Constructing a biogas plant in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre. (Photo: nongnghiep.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – By February 2018, nearly 52,000small, 23 medium and two large biogas plants had been built across Vietnam tohelp reduce rural waste from livestock production under an 84-million-USD agriculturalproject.
The Low Carbon Agricultural Support Project (LCASP) hasbeen carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in tenprovinces – Lao Cai, Son La, Phu Tho, Bac Giang, Nam Dinh, Ha Tinh, Binh Dinh,Tien Giang, Ben Tre and Soc Trang – since June 2013.
The projectaims to encourage farmers to process livestock waste, which has seriousconsequences for health and the environment, into biogas and slurry. It alsolooks to raise awareness aboutenvironmentally-safe, climate-friendly waste management practices using communepilot demonstrations, training courses, study tours, radio and televisionprogrammes and other information.
It is expected to lower energy costs, raise organicfertiliser use and boost household incomes, contributing to sustainableagricultural development and new-style rural area building.
The LCASP received 74 million USD in soft loans from theAsian Development Bank and 10 million USD from the Government and State-ownedfinancial firms.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Vietnam is home to about 12 million households raising livestockand 23,500 livestock farms which dump an estimated 84.5 million tonnes of wasteannually. Only 20 percent of the waste is converted into biogas and fertiliseror used for aquaculture. The remainder is discharged into the environmentwithout treatment, causing serious pollution.-VNA
VNA
