Environmental assessment of livestock farms in the context of BAT system introduction in Russia

Abstract The article focuses on the environmental and economic assessment of animal/poultry manure utilisation technologies as the sources of the greatest negative impact on environment from agriculture. This procedure is especially topical in the context of current transition to BAT system in Russia. Russian BAT reference books on intensive rearing of pigs and intensive rearing of poultry came into force on June 1, 2018. At present, the large-scale livestock farms face the difficult task of selecting efficient technologies for manure utilisation with due account for their performance potential and the opportunities for end products use. To address the relevant practical issues, the criteria for the environmental and economic assessment of technologies were developed for selecting the rational technological solutions adjusted to the conditions of particular agricultural enterprises. Environmental assessment was based on the nitrogen saving coefficient. The developed approaches were applied to a dairy farm for 2600 head, a poultry factory for 1 million head and a full-cycle pig rearing complex for 16,500 head. The best suited technologies of animal/poultry manure utilisation were substantiated for these enterprises, which would allow achieving the reduction in environmental pollution by nutrients at the economically justified costs.