Research use of compost in poultry fars located in the northwest region of the state of Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

In 2023, Brazil will become the second largest chicken producer in the world. In addition to contributing to food security here and around the world, the sector moves a large economic chain. According to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association, the production chain involves around 4 million direct and indirect jobs. With around 500,000 people working in agro-industries and 100,000 families producing on farms, Brazil is consolidating itself as one of the main global producers of chicken meat, with projections of sustained growth for the next ten years. Brazilian poultry farming is a strong market, which has been expanding its production every year. However, alongside this increase in production, there is growing concern about the effects of intensive farming, in particular, the generation and disposal of waste. There are several types of destination for waste generated in rural areas, but environmental pollution must mainly be avoided by using this waste in the form of energy or fertilizers in the sector itself. The poultry farming sector produces as waste the carcasses of animals that died during the breeding process, which must be managed appropriately and, when well managed, allows the almost complete use of waste and carcasses within the conditions established on each property. As an alternative to carcasses, composting is considered if the aim is to convert the waste into something economically useful and the aim is to place it in a suitable environment for disposal in the environment, with the least possible impact. The research carried out a survey of the percentage of poultry farms that use the composting method to treat poultry carcasses, in breeding facilities in the western region of Paraná. 100 broiler chicken farms were surveyed and 83% of the farms use composting and 17 (17%) use roto accelerator to decompose the carcasses of dead birds. An important aspect for this 21st century animal production is to produce with minimized damage to the environment and, therefore, a correct and appropriate destination must be given to this waste produced.