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Changes in Manure Management in the Hog Sector
Nigel Key, William D. McBride, and Marc Ribaudo*
Selected Paper at the Annual Meeting of the AAEA,
Orlando, Florida, July 27-29, 2008.
Abstract. In recent years, structural changes in the hog sector, including increasing farm size and
regional shifts in production, have altered manure management practices. Over the same period,
changes to the Clean Water Act, new state regulations, and increasing local conflicts over odor
have influenced manure management decisions. This study uses data from two national surveys
of hog farmers to examine how hog manure management practices vary with the scale of
production and how these practices evolved between 1998 and 2004. The findings provide
insights into the effects of structural changes and recent policies on manure management
technologies and practices, the use of nutrient management plans, and manure application rates.
Key words: hog production, manure management, structural change, environmental regulation
*Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The views expressed are those of the
authors and do not necessarily correspond to the views or policies of ERS, or the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. Direct correspondence to: Nigel Key, nkey@ers.usda.gov, (202) 694-5567.
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Changes in Manure Management in the Hog Sector
In recent years, economic competition has driven rapid changes in the hog industry: production
has shifted to fewer and larger operations that increasingly specialize in a single phase of hog
production and are organized under production contracts (Key and McBride, 2007). The
changing farm structure is altering manure practices, as larger operations develop ways to
manage nutrients on a relatively smaller cropland base. At the same time, recent changes to the
Clean Water Act, State regulations, and local conflicts over odor are influencing manure
management decisions.
This stud