July 30, 2009
Australia farm sectors to conduct feed grain research
The grains and pork industries of Australia will join forces to track down feed wheat and barley varieties that are specifically suited to pig diets.
Plant breeder Intergrain and the Pork Co-operative Research Centre are seeking high yielding and high energy lines from a range of grain types regarded as unsuitable for human consumption to develop for pig feed.
The trials will be conducted over three years in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
These trials represent an opportunity for pig producers to reduce costs, said Professor John Pluske, from Murdoch University.
The cost of feed in pig production ranges between 55 to 70 percent, so if high yield and highly digestible energy lines are discovered, there will be potential for increased returns to the pork producer, Pluske said.
