APTA Regional de Colina, of the São Paulo Agribusiness Technology Agency (APTA), with the support of the Agribusiness Research Development Foundation (Fundepag), is developing a project to transform Brazilian livestock through the implementation of technologies that increase bioeconomic efficiency and sustainability. The project, called “Bioeconomic Sustainability in the Production of Confined Beef Cattle”, focuses on the evaluation of alternatives to the use of antibiotics, the introduction of alternative feed that improve meat performance and quality, and the impact of breeding on the efficiency of animal finishing.
Flávio Dutra de Resende, a zootechnician and PhD in Ruminant Production from the Federal University of Viçosa (MG), coordinates the project, which aims to maximize livestock productivity and profitability while minimizing costs and environmental impact. To this end, the initiative also has a public-private collaboration involving Unesp (Jaboticabal and Botucatu campuses), Companhia Sul Americana de Pecuária S.A. (CSAP) and the animal nutrition company Alltech, promoting the integration between scientific research and practical application.
In the initial phase, the project supported the evaluation of additives that can replace the use of antibiotics in the production of confined beef cattle, a direct response to the growing demands of the consumer market for high-quality meat. “The State of São Paulo, one of the largest cattle feeding centers in Brazil, is an ideal setting for these innovations thanks to its large industrial processing capacity and the diversity of alternative foods from agro-industrial waste,” says Resende.
However, the coordinator explains that one of the main challenges is the strict demands of export models, especially from the Chinese consumer market, which is one of the main importers of beef from Brazil and imposes increasingly strict requirements, such as a maximum age of 30 months for slaughter. In order to meet these requirements, producers must reduce the time spent raising and finishing animals, which is a major challenge in terms of bioeconomic efficiency.
The intensification of production by reducing the time can increase productivity, but it does not always translate into higher income for the producer. Therefore, the project seeks alternatives that not only increase production, but are also environmentally, productively and economically sustainable, ensuring the competitiveness of producers in domestic and foreign markets.
Essential oils: studies point to an alternative to the use of antibiotics in the diet of confined cattle
Although the field phases of the first subproject “Effect of Essential Oil Blending on the Diet of Confined Nellore Cattle on Carcass Performance and Characteristics” are still ongoing, the project is already beginning to show its first results.
During the 4th Beefday, held in August in Colina (SP), which was attended by 2,380 cattle ranchers from different parts of Brazil and countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia and Panama, promising progress was shared. “The highlight was the feasibility of replacing antibiotics with essential oils in the diet of confined cattle, a solution that meets the growing demands of the consumer market for more sustainable practices,” says Resende.
As more companies join the project, the initial goals of improving bio-economic efficiency and reducing environmental impact are closer to being achieved. “Apta Regional de Colina, nationally recognized for its research on beef cattle, has attracted the interest of private sector companies, especially in the area of animal nutrition, for future partnerships and the development of new technologies,” said the coordinator.
Fundepag’s support has been critical to the success of this pioneering project. As this is a public-private partnership involving the collaboration of companies from the private sector in the development of research at APTA Regional de Colina, it was necessary to create specific notices to attract interested partners. “The Foundation played a central role in the preparation and dissemination of these announcements, which led to the adhesion of the company Alltech as the first partner in the project. From this collaboration, it was possible to start the subproject that evaluates the use of essential oils in the diet of confined cattle, in line with the sustainability and bioeconomic efficiency objectives of the initiative,” says Resende.
