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Switch from fish and save - pig farmers advised.UFAC press release: January, 2010Pig farmers could save £20 per tonne by dropping highly-expensive fishmeal from their sow diets and switching to a product based on fish oils, says Francis Palmer nutritionist with feed supplement specialists, UFAC-UK. Fishmeal prices have rocketed by nearly £200 per tonne over the past year and this increase is expected to top £300, with fishmeal prices predicted by the company to average £1,000 per tonne in 2010. "Supplies will remain tight - due to growing markets in the Far East, particularly Vietnam and Thailand - so prices are likely to continue to rise. Producers should start looking at alternatives," he pointed out. The advantages offered by fishmeal - improved feed intake, fertility, milk yield and better viability in piglets - are well known. But the so-called 'magic' ingredients have been identified by UFAC and incorporated in a product called Monomega which can replace fishmeal on a one-for-one basis in both pig and poultry diets. The active ingredients are amino acids and the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils. UFAC-UK developed this product when regulations banned the use of fishmeal for ruminants, creating problems for mixed-species mills. An alternative was needed and, since then, Monomega has been successfully used with results equal to fishmeal. "Pig farmers no longer need to be tied to fishmeal prices and can get the same animal performance more cost-effectively," said Mr Palmer."By switching from fishmeal for sows, weaners, growers and finishers a producer with a 500-sow herd could expect to save over £25,000," he added. Suitable for compounders and home mixers, Monomega is supplied as a free-flowing meal in 25 kg plastic bags with a six-month shelf life. It is easier to handle than fishmeal and does not go rancid. Its 42 per cent crude protein equates with 66 per cent in fishmeal, so the whole diet can be lower in protein resulting in a lower nitrogen 'footprint' which is better for the environment. Furthermore, the fish oils are sourced from fish for human consumption, including farmed salmon, so are not depleting stocks of wild fish.
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For further information contact UFAC-UK... Note to EditorsUfac-UK Ltd is the leading specialist UK manufacture of energy, protein and omega 3 supplements. The company has been supplying nutritional supplements to the animal feed industry for over 35 years.
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