Sifelani Tsiko, Innovations Editor
Zimbabwe, just like many other countries, is looking for ways to increase smallholder livestock production using methods that are sensitive to the environmental impact of agricultural production.
One important leverage point is finding ingredients for animal feed that can substitute for grains, freeing more farmland to grow crops for human consumption.
Harnessing the unthinkable -- insects which need much less water, land and energy to produce the same amount of feed as soy -- a popular protein source for poultry farms nationwide is gaining traction in Zimbabwe.
The "Technology development for improved indigenous chicken feed using Black Soldier Fly Larvae in Zimbabwe" initiative implemented by the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) with the support of Korea Programme for Innovation on Agriculture (KOPIA) is popularising insect farming to provide a sustainable source of protein for animal feed.
"This project aims to solve low productivity and protein scarcity in indigenous poultry feeds. Through this partnership, Korean technical expertise will be adopted and optimised to suit local conditions," said KOPIA Zimbabwe Centre project coordinator, Ms Yemurai Magaya.
"In rural homes, indigenous poultry is a major source of both income and nutrition. Nonetheless, productivity is typically poor, which means that it can only partially satisfy household needs.
"The feed challenges include a scarce and erratic supply, poor quality, an unbalanced protein-carbohydrate composition, and frequent protein shortages."
Due to the competition for food, Ms Magaya said, household food requirements are prioritised, which leaves indigenous poultry mostly dependent on free-ranging, exacerbating these feed difficulties.
"As such there is a need for farmers to transition from conventional protein sources such as soya meal to alternative insect based protein sources such as Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL)," she said.
"Because black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are a source of high-quality, affordable livestock feeds that are rich in protein, farmers must switch to BSFL in order to improve the diets of their indigenous poultry."
Ms Magaya said BSFL production has the potential to offer a solution to the twin problems of organic waste management and livestock protein deficiency while the by-product can be used as a fertiliser.
Throughout the world, insect farming is on the rise as agricultural experts find that insects provide a sustainable source of protein on minimum land and resources.
They all agree that insects could provide a reliable, sustainable, safe, and cost-effective source of protein for small-scale livestock, fish and poultry farming.
The most popular is the black soldier fly which has unique composting abilities and high protein content.
Chickens love the black soldier fly larvae not only for nourishment, but also as a natural, stimulating pastime. This improves the health of chickens.
Recently, two experts from the Rural Development Administration of Korea (RDA) visited Zimbabwe to share technology knowledge of the black soldier fly larvae projects they are supporting SIRDC to implement.
"In South Korea, there are over 200 black soldier fly farms utilising the black soldier fly rearing technology developed by the RDA for year-round production," said Kwanho Park, an RDA entomologist specialising in black soldier fly.
"South Korea experiences harsh winters and hot summers, necessitating precise and advanced technologies for year-round production of black soldier flies. My team at the RDA possesses the technology to cultivate black soldier flies in various environments."
At present, the KOPIA Centre project is supporting SIRDC in Zimbabwe with suitable black soldier fly rearing technologies tailored to their environment.
"To rear black soldier flies in Zimbabwe, technologies capable of overcoming Zimbabwe's high and low temperatures are required. Additionally, addressing the supply of suitable feed for black soldier flies is crucial," Park said.
"Through the KOPIA Centre project, we aim to increase black soldier fly farms in Zimbabwe and enable farmers to use black soldier flies as poultry feed and aquaculture feed, creating new jobs and contributing significantly to farm income."
Lack of access to affordable protein sources for pigs, chickens and fish in rural areas often deters smallholder farmers from boosting their livestock production as they are less likely to have access to the required capital.
Smallholder farmers use soybean and other expensive feeds as protein sources for their animals.
But this has its limitations as the farmers have limited access to high quantities of soybean due to high cost.
This pushes the soybean based products out of the reach of smallholder farmers.
SIRDC and KOPIA see the black soldier fly initiative as a viable option that could provide the opportunity for smallholder farmers to shift towards a more reliable, profitable and ultimately more sustainable source of protein for their animals.
Through this initiative a number of farmers have been in various rural areas on how to derive chicken feed from housefly larvae feeding on pig manure.
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Entomologists say black soldier flies are one of the most efficient waste recyclers of the insect world as unlike common houseflies, they don't have mouths and are incapable of transmitting deadly diseases, posing minimal risk to human or animal health.
"Adult black soldier flies have one goal --to lay eggs. The resulting larvae can devour a wide range of food scraps and waste materials, quickly converting leftovers into protein," wrote one expert online. "From hatching, black soldier fly larvae only take 10-14 days to grow fully. At this adult stage, the larvae are fed to animals, providing a protein-rich food source for livestock."
Experts say that feeding insects to livestock has a smaller environmental footprint than conventional feed crops such as soybean meal.
Extensive research has shown that black soldier fly larvae can be fed to chickens, pigs and fish as a replacement for conventional protein feeds such as soybean meal and fish meal.
Economics matters most for smallholder farmers battling rising livestock feed prices. Insect-based feed has the potential to uplift rural livelihoods.
Leveraging on insects, with the right standards and innovative approaches can improve the overall food and nutrition security of the majority of rural farmers.
