Role of Feed Additives in Bangladesh

Poultry Industries
Md. Morshed Alam1

Abstract
Globally, feed additive is one of the most important factors of the poultry industry. The hybrid
poultry is highly sensitive to its nutritional requirements. The result or performance of the bird
depends largely on the supply of the quality ration with all the necessary nutritional elements
required by the bird. The nutrients in the raw materials used for poultry feeds are partly in a
form unavailable to the birds and feed additives help birds to fully utilize the nutrients of the
feed ingredients. On the other hand the people engaged in the marketing of these additives are
well equipped with the latest information of poultry farming and development around the
world, which ultimately benefits the farmers. Feed additive industry has encouraged the
farmers to increase the scale of production. This has reduced the cost of production and
shaped up poultry farming into an industry. There is no doubt that the development of the
poultry industry will speed up with the development of the feed additive industry.

Introduction
Feed additives played a vital role in the development of the Poultry Industry of Bangladesh
through its innovative technologies, which were backed up by the know-how to use these
technologies by the farmers. Before 1980s it was said that hybrid poultry couldnt be reared
properly due to its high mortality. Nowadays it is proved that hybrid poultry can be reared at
any scale and most of the credential due for this goes to the feed additive industry of
Bangladesh. It had not only provided the products and services required but also encouraged
the farmers to the commercial poultry farming, which became an emerging industry and a tool
for poverty alleviation with remarkable contributions to the national GDP. When Government
and other NGOs concentrated on the development of traditional and scavenging poultry
farming, the organizations engaged in the marketing of feed additives concentrated on the
commercial & hybrid poultry farming due to the fact that the local & scavenging or semiscavenging poultry farming needs least additives and the use of which are not even
economical. The whole poultry industry is now is about Taka 50 billion (1.00 US$ = Taka
59.00) and the feed additive market is about Taka 3 billion. Contributions of feed additives to
the total development of the poultry industry is increasing in terms of value, safe products,
technology transfer to the farmers and overall return per unit of investment of the farmers.
Though felt by the people that the feed additives increase the cost of production, but in reality
it helps the farmers to produce safe, economical and healthy end products like meat and eggs.
The ultimate consumers of these end products are human beings and the major
concern of all industries is the well being of the mankind. The excessive dependency of the
farmers on medications threatens the mankind with the term cross resistancy. Scientists
1

Managing Director, Axil Limited, Treasurer, Worlds Poultry Science Association

Bangladesh Branch (WPSA-BB), Treasurer, Animal Health Companies Association of
Bangladesh (AHCAB), Published in the 3rd International Poultry Show & Seminar 2003

and nutritionists for both humans and animals are worried about the implications of this term.
Feed additives have extended their hand to overcome this threat. We will have to assure
supply of food for the people around the world. We must also keep in mind that we will have
to do this without affecting the human health. To make up the equilibrium between the need
of human food and the safe production of these foods by using the potentiality of the inputs,
the role of feed additives has arose notably. In Bangladesh context, where farmers are not
even aware of their own nutritional needs, feed additive is one of the most important concerns
to ensure the sustainability of the poultry industry by helping the birds to fully utilize the
nutritional value of the feed not only for its own survival only but also to provide safe and
healthy end products to the consumers.

The World Population and the Food

In 1950 the worlds population was only 2.52 billion. Only after 40 years, in 1990 it doubled
and on the beginning on new millennium it crossed 6 billion (Table-1). The food habit around
the world, even in Bangladesh, has changed dramatically. People now require food not just to
fill their stomachs but also food which is nutritionally balanced and at the same time tasty,
healthy and safe. Crop production from per unit of cultivable land has already slowed down
due to the negative attitude of the people towards chemical fertilizers, pesticides and the
GMO (Gene Manipulated Organism). We can not increase crop production at the rate of
population growth, but we can improve and increase the efficiency of the cultivatable land
upto a certain level, but that is not enough to fight against the hunger. Rather more utilization
of the uncultivable land by livestock and poultry farming will help to overcome the situation.
Poultry farming is becoming more popular around the world, because it requires smaller
farming area, lower inputs, lower investment, and quick return on investment. Also it is well
accepted by most of the casts and religions around the world due to its nutritional value and
safeness for human health.
World Population

