The State Council has set goals to establish a recycling system for poultry and livestock husbandry waste with scientific regulations and clear responsibility by 2020, to prevent further pollution in agricultural production and support sustainable agricultural development.

By 2020, 75 percent of livestock and poultry waste will be processed nationwide. Over 95 percent of small to medium-scale breeding farms will be equipped with waste treatment facilities, and all large-scale farms will be equipped with such facilities by 2019.

To achieve the target, related departments should strictly carry out the implementation of an environment appraisal system for livestock and poultry breeding, and specify appraisal items and requirements.

In addition, supervision on husbandry-generated pollution should be further strengthened through a unified management platform that can share information among authorities at all levels.

And a responsibility system should be established to enhance local management of waste recycling, with prefecture-level governments taking charge of farm waste recycling within their own administrative regions. The system will provide a coordinated plan on both husbandry products supply and waste management.

According to the circular, provincial governments should develop their waste recycling plans for husbandry waste before the end of 2017, providing details on annual major tasks and job lists. The plans should be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Related departments should make clear that the owner of every farm should fulfill their responsibilities in environmental protection by strictly following laws and regulations on preventing water, soil and husbandry pollution.

The circular also asked related departments to establish an appraisal system on recycling husbandry waste that focuses on waste treatment, reuse of organic fertilizers, and use of bio natural gas. The appraisal results will be included in the annual performance report of local government.

Related industries are urged to adopt recycling development plans for promoting a coordinated development of stock-breeding industries.

In addition, to further ensure the implementation of the measures, government at all levels are required to strengthen financial support, solve the issues of land and electricity use, speed up the transformation and upgrade of husbandry, and advance related sci-tech and equipment development.