Practical short course on feeds & pet food extrusion

A one week Practical Short Course on Feeds & Pet Food Extrusion will be presented Jan. 29- February 3, 2012 at Texas A&M University by staff, industry representatives, and consultants. The program will cover information on designing new feed mills and selecting conveying, drying, grinding, conditioning and feed mixing equipment.

Current practices for production of pet foods, preparing full-fat soy meal; recycling fisheries by-products, raw animal products, and secondary resources; extrusion of floating, sinking, and high fat feeds; spraying and coating fats, digests and preservatives; use of encapsulated ingredients and preparation of premixes, and least cost formulation are reviewed. Practical demonstration of pet food, vacuum coating, and several others are demonstrated on four major types of extruders - (dry, interrupted flights, single and twin screw), using various shaping dies.

Reservations are accepted on a first-come basis. For more information, programs and application forms, contact:

Dr. Mian N. Riaz                                                               
Food Protein R&D Center; 2476 TAMU
Texas A&M University; College Station, Texas 77843-2476
Phone: 979/845-2774; Fax: 979/845-2744
E-mail: mnriaz@tamu.edu; 
www.tamu.edu/extrusion

Brazil drought worse than feared

New reports from Brazil's Parana state, a leading corn and soybean producing area in the southern part of the the country, say that the drought there is "worse-than-expected," according to a Dow Jones Newswires story Monday. Parana is Brazil's leading corn grower and second leading soybean producer.

"The western part of Parana, near the border with Paraguay, has been particularly affected," says Agroconsult's Fabio Meneghin. "I didn't expect it to be so bad," Meneghin said, based on a tour of the region. Nestor Reinke, who farms about 75 hectares in the region, told the news service that he estimates losses of 40 percent in his corn and 60 percent in soybeans. "We went about 45 days without rain," Reinke said.  Read more ...

Iran facing trouble financing grain imports

European banks and traders told the Dow Jones Newswire that Major European banks, including Rabobank have halted trade finance for grain or any other agricultural products bound for Iran. Due to sanctions on Iran beginning to tighten, the European Union and US have both introduced trade restrictions on the Central Bank of Iran.

"Rabobank has pulled out of financing grain trades that are destined for Iran," a bank spokeswoman said. Rabobank is one of Europe's largest provider of agricultural commodity financing. "Our bank hasn't touched anything that is destined for Iran," a European grains trader said, adding that as far as he was aware all European banks had halted dealings with the country. Read more ...

French company InVivo hits record turnover 2010-11

Favourable grain exports aided InVivo to achieve a record year. Turnover in fiscal year 2010-2011 for the French InVivo Group amounted to €6.1 billion (US$8.009 billion), up 37.2 percent over the previous year.

This performance is explained by the sharp rise in agricultural commodity prices and the growth of activity of each of its four core businesses: agricultural supplies of seeds and plants, animal nutrition and health, international trade in grains, and green distribution (garden and farm shops).

The international expansion is continuing and now represents 47 percent of total turnover. At €35 million (US$45.953 million) net income of the Group was the best recorded since the creation of InVivo ten years ago. Read more ...

Lee Feed Mill Gains Most Since 2003 on Buyback

A Thai animal feed producer, Lee Feed Mill Pcl, jumped the most in more than eight years in Bangkok trading after the company said it will buy back its shares at above market prices. The stock surged 22 percent to close at 4.18 baht, the steepest gain since November 2003. It was the best performer on the 485-member SET Index, which climbed 0.7 percent to 1,076.29.

“The share price should climb further, close to the offering price in the share repurchase program,” Jitra Amornthum, the head of research at Finansia Syrus Securities Pcl in Bangkok, said by phone. “The company is also signaling that the current stock price is lower than it perceives” as fair value. Read more ...

Perfection Pet Foods plant meets all food safety standards

The new site of Perfection Pet Foods in Visalia, California, USA may be more advanced than a human food plant in terms of food safety, according to Ed Cooper, VP of operations for PPF. The standards required of pet food in the United States, and about 75 other countries, are rapidly moving toward the standards PPF will implement when it starts producing what it soon expects to be 140,000 tons of dry pet food by March.