Source: United Nations Population Division

12.0

In Billion

10.0

8.91

8.0

6.06
6.0

4.0

2.52
0.30

2.0

Year

Figure 1: World population over the years

2150

2100

2050

2040

2030

2020

2010

2000

1999

1990

1980

1970

1960

1950

1940

1930

1920

1910

1900

1850

1800

1750

1500

1250

1000

Bangladesh Poultry Industry Scenario

In true sense the poultry industry of Bangladesh got the shape of an industry at the end of
1980s. Initially it was simply a hobby of the urban people which meet their own
consumption. Most of the farms were on top of roof of their own house. Some media,
specially a TV documentary program named Mati-O-Manush contributed a lot to encourage
the farmers to move for commercial farming. The then Government policy to provide credit to
the livestock farmers helped the farmers and entrepreneurs to start small scale poultry farms
and the farms rapidly grew around the capital Dhaka, since the consumers of these hybrid
poultry and eggs were largely situated in Dhaka and nearby areas. In 1990s the average birds
per farm were about 500, which has now reached to 2000 birds per farm. About 100,000
poultry farms are producing 250,000 metric tons of broiler meat and 6.5 billion eggs per
annum (Ref: Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association). Initially farmers used hand-mix
feed, which was very common till 1997. Onwards, especially the broiler farmers, habituated
to use the complete feed from the feed millers. As per our own study, about 40% of the broiler
farmers and about 20% of the layer farmers are using the complete feeds. 32 Feed Mill
industries are producing about 500,000 tons of complete feeds for poultry per annum, which
is about 25% of countrys total feed requirements. More than 120 hatcheries are producing
300 million Day Old Chicks per annum from 3 million Parent Stocks. By the end of 2003, 3
to 4 farms are coming into the market with the Grand Parent Stock. About 350 million people
are engaged directly or indirectly, in the poultry industry of Bangladesh. Bank investment is
about Tk. 2 billion and the total turnover from the industry is about Tk. 6 billion with an
annual growth rate of 20-25%, contributing 1.2% of the national GDP.

Definition and Classification of Feed Additives

Feed additives are the chemicals added to animal feed to make the necessary nutrients
available and prepare the animal body to fight against specific nutritional disorders or
deficiencies. The European Union defined the feed additives as (ref: Dir. 96/51 art. 31):
Feed additives are substances or preparations used in animal nutrition in order to:
Affect favorably the characteristics of feed materials or of compound feedingstuffs or
of animal products; or
Satisfy the nutritional needs of animals or improve animal production, in particular by
affecting the gastrointestinal flora or the digestibility of feedingstuffs; or
Introduce into nutrition, elements conductive to attaining particular nutritional
objectives or to meet the specific nutritional needs of animals at a particular time; or
Prevent or reduce the harmful effect caused by animal excretions or improve the
animal environment.

Feed Additives in European Agriculture

Agriculture

Grain Production

Horticulture

Animal Production

Animal Health

Animal Nutrition

Veterinary Products

Feed Additives

Distribution

Premix Industry

Primarily
Veterinary Profession

Feed Industry

Figure 2: Food additives in the European Union

Source: FEFANA, Belgium

There is clear distinction between veterinary medicine and feed additives, though many of the
people and the policy makers, including the customs authorities, make confusion in the
classifying these two groups. Sometimes it happens due to the ignorance about the products.
The European Union classified the feed additives as follows (Council Directive 70/524/EEC5th Amending Dir. 96/51 ref. Annex C & Council Directive 82/471/EEC):

Classification of Feed Additives

Supplements

Auxiliary Substances

Vitamins and provitamins

Anti-oxidants

Amino acids

Enzymes

Trace Elements

Probiotics

Non-Protein nitrogen
(NPN)

Flavors

Digestive Enhancers

Additives, which improve, feed

conversion efficiency

Disease-preventing
agents

Emulsifiers and pelleting agents

Additives preventing
coccidiosis (Intestinal
parasites)

Colorants, including pigments

Preservatives

Free-flowing agents

Acidifiers

Figure 3: Classification of the food additives in the European Union

Source: FEFANA, Belgium

In order to clarify the structure of the list of authorized additives, The European Union (Ref:
COM (2002) 153 final 2002/0073 (COD)) proposed the restricted number of broad categories:

01. Technical Additives

a. Preservatives: substances, including silage agents or, when applicable
microorganisms, which prolong the storage life of feedingstuffs and feed materials
by protecting them against deterioration caused by microorganism.
b. Antioxidants: substances, which prolong the storage life of feedingstuffs and feed
materials by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation.
c. Emulsifiers: substances that make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous
mixture of two or more immiscible phases in feedingstuffs.
d. Stabilizers: substances, which make it possible to maintain the physico-chemical
state of feedingstuffs.
e. Thickeners: substances, which increase the viscosity of feedingstuffs.

f. Gelling agents: substances, which give a feedingstuffs texture through the

formation of a gel.
g. Anti-caking agents: substances that reduce the tendency of individual particles of
a feedingstuffs to adhere to one another.
h. Acidity regulators: substances, which adjust the pH of feedingstuffs.

