, U.S. Grains Council Technical Program Director in China

Swine production in China is both growing and rapidly consolidating into large operations. The U.S. Grains Council supports the continued expansion of large swine operations in China because growth of a modern livestock sector in China will not only improve efficiency and food safety, but also increase feed grain utilization as many smaller operations use substandard feeds.

These large swine operations, however, are more challenging to manage than smaller operations. An especially challenging concern is that, as operations increase in size, manure management becomes a critical obstacle. An environmental census carried out in 2007 and published in 2010 indicated that China’s water pollution was more than twice the level previously estimated. The increase was attributed largely to agricultural runoff that was not included in previous estimates, with the majority of the agricultural runoff attributed to livestock waste. These conclusions prompted more restrictive policies regarding manure management, particularly for large swine operations. In order for large operations to continue to expand, they must adopt comprehensive manure management practices to minimize nutrient runoff.

In 2012, the Council initiated an ongoing program to help swine producers identify and adopt appropriate technologies to meet these requirements. (This program was also soon expanded to include the dairy industry). As part of this program, the Council sponsored two consultants to travel to China in April. The consultants presented at a regional seminar for large swine producers and environmental officials where the consultants introducing participants to U.S. hog manure handling systems. This educational seminar as well as visits to three large swine production facilities allowed the Council to evaluate Chinese swine producers’ current manure handling technology and provide innovative concepts to manage treated liquid manure.

The Council’s swine and dairy programs in China will continue to focus on improving manure management and treatment practices to mitigate the environmental consequences of production. These programs will also continue assisting Chinese livestock producers prevent and manage disease outbreaks.