STATUS AND PROSPECTS FOR THE USE OF INSECTS IN COMPOUND FEED PRODUCTION

Due to the rapid growth of the population and the growing consumption of meat products, the issue of finding alternative sources of animal protein in feed production is more acute than ever. Insects are a promising protein component in feed production today. The article examines the state and prospects for the use of insects that have a high nutritional value, consume less resources and are environmentally friendly. The volumes of protein production obtained from fly larvae, flour worms and other insect species are given. The distribution of the use of insects for different types of animal husbandry, poultry farming and aquaculture in recent years is given. The main world leaders companies engaged in the cultivation of larvae and breeding of worms are presented. A comparative analysis of the content of crude protein and fat in various types of insects and traditional protein sources such as fish and soy meal is presented. A literature review of the results of the use of insects in the feeding of pigs and poultry by the world's leading scientists is presented. Insect-based animal feeds have been shown to have advantages over grain-based feeds. Test results are shown showing that crickets, black soldier flies and worms have the same protein digestibility as soy and provide more lipids, vitamins and minerals. The inclusion of insects in compound feed is one of the strategies for finding alternatives to create conditions for animal feeding that would be consistent with the concept of sustainable development. Data from a study on the effect of insects on egg production is also presented, which showed that yolk color, shell tear strength, and shell thickness were significantly increased by the addition of black soldier fly larvae. The results of studies on the use of insects in feeding fish are analyzed. The use of protein-chitin concentrate of Hermetia illucens larvae in feeding tilapia showed that it almost completely corresponds to fishmeal in terms of nutritional value.