02. Sensory Additives

a) Colorants:
i) Substances that add or restore color in feedingstuffs, including natural constituents
of feed materials and natural sources, which are normally not, consumed as feed
materials;
ii) Substances which, when fed to animals, add or restore colors to food of animal
origin;
iii) Substances which, when used for the manufacture of processed feedingstuffs,
allow the identification of the origin of specific food or feed materials;
b) Flavoring and appetizing compounds:
Natural products obtained by appropriate physical, chemical, enzymatic or
microbiological processes from materials of vegetable or animal origin, or chemically
defined substances, the inclusion of which in feedingstuffs increases feed palatability.

03. Nutritional Additives

a) Vitamins
b) Trace elements
c) Amino Acids

04. Zootechnical Additives

a) Digestibility Enhancers: substances, which, when fed to animals, increase the
digestibility of the diet, through action on target feed materials.
b) Gut Flora Improvers: micro-organisms forming colonies or other chemically
defined substances, which, when fed to animals, have a positive effect on the gut
flora.
c) Growth Promoter: chemically defined substances which, when fed to animals,
improve production performance parameters.

05. Cccidiostats
Feed Additives and Bangladesh Poultry Industry
The most accepted feed additive in Bangladesh is the vitamin-mineral premix. Not a single
kilogram of feed for the commercial birds is without vitamin-mineral premix. Its a very
interesting market trend of the industry. The reason behind the trend is that in the beginning of
the poultry industry, farmers were not aware of the nutritional requirements of the birds and
for any deviation from their expectations; they used to depend on medications which lead
them to financial losses and shutting down of farms. The then multinational companies like
May & Baker identified the real problem of the farmers and they introduced the vitaminmineral premixes with an inclusion rate 2.5 Kg per MT. It made a revolution and farmers
accepted this. It is still believed that commercial poultry farming is not possible without
adding the vitamin-mineral premixes in feed as designed by the manufacturers for specific
species, ages and performances.

This Vitamin-mineral premix has still the highest market share in terms of volume in the feed
additive market of Bangladesh. The growth of this additive is quiet remarkable. Role of feed
additives in the development of the Bangladesh poultry industry can be identified by this
intendance. The flexibility and quick decision making ability, technical know-how of the
marketing people, continuous R&D and demand oriented products of the feed additive
industry encouraged the farmers to commercial farming. The broilers can be produced as per
market demand by changing feed formulation with required feed additives (Blyn Brown). Use
of excessive energy produces fat, which is not desirable for the consumers, and to get higher
lean meat in broiler body ration should be made to as per birds body requirements but with
change in low energy high protein. If the broilers is produced for the deboned (Fast food
chains have high demand for this) broilers, they will have to add extra amounts of amino acids
such as lysine, methionine and methionine+cystine than traditionally formulated diet.
Scientists believe that Feed Conversion Ratio is achievable upto 1.35 (Dr. J. M. McNab). If it
happens the first factor which will come on scene will be the feed additives. Feed additives
like enzymes, acidifiers, growth promoters with other management factors, breed, etc., will
make the dream into reality. Additives like enzyme helps the nutritionists to include the high
fiber, low energy feed ingredients like barley, cassava into their ration formulation. The use of
enzyme (Beta-glucanase) in wheat-based ration is very common. Inclusion of enzyme in cornsoya base ration also suggested by the nutritionist (Pack et el,), though it is not yet extensively
used in Bangladesh. In our country, most of farmers got least facilities to analyze their
feedstuffs frequently, since still about 70-75% of the feeds are hand-mix feed. So, they
depend on the book value of the feedingstuffs and many extend they cant rely on the nutrient
value of the ingredients. To be sure, they add extra protein or energy, which is waste of
money, and also have negative impact on nutrition of birds. Excess use of protein excretes
nutrients, which makes environmental problem, and in some cases produce poor quality
carcass (Blisters or hock burn). Inclusion of synthetic amino acid, like methionine, lysine, into
the feed formulation ensures the right amino acid profile, which helps nutritionists to
formulate desired feed, which saves money.
In Bangladesh ice police is one of the most abundant and cheapest feed ingredients, but it
cant be included into the poultry ration, even if its of the highest quality, in high percentage
due to the presence of phytic acid and its high fat content. Also it cant be stored for long due
to the rancidity. Inclusion of phytase enzyme to rice polish liberates phosphorus from the
phytic acid, which is absorbable to the poultry. Antioxidant use in the rice polish reduces the
rate of oxidation and rancidity, thus it can be kept for longer period and cost saving feed
formulation is possible. Poultry farming without the use of antibiotic through feed is the
demand of the consumers. But poultry gut is very sensitive to harmful microorganisms like
bacteria and it remains unprotected if the feed is not treated with antibacterial.
Acidifiers, prebiotics, probiotics developed by the feed additive manufacturers that is natural
has proved as the alternative of the antibacterial or antibiotics. The main feature of
Bangladesh climate is the high humidity (Average humidity is 80-85%) and high temperature
(Average Temperature is 20-25 degree Celsius). This climate is very favorable to the
microorganisms like bacteria & fungi to grow fast. Most of these are harmful to feed
ingredients as well as the birds. Fungi specially the molds infect the feed ingredients like
maize, wheat very quickly and later on it releases the toxins, known as mycotoxins of which
aflatoxin identified as the most harmful, which are one of the most vital factors, so far
identified by the poultry scientists, causing the loss of poultry farming. Couple of years back,
there was a panic on aflatoxin in Bangladesh due to wrongly interpreted news in a daily
newspaper. Feed additives like toxin binders, mould inhibitors help the farmers to overcome