Cooper said that even during the financial crisis the demand for quality pet food continues to grow at a rapid pace. “The importance of the family pet has grown so much, the phrase 'pet owners' is now evolving into 'pet parents’,”he said. Read more ...

OSI Group opens large feed mill in China

OSI Group Poultry Development Co opened one of the largest feed mills in China last month, in the Shandong Province. The new feed mill has a capacity of 600,000 metric tons, this new facility is now one of China's largest feed mills in operation. OSI began their poultry operation in China in 2010, and will reach a slaughtering capacity of 100 million birds per year by 2014, while employing over 1,500 people.

The celebration marked an end to the project that started fourteen months earlier. "This is an end, but also a new beginning for OSI and the people of Rushan," said Bill Weimer, EVP and CFO of the OSI Group based in Chicago, IL, USA. Read more ...

BioMar announces new plant in Costa Rica

BioMar the Norwegian fish feed producers have announced that their new plant in Costa Rica is expected to be operational in May 2012. BioMar are also planning to open a research and trail facility for the development of tilapia diets.

Felipe Ureta, Vice President of BioMar Americas said that the company is in a decisive moment in its development in the Americas region. “With the new fish feed plant in Costa Rica and the new hatchery specialised for research and development projects for tilapia nutrition we will strengthen considerably our operations in the Americas region,” he said. Read more ...

Fifth anniversary of Asia mycotoxin analysis centre

Amlan International, maker of Calibrin mycotoxin binders, together with The College of Science and Technology at Chaoyang University of Technology (CYUT) in Taichung, Taiwan, celebrates its five-year anniversary of the Asia Mycotoxin Analysis Centre (AMAC).

Dr. Ron Cravens, Vice President of Amlan International said, “Proper livestock feeding practices are a critical part of maintaining a highly efficient and profitable operation. Knowing the mycotoxin levels in feed is a necessary step to fight toxin related diseases.

“We provide our customers the best analytical services, technical support and mycotoxin fighting products to help them stay profitable and maintain high quality operations.” Read more ...

Guidance documents for feed additives published by EFSA

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) through its Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) has published several guidelines on their website for bringing to market of several feed additives and safety measures.

Guidance for the preparation of dossiers for zootechnical additives
Guidance for the preparation of dossiers for nutritional additives
Guidance for the preparation of dossiers for technological additives
Guidance for the preparation of dossiers for sensory additives
Guidance for establishing the safety of additives for the consumer
Guidance for the preparation of dossiers for additives already authorised for use in food
Guidance on studies concerning the safety of use of the additive for users/workers

An alternative for animal feed, algae as sustainable protein

Cornell animal science professor Xingen Lei is testing algae as a new protein-rich source of feed to supplement and replace some of the corn and soybean meal mix traditionally given to food-producing animals. By doing so, he could transform a biofuel byproduct into a valuable commodity, potentially freeing thousands of hectares of cropland. "Current animal feed directly competes against human food sources and, thus, is unsustainable," Lei said. "We must develop alternatives to soybean and corn for animal feeds". Read more ...

Russia among the ten largest animal feed producers globally

During January 2012 the research group DISCOVERY carried out a study of the Russian market of products for animal feeding and food fish. They found that Russia is among the 10 largest animal feed producers in the world. The main consumer is the  poultry industry (58 percent), with Cattle (13 percent), and pigs (26 percent), in second and third place. Between January and October 2011, animal feed production grew by more than nine percent over the same period in 2010. Read more ...

Next generation phytase launched by Novus and Verenium

Novus International an animal health product manufacture and biotechnology company Verenium Corporation, have announced the selection of the next-generation phytase as the first enzyme candidate from their collaboration.

"This partnership has enabled us to create enzyme solutions for nutritionists, producers and others who want to optimise nutrition. This product is geared toward use in poultry, pork and aquaculture product," said Novus International President and CEO Thad Simons.

