October 21, 2019

 
US study shows swine farmers improving their environmental footprint

The National Pork Board reported last week that a new environmental study has found that swine farms are generating less manure nutrient content associated with odour.

Data gathered from more than 106,000 samples at 182 North Carolina farms show significant decrease in ammonia levels and manure nutrient content. The improvements are attributed to feed efficiency gains over the past 17 years.

"For an industry that is continually striving to become more sustainable, this study shows that pig farmers are making significant progress toward reducing the environmental impact of their farms," says Lowry Harper, president of Harper Consulting, who conducted the study from decades-long data.

The study, funded by the Pork Checkoff and conducted by Harper Consulting in consultation with Southern Utah University, found that sustained improvement has resulted in a continued decrease in nutrient content in manure lagoons at the farms. Specifically, data gathered from more than 106,000 samples at the 182 participating farms showed a reduction of 3-78% in the nutrient content from hog finishers in primary lagoons, and a reduction of 17-68% in primary lagoons for sow farms. The study also showed a reduction of 22-54% in ammonia levels.

The study also found that "advancements in swine production practices, changes in feed formulation, improved swine genetics, reduced nutrient excretion and other management changes have resulted in reduced nutrients in both primary and secondary lagoons."

While the study involved North Carolina farms, the findings can likely be replicated throughout the country as US swine farmers adopt better genetics, target nutrition and veterinary care.

"US pig farmers have a great story of sustainability to share, and this study validates it," says Jan Archer, a pig farmer from Goldsboro, N.C. "Farmers have always been good stewards of the environment, and we are proud of the continuous improvement and innovative practices on our farms. As a pig farmer in the second-largest pork-producing state in the country, I am proud of our record and believe these sustainability gains are being replicated by many of my fellow farmers in other states."

A research summary of the environmental study can be read at: https://www.pork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/18-205-HARPER-final-rpt.pdf