TECHNOLOGICAL METHODS IN REDUCING FARM SMELL

[Anchor Lead]

The stench of livestock is gripping farming villages these days amid the sweltering heat. A local government in Chungcheongnamdo Province is using drones and unmanned vehicles to respond to complaints about the smell. Take a look.

[Pkg]

​A livestock farm in Dangjin, Chungcheongnamdo Province. A drone is flying to monitor every nook and cranny of an animal shed, to which human access is restricted due to COVID-19. The drone is trying to identify areas that are giving off a bad smell. Once a suspected location emerges, an unmanned measurement vehicle immediately goes to the scene and gathers air samples at the site around-the-clock. With their smartphones, officials can even verify, in real time, measurements of substances such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.

[Soundbite] SEO JI-HYEON(DANGJIN CITY OFFICIAL) : "Drone surveillance of the sheds boosts efficiency in clampdowns while unmanned vehicles can be deployed during inconvenient hours for officials to travel like late evening and early morning."

Some 600 farms located in livestock clusters in the city of Dangjin have been caught by authorities in the past 3 years related to odor issues. Dangjin has warned of crackdown measures involving unmanned mobile devices. But the farms are also disgruntled.

[Soundbite] (LIVESTOCK FARMER) : "If we are allowed more space to feed the animals, there will be no stench."

To address the concerns, from this year, authorities will analyze components of the foul stench and provide consultations on operating livestock sheds. They will also support facility improvements worth 3.4 trillion won.

[Soundbite] IN TAE-HWAN(DANGJIN CITY OFFICIAL) : "A livestock environment management committee has provided individual consulting for 32 farms where oor problems have been causing concern."

It remains to be seen whether the use of drones and these support measures can resolve the odor concern that comes about every year.