Pastured Poultry Production: An Evaluation of Its Sustainability in Hawaii
Poultry broiler production in Hawaii declined 30 percent in the past 10 years, a reduction and trend largely due to high production costs associated with land, housing, and imported feeds. In addition to high production costs, many former poultry farmers have retired, and new farmers are not taking their place. This publication describes a new and innovative method of raising poultry that capitalizes on Hawaii’s productive pastures. Two experiments were conducted to test the method by raising broilers on pasture, slaughtering the birds to evaluate carcass weights and feed conversion, and marketing the product. The results suggest that the pastured poultry production system offers potential economic opportunities for agricultural entrepreneurs. However, careful management and proper environmental conditions are vital to the profitability of the system. Demand for poultry broiler products is increasing, due in part to marketing efforts by the national poultry industry. To meet the market demand, inshipments of broilers to Hawaii increased 27 percent between 1987 and 1991 and an average of 3.5 percent in each of the past ten years. The supply of locally grown fresh poultry in the market is limited, although there are established niche markets, for example in local grocery supermarkets where imported range-raised chickens are sold for approximately $8.00 for a 4-pound bird, and in “ethnic” markets where locally produced processed or live birds are sold. Considering the strength of current consumer demands for “Island Fresh” food quality and freshness, the potential market in Hawaii for range-raised poultry is large. Also, with the decline of plantation industries (sugarcane and pineapple) in Hawaii, more land is becoming available for other agricultural uses. If land leases for former plantation lands are reasonable, young entrepreneurs with limited financial resources and credit can enter the farming business.
Costs of Pastured Broiler Operations Based on Data from Small-Scale Farms
Many small-scale and limited-resource farmers use "hobby scale" technologies to produce food for home consumption and as a source of supplementary income. However, the economic potential of many of these technologies has not been investigated. Raising poultry on pasture is a relatively common small-scale technology for which there is sparse production and economics information based on actual-farm data. This article provides such information, based on data from farms in Kentucky. Analysis indicated that live broiler sales might be marginally profitable but that greater profit can be realized through sales of processed broilers at farmers' markets.
The amino acid composition of cassava leaves, foliage, root tissues and whole-root chips
Teneurs en proteines et en acides amines de differentes parties de la plante. On met en evidence une teneur en acides amines soufres relativement faible, et une teneur en arginine elevee