Copra Cake as Concentrated Feed Additive

Copra is a dry coconut flesh obtained either by sun-drying or smoking. It is used as raw material of Coconut Oil by extracting using machineries. Copra cake is a by-product of oil manufacturing, obtained by extracting oil from the dry copra meal. The byproducts in coconut oil manufacturing are a good source of crude protein and fiber suitable for ruminant animals. In 1990, the European Union tightened the aflatoxin limit for copra to 20µg/kg in dairy feed, which means that copra cake with this amount is more dangerous to animal health. To help the market and the coconut farmers affected by this rule, a Commodity Flow Diagram has been used to address the problem. The study found that aflatoxin occurs within 10 days after splitting of coconuts. This is during the drying process of copra meat. Premature harvesting of coconuts for copra production is also not recommended because of its watery characteristic and contamination could occur prior to drying. Also, according to the study, sun-drying as a method for making copra is found to have higher levels of aflatoxin than smoking.

DID YOU KNOW: "The Protein-Enriched Copra Meal (PECM) is the product of the bioprocessing of copra meal through solid-state fermentation to improve its nutritive value. It is potentially high in valuable protein feed ingredient with crude protein (CP) of 36%-40%. It can partially or fully replace soybean meal. " - DOST

Copra Cake as Concentrated Feed Additive

Copra byproducts are popular as one of the good raw materials for making feeds because of their high protein content and fiber. This is also a starch-free feed material. In some self-made feed rations for ruminants, copra cake is mixed with D1 (Rice Bran) and/or other protein source byproducts that can provide nutritional value to their animals. This is also added to the feeds for swine, chicken, and shrimp, though copra is a good quality feed additive, young animals are not advised to intake copra because of its high level of fiber. It’s hard for young animals to digest feed rations with high fiber content.

Utilizing copra and its byproducts can help coconut farmers to continuously produce and generate income regularly. If you want to make your own feeds at home, you can read articles about the Pearson Square as a powerful tool to formulate your own feeds.