Hanwoo Feed Mixed with By-products Like Rice Bran and Brewer's Grains: Feed Costs Down 11%, Income Up 42%

Rural Development Administration Promotes Spread and Advancement of On-Farm Total Mixed Ration (TMR)
Development and Distribution of the "Feed Formulation Program"
"Significant Benefits for Farms Raising More Than 100 Cattle"

It has been found that when farmers use self-produced Total Mixed Ration (TMR) feed—manufactured by utilizing grains, forage, and agri-food by-products such as spent mushroom substrate, brewers’ grains, and rice bran—they can reduce feed costs and the age at shipment, thereby increasing farm income.

The Rural Development Administration announced on June 24 that, based on these achievements, it will pursue the expansion and advancement of TMR technology. TMR allows farmers to select and mix feed ingredients tailored to the growth stage of Hanwoo cattle.

Jongmin Cho, Director of the National Institute of Animal Science at the Rural Development Administration, is explaining the plans for spreading and advancing the 'Total Mixed Ration (TMR)' technology at the Government Complex Sejong on the 24th. Rural Development Administration

Since 2012, the Rural Development Administration has been conducting research to expand the use of agri-food by-products as feed. To date, it has completed feed value assessments for a total of 47 types of agri-food by-products, including brewers’ grains, okara, canola meal, soymilk cake, and spent mushroom substrate. The relevant information has been incorporated into the "Korean Standard Feed Composition Table" and the "Hanwoo Self-Produced TMR Feed Formulation Program."

Additionally, to help farmers design optimal feed formulations according to their herd size and available ingredients, the Rural Development Administration has developed and distributed the "Hanwoo Self-Produced TMR Feed Formulation Program." As a result of expanded research and technology dissemination, the proportion of Hanwoo cattle fattened with TMR feed has risen from 2.14% in 2004 to 32.28% in 2024.

The Rural Development Administration has continuously incorporated field research outcomes into the Hanwoo Self-Produced TMR Feed Formulation Program to enhance its practical utility. In 2018, a short-term fattening program tailored to the growth characteristics of improved Hanwoo steers was added. In 2024, a technology for increasing feed amounts for pregnant cows was introduced, leading to an improvement in marbling score from 6.7 to 7.6 and an increase in the rate of 1++ grade appearance from 36.4% to 85.7%. Consequently, net profit per head of cattle increased by 880,000 won.

The effectiveness of the TMR pilot program has also been confirmed. To validate the field application of the self-produced TMR technology, a pilot project involving 42 farms across 16 cities and counties nationwide showed that the age at shipment was reduced from 30.9 months to 28.5 months, and feed costs decreased by 11.3%. Furthermore, the proportion of cattle achieving a marbling grade of 1+ or higher increased from 65.6% to 72.4%, and farm income rose by 41.6%.

The Rural Development Administration, together with the National Hanwoo Association and the Hanwoo Board, is continuously providing technical training and on-site consulting. Since 2024, technology transfer leaders have been operating TMR hub farms, with nine currently in operation nationwide and plans to increase to 18 by 2027. To alleviate the initial facility investment burden associated with adopting self-produced TMR, a joint manufacturing model is also under consideration. This approach, in which multiple farms jointly procure ingredients and use manufacturing facilities, aims to reduce costs for individual farms and expand the foundation for technology adoption. Through field demonstrations and pilot programs, the Rural Development Administration plans to ease initial investment burdens and broaden the technology’s adoption base.

Joyong Min, Director of the National Institute of Animal Science at the Rural Development Administration, stated, "The Hanwoo self-produced TMR feed technology is a practical field technology that utilizes agri-food by-products as feed resources, reducing production costs and increasing productivity. Based on the results confirmed through hub farm demonstrations, we will expand joint manufacturing models and on-site support to reduce the adoption burden for farmers and continue developing and disseminating technologies tailored to diverse farm conditions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.