Using olive by-products in ruminant diets to boost the olive and livestock economy

The shortage of pastures in Andalusia and the high price of conventional feed for livestock means that livestock systems are becoming less and less competitive. Alleviating the economic crisis in the sector requires the availability of non-conventional feeds that allow the prices of livestock diets to be reduced, ensure the maintenance of the quality of animal products or improve it, as well as reduce the environmental impact of livestock farming. Agro-industrial by-products and, in Andalusia, especially those derived from the olive sector, can play an important role in this context.

The Operative Group, especially the Zaidín Experimental Station, has solid scientific experience in the use of by-products from the olive industry in feeding small ruminants (sheep and goats). They have also developed a low-cost technology, the production of multi-nutrient blocks, which has been successfully tested in the Recupera Program with greenhouse by-products.