Smart Farm Raises a "Power Station"

In the sweltering summer heat, a visit to Hubei Fengmeihe Ecological Animal Husbandry's modern pig farm in Yuqian Village, Dongfeng Community, Xin'andu Subdistrict, Dongxihu District, reveals a spotless facility with cutting-edge infrastructure capable of producing 50,000 pigs annually. "Every design detail of the farm showcases the power of technology," said the technical supervisor of Fengmeihe Ecological Animal Husbandry, pointing to the smart control panel inside the pigsty with pride. "In particular, the self-built biogas power plant covering an area of 30 acres deep within the farm transforms the once-troublesome pig manure into a valuable resource. It not only meets the farm's electricity needs but also generates surplus power that is fed into the national grid, yielding substantial annual profits."

The biogas power generation project on the farm commenced construction in March this year and was completed in May. During the trial run in June, it generated over 40,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, directly saving the farm more than 18,000 yuan in electricity costs. As the project gradually stabilizes, it is expected to increase its power generation to around 130,000 kilowatt-hours in July, further highlighting its cost-saving and efficiency-enhancing benefits.

Smart Farm Ensures High-Quality Pigs

To create a comfortable and safe growing environment for the pigs, Fengmeihe Ecological Animal Husbandry's modern pig farm implements closed management. A disinfection center is set up 200 meters outside the farm, moving the biosecurity checkpoint forward. The infrared thermometer and atomized disinfection channel at the farm gate form a rigorous defense line, effectively keeping disease risks at bay.

Through the smart control panel inside the farm, one can see that the 11 fully enclosed standardized pigsties exude a strong sense of technology. Each pigsty is divided into four independent units. The automatic feeding system precisely formulates feed according to the different growth stages of the pigs, while the electronic screens display real-time data on the pigs' food intake and growth. The intelligent environmental control system constantly monitors and adjusts the environment inside the pigsties, maintaining a constant temperature that is most comfortable for pigs at different growth stages. Air sensors monitor ammonia levels 24/7, automatically triggering a negative pressure ventilation system if levels exceed the threshold. The extracted air is first filtered through a 1.5-meter-thick "odor removal wall" and then washed through a circulating water curtain, ensuring that the final air emitted is fresh and odorless.

Technology also plays a crucial role in proactive health management for the pigs. The AI patrol and early warning system introduced by the farm acts like a "personal doctor" for the pig herd. It uses sound recognition technology to continuously monitor frequency changes and automatically sends early warning messages to staff's mobile phones if any abnormalities are detected.

"The effectiveness of such refined management is evident," smiled Luan Zhifeng, the head of Fengmeihe Ecological Animal Husbandry. Through the farm's smart Internet of Things (IoT) and AI technology, staff can monitor the pigs' daily water intake, food consumption, and growth status anytime via their mobile phones. "In traditional pig farming, one person can barely manage 500 pigs, but now, in this smart farm, one person can handle 3,000 pigs," he added.

Biogas Power Plant Turns Waste into Wealth and Adds Profits

Previously, the farm faced the challenge of dealing with nearly 250 tons of farming waste daily. However, with the biogas power generation project coming into operation last month, the once-discarded "waste" has been transformed into a new source of revenue for the farm. "The farm produces 5,000 cubic meters of biogas from pig manure every day. After purification, it enters the generator sets, with 1 cubic meter of biogas converting into 1.5-1.8 kilowatt-hours of electricity. It is estimated that the annual power generation will reach nearly 2.1 million kilowatt-hours," Luan explained. The biogas power generation alone can save the farm over one million yuan in electricity costs, and the surplus power fed into the national grid also brings substantial profits.

According to reports, the slotted floors laid underground in the farm's pigsties and the 1.5-meter-high elevated layer allow pig excrement to be automatically collected into the storage system without manual cleaning. When the manure accumulates to a set thickness, the intelligent gate automatically opens, and the manure flows through enclosed pipes into the anaerobic fermentation tank, ensuring a zero-contact and zero-pollution process that is clean and hygienic.

The biogas slurry and sludge produced by fermentation are highly sought after in the village's green circular economy. The farm plans to build and improve an organic fertilizer processing workshop to produce granular organic fertilizer by dehydrating and composting the biogas sludge. The biogas slurry will be transported through dedicated pipes to surrounding farmland, forming a closed-loop system of "farming waste - biogas power generation - organic fertilizer return to fields."

Comprehensive recycling of pig manure not only maximizes economic value but also addresses pollution issues. The biogas slurry and sludge can also drive the良性 (virtuous) development of the planting, farming, and fertilizer processing industries, injecting more green and ecological momentum into rural industrial revitalization.