February 28, 2011

Press Release Mesma Trading AG

                                                             









Mrs Adriana Hörmann has succeeded Carlo Lupi as Mesma Trading AG's managing director from the beginning of 2011. Mrs Hörmann joined the company little more than a year ago as an associate and partner. Mr Lupi, who has retired, wishes Mrs Hörmann every success in her new position.




Mesma Trading AG, is a leading supplier of milling equipment, providing spares and wearing parts for the milling industry.






MESMA Trading AG
Postfach 662
CH-4153-Reinach (Switzerland)

Phone
+41 61 712 19 19
Fax   
+41 61 713 80 16
info@mesmatrading.ch
www.mesmatrading.com

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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A Review: Organic Crop Production – Ambitions and Limitations



ISBN: 978-1-4020-9315-9

In 2008 Dr H Kirchmann and Dr L Bergstrom edited this book, Organic Crop Production Ambitions and Limitations. The topic of organic crop production was discussed at a Symposium at the World Congress of Soil Science in Philadelphia in 2006.
At this symposium some of the benefits and issues pertaining to organic farming were presented. And from that symposium some of the key findings are presented in this book, along with other central aspects of organic crop production.
Chapter one looks at the widespread opinions about organic agriculture and asks are they supported by scientific evidence. It looks at food issues and food security and also food safety. Environmental issues, sustainability issues, pesticides, soil fertility and nutrient use and incorporating scientific evidence into decisions made in society.
Chapter two deals with the fundamentals of organic agriculture past and present. It deals with the brief history of development for organic farming, along with the schools of organic agriculture. Biological dynamic agriculture, organic agriculture and biological organic agriculture. It also covers modern agriculture principles of health, ecology, fairness and care. Ethics in organic agriculture are also looked at along with the idealisation of nature and cooperation with nature, the dualistic character of nature and human stewardship.

In later chapters the subject matter covered is
  • Can organic crop production feed the world?
  • Plant nutrients, in organic farming
  • Nutrient supply in organic agriculture plant availability, sources and recycling
  • Synthesis of the apelsvoll cropping system experiment in Norway – nutrient balances, use efficiencies and leaching
  • Use efficiency and leaching of nutrients in organic and conventional cropping systems in Sweden
  • How will conversion to organic cereal production affect carbonstocks in Swedish agricultural soils?
  • Energy analysis of organic and conventional agricultural systems
  • The role of arbuscular mycorrhizas in organic farming
  • Organic food production and its influence on naturally occurring toxins
A well-written and presented book, dealing with an issue that is sometimes frowned upon and in other circles looked upon as the future of farming. The editors have laid this book out in a way that allows the reader to evaluate and understand the complex issues that are part of organic agriculture, and to form a balanced image of organic agriculture.
In my opinion this is a good source of information that would be of benefit to anyone who is keenly interested in organic farming as well as to students of agriculture.
This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.


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USDA Package Would Settle Claims

Officials at United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Attorney General's office are continuing efforts to close the chapter on allegations that discrimination occurred at USDA in past decades. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Assistant Attorney General Tony West have announced the establishment of a process to resolve the claims of Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers who assert they were discriminated against when seeking USDA farm loans.

The program provides up to US$50,000 for each Hispanic or woman farmer who can show that USDA denied them a loan or loan servicing for discriminatory reasons for certain time periods between 1981 and 2000. Successful claimants are also eligible for funds to pay the taxes on their awards and for forgiveness of certain existing USDA loans.  There are no filing fees or other costs to claimants to participate in the program. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Kemin appoints distributor for Central America

Avian Technology International is the new distributor for Kemin feed ingredients in parts of Central America and the Caribbean. Avian Technology International (ATI) and Kemin Industries have signed a distribution agreement allowing ATI to sell Kemin feed ingredients in Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Jamaica and Panama.

Kemin provides nutritional solutions that contribute to the safe, efficient and healthy production of animal protein. Avian Technology is an American supplier and exporter of broiler hatching eggs, vaccines, and poultry and swine production equipment.

