| Energy
Where there’s muck there’s brass
The continuing decline of milk prices is of deep concern to all involved in the
dairy industry, and threatens the prospects for a UK industry which has already
halved to under 10,000 farms over the past decade. To remain afloat through
this rocky period, increasing numbers of dairy farmers are urgently seeking
alternative revenue streams to help sustain the commercial viability of their
businesses.
ecent coverage by the BBC
and Daily Telegraph has
highlighted how many are
turning to anaerobic digestion
(AD) to extract value from their
wastes and improve their
business resilience. Today there are almost 180
on-farm AD plants operating across the UK
and, with the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
seeking to encourage the generation of
renewable heat and biomethane to grid, AD
remains an ideal fit for farmers.
The technology offers much more than just a
source of round-the-clock renewable heat and
electricity: it can be integral to business
resilience. BBC Look North recently visited
Metcalfe Farms in Yorkshire to see how they are
taking advantage of AD to support their existing
operations. The farm’s owner, David Metcalfe,
recently commented that “we’ve reached the
crazy point where muck is worth more than
milk” – cost savings and revenue from AD are
insuring the farm against low milk prices and
ensuring a more sustainable financial and
environmental future.
In addition to extracting value from farm
wastes such as manures and slurries, AD helps
make break, catch and cover crops economic
for mixed farms and improves subsequent food
crop yields. Such crops also help tackle the
spread of blackgrass and nematodes, reducing
the use of increasingly ineffective pesticides.
A crucial by-product of the AD process is
valuable “digestate” which, if treated correctly,
acts as an odour-free fertiliser. A cheaper, more
environmentally friendly and nutrient rich
alternative to artificial fertilisers, digestate is an
R
increasingly important resource for modern
British agriculture. By mainta