Substandard Raisins Being Transformed into Compound Feed
· GıdaTarım
The Manisa Golden Model project, launched in Sarıgöl, Manisa, aims to utilize 91,000 tons of low-grade raisins, unfit for table consumption, as raw material for the compound feed industry.
The Era of Raisins in the Feed Sector
The Manisa Golden Model project, developed in the Sarıgöl district of Manisa, aims to transform low-grade raisins, which cannot find market value as table grapes due to quality standards, into raw material for animal nutrition. According to the plan announced by Sinan Gençeli, Vice Chairman of the Sarıgöl Chamber of Agriculture, ground raisins will be integrated into the annual production of 18.2 million tons of compound feed for cattle and sheep in Turkey, on a dry matter basis, at a rate of 0.5%. In this way, approximately 91,000 tons of low-quality raisins will be added to the domestic feed industry each year after adjusting moisture and particle size.
Increased Yield and Environmental Contribution
The inclusion of ground raisins in feed rations will create direct economic added value for both raisin producers and the livestock sector. Sinan Gençeli stated that raisins incorporated into pelleted feed maintain milk yield, milk fat, and protein values, while also alleviating oxidative stress in animals thanks to polyphenols and antioxidants in the ration. Other important goals of the project include increasing linoleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk fat, and reducing enteric methane emissions in ruminant animals.