Potential use of mud clam (Geloina coaxans) in producing sauce with papaya crude extraction as a protein hydrolysing agent

Mud clam (Geloina coaxans) are underutilised food source due to the lack of consumer preference in Sri Lanka. Hence, this study was conducted to produce clam sauce as a value added product using the muscle of mud clams by means of accelerated fermentation method. Specimens were collected from Tambalagam Bay, Sri Lanka. Shell length, height, inflation, total weight with shell and without shell were 6.3 ± 0.4 cm, 5.3 ± 0.3 cm, 3.5 ± 0.3 cm, 83.1 ± 13.4 g and 14.9 ± 1.3 g respectively. The extracted mean meat yield was 14.9 ± 1.3% per mud clam. Moisture, crude protein, crude lipid and ash (dry weight) content of raw meat were 80.45 ± 0.89%, 64.14 ± 0.96%, 3.55 ± 0.39% and 7.54 ± 0.61% respectively. Final sauce product shows liquid yield, energy value, 0Brix value, pH, % NaCl, total nitrogen, moisture and ash content as 98.3 ± 5.5 ml 100g–1, 2124 ± 133 J g–1, 24.3 ± 0.9%, 5.02 ± 0.04, 14.53 ± 0.27%, 0.27 ± 0.01%, 74.06 ± 0.56% and 19.66 ± 1.99% respectively. The study concluded that the mud clam meat is a possible candidate as a raw material for the production of clam sauce

Comparison of Technical Efficiency and Socio-economic Status in Animal-crop Mixed Farming Systems in Dry Lowland Sri Lanka

Pre-tested, structured questionnaires covered management aspects, inputs, outputs, socio-economic situations and constraints in dairy farming among Semi-intensive (SIFS) and Extensive farming systems (EFS) in dry-lowland Sri Lanka. Parametric data were analyzed using two-tailed‘t’ and ‘Z’ tests, and non-parametric values were analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher’s extract tests. Cobb-Douglas model was used to calculate meta-frontier and system-specific frontiers. Returns in SIFS are lower than EFS. Labor costs are 91.72% and 87.26% in EFS and SIFS respectively. Counting family labor, SIFS has no comparative surplus. Excluding this, dairying is profitable even in SIFS. Dairying provides EFS family insurance where selling animals increases income. Discouragement of this in SIFS impacts negatively on sustainable income. Integration is comparatively minimal in EFS. Established with the best practices and technologies available, SIFS requires external resources to enhance efficiencies. If all EFS farmers achieved best farmer TE, output could increase by 45.09%. Similarly, SIFS output could increase by 57.08%. Farmer education and training programs contribute to improved production efficiency. Grassland scarcity and low productivity affect output adversely; poor veterinary and extension services are major constraints. Farmers consider dairying as profitable, which secures its future. Contrastingly, 35.19% of farmers believe it is low status, preferring professional jobs despite lower comparative incomes

Genetic parameters for milk yield in imported Jersey and Jersey-Friesian cows using daily milk records in Sri Lanka

ObjectiveEstimate genetic parameters for milk yield traits using daily milk yield records from parlour data generated in an intensively managed commercial dairy farm with Jersey and Jersey-Friesian cows in Sri Lanka.MethodsGenetic parameters were estimated for first and second lactation predicted and realized 305-day milk yield using univariate animal models. Genetic parameters were also estimated for total milk yield for each 30-day intervals of the first lactation using univariate animal models and for daily milk yield using random regression models fitting second-order Legendre polynomials and assuming heterogeneous residual variances. Breeding values for predicted 305-day milk yield were estimated using an animal model.ResultsFor the first lactation, the heritability of predicted 305-day milk yield in Jersey cows (0.08 ± 0.03) was higher than that of Jersey-Friesian cows (0.02 ± 0.01). The second lactation heritability estimates were similar to that of first lactation. The repeatability of the daily milk records was 0.28 ± 0.01 and the heritability ranged from 0.002 ± 0.05 to 0.19 ± 0.02 depending on day of milk. Pearson product-moment correlations between the bull EBVs in Australia and bull EBVs in Sri Lanka for 305-day milk yield were 0.39 in Jersey cows and -0.35 in Jersey-Friesian cows.ConclusionThe heritabilities estimated for milk yield in Jersey and Jersey-Friesian cows in Sri Lanka were low, and were associated with low additive genetic variances for the traits. Sire differences in Australia were not expressed in the tropical low-country of Sri Lanka. Therefore, genetic progress achieved by importing genetic material from Australia can be expected to be slow. This emphasizes the need for a within-country evaluation of bulls to produce locally adapted dairy cows