Nutrient Management Plans Written for Poultry Producers

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A truck using a spreader in a field.Commercial poultry is the largest sector of the agriculture industry in North Carolina (and also in Cleveland County, where it generates $174 million in sales each year). An important aspect of commercial poultry production is managing the litter (a byproduct mixture of bedding and manure) that accumulates in poultry houses. In North Carolina, poultry litter can be spread on land as a source of fertilizer, but there are restrictions on where and when it can be applied. The goal is to prevent pollution and protect water quality.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality requires all commercial poultry growers to manage their litter according to a farm-specific nutrient management plan that specifies what crops are to be grown to receive the waste, the appropriate waste application rates for those crops, and plans for storing waste or transporting it to other farms. Typically, a plan is written when a farm is built or when it changes owners. In 2024 in western NC, eleven farms were built or changed ownership that required new or updated nutrient management plans.

In 2024, the western NC Area Specialized Poultry Agent Lauren Greene developed nutrient management plans for those eleven (11) commercial poultry farms. These farms produced a total of 10,700 tons of dry poultry litter. Their customized nutrient management plans detailed the agronomic use of the tons of litter produced, outlined record keeping requirements, and provided best management practices for handling dry poultry litter.

Of those 10,700 tons of litter, producers were permitted to use 288 tons of waste to  fertilize waste on their own fields. The other approximately 10,400 tons were utilized by third party applicators and applied on other farms.

Private firms charge an average of $1,500 per nutrient management plan, whereas NC State Extension can write a plan at no cost to the producer. Using this average, the producers in western NC saved a collective $16,500 by having their nutrient management plans written by the extension agent.