Project Number: WVA00394
CRIS Number: 0175271
RURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ENVIRONMENTALLY ENHANCED POULTRY PRODUCTION
Investigators: Collins, A., Colyer, D., Fletcher, J.
Performing Department: Resource Management -- 8485
Start Date: 10/01/1997
Termination Date: 09/30/2002
Reporting period: 01/01/2001 to 12/31/2001
Progress Report:
The transport of litter from high density to low-density livestock production areas has been shown to be the least costly policy option to reduce nutrient overloads from land application. In West Virginia, the Governor's Office and the poultry industry have sponsored a one-year, $75,000 program to subsidize the transport of litter outside the Potomac Headwaters watershed. This program is being administered by the WV Department of Agriculture and Soil Conservation Agency. Research questions about transportation cost subsidy programs related to previous research include: Do subsidies increase the number of landowners who spread litter?; Do these subsidies increase the land area and/or the application rate by those landowners who already are or would land spread poultry litter regardless of the subsidy?; Does a subsidy increase the likelihood of over application of nutrients?; and Does the subsidy program increase the distance that litter is transported? To answer these questions, research objectives are to: (1) examine the impact of the poultry litter transportation cost subsidy program on land spreading behavior by landowners in West Virginia; and (2) empirically test the conclusions found by Innes (2000) for the poultry industry in West Virginia. A mail survey was developed by Alan Collins and Tom Basden from West Virginia University to gather data for these research objectives. This survey was to be sent to participants in the poultry transport program during 2001. However, West Virginia state officials were reluctant to release mailing list information of program participants until all subsidy funding had been spent. Thus, mailing list information for this survey will not be obtained until 2002 so that the survey will be completed then.
Publications: (No publications.)
Impact:
This research proposal will evaluate the cost effectiveness of a transport subsidy program as an approach to mitigating environmental impacts from land application of litter.