Feed study piques SA interest
Research into a cardboard-based fodder for ruminants, has secured the attention of South African animal feed laboratories as results thus far are successful.
Roderick Haraseb, a food technologist who is currently conducting a study on manufacturing animal feed from discarded cardboard boxes at Oshikuku in the Omusati Region, says that the study has elicited positive responses from South African laboratories.
The chief veterinarian for the north-west division, Dr Kennedy Shoombe, told Namibian Sun on Friday that they are aware of the study and once it is found to be viable, a factory manufacturing animal feed from cardboard boxes will be established at Oshikuku.
Shoombe said that his office is aware of the study and Haraseb is following the correct procedures.
“We referred him to the central veterinary office in Windhoek to determine whether his initiative is viable and acceptable. After that we will wait for him to make a presentation to us, and then a factory can be established,” Shoombe said.
He added that the state veterinarian's office is the principal in charge of animal health in the country and thus, must be involved in the study.
Haraseb told Namibian Sun that the study has received good feedback from animal feed laboratories in South Africa and this year he will work toward registering the product and set up a factory in Oshikuku.
The study is conducted on two control groups, one with animals strictly fed with grass and lucerne, while others receive the new feed only. These animals are regularly weighed to monitor the effects of using the new feed.
“These animals are indicators whether the product is working or not. Six months, from the end of April to October last year, we have been strictly feeding two cows and two goats with grass and lucerne and other two cows and two goats the new feed only. For three months now, from end of October last year until now, we have swopped the two groups,” Haraseb said.
Haraseb, a food technology graduate of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, said that for the period of six months the animals fed on the new product did not experience any problem. He said they have already established that the feed they are producing is able to nourish the animals better than grass and lucerne only, saying the weight records have shown that animals have improved.
“After three months would conduct organoleptic analysis to determine the meat and milk quality, while veterinarians will also conduct post mortem analysis,” he said.
Haraseb indicated that the research started with the supervision of a state veterinarian and is being funded and technically supported by the Local Economic Development Agency (LEDA) of the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.
He said he came across northern farmers feeding their cattle cardboard boxes in 2014. He took samples of the boxes to a laboratory to establish their nutritional value.
“The laboratory tests established that cardboard boxes have natural components of plants in them. They are low in protein and vitamins, but high in fibre. The tests also indicated that cardboard can be made highly nutritious by mixing it with other ingredients and using it as supplementary feeding,” Haraseb said.
According to him, his product might be a lifesaver during droughts when thousands of animals die due to pasture scarcity.
Boxes are collected, sorted and treated to remove dyes and labels. Then they are crushed and the pulp is mixed with nutrients and dried in the sun. This mixture can be made into biscuits, granules or pellets.
Four young people from Oshikuku are employed as research assistants and according to Haraseb, they are also being trained to become employees at the future manufacturing plant. He sources the ingredients that he mixes with the cardboard from South Africa. He did not want to reveal the recipe, though, saying he had changed the formula 11 times to achieve the desired outcome.
ILENI NANDJATO
The chief veterinarian for the north-west division, Dr Kennedy Shoombe, told Namibian Sun on Friday that they are aware of the study and once it is found to be viable, a factory manufacturing animal feed from cardboard boxes will be established at Oshikuku.
Shoombe said that his office is aware of the study and Haraseb is following the correct procedures.
“We referred him to the central veterinary office in Windhoek to determine whether his initiative is viable and acceptable. After that we will wait for him to make a presentation to us, and then a factory can be established,” Shoombe said.
He added that the state veterinarian's office is the principal in charge of animal health in the country and thus, must be involved in the study.
Haraseb told Namibian Sun that the study has received good feedback from animal feed laboratories in South Africa and this year he will work toward registering the product and set up a factory in Oshikuku.
The study is conducted on two control groups, one with animals strictly fed with grass and lucerne, while others receive the new feed only. These animals are regularly weighed to monitor the effects of using the new feed.
“These animals are indicators whether the product is working or not. Six months, from the end of April to October last year, we have been strictly feeding two cows and two goats with grass and lucerne and other two cows and two goats the new feed only. For three months now, from end of October last year until now, we have swopped the two groups,” Haraseb said.
Haraseb, a food technology graduate of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, said that for the period of six months the animals fed on the new product did not experience any problem. He said they have already established that the feed they are producing is able to nourish the animals better than grass and lucerne only, saying the weight records have shown that animals have improved.
“After three months would conduct organoleptic analysis to determine the meat and milk quality, while veterinarians will also conduct post mortem analysis,” he said.
Haraseb indicated that the research started with the supervision of a state veterinarian and is being funded and technically supported by the Local Economic Development Agency (LEDA) of the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.
He said he came across northern farmers feeding their cattle cardboard boxes in 2014. He took samples of the boxes to a laboratory to establish their nutritional value.
“The laboratory tests established that cardboard boxes have natural components of plants in them. They are low in protein and vitamins, but high in fibre. The tests also indicated that cardboard can be made highly nutritious by mixing it with other ingredients and using it as supplementary feeding,” Haraseb said.
According to him, his product might be a lifesaver during droughts when thousands of animals die due to pasture scarcity.
Boxes are collected, sorted and treated to remove dyes and labels. Then they are crushed and the pulp is mixed with nutrients and dried in the sun. This mixture can be made into biscuits, granules or pellets.
Four young people from Oshikuku are employed as research assistants and according to Haraseb, they are also being trained to become employees at the future manufacturing plant. He sources the ingredients that he mixes with the cardboard from South Africa. He did not want to reveal the recipe, though, saying he had changed the formula 11 times to achieve the desired outcome.
ILENI NANDJATO
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