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Protect methionine and lysine in dairy rations

A high concentration of methionine or lysine in a dairy feed does not ensure that large amounts of it will pass to the small intestine for absorption, because the ruminal bacteria degrade amino acids to different extents. The degradability (how much is degraded in the rumen) of protein in feeds, along with the amount of protein that is indigestible in feeds, needs to be considered when evaluating feed sources of methionine and lysine, writes Gerold Higginbotham in the February issue of the California Dairy Newsletter.

Methionine and lysine are two amino acids which have been suggested to be potentially limiting milk and milk component production by dairy cows. If true, this means that high producing dairy cows need to be fed protein from sources which have both a good amino acid profile and have resistance to degradation by bacteria in the rumen. Methionine and lysine contents of proteins vary greatly among feeds. Fish meal and by-products produced from cereal grains (including corn), tend to have higher concentrations of methionine and lower lysine than soybean meal and blood meal. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Global GM crop area keeps on growing

World plantings of genetically-modified crops keeps increasing and have hit one billion hectares, but areas in Europe decline. Plantings rose by 10 percent in 2010 after more than 15 million farmers across 29 countries used the crops.

The figures, released by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, found 10 developed countries - including eight in the EU - planted GM crops last year. But the report shows that over 90 percent of farmers using the technology were "resource-poor" and in developed countries.

The United States saw the most plantings with 66.8m ha, followed by Brazil (25.4m), Argentina (22.9m) and India (9.4m). Herbicide tolerant soya bean was the most commonly-planted crop, occupying 73.3m ha (50 percent) of global GM planting areas. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Alltech opens Kentucky algae plant

Animal nutrition company Alltech has opened its US$200 million algae plant in Winchester, Kentucky that is going to produce in April. Alltech Algae is a state-of-the-art algae fermentation facility that was acquired in 2010 from Martek Bioscience Corporation for approximately US$14 million and has been renovated in the past few months to begin in April as one of the largest algae production sites in the world.

 “For Alltech, algae fermentation presents the latest technological frontier from which we expect incredible opportunities in the areas of food, feed and fuel to arise,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “We have already been working in this area for several years and see it playing a major role in both human and animal health and nutrition. I am confident that this will be one of the key pieces that will help our company pass the US$1 billion revenue threshold in 2015,” Dr. Lyons continued. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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February 25, 2011

No danger anymore from German dioxin contamination

European Union health experts have said this week that they see no more danger from an alert in Germany after the discovery early January of dioxin in animal feed, meat and eggs. An EU health alert started on January 3 when German officials said animal feed tainted with dioxin had been fed to poultry and pigs, contaminating eggs, poultry meat and pork at the affected farms. Several countries later banned some German meat imports.

"The member states, meeting in the framework of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, recognised that the contamination incident is fully under control by the German authorities and there is no risk that potentially contaminated food and feed are placed on the EU market or dispatched to Third countries," an EU statement said. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.



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Europe considers using meat and bone meal again

The European Commission said to issue a new plan regarding the re-introduction of meat and bone meal in animal feed. This was stated this week at a meeting for European Agriculture Ministers in Brussels. The use of meat and bone meal in livestock diets was banned late 1990s, due to its risk of spreading, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). Since then, the prevalence of the disease has been significantly reduced.

The European Commission responds to a call by the Agriculture Minister in Poland. Last week, he suggested reconsidering the use of meat and bone meal in the European Union. In the second half of 2011, Poland will be chairing country for the European Union. Animal feed companies applaud the idea of re-introducing meat and bone meal in animal diets. The raw material is protein rich and can replace the use of soy to a great extent. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Diseases diminish South Korean feed imports

Cattle, pig and poultry are slaughtered in South Korea to contain its worst foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and combat avian flu. Feed grain imports will be down by at least 1.3 million tonnes this year, a Korea Feed Association (KFA) official said.

Weakening feed demand along with record high grain prices are likely to subdue buying activities of South Korean feed makers for a while unless the livestock outbreaks wane or global prices drop sharply, Kim Chi-young, director at the KFA's purchasing division, told Reuters.

