A Cost Minimization Model for Feed Formulation Using Bio-Wastes as Alternative Sources: Recycling Bad into Good
Lebanese dairy livestock growers are faced with major constraints that hinder the sectors development, namely; crucial shortage of local feed availability in the adequate quantity, quality and prices resulting in high production costs. The growers are thus eager to find new innovative alternatives that lower their production costs and consequently increase their businesses profits. Literatures indicate that municipal and agricultural bio-wastes may constitute a potential alternative source of feed. Some of these wastes are proven to have high nutritional values at lower purchasing costs when compared with traditional feed sources. The main objective of this study is to assess the technical feasibility and economic viability of using municipal and agricultural bio-wastes as alternative feed sources. A linear programming model was developed to determine the optimal least cost feed ration that satisfies all the daily nutritional requirements and feed availability constraints for a mid-lactating 600kg Holstein dairy cow, being the prevailing type in the country. Two main scenarios were considered; in the first, conventional feed ingredients were used reflecting the current feeding patterns (status quo) of dairy farms, while in the second nonconventional (bio-wastes) feed sources were introduced. For the bio-wastes scenario, four sub-scenarios with different set of feed ingredients based on seasonal availability; summer, winter, and perennial bio-wastes were formulated. The results indicate that all the bio-waste scenarios considered in this study were feasible and generated daily feed rations that are lower in costs when compared to the status quo, while still satisfying the daily feed and nutritional requirements per cow. The most feasible scenario was the one incorporating summer and perennial bio-wastes along with conventional feed ingredients. This scenario reduces the daily feed cost by almost 55% and replaces about 90% of the conventional daily feed ingredients with bio-waste components compared to the conventional ration. Finally, the use of bio-wastes as alternative feed sources tends to reduce; the feed ration costs, the dumped volume of bio-wastes, the required landfills, and as a consequent the cost of cleaning up the environment; in addition to freeing more agricultural land for production endeavors other than forage crops. In conclusion, the study reveals that agricultural and municipal bio-wastes may provide a potential alternative for the current dairy feed practices that is technically sound, economically feasible, and environmentally desirable.
DARWISH Ragy KHALIL Rania SLEIMAN Fawwak AL-KHOURY Pierre
Resource Economics and Chairman, Department of Financial Studies, Hariri Canadian University, Lebano Agricultural Economist, Rural Development Expert, Lebanon Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, American University of Beirut,Lebanon Department of Management Studies, Hariri Canadian University, Lebanon
国际会议
2011 International Symposium on Environmental Science and Technology(2011 环境科学与技术国际会议 2011 ISEST)
广东东莞
英文
1082-1093
2011-06-01(万方平台首次上网日期,不代表论文的发表时间)