FARMERS WEEKLY
Understanding The Black Soldier Fly
Charlotte Cunningham reports from the Insects As Food and Feed Conference, hosted by the Royal Society of Entomology. Our Business Development Director, Desmond Cave was in attendance and was asked to contribute his thoughts to the “Why Insects Could Be The Future Of Pig Dietary Protein” article. See the snippet from the article below to see what he had to say;
“The Black Soldier Fly originates from South America. An adult fly measures about 30mm, while the larvae are about 15-29mm in length. The larvae are of most interest at present to UK farmers as they can be fed to poultry, pigs, trout and salmon. The larvae can also be dried, processed and fed as a protein powder, which can be used as a substitute for soya. However, under current legislation, insect protein meal cannot be fed. A large volume of feed is required to grow larvae, and this is mainly converted into protein, as well as oil and carbohydrates. Growth from 1mm to 15mm takes place over about 14 days – depending on fed, temperature and so on. Consistent temperatures of 28C are necessary and growing larvae can be done in a number of ways, including trays, barrels and long troughs. A lot of insect farmers fed supermarket produce that is past its sell-by date or spent grain from brewers or distilleries, for example. Whatever the feed source, consistency is vital to ensure consistent larvae production.” – Desmond Cave, Business Development Director – Beta Bugs Ltd
Read the second issue of Beta Buzz – Beta Buzz – The MUST-HAVE Insect Farming Publication
