Aflatoxin Contamination in Dairy Feed During Wet and Dry Season in Sellected Rural Areas of Sidama Zone Southern Ethiopiaaflatoxin Contamination in Dairy Feed During Wet and Dry Season in Sellected Rural Areas of Sidama Zone Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conduct in the southern region of Ethiopia. The objectives were to assess occurrence and level of aflatoxin B 1 contamination in dairy cow feeds. The main analytical technique used was Enzyme linked imunosorbent assy(ELISA). Two way ANOVA was used to analyze season and location interaction effect. Laboratory analysis showed that 81.2% of the feed samples had detectable level of AFB 1 within the range of 0.067-29.69 µg/kg and with an average of 7.91±5.83 µg/kg. From the positive samples, 52.5 and 4.58% of the feed sample were above EU (5 µg/kg) and USA (20 µg/kg) limit for dairy cattle feed respectively. Average AFB 1 concentration during dry season (8.74± 5.6 µg/kg) is significantly higher (P<0.05) than wet season (7.02± 5.86 µg/kg). This result implies that sustainable good practices should be maintained for all feeds harvesting, storage and feeding practices by feed producers and dairy farmers regarding aflatoxin contamination.