I think the lower figure is more valid, but the argument about how much is available should not be the issue. The question is whether poultry manure is a waste product without a current market use. And everybody with whom I ve spoken indicates that it is a product with an existing market. If the manure applicators are correct about the 1 million ton figure then a single Fibrowatt plant would put them almost completely out of business. If Fibrowatt is right then its plant would put only a significant proportion of the existing applicators out of business.
Manure is most valuable when it is returned to the soil.
Manure contains valuable organic materials and nutrients crucial to the health of soil and crops. Moreover, it nurtures soil fertility, increases water holding capacity, lessens wind and water erosion and encourages beneficial organisms. Maryland, a state with about the population of Minnesota, would be a good teacher. Intense poultry industry concentration on the Delmarva Peninsula, combined with a history of lax regulations regarding the land application of manure led to an outbreak of pfiesteria. The state responded with a multi-pronged approach.