~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Second FAO Electronic Conference on Tropical Feeds
Livestock Feed Resources within Integrated Farming Systems
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Abstract of twenty first paper, from B.X. An.

Questions that might stimulate discussion on this topic
include:

1. What is the impact of the biodigester in your country on
the feeding systems (slurry used for fish production, for
aquatic plants production used as fodder...)?

2. What about feeding slurry to livestock?

3. Do you have figures on the impact of the biodigester on
human and animal health?

4. How do you see the role of biodigestors in recycling the
nutrients?

5. Do you have figures on the impact of the origin of manure
(cattle, pig...) on the compositions and yields of biogas and
slurry?

6. Do you have figures comparing the problems of weeds in
fields fertilized with slurry and fields fertilized with
manure?

7. How does plastic biodigestor compare with other types of
biodigestors you know?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE ROLE OF LOW-COST PLASTIC TUBE BIODIGESTERS IN INTEGRATED
FARMING SYSTEMS IN VIETNAM

Bui Xuan An

University Agriculture & Forestry, Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam
E-mail: an%bui%sarec%ifs.plants@ox.ac.uk

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABSTRACT

The introduction of polyethylene tube digesters on small farms
in Vietnam has made a good impact because of the low costs,
the simplicity of construction and operation, high rate of
benefit, positive effects on the environment and improvement
of women's lives in rural areas. The biodigesters have become
an important component of integrated farming systems in rural
areas.

The conclusions of this study point to the importance of
farmers' participation in technology feedback, and
farmer-to-farmer teaching. To ensure adequate farmer
motivation, the "demonstrators" should be "real" farmers in
areas where alternative fossil fuels and firewood are expensive.
Access to credit facilitates uptake by the poorest farmers.
Subsidies are not necessary. Close linkages between farmers,
extensionists and scientists are important for ensuring
effective follow-up of the technology and to correct problems. 

The low-cost plastic digester technology has still not been
fully developed and more studies are needed, especially in
regions with different natural and social conditions. Research
based on farmer participation is proposed as the model for
further activities.

KEY WORDS: biodigesters, farming systems, integration,
socio-economics, on-farm development

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAO ELECTRONIC CONFERENCE:
LIVESTOCK FEED RESOURCES WITHIN INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISCLAIMER: Neither the conference organizers nor FAO accept
any legal responsibility for either the contents of this
message or any copyright laws that the person sending this
electronic message may have violated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TO COMMENT: Unless you want to reply only to the person
sending this information, please send your comments to the
address: TFCONF2-L@MAILSERV.FAO.ORG
or TFCONF2-ABS-L@MAILSERV.FAO.ORG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~