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The current situation of the management and disposal of livestock wastes in Italy

Abstract

Livestock production in Italy is mostly concentrated in the North, particularly in the Po Valley where intensive farms account for about 70% of total animal population. In the last decade there has not been a significant increase in the number of livestock produced, but there has been an increase in herd size, especially on pig farms. One consequence of this, is the overloading of fields with animal manure and increasing risks of pollution of drinking water due to leaching of nitrates and eutrophication of surface water caused by run-off of nutrients. In 1995, the environmental regulations of two of the most important Italian regions in terms of livestock production, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, were revised and approved. In the spring of 1996, with the consensus of all the Po Valley regions, the Po River Authority issued a directive, which establishes a number of common standards to which all these regions must adhere. These regulations substantially assimilate the EU Nitrate Directive. Among the various techniques for livestock slurry management, spreading after simple storage continues to be the best method and the easiest to implement. However, in the cases in which it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to find extra land for spreading, farmers must make use of slurry treatment techniques in order to reduce the nutrient load.

Authors


S. PICCININI

Country : France


G. BONAZZI

Country : France

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