Lack of access to quality feed all year round is a major hindrance to successful production in the ruminant subsector in Ghana. Limited to grazing low-quality forages and pastures for part of the year, animals either lose weight or die, the result being reduced levels of livestock production and product quality. This problem of feed scarcity has led to increased interest in using alternative feed resources, such as by-products of the fruit-processing industry, for ruminant nutrition purposes.
Processing fruits into value-added products like juices and jams generates a large amount of solid organic waste, which presents a significant disposal concern for fruit processors. These by-products, however, by virtue of being naturally rich in nutrients and phytochemicals, are potentially a novel and cost-effective way to improve small ruminant nutrition and therefore product quality. Nevertheless, the small ruminant industry in Ghana has not been able to capitalise on the availability of these fruit by-products due to a lack of processing skills and equipment. This study explores ways in which the fruit by-products can be used as an alternative feed resource to supplement dry season feeding, thereby bridging yield and quality gaps in ruminant production while improving food and nutrition security more generally. In terms of methodology, the study leverages three key, interconnected approaches: community engagement activities, analytical and animal trials, and research dissemination activities.
In its focus on the use of fruit by-products in ruminant nutrition, the study aligns not only with national efforts to find alternative solutions for waste disposal but also with global efforts to render ruminant livestock production practices eco-friendly and sustainable.
