Manure To Resume Its Former Glory As Fertilizer In New Plan
The Ministry of Agriculture will encourage the use of manure and reduce chemical fertilizers to make its agricultural industry more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient, according to plans announced on Tuesday.
The government would like to see 75 percent of the livestock manure nationwide reused, and wants 95 percent of intensive livestock farms to be equipped with manure treatment facilities, Ye Zhenqin, spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, told a news conference.
About 40 percent of chemical fertilizers in China are used on fruit, vegetables and tea. The government plans to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by 50 percent in key producing areas by 2020, Ye said, adding that 100 counties will be chosen as demonstration zones for replacing fertilizer with manure.
