Biogas

Pigs are a fine source of protein, but their waste creates a very bad smell. Living near a group of pigs can be a very unpleasant experience. But Heifer has introduced a solution: biogas from pig manure.

The process is not complex. Pig manure is collected and put into a sealed storage tank where fermentation occurs. The gas produced by fermentation is then piped into the houses of the villagers. The biogas itself is a natural gas very similar to the clean-burning LPG fuel which is used for cooking in homes throughout the world. The fermentation process has the added benefit of nearly eliminating the odor of the manure, making life more pleasant for people nearby.

Using biogas results in a number of quality of life improvements in addition to control of the manure smell. First, villagers using biogas have less need for wood fuel for cooking. Second, less demand for fuel wood results in a significant saving of labor: villagers don’t have to go to the forest to find firewood. This, in turn, reduces deforestation.

Because the pig waste is broken down by the fermentation process, the problem of pig manure contaminating nearby water supplies – and potentially causing illness or even death is also reduced.

When Heifer introduces biogas production to a household, they usually encourage the villagers to construct a cement floor for their pig sty. The cement floor makes collection of the pig waste much more efficient than a traditional dirt floor sty. In addition, the cement floor is easier to clean, further reducing odor problems and helping to reduce the incidence of parasites in pigs.

Heifer in Action

In the past, Nam Ru village, a Lahu community in Chiang Dao district, Chiang Mai province faced many problems trying to make a living by growing crops and raising livestock, including local land race pigs. They produced highland rice, corn, chili, garlic, and other seasonal vegetables, but not enough even for their own consumption.

Then Heifer biogas project was started with the support of the Canada Fund. Villagers began keeping their pigs in cement floored pens and putting the manure in biogas tanks. They very much appreciate the convenience of using the biogas as a cooking fuel in their homes as it reduces the need for collecting fuel wood from the surrounding forests. The Nam Ru villagers now use the time they used to spend gathering firewood to increase their agricultural production and help insure that all household have enough to eat throughout the year.