Back to table of contents
Poster

Utilization of Banana Rejects Silage (BRS) in Sarangani
Agricultural Company, Inc. Cattle Operation in Southern Mindanao, Philippines

J.M. Montemayor, R.A. Enad and F.U. Galarrita III
Sarangani Agricultural Company, Inc.
Alabel, Sarangani, Philippines

ABSTRACT

Banana rejects silage was utilized by the SACI as the principal feed for their feedlot operation in Southern Mindanao, Philippines. It was also considered as the most practical alternative to corn silage-based rations.        It was observed that by using BRS, performance of feedlot cattle is almost comparable to animals fed with corn silage-based rations. BRS does not only increased weight gain of animals but cattle operators also benefit from the high return of investments in using BRS as feed for their animals

INTRODUCTION

Sarangani Agricultural Co., Inc. (SACI) had been using corn silage-based rations from 1996 to 1999.  Details of preparation and feeding of the corn silage was described by Montemayor et al. in 1998. However, series of rat infestations occurred in late 2000 which affected our fodder corn crop resulting to low forage yield and sometimes crop failures. With this situation, one of the most practical alternative we have is to utilize more if not all of the banana rejects from the company’s banana operation.

Availabilility of banana rejects
Banana rejects from SACI fruit operation include:  1) full “hands”, which are either over-sized or undersized for the export market but are sold in the local markets; 2) cluster or broken “hands”;  and  3) loose “fingers”.  In earlier years, the latter two are just being  dumped or thrown away but now these are being passed on to the cattle operation at PhP 0.15 or 15 centavos per kg.   The total available volume/month is 240 tons or 2,880/yr. Feeding of fresh banana rejects to cattle is practiced by the company earlier but on limited scale. 

Preparation and feeding of banana rejects silage (BRS) Banana rejects are chopped and placed in used fish/prawn feed bags with plastic lining (from the aquaculture operation of the company) and then closed tightly.  The ensiled materials are kept for 12 to 18 days before feeding.  Twenty percent BRS utlilized in the feedlot, while 80 percent is fed to cattle in the ranch.  Feeding of BRS along with other feeds to two groups of cattle in the feedlot is outlined below:

Animal Group

Banana Rejects Silage (kg)

Para Grass (kg)

Concent-rate

(kg)

Molas-ses

 (kg)

Fatten-ing Steers

12

13

4

2

Market-able Bulls

10

15

2

1
 

Performance of feedlot cattle on BRS-based ration
Based on our records ADG and cost/ kg gain of feedlot cattle on BRS-based diet is comparable to those fed corn silage-based ration (Table 1).

Table 1. Performance of feedlot cattle on banana rejects and corn silage

Type of Silage

ADG

(kg)

Feed Cost/ day

Cost/kg weight gain (Php)

Banana rejects

1.11

25.64

23.00

Corn

1.23

29.19

23.73

Saving from BRS
Before, we used to spend PhP 25,000 daily for concentrate (2 kg /head at PhP5/ kg) to maintain 2,500 heads cattle in the ranch.  By using BRS we only spend PhP2,880/day and saves PHP22,120 which is equivalent to PHP8 M for 1 year.

CONCLUSION

By using BRS, a total of PhP 2,880/day was used to maintain at least 250 heads cattle.  BRS does not only improved the performance of feedlot cattle, but it also save the company from spending aa big amount of money for the operation.  In fact a total of PhP22,120 or a total of PhP8M was the amount saved by utilizing BRS for feedlot cattle operation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Thanks to Frank Moog of the Bureau of Animal for his unselfish advise and assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.