| dc.description | Poultry is one of the most important sectors of livestock that provides the cheapest
animal protein (nutritious egg and meat) for human consumption within the shortest
period of time. Poultry production has greatly increased during last one decade in
Bangladesh. But, the scarcity and fluctuating quantity and quality of the year-round
feed supply and their price is a major constraint to poultry production in developing
countries like Bangladesh. By the year, 2020, world population is estimated at 8
billion with most of the population growth coming from the developing countries
(Singh and Makkar, 2001). Due to rapid growth of the world population and
shrinkage of cultivating land, demand for livestock product is increasing day by
day. Future hopes of feeding the millions and safe guarding their food security will
depend on better utilization of unconventional feed resources that do not compete
with food for human beings. Feed ingredients especially animal protein sources are
very expensive and scarce due to high competition among poultry, human and other
animals resulting in the escalating cost of these ingredients. The cost of feed
constitutes the major proportion of between 60-75% of the total cost of poultry
production and protein cost account for over 15% of the total feed cost in livestock
and poultry farming (Ojewola et al., 2005). The price of conventional protein feeds
resources such as groundnut cake, fish meal and soybean meal, is on the high side
and cannot permit profit maximization in poultry ventures. In view of this, current
research interest in the poultry industry is aimed at finding alternatives to this
elusive feed ingredient. | en_US |
