Citrus Pulp in Formulated Diets

Most of the citrus fruits grown worldwide are oranges of various varieties. More than half of these are processed and have their juice extracted. The resultant wet citrus waste has been used for over 60 years as a source of feed for livestock. Most citrus pulp is now dried for convenience of storage and transport prior to feeding to ruminant livestock. Brazil and the U.S.A. are the largest exporters of dried citrus pulp in the world. Significant quantities are produced and utilized in Australia. Citrus pulp is primarily a low protein feed with a carbohydrate profile very different to the usual raw materials used by stockfeed manufacturers. It is a high energy feed, but contains virtually no starch and has more in common with dried spring forage, sugarbeet pulp or root crops than with cereal grains. As such 'it has advantages over cereal grains, particularly in formulated diets for ruminant animals. As a byproduct feed citrus Pulp from different sources may vary considerably in chemical composition, palatability and nutritive value. This variation is a characteristic of virtually all by-Product feeds.