"This product is indicative of significant progress we've made so far in our partnership with Novus, having exceeded important technical milestones ahead of schedule," said James Levine, President and CEO at Verenium. Read more ...

Study gives new insight into antibiotic resistant genes

A study conducted by Michigan State University and the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. Published in the current edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences gives new insight into antibiotics and pig feeds. 

For decades, many producers of pigs, chickens and other farm animals have used antibiotics not only to protect their livestock from disease, but also to boost growth rates and enhance feed efficiency, a measure of how well animals convert feed into weight gains. Read more ...

Ronozyme HiPhos safe to use says FEEDAP

Trails have shown that Ronozyme HiPhos is safe to use according to FEEDAP, it is safe for chickens for fattening, turkeys for fattening, laying hens, weaned piglets and sows when used at the maximum recommended dose. This conclusion can be extended to all poultry species and pigs for fattening.

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of Ronozyme HiPhos M/L (6-phytase) as a feed additive for poultry and pigs. Read more ...

Thailand could see record rice production after floods

Rice production in Thailand, the world’s largest exporter, may climb 16 percent to an all-time high in the season from October as farmers expand plantings to offset losses from floods that inundated farms this crop year.

Total output may surge to 36 million metric tons, split between 25 million tons in the main crop and a second harvest of 11 million tons, Apichart Jongskul, secretary-general of the Office of Agricultural Economics, said "Annual production may total 31.05 million tons in the current crop year after the floods, down from 34.48 million tons the previous season, data from the Bangkok-based office show". Read more ...

Is the EU attitude to GM livestock feed cause for concern

Are farmers being put at a competitive disadvantage by the European Unions attitude to GM crops. Today with the unpredictable weather conditions and a highly competitive market, and the rising cost of animal feeds on the global market, it is likely that farmers in the EU will continue to struggle to source feed for livestock production at a competitive rate. However there are some sections of the industry that believe the introduction of GM crops could significantly help. Read more ...

Dairy farmers struggle after Tropical Storm Irene

Dairy Farmers in Vermont are struggling to acquire enough feed for their livestock in the wake of damage done by Tropical Storm Irene. Their losses and damages are estimated to be about US10 million (€7.761 million), though a final tally is still being determined. The August storm flooded 6,000 of the state's 92,000 acres of feed corn, causing water damage that flattened, contaminated or moulded crops. Vermont Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross said "It's going to put [farmers] under strain. Most affected farmers will need feed until May or June, when cows can graze again. If they keep their cows in barns year-round, they’ll need feed until next fall. Read more ...

E coli becomes drug resistant in just two weeks

After a low dose of antibiotics for just two week, researchers detected a drastic rise in the number of E coli in the gut and those bacteria showed a large resistance to antibiotics. "We wouldn't have been surprised that bacteria shift populations or that resistance genes changed," said Thad Stanton, a microbiologist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service's National Animal Disease Centre in Ames, Iowa.

"We were a little surprised by how much E coli populations went up in the medicated group. We were so surprised that we did a repeat experiment in culture. The number went up from 20 to 100-fold, that's a big change." Read more ...

Ufac-UK appoints distributor in the Philippines

Ufac-UK has appointed First Fil-Bio I/E Corporation, as their sole distributor in the Philippines. “Our products have been used in the Philippines for over two years, with excellent results and we are now looking for substantial growth,” commented Robert Jones, Ufac-UK’s managing director. He points out that, with an expanding population of 93 million people, there is an increasing demand for home-produced animal protein which the domestic pig and poultry industries are well-placed to supply. Read more ...

World Nutrition Forum October 2012

On October 10-13, 2012, top international animal health specialists and feed industry experts will gather in Singapore for the World Nutrition Forum to exchange knowledge on trends in animal production and to debate the major scientific, environment and leadership issues concerning the industry. More than 700 delegates form all over the world will attend to discuss animal health, nutrition and feed issues. Read more ...

BioMar creates more environmentally friendly fish feed carrier

The growth of the Norwegian fish farming industry is growing, and last year the output reached approximately one million tons of fish, mainly salmon and trout. One of the main problems has been the distribution of fish feeds along the Norwegian coast, this distribution makes up an important part of the production.

