6T/H Straw Animal Manure Powder and Granular Organic Fertilizer Production Line in Ukraine

Project Genesis and the Ukrainian Context

The Post-War Agricultural Imperative: Self-Sufficiency and Sustainability

Ukraine, long known as the "breadbasket of Europe," possesses some of the world's most fertile chernozem (black soil). The agricultural sector is a cornerstone of the national economy, with vast production of grains like wheat and corn, alongside significant livestock farming. However, the ongoing conflict has severely disrupted supply chains, leading to skyrocketing costs and limited availability of imported synthetic fertilizers. This has created an urgent need for locally produced, sustainable alternatives to ensure food security and maintain agricultural productivity.

Furthermore, the cultivation of millions of hectares of grain generates enormous quantities of straw, which is often burned in the fields, contributing to air pollution. Simultaneously, livestock operations produce substantial manure, which, if not managed properly, can lead to nutrient runoff and water contamination.

The Client's Vision: From Vulnerability to Resilience

Our client, a vertically integrated agro-holding in central Ukraine, manages over 10,000 hectares of cropland and several large dairy and poultry operations. Facing the twin pressures of waste management and soaring input costs, they envisioned a project that would close the nutrient loop on their own land. Their goal was to build a facility that could efficiently process their straw and manure into a standardized, easy-to-apply organic fertilizer, reducing their reliance on volatile international markets and improving the long-term health of their cherished chernozem soils.

They required a robust, flexible solution that could produce both powdered fertilizer for direct soil incorporation and granular fertilizer for precision application, all within a manageable capital budget.

The RICHI Machinery Partnership: Engineering Resilience

RICHI Machinery was selected after a competitive bidding process. The decision was based on:

• Dual-Line Expertise: RICHI's proven ability to design integrated systems for both powder and granule production from the same base materials.
• Adaptability to Local Conditions: The proposed technology was well-suited to the specific characteristics of Ukrainian straw and manure, and designed to operate effectively in the local climate.
• Cost-Effective Scalability: The organic fertilizer production project solution offered a perfect entry-level capacity of 15,000 TPY with a clear path for future expansion, aligning with the client's budget and phased investment strategy.
• Comprehensive Support: From initial plant layout to operator training and spare parts supply, RICHI provided a true turnkey package.

The straw animal manure powder and granular organic fertilizer production line in Ukraine project commenced in late 2024 and was fully operational by mid-2025, becoming a beacon of agricultural resilience in the region.

Project Overview and Key Metrics

The straw animal manure powder and granular organic fertilizer production line in Ukraine was constructed on a site owned by the client, strategically located to minimize transport distances for both raw materials (from their fields and farms) and finished products (to their storage and distribution centers).

In-Depth Analysis of Raw Materials

The economic and operational success of this straw animal manure powder and granular organic fertilizer production line in Ukraine is fundamentally linked to the strategic utilization of locally abundant and low-cost raw materials.

Raw Material Sourcing and Characteristics

• Cereal Straw (7,500 TPY): Sourced primarily from the client's own wheat and corn harvests. This straw is a crucial carbon source. Its fibrous structure is essential for creating porosity in the compost windrow, facilitating the aerobic conditions necessary for efficient and odor-free decomposition. It also acts as a bulking agent to absorb excess moisture from the manure.
• Animal Manure (8,400 TPY): A blend of cattle, pig, and poultry manure sourced from the client's livestock operations. This mixture provides a rich and balanced source of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and a diverse consortium of beneficial microorganisms. The varying moisture content (30-50%) is managed through the recipe and mixing process.
• Sunflower Meal (1,853 TPY): A locally abundant by-product from Ukraine's massive sunflower oil industry. This material is a superb source of organic matter and additional nutrients, serving as an excellent alternative to the originally considered soybean meal.

The RICHI-Designed Composting Recipe

Effective composting is a biochemical art. RICHI's agronomists developed a precise formulation to optimize the process:

1. Carbon-to-Nitrogen (C/N) Balance: The manure is nitrogen-rich (low C/N), while the straw is carbon-rich (high C/N). Blending them at a calculated ratio, along with the sunflower meal, achieves the ideal C/N range of 25:1 to 30:1. This balance maximizes microbial activity, speeds up decomposition, and minimizes the loss of nitrogen as ammonia gas.
2. Moisture and Structure Management: The target moisture for active composting is 50-60%. The combination of wet manure and dry straw, with supplemental water from recycled process wastewater, typically achieves this ideal range. The chopped straw ensures the pile remains fluffy and well-aerated.

RICHI's Custom-Engineered Process and Technology

The production process, engineered by RICHI, is a masterclass in efficiency and flexibility, designed to handle the specific characteristics of Ukrainian agricultural waste. The system seamlessly integrates two product lines from a shared initial processing stage.

Stage 1: Raw Material Pre-processing

Incoming straw bales are fed into a RICHI Straw Crusher. This heavy-duty crusher machine reduces the long, fibrous straw into uniform pieces of 2-5 cm, creating an ideal bulking agent for composting. This process generates dust, which is immediately captured by an integrated hood and ducted to a RICHI Baghouse Dust Collector. The cleaned air is discharged through a 15-meter stack. The crushed straw is then conveyed to the mixing area.

