Davao City—The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said a researcher from the Davao Oriental State University is studying the feasibility of using cacao waste materials as alternative feed for bangus (milkfish).
Dr. Edison Roi Macusi, associate professor at the university, is currently conducting his research on cacao waste as possible feed materials.
The study received funding recently from the DOST. A memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the research project was signed by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 11 (BFAR-11) and the Davao Oriental State University.
The World Bank-funded Philippine Rural Development Project Mindanao (PRDP) also contributed P1.7 million for the project.
The funding was part of the Investments for Planning at the Local and National Levels (I-PLAN) convergence initiatives of DA that supports the implementation of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan.
Macusi said the high cost of feeds “is the number one identified problem in terms of milkfish aquaculture.” He will serve as the project’s team leader.
“One of the objectives of the project is to examine and develop locally available feed materials such as cacao waste materials. Hopefully, we can develop cheaper alternative feed ingredients,” he said.
The project titled “Enhancing Food Security, Social Inclusion, and Sustainability in the Milkfish Aquaculture Through the Use of Indigenous Raw Materials as Feed Components,” started last month and would conclude by December.
Dr. Anthony Sales, DOST-11 regional director, said he looks forward to the successful implementation of the project.
“We signed this MOA and we funded this project because we are committed to the objectives of PRDP and its component projects which are also aligned with our mandates and programs in research, development, and innovation,” Sales said.
Abel James Monteagudo, regional director of DA-Regional Field Office 11 and also the project director for the PRDP Mindanao Cluster, said the partnership with Davao Oriental State University would help address the country’s food security issues.