Manure management policies: A supportive tool for saving
the earth and improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers
Asaah Ndambi
ILRI Nairobi
Conference on Policies for Competitive Smallholder Livestock Production, Gaborone,
Botswana, 4-6 March 2015

Outline
1. Why manure management?
2. Our study on manure policies and enabling
environment
3. Summary

3
• 75 – 95% of the nutrient intake of production animals is excreted
via dung and urine
• If not managed properly manure will affect the quality
of the environment and our health.
• Conflicts arise from the nuisance of odors from livestock
operations especially closer to urban areas
• Proper management retains most of the nutrients
which can be used for crops
• Improved manure management increases cost competiveness
of smallholders
Why manure management?

emissions
Soil
Cycle principle
Animals
Crops
Manure
 outputs
inputs 
inputs 

Integrated Manure Management
TreatmentCollection Storage Application
StorageCollection Application
Collection Application
TreatmentCollection Application
always site specific

Outline
1. Why manure management?
2. Our study on manure policies and enabling
environment
3. Summary and the way forward

7
Three steps were applied in this analysis:
• Secondary data collection
Our approach
• Questionnaires to corresponding
partners from 14 countries + meeting
and exchange between these experts
• In depth field analyses in Ethiopia and Malawi
Objectives:
Review the state of manure management in Sub-Saharan Africa:
Describe and categorize manure management practices and
policies in various countries and to identify potential entry points
for improved manure management

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Manure management policies and
stakeholders involved
Ethiopia
Kenya
Malawi
Rwanda
Cameroon
Ghana
Nigeria
Senegal
Togo
Mali
Burkinafaso
Niger
Policy component Codes used
Is manure policy part of
other policy?
I = Independent
O = Other policy P P P I P P P P P P P P
At what level is MP defined
I = International
N = National/
regional I N I N N I N I N I N I N N I N I N N
Ministry involved in MP
definition
A = Agriculture,
V = Environment,
E = Energy,
H = Health A V E A V E H A A V H A V E H A E A V H A A A V H A V A V H
Stocking rate regulation
1 = Yes
2 = No 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1
Manure storage regulation
1 = Yes
2 = No 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Manure treatment
regulation
1 = Yes
2 = No 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 1
Anaerobic digestion
regulation
1 = Yes
2 = No 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1
Manure application
regulation
1 = Yes
2 = No 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Air pollution regulation
1 = Yes
2 = No 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Water pollution regulation
1 = Yes
2 = No 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Spatial planning of farms
1 = Yes
2 = No 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Zoonotic diseases
1 = Yes
2 = No 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 2
Country

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Availability of services enabling a suitable
environment for manure management
Ethiopia
Kenya
Malawi
Rwanda
Zambia
Cameroon
Ghana
Nigeria
Senegal
Togo
Mali
Burkinafaso
Subsidy by Government
S 3 3 3 S M ML 3 3 3 3 S ML 3
Subsidy by non-Government
3 S 3 S S S 3 3 3 3 S ML 3
Credit by Government
3 3 3 3 L 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Credit by non-Government
S S ML 3 3 S S 3 3 3 3 3 3
Guarantee for credit by
Government S 3 3 ML S 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Guarantee for credit by non-
Government 3 3 3 S L S M 3 3 3 3 3 3
Vocational training
3 S ML 3 S M S M S M S ML S ML 3 3 S ML S ML
Extension/advice by
Government S S ML 3 S M S ML S S ML S ML 3 S ML S ML S M
Extension/advice by non-
Government S S ML 3 S ML S ML S 3 S ML 3 S ML S ML S
S = Smallholder farmers
M = Medium scale farmers
L = Large scale farmers

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Manure management: in-depth survey in
Fiche, Ethiopia
25%
LARGEST
25%
SMALLEST
50%
MIDDLE
Fraction of farms using anaerobic digestion 5% 0% 25%
Fraction of the digestate used for on-farm crop fertilization 30% 10% 15%
Fraction of the digestate used for off-farm crop fertilization 25% 10% 15%
Fraction of farms storing urine 5% 2% 1%
Fraction of the urine storages with a waterproof floor and walls 2% 1% 1%
Fraction of the urine storages with a roof/cover 0% 0% 0%
Fraction of the stored urine used for on-farm crop fertilization 50% 25% 50%
Fraction of farms storing solid manure 95% 100% 98%
Fraction of the solid manure storages with a waterproof floor 0% 0% 0%
Fraction of the solid manure storages with a roof/cover 2% 1% 1%
Fraction of the stored solid manure used for on-farm crop fertilization 60% 50% 75%
Fraction of the stored solid manure used for off-farm crop fertilization 15% 0% 0%
Fraction of the stored solid manure used for non-agricultural purposes 25% 50% 25%
Fraction of farms using mechanized equipment for manure application 0% 0% 0%
Fraction of farms that have improved its manure management in the past 5 yrs 10% 5% 5%

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Most sub-Saharan African countries:
a) do not have a stand-alone manure management policy,
b) have shared responsibility for manure management with more
than one government ministry in charge
c) sometimes have non-coherent policies
d) take very limited action to promote good manure management
practices or to correct defaulters of related restrictions
Results summary
All farmers, regardless of size, are generally able to access
training and extension services from both government and non-
government agencies however, manure management was not a
strong component.
 The major challenge is lack of information by farmers on IMM

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Summary of in-depth analysis
(Ethiopia and Malawi)
Challenges identified Way forward (Phase 2)
1 Non-coherent policies e.g. Ethiopia
Ministry of energy vs agric.
extension
Meetings with all ministries involved
separately and together
2 Lack of knowledge by farmers Trainings for extension workers and
lead farmers, demonstrations
3 Insufficient (own) land for farmers
with many animals
Encouraging a business model
4 Non-functional biogas units Training of biogas technicians
5 Unavailable labor to meet increased
labor requirements
Need better knowledge on benefits
as an incentive, simple machines
6 Dependence on government Development of private sector,
involving NGOs, business model

Thank
you
Ke a
leboga
Photo: Oxfarm international
For more information contact:
A.Ndambi@cgiar.org