Palm kernel expeller (PKE) is no longer available in most of Munster and Leinster. The Irish Farmers Journalunderstands that Dairygold, Kerry Agribusiness, McDonnell Brothers, Brett Brothers, Gain and Liffey Mills are all sold out of palm kernel.The feed has become popular in recent weeks as farmers have started feeding it to cattle in response to the drought.
Palm kernel expeller (PKE) is no longer available in most of Munster and Leinster. The Irish Farmers Journalunderstands that Dairygold, Kerry Agribusiness, McDonnell Brothers, Brett Brothers, Gain and Liffey Mills are all sold out of palm kernel.
The feed has become popular in recent weeks as farmers have started feeding it to cattle in response to the drought.
Controversial
The advantage of PKE is that it can be fed ad-lib, with animals regulating their own intakes.
The feed is somewhat controversial, with Glanbia advising its milk suppliers not to feed PKE as it can affect the ability to process butterfat.
Speaking at the Glanbia/Teagasc open day at Kildalton College on Thursday, Martin Ryan from Glanbia said it is a poor-quality feedstuff and should not be fed in quantities greater than 3kg/day.
However, many dairy farmers have begun feeding PKE as it is easy to manage. With PKE no longer available, farmers will probably switch to feeding more soya hulls. It is not known when the next shipment of PKE will come in.
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