Economic Benefits of Swine Manure: Regional Differences and Opportunities

Commercial fertilizer prices increased dramatically from 2020 to 2022 and remain at elevated levels compared to the last decade. Manure, a co-product of livestock and poultry production, is a substitute for commercial fertilizer. Its characteristics vary by species and production practices. Swine manure has a higher nutrient availability than cattle and poultry manures, making it attractive as a fertilizer. Opportunities for fertilizer and non-fertilizer use depend on local crop production and storage method. Hence, a regional analysis of business cases is warranted. Regions are adopted to conform to ongoing water quality initiatives. Using publicly available data from the United States Department of Agriculture’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, we evaluate three business cases for swine manure for each region. These include cost savings from use as fertilizer, sale as manure or manure products, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Operations with commercial swine production are most likely to benefit from cost savings through same-farm fertilizer use. Operations with smaller-scale production may benefit from local sale of manure for high value or organic crops. Anaerobic digestion can be cost effective at commercial scale or with subsidies.