This is, of course, not always the case; the challenges that feed and livestock producers face - high feed costs, mycotoxin contamination, supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic, just to name a few - continue to be hurdles against progress.

 

Against these difficult circumstances, sustainability remains a key concern in the agriculture industry. But, this aspiration should not be dismissed as 'saving the planet' rhetoric - sustainable actions could provide answers to some persisting concerns that industry players have.

 

"There is sustainability that is linked to feed efficiency, and it helps in reducing feed cost and the demand of raw materials," said Dr. Swamy Haladi, Trouw Nutrition's Global Programme Manager of Mycotoxin Risk Management Programme.

 

How then do feed and livestock producers create quality feed that are sustainably sourced and used?

 

Focusing on including vitamin A in feed, Dr. Kok-Ping Chan, technical manager of BASF Animal Nutrition (Asia Pacific), states that "an effective vitamin A feed additive must satisfy two key criteria". The first criteria is that it can "maintain stability as a feed additive during storage as well as in feed and premixes." The second one lies in its bioavailability. These criteria prop the bedrock of the development of BASF's Lutavit® A 1000 NXT.

 

As for increased feed costs, AB Vista notes the rise in inorganic phosphorus prices and feed formulation costs, proposing a nutritional strategy that employs "an efficient phytase with a mineral matrix application". The application of an energy and amino acid matrix can reduce feed cost, and the nutritionist has a crucial role to achieve this outcome, according to Jae Cheol Kim, technical manager (ASPAC) of AB Vista.

 

With external circumstances likely to remain thorns in the flesh for the long term, livestock producers could do more with lesser resources by acquiring the capability of maximising the beneficial potential of a grain of feed.

 

Quality feed additives and an effective nutritional strategy are just one of the numerous factors deserving of attention in livestock production.

 

Advancing to sustainable agriculture entails taking small steps; the quality-rather than the quantity of animal feed should therefore be adequately prioritised.

 

The full article is published on the March 2022 issue of LIVESTOCK & FEED Business. To read the full report, please email to inquiry@efeedlink.com to request for a complimentary copy of the magazine, indicating your name, mailing address and title of the report.