Utilization of Cooked Cassava and Taro as Alternative Feed in Enhancing Pig Production in Ecuadorian Backyard System

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Pork production in Ecuador is a significant contributor to the country’s economy and food security, producing 227,769 metric tons of meat and 1,969,922 pigs, including 1,019,570 fattening pigs. This industry provides employment for 80,000 people, with many operations being family-run and utilizing alternative feed ingredients made from agricultural by-products or surplus crops to reduce costs. This approach to farming not only helps to lower production costs and increase profitability, but also minimizes environmental impact by using local resources and reducing waste. In addition, research has demonstrated that incorporating alternative feedstuffs, such as cooked cassava and taro, as partial substitutes for corn can lead to improved growth and fattening in pigs, as well as increased protein assimilation at the ileum level. ABSTRACT: Pork production in Ecuador is of significant economic and nutritional importance. Many of these operations are family- or backyard-based and utilize alternative feed ingredients to reduce production costs. The current study aimed to determine the chemical composition of cooked cassava and taro, and to evaluate their inclusion in the feed of backyard pigs during the growth and fattening phases. A total of 42 castrated pigs from two geographic locations in Ecuador were studied over a period of 100 days, during which their weight and measurements were recorded at three-week intervals. At the end of the experiment, ileum samples were collected from the slaughtered pigs in order to calculate the apparent digestibility of the feed. The crude protein levels of cassava and taro were found to be 3.2% and 2.1%, respectively. The combination of cooked cassava and taro was found to be a suitable replacement for corn, with the best results observed in the group receiving a diet incorporating 21% each of cassava and taro. Analysis of the ileal content also revealed that this group exhibited the highest nitrogen assimilation from the diet.