Farm-generated pig feed can be a cost-effective option for smallholder farmers, particularly in remote settings that produce wild or cultivated feed inputs.
ECHO Asia conducted research that aimed to compare the growth rates of pigs reared on diets supplemented with boiled, fermented and raw banana stalks. We conducted a 22-week pig feed trial to assess the potential effects of different banana stalk processing methods on pig weight gain.
Each treatment group contained three pigs, housed individually in deep litter pens. Pigs were weighed every two weeks over the trial period.
The boiled treatment was prepared by daily cooking of chopped banana stalks over an open fire. This matches local feed preparation practices. The fermented treatment was prepared in batches every 5 days. For every 10kg of chopped banana stem, 120 grams of molasses and 140 grams of salt where mixed and ensiled in plastic bins. The raw banana stem was chopped daily.
The feed ration was adjusted as the pigs grew, according to the table below:
Results:
From the beginning to the end of the trial, pigs gained an average of 46.2 kg on both the boiled and fermented banana stalk supplemented diets, and 47.0 kg on the raw banana stalk supplemented diet. The difference between 47.0 and 46.2 kg was not statistically significant.
Pigs grew at around the same rate, and reached the same liveweight across the three diets.
The boiled treated required time for daily chopping of banana stalks, collection of firewood, and cooking of the feed. This required 119 hours of labor over the duration of the trial.
The raw treatment required daily chopping of banana stalks (20 hours labor).
The fermented treatment had efficiencies in preparation, as it was made in batches every 5 days. This reduced the total feed preparation time to just 12 hours.
Labor and materials costs of the boiled treatment were much higher, if labor is valued at minimum wage. The labor requirements for collection and chopping wood were valued at $10, while the labor required for daily chopping of feed and boiling was estimated at $153.
The raw treatment only required labor inputs, with costs estimated to be $19.
The fermented treatment had lower labor costs, but additional materials costs for molasses and salt. This cost $27.
Conclusion:
The trial showed that at low levels of dietary inclusion, the three banana stalk processing options of raw, boiled, or fermented make no different to pig growth rates.
The fermented option offers significant advantages over traditional boiling, in that it requires lower labor for collection of wood and cooking the feed.
The fermented option also offers an advantage over feeding raw, as feed preservation means that feed preparation doesn’t need to occur daily.
Further research is required to determine the impact on pig growth rates at higher levels of raw, boiled, and fermented banana stem dietary inclusion.