With this in mind BioMar worked with Shipowner NSK Shipping AS and has created the worlds first LNG powered coaster. The fruits of this work will now soon be harvested with the completion at the Tersan shipyard in Istanbul of the MS Høydal. The plan is that the vessel should be ready to load her first cargo of feed from BioMar’s factories in Norway on May 1, 2012. Read more ...

Foot and mouth disease found in Chinese pigs

China has reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), that foot and mouth disease (FMD), has been found in the province of Hubei, foot and mouth disease was found in 24 pigs in Badong county, however, all 24 affected pigs including the 71 also present have been culled. According to the ministry, the epidemic, is under control. The pigs were first discovered to have foot and mouth disease on the December 27, 2011. The source of the outbreak is currently unknown. Read more ...

Soy from the US to feed Pakistan Aquaculture program

The American Soybean Association’s (ASA) World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) program and the Pakistan Fisheries Development Board have started the "FEEDing Pakistan" program. "FEEDing Pakistan represents another milestone for WISHH," said WISHH Chairman David Iverson, an Astoria, S.D. soybean grower. "Our farmer-led 2011-2015 strategic planning identified aquaculture and livestock development as an important opportunity where WISHH can fulfill its mission. Read more ...

Expansion options in Vietnam Considered by US Grains Council

The US Grains Council recently sponsored a trip to Vietnam in order to check out opportunities for agricultural expansion in the country, meeting with international customers and key foreign government officials regarding the 2011 US corn supply and quality.

The visit also focused on Vietnam's use of U.S. distillers dried grains with solubles. "Dramatically changing consumer habits will increase grain demand in Vietnam," said Corn Marketing Program of Michigan President Pat Feldpausch, who participated in the trip. "We need to continue to educate Vietnamese buyers and farmers on the benefits of buying from the United States." Read more ...

Cuts to USDA budget will affect the closure of 259 offices, facilities and labs

Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack announced the cut to be made to the USDA agency budget. The cuts will affect the closure of 259 domestic offices, facilities and labs across the country as well as several foreign offices. The cuts will also see a consolidation of 15 food safety and inspection service district offices being reduced to ten by 2013.

“When fully implemented, these actions along with other recommended changes will provide efficiencies valued at about US$150 million (€118,222 million) annually and eventually more based on future realignment of the workforce and will ensure that USDA continues to provide optimal service to the American people within available funding levels,” a USDA news release said. “These actions and plans to close or consolidate facility, office and lab operations will impact USDA headquarters in Washington and in 46 states and one US territory.” Read more ...

Research into alternative proteins in aquafeeds

The US Department of Agriculture with the University of Idaho are carrying out research into the effects of replacing fishmeal with blends of alternative proteins on growth performance of rainbow trout, and early or late stage juvenile Atlantic salmon. The purpose of the research was to evaluate different blends of proteins as possible replacement for fishmeal in diets.

Replacement of fishmeal with alternative protein blends in diets for early stage juvenile salmon is not recommended and the penalty in growth is severe. Fishmeal can be completely replaced in diets for late stage salmon over 30g without compromising fish performance or using land animal protein ingredients in feed formulations. Read more ...

AB Vista has pivitol role in Central Eastern Europe

Adrian Kaszuba

AB Vista has appointed a new business manager to meet increased demand for its products in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). With 12 years of specialist sales experience in this rapidly expanding market, Adrian Kaszuba will help develop and give support to markets across CEE for AB Vista’s growing range of animal feed micro-ingredients.

Reporting to the company’s Global Sales Director, Ari Kiviniemi, Adrian will be responsible for managing product sales and the overall sales process for AB Vista in CEE. He will also be involved in setting objectives for the region and designing sales and marketing plans. Read more ...

