At the Second Session of the 14th National People's Congress, Representative Zhang Li's proposal on continuously promoting the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure to ensure food security at a higher level (No. 7075) has been received. After consulting with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Finance, the following reply is given:

I. On increasing policy guidance and support

Since 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has conscientiously implemented the requirements of the "Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Accelerating the Resource Utilization of Livestock and Poultry Breeding Wastes", and jointly issued the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Construction of the Integration of Livestock and Poultry Manure Utilization and Breeding" and the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Construction of Comprehensive Management of Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution in Key River Basins" with the National Development and Reform Commission. The county-wide implementation of the livestock and poultry manure resource utilization promotion project and the key basin agricultural non-point source pollution comprehensive prevention and control project supports and guides breeding entities to build and improve manure treatment and manure return facilities and equipment, improve manure treatment and utilization capabilities, guide social capital to build third-party manure treatment institutions according to local conditions, cultivate and expand manure return social service organizations, and smooth the channels for manure return.

In the next step, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will actively communicate with relevant departments, continue to increase its efforts, and solidly promote the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, and accelerate the construction of a new pattern of agricultural and animal husbandry circular development combining planting and breeding.

2. On promoting the research and development of technology and equipment for the utilization of livestock and poultry manure as fertilizer

In recent years, the country has continued to carry out research on technology and equipment for the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure. During the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan", through the key project of the National Key R&D Program "Integrated Prevention and Restoration Technology for Agricultural Non-point Source and Heavy Metal Polluted Farmland", the "Anaerobic Fermentation and Resource Utilization of Agricultural Waste Complete Technology and Equipment Research and Development", "Intensive Breeding Manure Pollution Comprehensive Prevention and Control Technology and Equipment Research and Development", "Huanghuaihai Intensive Breeding Non-point Source and Heavy Metal Pollution Prevention and Control Technology Demonstration" and other projects were implemented, and a complete set of technology and intelligent equipment engineering for anaerobic digestion of agricultural organic waste-sludge fertilizer-resource utilization was established; an intelligent control system and key technical equipment for the collection, storage and transportation of intensive breeding manure were developed; and the integrated promotion of technologies and equipment such as aerobic fermentation and anaerobic digestion pollution control of livestock and poultry manure was carried out in the Huanghuaihai region. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, the country has continued to strengthen the research and development of livestock and poultry manure fertilizer utilization, and deployed research tasks such as resource utilization and transformation of agricultural waste such as livestock and poultry manure, efficient nutrient utilization and environmental emission reduction in agricultural and animal husbandry recycling systems, and research and development of technical products and equipment for efficient recycling of livestock and poultry manure in key projects related to the National Key R&D Program, to provide scientific and technological support for the construction of a regional adaptability evaluation system for livestock and poultry manure treatment technology and equipment, the development of livestock and poultry manure treatment technology and equipment suitable for livestock and poultry farms of different sizes, and the creation of a technical system for efficient treatment and safe return of liquid manure to the field.

In the next step, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will orderly promote the research and development of facilities and equipment and technical models for the utilization of livestock and poultry manure fertilizer in accordance with the deployment and arrangements of the National Key R&D Program, and provide scientific and technological support for the high-quality development of animal husbandry and the improvement of organic matter in cultivated land.

3. On the continuous implementation of the whole-county promotion and green planting and breeding circular agriculture pilot projects

Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, has continuously promoted the implementation of the whole-county promotion project for the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure and the comprehensive prevention and control project of agricultural non-point source pollution in key river basins, and jointly with the Ministry of Finance to promote the implementation of the green planting and breeding circular agriculture pilot. From the three levels of building livestock and poultry manure treatment facilities, supporting manure and fertilizer return to the field utilization equipment, and cultivating third-party livestock and poultry manure treatment and utilization social service organizations, it has strengthened policy and financial support, guided agricultural organic fertilizers to be returned to the field at low cost and high efficiency, and livestock and poultry manure has been effectively applied in the planting of cash crops and some field crops, accumulating experience for the large-scale promotion and application of livestock and poultry manure in field crops. In 2019, it jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Return of Livestock and Poultry Manure to the Field and Strengthening the Control of Aquaculture Pollution in accordance with the Law" with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, guiding local governments and encouraging social service entities to learn from advanced experience and practices, adopt the beneficiary pays method, explore market-oriented operation mechanisms, increase the benefits of livestock and poultry manure resource utilization, and promote the healthy development of social service entities. In 2021, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment jointly issued the "Notice on Strengthening the Management of Livestock and Poultry Manure Resource Utilization Plans and Ledgers", and guided livestock and poultry farms (households) to establish manure resource utilization plan ledgers, strengthen daily management, and gradually improve the management system from the perspectives of being practical, easy to operate, and effective. In 2023, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Construction of a Standard System for the Resource Utilization of Livestock and Poultry Manure", and improved the construction of a standard system for the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure from the whole chain of harmless treatment of livestock and poultry manure, manure return to the field, harmful gas control, monitoring and detection methods, etc., to give full play to the basic and leading role of standards, and accelerate the transformation of livestock and poultry manure from "treatment" to "use".

In the next step, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will continue to increase its efforts, coordinate the implementation of funds for projects such as the whole-county promotion project and the green breeding and recycling agriculture pilot, accelerate the formation of a joint force for the return of livestock and poultry manure to the field, and promote the effective use of livestock and poultry manure.

IV. On improving the evaluation system for the application of organic fertilizers and increasing training and publicity efforts

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has formulated and revised a series of national or industry standards around the scientific application and evaluation of organic fertilizers and farmyard manure, fully promoted the scientific evaluation and certification of organic fertilizers, and continued to evaluate the effect of organic fertilizer application on soil improvement and crop quality improvement. In terms of organic fertilizers, the revised and issued industry standards such as "Organic Fertilizers" (NY/T 525-2021) and "Guidelines for the Rational Use of Fertilizers - Organic Fertilizers" (NY/T 1868-2021) guide the production, sales, registration and quality supervision and inspection of organic fertilizers, and provide support for improving the quality evaluation and certification system of organic fertilizers and the safe and standardized application of organic fertilizers. In terms of farmyard manure, the "Technical Specifications for Returning Livestock and Poultry Manure to Fields" (GB/T 25246-2010) and "Technical Specifications for Composting Livestock and Poultry Manure" (NY/T 3442-2019) and other national or industry standards have been formulated and issued to further standardize the treatment of livestock and poultry manure and accelerate the effective treatment of livestock and poultry manure and return it to the field for use locally. Every year, we organize a national training course on the resource utilization of livestock and poultry waste, regularly train provincial staff engaged in the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, and require further strengthening of business training at all levels of local governments, guide grassroots organizations to implement relevant support policies, improve the understanding of the role of livestock and poultry manure in soil improvement, soil fertility and crop quality, and enhance the ability and level of promoting the use of livestock and poultry manure in the field.

In the next step, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will adhere to the development direction of combining farming and breeding, promote the improvement of livestock and poultry manure evaluation and certification requirements, increase the publicity and promotion of technology and standards, guide local governments to apply livestock and poultry manure scientifically, and provide strong support for the high-quality development of animal husbandry and national food security.

Thank you for your concern for the work of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and hope to continue to support the "three rural" work.