Poultry and biogas.

Poultry is a well established agribusiness,with investments in the various value chain. The waste component of the business has been a problem spot for farmers,as proper disposal is expensive and the health implication associated with improper disposal is of great concern to the farmers. The waste generated not only smells but also is a breeding area for flies which further increase spread of diseases. The problem of waste disposal is one that can be turned to a new source of income by channeling the waste to a digester to produce heat,electricity and fertilizer. Biogas uses anaerobic digestion to breakdown poultry litter to methane,carbon dioxide and other gases which can easily be transferred to light and energy.The gas is lighter than air ,will be pipped to the top of the tank to a biogas cooking stove or light. The advantages of the biogas plants are 1) Improved manure composition and less odor 2)Higher availability of nutrients thus higher crop yields 3)No acidification of the soil as digestate has a pH of 8. 4) Reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases. 5) Generation of renewable energy; green power. 6) Reduced overhead cost. Every kg of organic matter yields 0.5m3 of biogas. 1000kg of chicken litter yields 200m3 of biogas. 1m3 of biogas = 2.1 KW electricity and 2.5 KW heat. Lagos with poultry population of 5,467,915, has a great potential to generate electricity,heat and high grade fertilizer for crops. A chicken produces about 100gm of droppings daily, that means in a day the waste generated on poultry farms alone is 546,791,500gm which translates to 546,791.5kg. 1000kg of chicken litter =200m3 biogas. 546,791.5kg of chicken litter= 546,791.5 X200\1000 =109,358.3 m3 biogas is produced daily in the state. 1m3 of biogas = 2.1KW electricity, so daily 109,358.3 x2.1 = 229,652.43 KW of electricity is untapped . The poultry value chain can not only provide food,cloth accessories,jobs but it can also generate electricity that will power more farms,industries and homes . The biogas plant will also ensure a cleaner environment.Join the biogas project to change our #environment #economy #lives .