Animal manure can replace 518,766 barrels of LPG

ANIMAL wastes such as cow dung, poultry and pig manure are a valuable source of nutrients and renewable energy but in Guyana, most of the waste is left to decompose in the open which pose a significant environmental hazard.

By using an anaerobic digester, farm manure can be converted to biogas which can be a source of energy. Biogas refers to the mixture of different gases by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen.

The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI)’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Oudho Homenauth along with Dr. Clairmont Clementson recently conducted an investigation of Bioenergy utilisation in Guyana, including environmental and economic impacts.

The report has found that on an average, one animal can produce 23,200 British thermal unit per day, and according to the Bureau of Statistic 2006 report, there are approximately 220,000 to 250,000 heads of cattle being reared in Guyana.
As such, Guyana has the capacity to replace 518,766 barrels of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) annually from animal manure. But while this would be significant for the country, there are mixed views on the use of manure to produce biogas.

There are assumptions by farmers that there would be a hygienic issue with using the gas from digested cow manure for cooking.
Additionally, an interview conducted with cattle farmers revealed that they utilise a semi-intensive and an extensive farming system, and as such there was no accumulation of cow manure to the extent that it became a solid waste issue since the animals are mostly free to roam in pastures.

It was noted that a few decades ago biogas digesters were common among livestock farms in Guyana, however, there has been a shift from this activity since it was labour intensive with the existing farm layout, the construction of the facility was expensive and the storage of the gas proved to be challenging.

For some time now, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) has been encouraging farmers to utilise their pen manure for alternative purposes. Bio-digestion is among the sustainable systems farmers are encouraged to adapt to manage waste.
However, farmers are not willing to adopt this technology because of the investment cost required for the installation of the digester and redesign of their farms to make it less labour intensive.

Local examples of bio-digester utilisation are at the Guyana School of Agriculture and the Flavour Shore Farmers’ Cooperative. Farmers can increase their profits if biogas production and utilisation can be incorporated into their operation.