Variation in nutrient composition of cassava pulp from Thailand

Abstract

Cassava (tapioca) is a starchy tropical tuber crop that is used as an energy source in animal diets. In the regions in which it is grown, most cassava is fed to animals in the form of whole tubers. In Thailand and other parts of south-east Asia, cassava tubers are processed further into chips or pellets for local animal feeding and for export to other parts of the world, including Australia. Cassava is also used for starch production, and in Thailand more than 10 million tonnes of cassava are used for this purpose per anum. A fibrous residual material known as cassava pulp, which constitutes 30% of the mass of the original tuber, is obtained as a by product of this process. About 1.5–2.0 million tonnes of cassava pulp are produced per year. As the starch extraction process is not very efficient, the pulp contains bout 50% starch on a dry basis (Ukita et al., 2006). However, the composition of the pulp differs between regions and according to the extraction and postextraction processes used. Cassava pulp is commonly fed to ruminant animals, but its nutritive value for nonruminant species such as poultry and pigs is unclear.