USE AS FODDER URGED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 39, 12 January 1945, Page 5

USE AS FODDER URGED

WASTE ORANGE PEEL

ALL STOCK EXCEPT PIGS

The hundreds of tons of orangey skins dumped in Sydney rubbish tins each season by fruit-drink manufacturers could be used to supplement the feeding of dairy cattle stated Mr G. L. McClymontJ authority on animal nutrition in the: New South Wales Department ofL Agriculture. He was commenting on a report 'that sheep and cattle being fed orn orange skins at Mildura because of' the fodder shortage were doing well and in some instances showing a. preference for this type of feed. ! The skins contained 80 per cent* water, lie said but the solids chief-* ly carbo-hydrates with a little pro-r te.in were easily digestible and almost equal to grain in foocl value. Oversea experiments had shown orange peel to be very satisfactory as feed for all stock except pigs. Cows should not be fed with peel just before they were milked,' as ifc was possible the milk would be flavoured by essential oils in the peel. Mr G. D. Mc In tyre manager of Orange Crush Ltd., said very little use was made of the enormous quantity of citrus which was a waste product of metropolitan.. fruit-drink processors. A few cordial manufacturers extracted the essential oil content of a small quantity, a little was taken by jami , manufacturers for pectin ? and soim& was -candied, but many hundreds, oft tons annually were just carted to* rubbish tips.