The guar is a widely recognised raw material that used in the production of animal feeds. The plant is mainly cultivated in India, Pakistan and in various parts of the Asian continent where the climatic conditions favour the growth of the crop.
The crop has also been successfully cultivated in countries such as the United States of America, South Africa, Brazil, Zaire and Sudan. There have also been numerous efforts to cultivate the plant in Australia, China and Thailand.
The Main importing countries for the guar and related products remain as the United States of America and Germany. Currently, India is the largest producer, with a production of over 1.2 million tons produced so far.
Purposes of Guar Production
The crop can be grown for traditional purposes such as human consumption, cattle feed, medicinal purposes, crop and soil improvement. Apart from these, the crop has major industrial applications due to the special properties exhibited by the guar powder.
Guar Gum
Guar Gum is produced from the endosperm of the seed which constitutes 35 to 42 % of the total seed content.
- The guar has various technical applications such as textile printing, paper making and production of explosives, mining of petroleum, water treatment and in fire fighting applications.
- As human food, the powder is used in frozen foods, bakery, dairy products and in canned food processing.
- In pharmaceuticals industry, the guar is used as a laxative, slimming aid, management of diabetes, tablets manufacturing, ointments and in cosmetics manufacturing.
The by-products from the processing of the plant seeds comprise of the husks and germ mixture which are excellent sources of protein for animal feed mainly in cattle and poultry feeds.
In similarity to the soy bean meal, the guar meal contains chemical ingredients such as the beta mannan, saponins, and natural trypsin inhibitors that create the need for toasting to be done to enhance its nutritive value and digestibility. The feeding value of these by products is also enhanced with the incorporation of enzymes during preparation. In comparison to the soy bean, however, the guar has equal or slightly lesser protein content.
Nutrient Profile of the Guar Churi
The nutrient composition of the guar meal comprises of:
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Crude Protein
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NE lactose( Kcal)
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ME layers ( kcal)
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Fat
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Crude fiber
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Lysine
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The guar meal is recognised to have a high fibre content and therefore much lower usage in the manufacturing of poultry feeds, but the product has been successfully utilized in the layer feeds and ruminant feeds production.
Processing Technique
The method used in processing of the guar feed is critical to the usage of the product as an animal feed. This is because it affects the contents of the end products that will be realised.
Conclusion
The guar meal is a recognised supply of the protein ingredient in the animal feed. The husks obtained after processing of the guar seed serve as the raw material for animal feed processing and production. The meal offers many other nutrients to the body and thus a good feed for animals and pets.