Farms with biogas plants can and should replace mineral fertilizers with organic alternatives — expert
Any Ukrainian farm with access to livestock waste, or with a biogas plant on-site or nearby, can and should replace mineral fertilisers with organic alternatives, according to Anatolii Sichkar, Head of Organic Fertilizer Production at MHP.
“Yes, Ukraine has fewer livestock farms and biogas plants than the EU, but we have a key advantage — grain used for feed production. Instead of exporting grain as a raw commodity, the country has the potential to build a closed-loop system around biogas plants, where digestate production and application contribute to the sustainable use and preservation of Ukraine’s fertile black soils,” he said.
According to Sichkar, demand for digestate in Ukraine has consistently exceeded supply, while the area treated with digestate continues to expand every year. MHP does not disclose its current annual production and sales volumes, although last year the company reported producing 350,000 tons of liquid digestate and 90,000 tons of solid digestate.
He noted that the company’s products enjoy genuine commercial demand. Currently, MHP sells 30–40% of its solid digestate output and around 60% of its liquid digestate production to other agricultural businesses.
“The value of liquid organic digestate, based on its nutrient content and benchmarked against equivalent mineral fertiliser nutrients, is approximately €35 per ton. However, farmers today are primarily seeking alternatives to nitrogen fertilisers and are therefore willing to pay only for the nitrogen component contained in organic fertilisers,” Sichkar explained.
He added that the biggest constraint on further market growth is the technology required for transporting and applying digestate. Compared with mineral fertilisers, digestate application is significantly more complex and costly, requiring specialised equipment and trained personnel.
MHP provides a full-service solution, handling all aspects of logistics and field application of liquid organic digestate. For farmers, the price of digestate already includes a complete turnkey package, including transportation and application services.
