Poultry Manure Poultry farmers in Holland face challenges similar to their North American counterparts in dealing with manure from concentrated operations where there is insufficient cropland for application. This creates a need for exporting manure from the producing farm to users in other places. Poultry operations in Holland differ from most North American poultry farms in that most are not vertically integrated.
Most farmers are independent producers who contract for feed, pullets, and other inputs.
Most contracts are renewed every three months so it keeps strong competition working for the purchases that producers need. Because of this structure, farmers are actively involved in directing the industry and in seeking solutions to their manure management problems. A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program helped to cover the trip costs. The Center for Applied Poultry Research is studying ways to reduce ammonia emissions from poultry houses as well as seeking solutions to other issues in the poultry industry. The Center is funded 50 percent by tax dollars and 50 percent by direct assessments on producers.