China: Cow manure bank in China turns farm waste into tradeable asset.

Storyline Cow manure bank in China turns farm waste into tradeable asset At the foot of the Liupan Mountain in China's Xiji County, a bank that stores not money, but cow manure, is helping grow farmers crops and household earnings. Farmers bring in wet cow dung and can exchange it for organic fertilizer, which is produced during a 45-day fermentation and aging process. She Yanbing, farmer: "I exchanged cow dung for organic fertilizer, two tons of cow dung for one ton of organic fertilizer." The head of the manure bank claims they have a secret ingredient that aids in breaking down the cow dung, and that makes it smell nicer: peach peels. They collect peels from a nearby peach forest and add them to the mixture claiming they stabilize the dung's carbon-nitrogen ratio and remove its odor. Wang Hailong, head, Ningxia Yuanlong Modern Agricultural Service Co., Ltd.: "We collect the peach peels and mix them with the cow dung. It has the fragrance of peach wood to deodorize effectively." The "Cow Dung Bank" collects approximately 100,000 cubic meters of cow manure annually, producing about 30,000 tons of commercial organic fertilizer. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]