1. General Details and Applications

1. PHYTASE

1. GENERAL DETAILS AND APPLICATIONS

All vegetable matters, particularly grains, cereals and pulses or most of the components of animal feed, contains Phytic acid. This Phytic acid has the ability to adsorb all the minerals like phosphate, calcium, magnesium, iron etc. because of the electrical chares present in them.

The ruminents have a certain amount of ability for production of Phytase enzyme to digest Phytic acid and release the minerals to a limited extent and hence certain amount of these mineral are available to the animal system

Phytase enzyme has the ability to completely breakdown Phytic acid into simpler substances and prevents the adsorption of minerals present in the feed. Hence, it is a great boon to the animal system and all the mineral components present in the feed are made available for the animals for absorption and for further metabolism.

Replacement Level of Dicalcium Phosphate

Phytase can be used to replace Dicalcium Phosphate in animal feed, possibly to the level of 50% to 60%

Use Level of Dicalcium Phosphate

Dicalcium Phosphate is used in the animal feed as calcium and phosphate minerals.

Cattle feed requirement

The requirement of the mineral mixtures for supplementing cattle feed is given below:

Moisture % by mass, max. 5 Calcium % by mass, min 28 Phosphorus % by mass, min 12 Iron, % by mass, min. 0.50 Iodine (as KI), % by mass 0.026 min. Copper, % by mass, min. 0.077 Manganese, % by mass, 0.12 min Cobalt, % by mass, min.9 0.013 Fluorine, % by mass, max. 0.04 Zinc, % by mass, min. 0.18 Acid insoluble ash, % by 2.5 mass,max 2. DEMAND FOR ANIMAL FEED

The present cattle and buffalo population in the country is estimated to be around one hundred million.

The composition of the ration of a 550 kg. cow is given below.

Composition Unit Calcium Phosphorous Maintenance (daily gm/kg dry matter 2.1 1.8 intake kgm dry matter) End of gestation gm/kg dry matter 3.3 2.2 (intake 13 kg dry matter) Lactation (intake 16 gm/kg dry matter 8 4 kg dry matter)

It is known that major segment of the cattle and buffalo population in the country are fed only by the conventional feed. Even in cases where produced cattle feed are given, the quantity is often much less than the minimum specified levels. Obviously, this is due to the general low purchasing power in the country and also the comparatively poorer quality of the animal, who may not give adequate yield of milk, even with higher dosages of cattle feed.

Considering all these aspects, the actual demand for the cattle feed in the country could be far less than the potential demand.

The ration intake for a 550 kg. of cow is given above, As per the above figure, the potential demand for cattle feed in the country should be as high as 432 million tonnes per annum. This is a very high and impossible figure in the present Indian conditions and context.

During the field survey, it is evident that less than 10% of the cattle are being fed regularly by the cattle feed at prescribed levels in the country.

Considering that the content of Dicalcium Phosphate in the cattle feed is 2% and considering that 5% of potential demand may exist, the potential demand for Dicalcium Phosphate by the cattle feed industry is estimated to be around 1.4 lakhs tonnes per annum

Poultry feed Requirement in million kg. 76.5 million hybrid layers at 3060 40 kg/bird/year 40 million growers at 7.5 300 kg/grower per year 10 million cross-bred layers 200 at 20 kg/bird/year 5 million crosbred growers 50 at 10kg/grower 168 million broilers at 3.05 512 kg/broiler 20 million cockeres at 2 40 kg/bird 3 million Gp/parent stock 150 breeding stock at 50 kg/bird Subtotal 4312 5% for mortality, culling etc 216 Total 4528

Considering use level of 2% of Dicalcium Phosphate in the poultry feed, the consumption level of Dicalcium Phosphate in the poultry feed itself will be around one lakh tonnes.

The total consumption of Dicalcium Phosphate in the country as animal feed input including cattle and poultry feed is estimated to be around 2.4 lakh tonnes per annum.

3. DEMAND ASSESSMENT FOR PHYTASE

Substitution for Dicalcium Phosphate

Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP), which is one of the important additives presently used in animal feed , can be replaced by Phytase enzyme.

It is estimated that 10 kg of DCP can be replaced by 250 gms of Phytase enzyme.

4. POTENTIAL DEMAND FOR PHYTASE

Considering that around 50 to 60% of DCP can be replaced by Phytase enzyme, the potential demand for Phytase enzyme in the cattle and poultry feed is around 4000 tonnes per annum.

However, the present demand level is around 200 tonnes per annum.

Annual growth rate in demand : 10 to 12% per annum

5. SUPPLY SCENARIO

Indian requirement of Phytase enzyme is largely imported and supplied by Novo Nordisk.

It is claimed that the Indian units namely Biocon, Kaypeeyes also produce Phytase Enzyme though the quality level are said to be not equivalent to the level of Novo Nordisk. The quality level of the Indian product are said to be inferior to that of Novo Nordisk with regard to the purity content of the product. In the Phytase enzyme produced by the Indian units, it is reported that there is also the presence other enzymes such as cellulase and others in marginal quantities.

Present Demand Level for Phytase enzyme

The potential demand, as stated above for Phytase enzyme in India is estimated as 4000 tonnes per annum.

Considering that the present Phytase usage level is confined to around 5% of the animal feed production of the country, the present estimated demand for Phytase enzyme in the country in the animal feed is around 200 tonnes per annum.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS

Phytase is a good investment opportunity in biotech sector. It would be preferable to implement the project in the large industrial enzyme complex, where number of other enzymes can also be produced. This would give considerable strength for the project from the point of technology, research and development and market thrust.

Recommended capacity 300 tonnes per annum

Estimated project cost Rs.4 crores