Sugar cane and by-products of the sugar agro-industry in ruminant feeding: A review

Introduction. Sugarcane tends to increase its production demands, considering the world macroeconomic perspectives, due to the high demand of sugar and molasses for agro-industrial production. Objective. The objective of this review was to determine the state of the art about the use of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) crop and byproducts derived from its agro-industrial processing in ruminant feeding. Development. The sugarcane industry, as a species supplier of different raw materials and by-products resulting from the transformation to raw cane sugar or sugar, presents in the majority of countries dedicated to cultivation, some technological issues related mainly to the waste and wastage of bagasse, the cachaza and dehydrated cachaza. However, there are several studies showing the use of by-products in animal feed especially ruminants through various technologies, that improve the quality and availability of nutrients in them to be used by the animal. Conclusions. The sugarcane by-products have been used to make flours, silage, and supplementary blocks. This opens new paths for a sustainable and environmentally friendly production system. Furthermore, they allow to put aside the conception that was had in Colombia that the agro-industrial by-products were of low value and their obtaining generate a negative environmental impact.