Gov't approves research project to improve copra meal protein

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines  – The government has approved a research project to improve the protein content of copra meal to further boost the development of the country’s swine and poultry industries.

Titled “Protein Enhancement of Copra Meal (PECM) as Feed for Swine and Poultry”, the project was approved by the governing council of the Los Baños-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

Currently headed by executive director Patricio S. Faylon, PCAARRD is the government agency under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) that coordinates, evaluates, and monitors agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources research in the country.

The council has allocated P8 million for the three-year (2012-2015) project to be implemented by the University of the Philippines Los Baños-National Institute of Molecular Biology ad Biotechnology (BIOTECH) and UPLB-Animal and Dairy Science Cluster (ADSC).

Project leaders are Dr. Laura J. Pham of BIOTECH and Prof. Amado Angeles of UPLB-ADSC.

The research aims to find ways to decrease the fiber content of copra meal (coconut meat minus the oil) and improve its protein content up to 42 percent, almost comparable to that of soybean meal.

”The bioconversion of copra meal to protein-enriched copra meal (PECM) will use the solid state fermentation (SSF) technology using a specific fungus in a complete bioprocessing system,” PCAARRD said. 

It added: “With PECM, we can potentially replace 20 to 50 percent of soybean meal used in feed rations.”

The Philippines imports almost half a billion dollars worth of soybean meal every year, PCAARRD reported at a media-research forum held recently at the Richmonde Hotel in Pasig City.

Speakers and resource persons at the forum were Dr. Faylon, PCAARRD livestock research division director Dr. Edwin Villar, Dr. Pham, Dr. Angeles, and Dr. Ernesto Martin of the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

PCAARRD said the Philippine swine and poultry industries require about 3.3 million metric tons of feed yearly and 10-20 percent of that feed mix includes soybean meal.

“Since soybean meal is a perennial import, the partial replacement of soybean will translate to savings in foreign exchange,” it stressed.

In the research project, UPLB-BIOTECH will establish the bioprocessing system and quality analyses of PECM. On the other hand, the feeding value of PECM in swine and poultry will be established at UPLB-ADSC and in selected commercial animal farms in Region 4 (southern Tagalog).

PCAARRD further pointed out that the Philippines is one of the world’s leading producers of coconut and also the top producer of copra meal.

In 2010 alone, about 878,000 metric tons of copra meal were produced as a by-product from the production of coconut oil. More than 40 percent of copra meal was exported to other countries and used mainly as animal feed.

Copra meal contains 20 percent crude protein and is technically classified as a plant-based protein feed ingredient. But depending on its quality, it can only comprise 10 to 15 percent of the feed ration for swine and poultry.

“This limitation is primarily due to copra meal’s high fiber content, unbalanced nutrient content, aflatoxin contamination, and the presence of anti-nutritional factors, which affect the digestibility of nutrients,” PCAARRD explained.