Benefits of Palm Kernel Meal
Palm kernel meal is one of the by-products of the palm oil manufacturing industry which contains protein, fat, crude fiber and is rich in minerals. Palm kernel meal can be used as a source of protein and energy for livestock.
Efforts to increase livestock production are not enough just to provide natural grass, but additional feed is needed. The high price of imported feed encourages us to be able to utilize various local resources as alternative sources of feed ingredients, especially raw materials for protein and energy sources.
The raw materials are intended to be available continuously, abundantly, inexpensively, not competing with human needs, economically profitable, and socially acceptable to society. One of the feed ingredients that is currently quite potential is palm kernel meal.
Palm kernel meal is one of the by-products of palm kernel processing (palm meat plus the shell), this yield can reach 45% of palm kernel.
If we look at the value of the chemical elements, BIS has 14-17% protein, 12-18% crude fiber, 10.5% fat. Therefore, palm kernel cake is very good to use for animal feed.
Palm Kernel Meal
Palm kernel meal or BIS dairy cows can use 65% of the ration material, 25% corn, and 10% soybean meal. While in beef cattle it can be used up to 70% in animal feed rations.
If the farmer gives the sheep as much as 30%, by only giving grass can increase the growth weight from 30g in one day, while by giving BIS, the weight of the sheep can increase to 70g/head/day.
In poultry, the utilization of BIS is around 5-15%, because of its very high crude fiber and low digestibility system.
For laying hens can use 10-15%, this is because the digestive system of laying hens is better than broilers. Another use of BIS in chickens is also useful as a control of bad bacteria, namely: Salmonella ke-dougou.
Fermentation process palm kernel meal for animal feed with Fungi and Bacteria such as Rhizopus oligospars. Aspergilus niger, or Eupenicillium javanicum can reduce the value of crude fiber. And of course the fermentation process can increase the protein value of palm meal, and the level of digestibility will also increase.
Palm Kernel Meal
If farmers find it difficult to get them, they can use probiotics on the market such as: SOC (Organic Supplement Liquid) from PT HCS, Probitik Tangguh, EM4, Starbio, etc.
This fermentation process has increased the Protein value of palm kernel meal from 14% to 23%. If we add more fiber-destroying enzymes to chicken rations that have 30% palm meal. Can improve the performance of chickens to match chickens that use regular rations (eg corn and soybean meal).
In addition to the high nutritional content for animal feed, the price of palm kernel is also quite cheap because its availability is also abundant.
This is because Indonesia is the number one largest palm oil producing country in the world. Contributing as much as 48% of the total volume of palm oil production in the world. Follow Malaysia as a contributor to palm oil production by 37% of the total volume of world palm oil production.
Sumatra and Kalimantan are producing regions of more than 96% percent of Indonesia’s palm oil production. Sumatra accounts for 78% and Kalimantan 18% of Indonesia’s total palm oil production.