Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) issued the following response to the proposal on "Promoting the Resource Utilization of Livestock and Poultry Manure as Organic Fertilizer to Support the Development of Ecological Agriculture."
I. On the Scientific Planning of Organic Fertilizer Processing Plants to Expand the Utilization Rate of Livestock and Poultry Manure as Raw Material
In recent years, MARA has adhered to an approach combining government guidance, enterprise leadership, and market-oriented operations to promote the development of third-party service organizations for the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure. It has guided local governments to scientifically plan the construction and layout of organic fertilizer processing plants based on local conditions, strengthened centralized and professional treatment of livestock and poultry manure, and met the fertilizer needs of local and surrounding growers. In conjunction with relevant departments, MARA issued the Implementation Opinions on Deepening Public-Private Partnership in the Agricultural Sector, explicitly identifying the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure as one of the key areas. It encourages and guides social capital to actively participate in the investment, construction, and operation of public-private partnership projects in the agricultural sector, promoting the improvement of public service supply in agriculture and rural areas. In conjunction with relevant departments, MARA also issued the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Construction of Crop-Livestock Integration and Manure Utilization Nationwide, focusing on major livestock breeding counties and implementing county-wide advancement projects for the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure. It guides local governments to build third-party service organizations such as organic fertilizer processing plants according to local conditions, expanding the coverage and treatment capacity of livestock and poultry manure, and promoting the local and nearby return of livestock and poultry manure to fields.
Moving forward, MARA will work with relevant departments to continue intensifying its efforts, guide local governments to build organic fertilizer processing plants according to local conditions, promote the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, and advance the integrated development of crop farming and animal husbandry.
II. On Building a Crop-Livestock Circular System and Improving the Centralized Manure Treatment Network
In recent years, MARA, in conjunction with relevant departments, has focused on major livestock breeding counties and main grain and vegetable production areas to implement green crop-livestock circular agriculture pilot projects. Centered on establishing mechanisms, creating models, expanding markets, and facilitating circulation, it has integrated a batch of replicable and scalable green crop-livestock circular agriculture technical models, and explored a set of referable and operable organizational methods. It has actively built a livestock and poultry manure collection, storage, and transportation system featuring decentralized collection and centralized treatment, effectively promoting the local and nearby return of livestock and poultry manure to fields. On the basis of thorough research, demonstration, and extensive solicitation of opinions, MARA formulated the national standard Limits of Harmful Substances in Livestock and Poultry Manure Returned to Fields (GB 47500-2026), and revised and issued agricultural industry standards such as the Guidelines for Rational Fertilizer Use — Organic Fertilizer (NY/T 1868-2021) and Organic Fertilizer (NY/T 525-2021), providing standard support for composting, commercial organic fertilizer production, and safe application, as well as technical references for the precise connection between crop-livestock entities and the standardized development of organic fertilizer processing enterprises. In 2025, the comprehensive utilization rate of livestock and poultry manure nationwide reached 80.8%.
Moving forward, MARA will continue to guide social service organizations for manure return to fields to play their principal role, and promote local governments in building an ecological circular development model integrating crop-livestock services.
III. On Promoting Diversified Manure Resource Utilization Models According to Local Conditions
In recent years, MARA has attached great importance to the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure. It has established a technical guidance committee to coordinate industry experts and various stakeholders, strengthen top-level design and scientific research, and support universities, research institutes, and crop-livestock enterprises in conducting joint research on livestock and poultry manure treatment and manure utilization, continuously promoting innovation in key technologies and practical technology development. At the same time, it has formed mobile science and technology service stations to provide technical guidance services at the grassroots level, focusing on resolving bottlenecks and difficulties in technology application. In advancing this work, MARA has focused on three key links: source reduction, process treatment, and end-use, systematically analyzing factors such as climate conditions, resource endowments, types of livestock and poultry, scale of farming, and farmland quality levels in different regions. It has summarized and refined nine technical models including anaerobic fermentation, aerobic composting, crop-livestock integration, substrate production, and energy utilization, providing strong support for guiding local governments to determine promoted technologies according to local conditions and promoting diversified utilization pathways.
Moving forward, MARA will work with relevant departments to continue carrying out scientific research and technology promotion for the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, concentrate efforts on breaking through key technical bottlenecks, and support local governments in choosing green development models according to local conditions to promote the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure.
IV. On Formulating Unified Technical Specifications and Building a Complete Manure Industry Chain
In recent years, MARA, in conjunction with relevant departments, jointly issued the Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Standard System Construction for Resource Utilization of Livestock and Poultry Manure. Focusing on five aspects — general integration, harmless treatment, manure utilization, gas control, and testing methods — it formulated and revised a batch of national and industry standards, providing standard support for the treatment of livestock and poultry manure and the safe utilization of manure. On this basis, MARA actively promoted the implementation and application of standards, encouraged local governments to introduce social capital to participate in facility construction and operation, promoted effective connection between technical standards and related facilities and equipment, and focused on building a full-chain work system integrating the collection, treatment, and resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure. At the same time, it strengthened whole-process management of the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, formulated and issued the Notice on Strengthening the Management of Plans and Ledgers for Resource Utilization of Livestock and Poultry Manure, encouraged and guided livestock and poultry breeding entities to sign manure production and use contracts with growers, promoted order-based services and comprehensive nutrient management of livestock and poultry manure, and guided local governments to establish and improve traceability systems for livestock and poultry manure returned to fields, promoting the safe and effective utilization of livestock and poultry manure.
Moving forward, MARA will work with relevant departments to continue improving the standard system, guide social entities to participate in the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, cultivate and strengthen third-party social service organizations, and support the green development of agriculture.