Bigger profits for bangus growers seen
SUCCESSFUL BFAR EXPERIMENT
HERE’S good news for local bangus growers.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) here announced another breakthrough in its experiment. A significant increase in the growth rate of bangus, producing bigger sizes, from 300 to 500 grams, have been noted from using plant-based feeds and new feeding management
Notably, the use of plant-based feeds lowered by 40 percent the cost of fish meal, the bulk of production expenses. The experiment was conducted in fish cages in Sual town.
Dr. Westly Rosario, BFAR center chief and executive director of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology and Development Center, said the new approach will result in huge savings for bangus growers.
Since 1970s, have been looking for alternative source of protein for animals and fish, and the answer, he said, came with from the United Soybean Board’s (USB) the new technology.
Following a protocol using floating extruded feeds as formulated by the USB, caged bangus were given feeds as much as they could consume.
“Everything was consumed and hardly was there any leftover, and they (bangus) grew faster,” Rosario said.
The new formula for three replicates in their experiments showed the bangus grew more than half a kilo in five months. Ordinarily using commercial feedmeal, the bangus grows as big as 300 grams only in the same period, he added.
Using five meters by five meters of bamboo cage in Barangay Bacquioen, Sual with a depth of five meters, they estimated to harvest 1.5 metric tons of bangus Monday, he added.
He said the research will continue to determine other benefits “because as researchers, we are looking for ways to sustain the industry, not only in the Philippines but the entire world, for new discoveries to improve production systems”. –Tita Roces
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
