November 26, 2018

Danish anthropologist presents seaweed as alternative for pig feed
 
 

A type of seaweed could serve as a suitable alternative to feed for piglets and cows, and even reduce the use of penicillin and zinc in pigsties, said a Danish anthropologist.

This seaweed - known as black carrageen or crab's bed - could also help improve animals' digestion and generate less methane in their stomachs, DR Nyheder reported.

"If we can replace soya from Brazil with seaweed, we will be able to use less penicillin and zinc in pigsties, and less methane will have a beneficial effect when it comes to greenhouse gases," said anthropologist Ole Hertz from Gudhjem, Denmark.

Replacing traditional feed with seaweed not only means that Denmark will rely lesser on the import of soybeans from outside the country, but also translates to the reduction of phosphorous and nitrogen in the Baltic through the harvesting of the plant.

Hertz has been working in seaweed production for several years, partly as part  of the Nordic Seaweed Project. He is setting up a small-scale trial to use seaweed as protein in conjunction with assistance provided by a local trawler company, a Danish fisheries association and the deputy head of the Landbrug og Fødevarer agricultural organisation.

Currently, researchers from Aarhus University are conducting experiments to see whether seaweed can be used as a dietary additive for piglets. The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is also investigating just how much seaweed can be harvested without harming the environment.

- CPH Post Online