the problem. The bacterium Salmonella is harmful for both animals and human. Poultry
products are an important source of pathogens that can enter the food chain. Salmonella
identified as the major cause of foodborne infections in the world, associated with
consumption of poultry products. Salmonella enterica is one of the most common bacteria
from poultry causing human disease. Salmonella infected poultry also infects its eggs in the
oviduct. Feed additives like short chain organic acid (Formic, acetic, Propionic) prebiotics,
probiotics, symbiotic are the best choice to fight against the salmonella and safe production of
poultry products for human consumptions.

SWOT Analysis of the Feed Additive Industry

Strength

Efficiency of the poultry farmers has been increased due to the presence of quality feeds
and feed additives
Farmers are willing to use the quality feed additives, since the awareness towards the
needs of the products increased with the co-operation of the activities of Governments
extension departments, big breeding farms, additive marketing companies.
Farmers are shifting promptly from hand-mix feed to complete feed produced by the feed
millers. It is helping the feed additive manufacturers to introduce more quality products
since it is comparatively systematic and comfortable to explain the information of the
products to the feed millers than the individual farmers as the feed millers got the basic
knowledge of the additives and nutrition of birds.
Since feed millers are buying bigger quantities, feed additives manufacturing companies
are in a position to produce bigger quantities which reducing the production and handling
costs and the benefits ultimately going to the poultry farmers.
Worldwide anti attitude of the consumers towards the antibiotic use of feed is helping the
feed additive industry to introduce innovative, natural and safe products to the industry
More talented veterinarians and nutritionists are joining in the feed additive marketing or
manufacturing companies in their marketing and research units, which was not common in
past. They used to prefer secured Government profession rather challenging private job.
Thanks to the veterinarians, nutritionists and poultry experts for having an anti-attitude
towards the use of antibiotic in feed from the beginning of the industry.
Food habit of the consumers is changing rapidly and many of the people, specially the
teenage group, like the broiler meat than the local chicken meat. Their habit to eat fastfood
will encourage the poultry farmers to grow deboned meat and value added meat which
will increase the use of quality feed additives
Fish was our main source of protein. Over last decades, the volume of fish has been
decreasing and people are consuming more broilers and eggs than before. This is helping
the feed additive market grow.
About 95% of the people of Bangladesh are non-vegetarian. Poultry meat and eggs are
well accepted by almost all casts and religions.
Awareness against the redmeat (Beef, mutton, etc.) is increasing and people are shifting to
whitemeat (chicken, duck).

Weakness

Inadequate attention by the policy makers to the feed additives increased the cost. Most of
the cases the feed additives were misinterpreted as veterinary drugs and they had to pass
through lots of undesired and unnecessary formalities, which suffered the industry lots.

Since feed additives are used by the live industry it should be treated as priority sector.
Unfortunately most of the time it feed additives stuck into long bureaucratic procedures
while the bird suffers.
Improper credit system in the market is a big problem. The distributors or even farmers
buy products on credit but in many of the cases they are not willing to payback and the
amount of increasing bad debt is increasing the cost of products.
Many of the farmers dont have adequate formal training or knowledge on poultry farming
and it makes room for some people to sell low quality feed additives to the farmers. Thus
increasing the cost of production and also in some cases farmers being frustrated about the
product group.
Insufficient data or information on commercial poultry farms and other linkage industries.
Department of Livestock Services, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and other
Governments departments preserve and publish the data on total poultry and there is no
separate data on commercial poultry farms.