Latvia to implement a total ban on GMO products

Latvia is on the brink of a total ban of genetically modified organism (GMO) products, more than a 100 of the 110 municipalities (novads) of Latvia has decided that their land will be GMO free by the end of 2012. The 101 novads have adopted mandatory rules on the cultivation of genetically modified plants on their territory, including the five districts that already made this policy-move last year. According to experts Latvia may completely ban cultivation of GMO products nationally before the end of 2012. Read more ...

Feed companies rely upon employees knowledge

An increasing number of Feed companies in the United States and Internationally are relying upon knowledgeable employees to identify and assess feed hazards, and implement customised Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). Special courses on HACCP are being offered by Texas A&M and K-State University.

In addition, AFIA and K-State have announced another distance learning education program for 2012. “Establishing a HACCP Program for the Feed Industry” focuses on the development of a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan for all sectors of the feed industry, including feed mill managers, quality assurance personnel and ingredient suppliers. Read more ...

FDA restricts antimicrobial drug use in animals

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an order to restrict the use of cephalosporin antibiotics, which are given to some cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys before slaughter. Under the new restrictions the drug will only be allowed to be used to treat or control, but not prevent a disease, and must be used as the labeled dose instructs. The new ruling is a significant revise of the 2008 rules by the FDA. Read more ...

US EPA to releases new guidelines on dioxin limits

The Environmental Protection Agency in the US are due to release new guidelines that will set limits on the safe exposure of  dioxins to the US consumers. The decision to produce new regulations has put the farmers and ranchers as well as the US food industry into a dilemma. The mere mention of dioxin conjures up visions of cancer and birth defects. Dioxin became a household word nearly 30 years ago when Times Beach, MO, was evacuated and quarantined due to high levels of dioxin. Many illnesses, miscarriages and animal deaths were attributed to the toxin. At the time, dioxin was called “the most toxic chemical synthesised by man". Read more ...

Smarter feed use improves pay dividends

Being smarter with feed helps to improve the bottom line in the pig business but it can also pay dividends when you show the customers or the authorities just how efficient and cost saving your business is as well as the environmental side. Animal feed can account for up to 60 percent of the cost of pig production and with a similar percentage of its greenhouse gas emissions. By using improved feeds, odours can be reduced, as well as phosphate build-up in soils and the carbon footprint can be reduced over time, importantly it benefits the pig health. Read more ...

European Union extends organic diet derogation

Until the end of 2011 producers could feed five percent of non organic feed to organic pigs and poultry. As from the first of January 2012 new rules were to come in which meant that the feed fed to organic pigs and poultry would have to be 100 percent organic. Food chain advisor at the National Farmers Union (NFU) has said that there is not enough quantity or quality organic feed available to allow producers to feed 100 percent organic diets. "Sourcing high protein products, which are particularly important in poultry layer diets, is difficult. Particularly when coupled with the regional sourcing regulations that are due to be implemented." Read more ...

Crop protection that is more environmental than your crop

Biological are proving to be greener than the crops they are being used to protect, plus they are also sustainable. A biological can be defined as a living organism or a non-living organism from a natural plant extract that provides protection to a seed or plant from pests. Biologicals also have the ability to promote plant growth or plant health. "Even in the absence of pests, use of a living or natural product can induce or cause a plant to be healthier, and they do that by turning on a gene or protein in the plant that can trigger a growth response," said Jennifer Riggs, Bayer CropScience Product Development. Read more ...

Organic feed fraud uncovered in Italy

A major fraud has been uncovered in Italy concerning organic feed that was in reality conventional feed, but it was being sold as organic and was falsely labelled as organic. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) reported that seven people have been arrested, including executives from three agro-business companies accused of having committed fraud by intentionally selling conventional products as organic, with 2,500 tons of products confiscated. Read more ...

Ractopamine banned in China

A controversial feed additive used to promote lean meat growth in food animals known as ractopamine has been banned from either being produced or sold. The ban became effective on December 5, 2011, according to a document posted on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology website last week. The order came after a major pork contamination scandal hit China this spring when the Shuanghui Group, China's largest meat-processing company, was found to be purchasing pigs that had been fed with adulterated pig feed, prompting a national crackdown on the use of what's called as "lean meat powder." Read more ...