Abstract

The potential of by-products from fruit and vegetable growers and processors to serve as supplementary feeds for dairy cows in the Hawkes Bay region, which traditionally experiences poor summer pasture growth, was assessed. A total of 75 000 tonnes (wet matter) of by- products were produced by the six growers and processors surveyed, mainly between January and June. Peak by-product output occurred in April when an estimated 15,000 tonnes of wet matter was produced. Industry disposal costs ranged from $10 to $33/tonne wet matter. The metabolisable energy values (MJ ME/kg DM) of by-products were at least equivalent to those of high quality spring pasture (e.g. carrot 11.3, apple pomace 13.7), but nitrogen levels (% in DM) were low compared to those recorded in pasture (e.g. corn 1.0%, apple pomace 1.9%). A linear programming analysis of a Hawkes Bay dairy farm indicated that farmers could afford to pay up to 15.5 cents/kg DM for additional feed from May to October and 26.7 cent/s kg DM during the remainder of the year if milkfat prices were $6/kg. These shadow values indicate the maximum price that could be paid for transport and feeding costs for by-products on the model farm.

ST, Morris, WJ Parker, DL Burnham, GW Reynolds, and SN McCutcheon

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 53, , 11-14, 1993