Stage 2: Mixing and Aerobic Fermentation

This is the core of the organic transformation process. The crushed straw, various manures, sunflower meal, and microbial inoculant are blended in a RICHI Fertilizer Mixer Machine to create a homogeneous mixture. This blend is then formed into long, trapezoidal windrows inside the dedicated fermentation hall.

• Aerobic Fermentation: A RICHI Wheeled Turner travels along the windrows, periodically turning the material. This crucial action introduces oxygen, homogenizes the pile, breaks up clumps, and helps regulate temperature. The metabolic activity of microbes rapidly raises the pile's temperature to 60-75°C.
• Pathogen Elimination: This thermophilic phase is maintained for over 8 days, ensuring the complete destruction of pathogens, weed seeds, and fly larvae, resulting in a sanitized and stable product.
• Odor Control: The entire fermentation hall is maintained under negative pressure. The air laden with ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and other odorous compounds is extracted and treated by a central RICHI Biological Odor Scrubber. In this system, microbes consume and break down the odor molecules before the treated air is released via a 15m stack .

Stage 3: Curing and Maturation

The hot, pre-composted material is then transferred to the adjacent curing hall for a secondary maturation phase lasting 10-15 days. This slower, mesophilic phase allows for the further stabilization of organic matter and the development of beneficial humic compounds, resulting in a fully mature and high-value compost.

The Powdered Fertilizer Line (8,000 TPY)

The cured compost is passed through a RICHI Rotary Screen to remove any oversized particles. These are sent to a RICHI Vertical Crusher and recycled. The screened, fine material is the base for the powdered fertilizer. It is directly conveyed to the RICHI Automatic Packaging Machines and filled into 20-50kg bags for storage and sale.

The Granular Fertilizer Line (7,000 TPY)

For the granular product, the screened compost base is fed into the granulation circuit.

• Granulation: The fine powder is fed into a RICHI Granulation Unit. Here, the material is agitated and compressed, forming dense, spherical granules. A light water mist can be added to assist binding.
• Polishing and Sizing: The irregular "green" granules are passed through a RICHI Polishing Machine to smooth their surface. They are then sized by a RICHI Rotary Screen. On-spec granules (3-4.5mm) proceed; undersized material is recycled to the granulator, and oversized material is crushed and recycled.
• Drying and Cooling: The soft granules are hardened in a RICHI Rotary Dryer (electric), reducing moisture to a stable 5%. They are then cooled in a RICHI Counter-flow Cooler to prevent caking during storage. The exhaust from the dryer and cooler, which contains fine dust, is captured and treated by a dedicated RICHI Baghouse Dust Collector.
• Coating and Packaging: The cooled granules can be passed through a RICHI Coating Machine to apply a protective layer of beneficial microbes. Finally, the finished granular fertilizer is packaged by automatic weighing and bagging machines.

Detailed Equipment List by RICHI Machinery

Environmental and Economic Impact

Environmental Stewardship

• Waste Valorization: Diverts over 19,000 tons of agricultural waste annually from harmful practices like open-field burning and uncontrolled manure decomposition.
• Climate Mitigation: The controlled aerobic composting process drastically reduces methane emissions compared to anaerobic manure lagoons.
• Soil Health Revolution: The final products are key to rebuilding the organic matter in Ukraine's chernozem soils, which have been depleted by decades of intensive chemical farming, ensuring long-term productivity and carbon sequestration.

Economic Viability

With a total investment of $350,000 and an estimated average selling price of $150/ton, the project achieves a gross annual revenue potential of $2.25 million. After accounting for operational costs (labor, utilities, maintenance, and packaging), the projected payback period is an attractive under 2 years. This model transforms a waste disposal cost center into a significant profit center while providing the parent company with a low-cost, high-quality soil amendment that insulates them from synthetic fertilizer price volatility.

Market Outlook and Conclusion

The Ukrainian Organic Fertilizer Opportunity

• National Security Imperative: The urgent need for agricultural input self-sufficiency makes local organic fertilizer production a strategic priority.
• Economic Advantage: The high cost and logistical challenges of importing synthetic fertilizers create a powerful economic incentive for local production.
• EU Alignment: As Ukraine moves towards European integration, there is increasing emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices and green deals, for which organic fertilizers are perfectly aligned.
• Farmer Demand: A new generation of Ukrainian farmers is increasingly aware of soil health and is actively seeking sustainable solutions to ensure the long-term viability of their land.

Why Partner with RICHI Machinery?

The success of this straw animal manure powder and granular organic fertilizer production line in Ukraine project is a direct result of RICHI Machinery's commitment to delivering robust, cost-effective, and perfectly tailored solutions. Our deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in the post-war Ukrainian agricultural sector, combined with our flexible and efficient technology, makes us the ideal partner for such ventures.

We provide more than just machinery; we deliver a pathway to profitability and resilience. From initial concept and design to ongoing operational support, RICHI Machinery is your dedicated partner in building a sustainable and prosperous agricultural future.

Ready to build a resilient and profitable future for Ukrainian agriculture?

Contact the RICHI fertilizer plant project team today for a free, no-obligation preliminary design and quotation.