#7 Smithfield Foods and Anuvia Plant Nutrients turn hog manure into sustainable fertilizer
In Virginia, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Anuvia Plant Nutrients partnered to create sustainable fertilizer from renewable biological materials collected from manure treatment systems at Smithfield’s hog farms. The project reuses organic matter found in hog manure to create a commercial-grade fertilizer that is higher in nutrient concentration than the original organic materials. Farmers are able to better manage nutrient ratios while using less fertilizer by applying precisely the amount they need for optimal plant growth. Because Anuvia’s products contain organic matter, nutrient release is more controlled, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and a smaller environmental footprint. Anuvia will utilize remnant solids that accumulate over time at the bottom of anaerobic lagoons, basins designed and certified to treat and store the manure on hog farms. Anuvia, which specializes in the transformation of organic materials into enhanced efficiency fertilizer products, will manufacture and sell these commercial-grade fertilizer products to farmers nationwide.