Use of waste bananas for swine feed

The report notes that much of the world banana crop does not meet commercial standards for human consumption, but could provide nutritious and economical source of livestock feed. The tests in this report found that, while green and ripe bananas have the same digestion coefficients, ripe bananas are preferable because pigs tend to eat greater quantities of them. It is recommended that a protein supplement be used with all forms of banana feed. The report discusses the nutritional composition of banana feed, and provides tables comparing growth rates of pigs fed on various combinations of banana feed and protein supplement. The preparation and energy value of dried banana meal is also covered. It is concluded that, if properly supplemented with protein, vitamins, and minerals, bananas can provide a nutritionally adequate feed base for pigs at most stages of development.