Prof. Liang Chou Hsia

The circular pig farming: a possibility for the future

Accurate and circular pig farming not only reduces the cost of farms but also minimizes waste from pig farms. Ideal protein, balanced nutrition, and some feed additives are accurate farming; they can reduce waste. A circular pig farm can be divided into three stages. The first stage is to use primary waste from pig farms to transfer to fertilizer. A lot of new technology is still being developed which includes compost methods, ways to reduce compost time, and automation compost facilities. The second stage is how to use animal waste more efficiently. It includes the ways to use formulated compost for vegetable or fruit efficiency, to use and reduce compost by-products, CH₄, NH₃, CO₂, H₂S, and odor, to use CH₄ property to produce energy and electricity more efficiently. How to produce much purer CH₄ has become very important, e.g. how to increase the density of CH₄ and the methods to reduce H₂S and water in methane gas. The methods to use sludge, which is produced during anaerobic digestion, for vegetables. The last stage is how to reduce greenhouse gases during pig farming. There are several methods to reduce greenhouse gases. The ideal protein of feeds can reduce N₂O production. Low heat stress can reduce CO₂ production. Good management on animal production can reduce GHG, good breeding methods, and good health management (minimize diseases in pig herd). All the 3 stages + 1 management are key points in the circular pig farming system.