Observer Report Beijing
Pakistan and China joined hands in feed research, says a report published by China Economic Net on Sunday.
“In Pakistan, at least sixty percent of feed additives are imported from China. Through my research and learning in China, I hope to enhance Pakistan’s self-reliance in this regard”.
This was stated by Waseem Abbas, a product manager at the Animal Nutrition Feed Additives Section of Jawad Impex International Lahore, and Ph.D. scholar at the College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University (CAU), Beijing, China.
He has just ended a 14-day seminar on feed formula organized by Hunan Agricultural Group, during which he and other 20-odd Pakistani participants including farmers, students, and scientists learned through an array of courses such as the nutrition requirements on animals, feed formula design, the application and development of fodder in livestock and breeding industry, fodder processing techniques and fodder additives.
“Additives, meal and grains are indispensable parts in feed. On the contrary, they are essential for the balance and sufficiency of nutrition in feed, thus improving its efficiency and quality, something in dire need in Pakistan”, said Waseem.
According to a research by University of Illinois, feed costs represent the largest input cost to produce milk (estimated to be 35 to 50 percent).
In Pakistan, livestock production contributes to over 60% of the total agricultural output value.
Commercial farmers and corporate about ten to fifteen percent are to overall dairy producers, they need feed additives to lower their cost while maximizing production.
Around 85 percent of households farmers and they are feeding conventional feeds which are limited to fulfil the nutritional requirement of animals, now farmers are moving to words modern/balanced feed which included feed additives to increase feed efficacy. In poultry, similarly, feed additives fulfill adequate nutritional profile for the birds.
Following the international practices, additives are commonly used in feed, with Vitamin premix, Mineral premix, amino acids, enzymes, toxin binders’ antioxidants, choline chloride, etc. as the most commonly used feed additive.
