Actual Tests! Catfish Gains More Fats From Locally Made Feeds

Libungan, North Cotabato (Late Post) – On Friday, April 1, Filipino-American farmer/scientist Rocky French and I returned to the Catfish Farm of agri-entrepreneur William Siao in Ulamian, Libungan to check on the progress of the Hito fed with locally-formulated Aqua Feeds.

The 12-day trial was intended to see if the feeds formulated by Rocky French and made in a village feed mill in Kidapawan City owned by the Cotabato Livestock Producers Association (COLIPA) showed improvement in body fats and size.

After dissecting three Catfish, we saw great improvement in the fats after only 12 days but this did not really impress Rocky French.

While he was pleased with the improvement, he said that a little more adjustment in the feed formulation which would be given 15 days before marketing could give Catfish farmers more income.

So, another 12-day testing period would be done in different ponds of William Siao but the feed mill which Rocky and I are operating on a Tolling Arrangement with COLIPA will now start to produce Aqua Feeds which would be available for local Tilapia and Hito growers in the community.

What makes these feeds remarkable is the use of largely local materials with very minimal imported components to wean the local feed millers from dependence on expensive imported raw materials.

Rocky French is now promoting the planting of Munggo, Kadios and other local beans to serve as substitute to the expensive Soybean Meal which is imported from the U.S.

#FarmingIsCommonSense!