UGOCHUKWU E.

AMANYEIWE 1
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ALAN O. IBALE
Tubular Poly-Ethylene Digester Project: A Cost Benefit Analysis
HS 422f: Cost Effectiveness
Professor Donald S. Shepard

Introduction

The negative environmental externalities brought by backyard hog production in the

Philippines remain largely unabated. The economic viability of hog production seemed to

undermine the long term effects of poor waste disposal. Hog production in backyard scale

remains one of the sources of income of small farmers in the Philippines. Backyard hog

growers supply about 80 percent of meat and feed requirement of the country. These small

producers stay in business due to relatively attractive prices of pigs and cheap cost of

family labor in maintaining the livestock business (Delgado & Narrod, 2002). Despite the

huge number of hog growers and their contribution to food supply, the Department of

Agriculture has only accounted 100 small to medium hog growers who are using biogas

digester by yearend 2005 (Department of Agriculture, 2005). As an economic inquiry to

the low rate of utilization of biogas digester as a method of maximizing small-scale hog

production and addressing the environmental externalities of backyard hog production, this

paper will discuss the cost and benefits of installing a biogas digester for small scale hog

growers in the Philippines.

The Tubular Polyethylene Digester

The Tubular Polyethylene Digester (TEPD) uses polyethylene tubes to convert hog manure

into methane gas that is used for cooking. Moog [Link]. (1997) reported that based on an

interview of 30 biogas digester users in the Philippines, they were able to save Pesos

160.00 per month on fuel. The capital they used in installing the biogas digesters were paid
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ALAN O. IBALE
Tubular Poly-Ethylene Digester Project: A Cost Benefit Analysis
HS 422f: Cost Effectiveness
Professor Donald S. Shepard

back within 11 months. The respondents added that if they maintain a minimum of 16 pigs,

the gas produced by the digesters will be sufficient to supply the daily requirement for

cooking thrice a day for a family of 5 members. The TPED model used by these small hog

growers are usually developed by the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Department of

Agriculture. This TEPD model usually generates 1m 3 of methane gas, is simple, easy to

manage and costs about 5,000 – 6,000 pesos (Department of Science & Technology,

2003). The other emerging TEPD model is designed by Engineer Gerardo Baron, it can

generate as much as of 5m3 methane gas. Baron’s model uses 1.5 mm high density

polyethylene tubes that makes hotter flame and is suitable for 50-sow hog farm. It costs

about 25,000 and can last for 10 years under proper care and maintenance (Department of

Science & Technology, 2003). This cost benefit analysis will focus on Baron’s model of

TEPD.

The Costs

The four cost categories will include: (1) Materials and equipment; (2) Skilled labor; (3)

Unskilled labor; and (4) Operation and maintenance. Materials will include polyethylene

tubular film, ceramic tubes, PVC adapters, PVC pipes, PVC elbows, PVC cement, PVC

“T” rubber washers and tying and support materials. Equipment will include single burner

stoves and accessories and installation equipment. Skilled labor will include the technical

expertise of Gerry Baron and a skilled mason in mounting and installing the digester.

Unskilled labor will include at least one worker who will assist the skilled mason in lay-

outing, digging and mounting of the digester. Operation and maintenance costs will
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ALAN O. IBALE
Tubular Poly-Ethylene Digester Project: A Cost Benefit Analysis
HS 422f: Cost Effectiveness
Professor Donald S. Shepard

include the daily input of 2-3 parts manure and one part water into the digester;

maintenance of shade to digester to shield it from sunlight that will exterminate the gas

producing bacteria; fencing of the digester to keep astray animals and unmindful by-

passers from damaging it and ensure that detergent and disinfectant chemicals do not

contaminate the water flowing into the digester (Bureau of Animal Industry, 2005; FAO

Animal Production and Health Papers, 1995). These costs are computed for a period of 10

years as presented by table 1:

The Benefits
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ALAN O. IBALE
Tubular Poly-Ethylene Digester Project: A Cost Benefit Analysis
HS 422f: Cost Effectiveness
Professor Donald S. Shepard

The four benefit categories will include: (1) Availability of fuel for cooking; (2)

Maximization of manure and (3) Savings in medical expenses. Engineer Baron computed

that a 1m3 capacity digester is equivalent to an 11 kg Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tank;

based on this calculation, the 5m capacity digester will give a corresponding benefit of 5

LPG tanks weighing 11 kg each per month. Maximization of manure will give a benefit

that will be monetized based on the prevailing price of organic fertilizer that cost about 500

pesos per 50 kg of manure as against the volume of manure that was used up in the

digester. Based on the Online Conversion website, 1 liter weighs 0.96 kg. Engineer Baron

computed that 1m3 capacity digester will need 5 liters of manure per day. This means that

5m3 capacity digester will need 25 liters of manure per day. Using this computation, 25

liters of manure will equivalently produce about 5 kg of manure per day and multiplying

this by 30 days will result into 150 kg of manure or 1,500 pesos per month. This is the

amount optimized by the hog raiser who is maintaining a 5m 3 capacity digester. Nano

