Livestock research seeing positive results in feed making

A 20-year livestock research program by NARI has paved a way forward in realising the development of commercial livestock feed.

In Papua New Guinea, the high cost of livestock feed re-mains a constraint for farmers who venture into the live-stock business such as broiler chicken, pigs and inland fish in rural areas.

To minimise this cost, NARI has through research make feed affordable, nutritional and readily available to farmers. Senior Livestock Scientist Dr Michael Dom is pleased that Farmset in Lae approached NARI to see how best research can help to improve the feed formulation for pig, broiler chicken, to add value to research through such positive interaction.

Farmset Limited and other feed mills have gained confidence from the 20 year research by the team at Labu Livestock program. Farmset established its own feed mill in 2016. Farmset's Animal Nutritionist Andrew Quinton who joined the company recently, is grateful to NARI for the useful information and technical assistance that was provided since January, 2020.

Other feed trials were done using the pig mix, village mix, pig weaner and grower in Kerowagi, Simbu province, Lae, Morobe and Tambul, Western Highlands. Mr Quinton expressed that research will add value to its feed products. He added that the village mix feed is doing well and received positive responses from farmers in Lae, Goroka, Mt Hagen and Kainantu. The broiler feeds are seeing positive results as the birds are ready to sell at 2.5 kilograms after five weeks.

Dr Dom explains that such positive results are a testament to long term research activities. This gives confidence and encourages commercial investment.