Traditionally, cows in Las Tunas have eaten the grass that grows in the pastures, and to complement their nutrition there was always purge honey, industrial feed, and other food, which together with the wide availability of veterinary medicines, was a paradise for cattle breeders.
Jobabo, Las Tunas.- The tightening of the U.S. blockade against Cuba was a contraction of the screws for the activity, which led to an increase in deaths and decrease in production indicators, especially in meat and milk, in addition to a decrease in the mass.
This, together with the intense droughts that cyclically affect the territory of Las Tunas and the slow incorporation of the state and private sector producers to what is an urgency: for the cows to eat, their food must be planted. There are no other options left.
Several initiatives are being put into practice, such as the Jobipienso factory of the Integral Agricultural Company Las Tunas, which produces industrial feed - with national raw materials -, and native feed with protein and forage plants.
Nólbert Martínez Gamboa, a technician of the entity, explained that the main varieties they process in the small industry in the municipality of Jobabo are mulberry, moringa, and tree marigold, although they also work with common jack bean, king grass, and sugarcane."The feed we produce is entirely destined for cattle, as a supplement to their nutrition. In the paddocks, they eat cultivated or natural grasses and, in the resting places, they are given a percentage of that feed.
"Our factory has an installed capacity of 10 tons; but, for different reasons, we only make one or two tons of protein plant flour per day."
Only eight workers produce the creole feed that is marketed for the production units of six municipalities, although another 12 workers from the agricultural sector, responsible for two farms of 20 hectares each, are an important part of this work.
"We have as an advantage that is that we produce the raw material we use. We also process part of what is sown in other areas of the province."
Due to its high nutrient content, Jobipienso's final product is not only a contribution during the months of the dry season but also an important support for the cattle fattening program and the increase in milk production.
This alternative has a favorable impact on the country's food sovereignty, which is expected to guarantee the nutrition of large livestock while avoiding the expenditure of some 550 million dollars for animal feed purchased abroad.