(2003) a municipal water Engineer in Aurora province computed costs of medication

brought about by waterborne disease and pollution at 5,583 pesos that is accumulating

every year at a rate of 24% in a period of 10 years. These benefits are presented in table 2:
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ALAN O. IBALE
Tubular Poly-Ethylene Digester Project: A Cost Benefit Analysis
HS 422f: Cost Effectiveness
Professor Donald S. Shepard

Cost Benefit Analysis

The 50 sow capacity tubular polyethylene digester project showed a positive NPV, spread

throughout the period of 10 years discounted at a rate of 3%. It implies that the project is

viable economically. This result is presented by table 3:

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ALAN O. IBALE
Tubular Poly-Ethylene Digester Project: A Cost Benefit Analysis
HS 422f: Cost Effectiveness
Professor Donald S. Shepard

Sensitivity Analysis

With the assumption that potential medium scale hog growers’ purchasing capacity,

willingness to buy, buying preference and other factors remaining constant, the sensitivity

analysis for the project’s viability was computed based on 0%, 10% and 45% reduction in

total benefits. The computation yielded NPV results equal to +185,782; +140,730; and

-16,953 respectively.
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ALAN O. IBALE
Tubular Poly-Ethylene Digester Project: A Cost Benefit Analysis
HS 422f: Cost Effectiveness
Professor Donald S. Shepard

Table 3.1 showed that when total benefits are reduced by 10% the NPV remains positive

and makes the project still worthwhile. At 45% rate of benefit reduction the NPV becomes

negative and makes the project not viable economically. The computation for the 45% rate

of benefit reduction is presented by table 3.2:

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ALAN O. IBALE
Tubular Poly-Ethylene Digester Project: A Cost Benefit Analysis
HS 422f: Cost Effectiveness
Professor Donald S. Shepard

The point whereat benefits can be lowered to its minimum positive range is between 40%

and 41%. Below this range the project will become economically undesirable. This

intersection is shown by graph 1.0 Sensitivity Analysis shown below:

Graph 1.0 Sensitivity Analysis

200,000
180,000
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
NPV 80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
-
(20,000) 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
(40,000)
% reduction in benefits

The above sensitivity graph showed that at more or less at 41% reduction of benefits the

project becomes undesirable economically but the graph does not depict the buyers’

preference into account. To put the actual preference of 15 out of 100 randomly selected

hog growers that operate small to medium scale polyethylene digester, below is another

Sensitivity Analysis based on preferences in terms of sow-capacity:

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ALAN O. IBALE
Tubular Poly-Ethylene Digester Project: A Cost Benefit Analysis
HS 422f: Cost Effectiveness
Professor Donald S. Shepard

Table 4.0 Sensitivity Analysis on Preference

Capacity Preference
Scenario Level by Rate
Range n=16
I under capacity 1-33 sow 69%
II base case 34-66 sow 13%
III over capacity 67-100 sow 19%

Table 4.0 showed that out of 16 randomly selected small to medium scale hog growers,

69% prefer to operate methane digesters that need less than or equal to 33 sow; 19% prefer

to operate digesters that require more than 67 sow; and lastly, only 13% prefer to operate

digesters within the range closer to the 50-sow level. The preferential option which is less

than the 50-sow level capacity implies that for the 100 registered digester operators in the

Philippines majority are small hog raisers. This further implies that, even though the 50-

sow level digester is economically viable, it is simply an overcapacity digester for their

hog raising business. For expansionary purposes, the 50 sow-level digester will be very

useful.

Conclusion

The positive NPV of the polyethylene digester does not immediately suggest that it will

have market. The sensitivity analysis on actual preference showed that, at this point in

time, the largest market segment for potential digester operators will only require less than
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ALAN O. IBALE
Tubular Poly-Ethylene Digester Project: A Cost Benefit Analysis
HS 422f: Cost Effectiveness
Professor Donald S. Shepard

33-sow level capacity. However, in the near future, this 50-sow level polyethylene digester

will be useful as small hog growers scale up their operations.

References

Bureau of Animal Industry Philippine website Retrieved on 5 May 2007 @

[Link]

Delgado, Christoper L., Narrod, Clare A. (2002). Impact of Changing Market Forces and
Policies on Structural Change in the Livestock Industries of Selected Fast-Growing
Developing Countries Final Research Report of Phase I - Project on Livestock
Industrialization, Trade and Social-Health-Environment Impacts in Developing Countries,
Retrieved from FAO website on 5 May 2007 @
[Link]

Department of Agriculture Philippine website (2005)

Retrieved on 5 May 2007 @
[Link]

Department of Science and Technology Philippine website (2003)

Retrieved on 5 May 2007 @ [Link]
%[Link]

FAO (1995). Tropical animal feeding. A manual for research workers. Retrieved on 5 May
2007 @ [Link]

Moog, F.A., [Link]. (1997) Promotion and utilization of polyethylene biodigester in

smallhold farming systems in the Philippines. Livestock Research for Rural Development,
volume 9, Number 2, Retrieved on 5 May 2007 @
[Link]

Nano, Romano (2003). Financial Analysis Rural Water Supply Borlongan, Dipaculao,
Aurora Philippines, Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Project Phase II Project Document,
Municipality of Dipaculao, Philippines.

Online Conversion website (2006) Retrieved on 5 May 2007 @

[Link]