Environmental Trends 2002


Mitigation of Impact

How Can We Farm and Protect Water Quality?

Liquid Manure Storage Capacity in the Lower Fraser Valley

Liquid Manure Storage Capacity in the Lower Fraser Valley

SOURCE: State of Resources Report, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, 2002. Notes: Only farms that reported a gross return of greater than $25,000 in 1995 were used. Sample size for dairy is 144 farms and for hog it is 37 farms.

How can we farm and protect water quality?

  • Managing livestock manures in a responsible manner is a key to environmental sustainability on livestock farms. Manures, which can be stored during the non-cropping and/or rainy season, can be recycled to provide nutrients to crops during the growing season, thereby preventing escape into surface and groundwater.

  • Coastal farmers are restricted from applying manures in November, December and January. Farmers with 150 days manure storage capacity are able to meet this requirement and apply manure in a legal and responsible manner.

  • In 1998, roughly 40% of dairy and hog farms in the Lower Fraser Valley had greater than 150 days manure storage.

For detailed information, including graph data, see In-Depth report [pdf].

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