Opportunity

After 2004, the world market will be changed and the market will be more competitive
with the affect of WTO Rules. It will be also a good opportunity for our poultry market to
enter into the developed market since the in the developed country they will have to
reduce or lift the subsidy from their poultry industries. The production costs will be much
higher than the developing countries like us. At the same time the developed country will
only accept products from other countries that will follow the SPS (Sanitary and Phyto
Sanitary) rules. To follow the SPS, the poultry industry will be needed safer and natural
feed additives in their production systems.
Clear classification of the feed additives and exempting them from all sort of Import
Duties, VAT and other Duties will encourage the quality and innovative feed additives to
enter into the market, which will reduce the cost of production and will increase the
efficiency of poultry farming.
Exchange of information on poultry farming amongst the poultry farmers, experts,
scientists, etc by using internet, seminars, etc. will speed-up the growth of the industry.
The disposable income of the urban people is increasing and food habit is changing
rapidly, it will help the poultry industry as well as the feed additive industries to grow
further.
Promotion of broilers meat and eggs as the safe healthy food, through mass media like
TV, Newspaper, etc, will increase the consumer awareness, which will increase the
consumption of the poultry products.

Threat

With the liberalization of Government import policy, may encourage the sub-standard
feed additives to enter the market.
If we cannot control the border areas seriously, both the poultry industry and feed additive
manufacturers may collapse. The cost of production of the poultry products in neighboring
countries are lower since they produce basic raw materials and feed ingredients by
themselves. Furthermore big part of their consumers is vegetarian.
Our industry is import oriented, major feed ingredients, parent stocks, feed additives, etc.,
and are imported. It is very risky for such a live industry depending on others. When the
exporting countries of these feed ingredients face shortage, they ban exporting and our
birds strive for feeds and it lead farms to shut or run in loss. We shall have to change our
cropping pattern to provide the poultry industry with adequate feed ingredients.

Conclusion
The poultry industry of Bangladesh is passing through a self-corrective path and it needs
strong support from all concerned to stand on its own foot. The feed and feed industries are
the most expensive part of the working capital of the poultry industry. About 75%-80% of the
management cost of poultry farming is spent for the feed and about 10%-15% of the feed cost
goes after the feed additives. In Bangladesh, we do not have the basic raw materials sources
of the feed additives and are mostly dependent on imports from developed countries.
Adequate attention needed from the government policy makers to identification and
classification of the feed additives in light of the real needs of the poultry industries and
support the feed industry in form of duty exemption, prompt registration, priority in
establishing industries, priorities in the sea/air ports in clearing the goods. Poultry industry as
well as other linkage industries should be considered by the policy makers as a real industry.
These industries are always protected or reared by the countries, both developed and
developing, in form of subsidy or export incentives. Thus to provide a healthy environment
for this industrys growth, it must be considered as a top priority sector like readymade
garments or information technology.

REFERENCES
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh 2000, 21st Edition.
Blyn Brown (2001), Enhancing Broiler Profitability for Specific Product Mix.
Commission of the European Communities, Brussels, Proposal for a Regulation of the
European parliament and of the council on additives for use in animal nutrition.
Danny M. Hooge (1999), Arkansas Conference: Poultry Nutrition Past, Present and Future.
Dr. J. M. McNab, Roslin Institute (Edinburgh) in the 26th Poultry Science Symposium on
Poultry Feedstuffs, Supply, Composition and Nutritive value - The Scientific Challenge
Ahead.
Ensminger, M. E , Oldfield, J. E., Heinemann, Feeds & Nutrition Second Edition, pp 262-263
European Federation of the Animal Feed Additive Manufacturers (FEFANA), Feed Additives
Catalogue
F. Van Immerseel, K. Cauwerts, L.A. Devriese, F. Haesebrouck & R. Ducatelle, Feed
additives to control Salmonella in poultry.
Micheal Pack, Micheal Bedford & Craig Wyatt, Feed Enzymes for Corn-Soybean Broiler
Diets
National Academy Press, Nutrient Requirements of Poultry Ninth Revised Edition, 1994
Nuria Canibe, Ricarda M Engberg & Bent B. Jensen, Danish Institute of Agriculture Sciences,
Research Centre Forum, Denmark, An Overview of organic acids on gut flora and gut health
Poultry Sector Development Project, CIDA-DLS,Dhaka, PSDP Technocal Bulletin Feed
Milling & Poultry Production
Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP), Food Security for a Growing
World Population
U. S. Bureau of the Census (USBC), Historical Estimates of the World Population

10