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General News on Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Source: Graphic.com.gh
2019-01-29
Researchers at the IRA Insect Flour Plant show insect meal
A study on the feasibility of producing insect larvae as an alternative source of protein for feeding livestock revealed that larval flour was the safest and most cost-effective source of food to support livestock production. country.
At present, the cost of food represents about 80% of the total cost of livestock production in Ghana. It has become imperative to find other sources of food.
FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) predicts a substantial increase in demand for meat, particularly in developing countries, driven by a rapidly growing population; income growth; urbanization and the evolution of lifestyles and food preferences.
He said the need to find alternative and sustainable proteins was an issue of importance that required a viable short-term solution, making insects an increasingly attractive food option.
Other studies show that about 100 grams of caterpillar provide 75% of the daily amount of protein needed by humans, so if the fish meal is replaced by insect protein, the nutrient content would not be very different, because insects also had nutrients such as iron, vitamins A and B and essential amino acids.
The research
The project titled "Insect Food for West Africa" was set up by the Ghana Animal Research Institute (ARI), under the authority of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and was under the auspices of the Center for Research on Agriculture and Biosciences. (CABI) – Sterling University.
A senior researcher, Mr. Siegfried Affedzie-Obresi, said during an interview during a visit of the Ghana Learning Alliance (GH-NLA) on sustainable agriculture to research and to production at ARI, in Frafraha, in Accra, that reduce the high cost of meat production due to protein sources.
He explained that fish stocks were even depleting, even for human consumption, and that soybean production was insufficient because of factors such as lack of land, all of which resulted in a cost high production.
However, he said that insects use very little resources to produce protein, which is comparable to fish and soy. "Even human beings eat some of these insects; in Ghana, we eat "akokono" and others that are sometimes delicacies.
The project therefore thinks we can grow these insects and use them as fish and soy substitutes to produce meat, chicken, pork and similar foods for human consumption, "he suggested.
Types of insects
The entomologist is installed on the house fly and the black soldier fly away depending on how quickly they can be bred and their profitability.
However, domestic fly larvae have not been very well promoted, as scientists consider it a bad connotation, while the black soldier fly is a very safe fly – does not feed, does not cause disease – and Even in the house, it does not sting.
"Larvae are big enough and can store enough energy. Protein is a food comparable to fish.
So we think it's a good substitute for fish and we have to leave to do the other experiments, "Obresi said.
Production cycle
The colonies are established to produce the larvae and turn them into flour.
Already, the larvae of insect larvae have been used to produce broilers. In six weeks, it can exceed two kilos.
According to Obresi, the larval meat yield was better than that of the fish in terms of weight and cost, resulting in savings of about 10 to 15% using the larval meal for the first time. replace. "So the training consisted of keeping some kind of soy and removing the fishmeal.
We tried it against soy and the cost of the larval flour was about the same as soybean meal. He added that "those who use soy should also change but with a little flour larvae. But for fishmeal, larval flour can completely replace it in the diet. "
Increase production
Mr. Obresi said the main challenge was to encourage people to produce and produce on a larger scale, stating, "To produce the larvae, there is only one cage to house the adults and there is nothing left. only waste. (household waste, market waste, wheat bran, etc.). "He said the residue after harvesting the larvae was a very good compost that had been tried in the Ashaiman irrigation development project to produce onions and that it was just superior to normal.
He added that compost is also good and can replace organic fertilizers. "We have made awareness and I think we need to open it. I will use the media to help spread the word, "he said.
Adopt indigenous technology
ARI director, Professor Emmanuel K. Adu, said it was important that all countries, including Ghana, develop through local technologies. He said the country should eliminate the culture of always looking beyond the border for solutions to problems, as there is sometimes an imbalance.
"It does not help. The technology used in our system is developed for the system and works for the system. When people adopt locally generated technology, it best solves local problems, "he said.
Professor Adu encouraged stakeholders in the livestock sector to adopt this latest cost-effective alternative source of livestock feed technology. "We look forward to the industry taking this technology and it will be our greatest joy.
To find out that after all the sweats and all the efforts expended, this technology is being used and has an impact on the livestock industry – livestock breeding, has it? he declares.
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