The project ‘Inter-cooperation Canary Islands-Cuba for the development of animal feeding alternatives based on new varieties of cassava’, in which the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands collaborates through the Canary Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA), the Cuban Viands and Tropical Fruits Research Institute (INIVIT) and the University Without Borders Association (USF), has reached its collection phase with data that supports the potential of this tuber for feeding livestock in the Canary Islands.
The first records of the experimental harvest at ICIA’s Finca El Pico, in Tejina (Tenerife), indicate some average values of between four and six kilograms of cassava per plantso a total final production of between 16 and 19 tons is estimated for the 4,000 plants imported from Cuba.
These calculations would correspond to a yield per hectare of between 40 and 50 tons of fresh underground organs.
To check its adaptation to the Canary Islands and study its possible viability in feeding livestock in the archipelago, ICIA imported cuttings of four varieties of Manihot esculenta Krantz cassava property of INIVIT (Señorita, Y4, 80+1 and CMC).
On the occasion of the harvesting of the first experimental harvest, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty, Narvay Quintero, paid a visit this Thursday to the El Pico farm to learn about the progress of the study together with the president of the ICIA, Janira Gutiérrez Peraza; the manager of the University of La Laguna Foundation (ULL), Julio Brito; the vice-rector of Sustainability and Infrastructure of the ULL, Candela Díaz; the researchers from the Animal Production, Pasture and Forage Unit in Arid and Subtropical Zones of the ICIA, Pilar Méndez and Sergio Álvarez, as well as the member of the board of directors of USF, Plácido Bazo, and the advisor on International Cooperation of said entity, Felipe Sources.
Since the project started in June 2023, ICIA studies the viability of cassava for animal feedboth the roots as an energy supplement rich in carbohydrates for the production of feed, and the aerial part of the plant, which can be used for its high protein content as a forage crop.
In this sense, the counselor pointed out that this initiative also aims to “reduce the costs of livestock inputs, an activity that has been greatly affected by the increase in grain prices due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, between other conditions of the international context, which reduce livestock profitability, and reduce dependence on imports of these products by promoting local production.
In that line he added that “Animal feed costs can account for up to 50% of the costs of a livestock farm on the islands, which is why the Canary Islands Executive has been working since the beginning of the legislature on measures to reduce these inputs, such as the multiple modifications made to the Specific Supply Regime.
On the other hand, the director of the ICIA animal production, pasture and forage unit, Pilar Méndez, commented that although they are still in the agronomic assessment phase, the project is evolving well and they are “quite impressed” with the volume of the productions. .
Low water consumption
Additionally, he said, “the plants require low water consumption, similar to that of a sweet potato, and have had no major pests or diseases.”
Likewise, the ICIA researcher, Sergio Álvarez, indicated that “although it will mainly be used for animal feed, The project also contemplates its use for human consumptionsince it has high yields and is a reserve root that in Cuba, for example, serves as a substitute for cereals.”
Throughout 2025, the results of feed made with cassava will be evaluated in different species of local livestock, using palatability and intake tests in different species and by evaluating the final livestock products: milk, cheese, meat and eggs.
To this end, Cuban scientists specialized in the management of these varieties provide support in the different processes, focused mainly on goats, but with possibilities of adaptation to poultry through other conservation techniques such as dehydration or pelleting.
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