As part of efforts to curb inflation and ensure supplies, South Korea, the world's fourth largest grain importer, is looking to build a strategic grain reserve and plans to buy cargoes of corn and other grains, joining similar efforts by more Asian nations worried about high food prices and social unrest. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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American farmers demand better transport infrastructure

American farmers are producing at record levels, and international customers are purchasing more than ever. But the question is: Can our nation’s transportation system move grain from farm to port with the speed and efficiency that today’s international trade demands? The answer is rapidly becoming glaring “NO.”

Surplus masks inefficiency

For decades, U.S. farmers raised more grain than global customers were buying, so the nation could live with inefficiencies in moving it to port via truck, rail or barge. By 2002, however, world demand decreased the surplus, and U.S. infrastructure deficiencies started to become more apparent and problematic

The United States must place greater priority on the movement of freight because the aging U.S. transportation system is not keeping up with today’s pace of international trade, according to two infrastructure experts who addressed the U.S. Grains Council International Marketing Conference & Annual Membership Meeting in New Orleans. Read more ...


This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.


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Examining climate change effects on wheat

Wheat growers in the Southwest have a better idea about how to adjust to climate change in the decades ahead, thanks to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in Arizona. Researchers with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) installed infrared heaters in experimental wheat fields at the agency's Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center in Maricopa, Ariz, to simulate growing conditions expected by 2050.

ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency, and this research supports the USDA priority of responding to climate change. Wheat is normally planted in Arizona in mid-winter, harvested in late May and irrigated throughout its growing season. Temperatures can range from below freezing in winter to above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in May. But increasing temperatures can drastically reduce yields and increase the threat of drought, making climate change a major concern. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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February 24, 2011

Hi, I’m The Global Miller


Perendale Publishers Limited (we publish Grain, Feed & Milling Technology) is a multiple-faceted advertising platform that should be working for your company. As well as publishing your advertisement in our print magazine, we ensure your advertisement receives maximum visibility through our online distribution platforms – which gives you exposure for up to five years! You can advertise against features of your choice in our magazine or just advertise your products to our entire reader audience.

Did you know -

  • We guarantee our advertisers five years online exposure on our online distribution platforms
  • We guarantee adverts to be hyperlinked to your website for those five years
  • We will blog your advertisement to our ‘followers’
  • Your advert will also appear on the Victam (March-April) issue wrapper with your stand number attracting more people to your stand
  • The Victam issue will also be distributed to four other events in May
  • Your advert will also appear in our normal circulation for March/April GFMT
  • We keyword optimise our publication’s search criteria and use online distribution platform that are highly effective within search engine results for individuals searching on your type of products rather than just your company name

All the above are good reasons to place an advertisement with us! We work harder to ensure the maximum number of people (relevant to your industry sector) see your advertisement.

Print magazine:
  • Your advert will be placed on a right hand page within the magazine
  • As a Victam exhibitor you would have your advert placed on the sleeve of the magazine which will be distributed at the event
  • Your company would be added to our web link page
  • You will benefit from our normal distribution as well as our bonus circulation of this issue

Online exposure:
  • Your advert will be placed within the show’s Event Preview/ Review document on our online platforms (Docstoc, Scribd, Slideshare and Issuu)
  • Your advert will appear within one of the features that will appear on the above mentioned platforms
  • Your advert will be placed within our online edition of our magazine (on our website at www.gfmt.co.uk and on issuu)
  • Your advert will be placed in two edition of our E-Newsletter (distributed to over 10,000 industry professionals per edition)

Our Guarantee
The key benefits of advertising with us today are:

  • We guarantee to expose your advertisement to more of your target market, more often and for much longer than anyone else in our field
  • Your advertisement will be found (and passed on) by more of the 'right people'
  • Your advertisement will be put in front of more of your target market than that achieved by any one of our competitors
  • We guarantee to deliver the industry's maximum ROI (return on investment) based on your advertising spend with us!

If you are interested in advertising with us – PARTICULARLY IN OUR UPCOMING MARCH-APRIL ISSUE - please contact our Marketing team on +44 1242 267707 or by email carolinew@gfmt.co.uk or sabbym@gfmt.co.uk

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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2011 US crop margins & costs

It's going to cost you more to grow your corn and soybean crops this year, but with the general trend in the grain markets lately, that added expense should be worth it, according to new crop margin data from Purdue University.

Two Purdue economists find rising input costs -- namely fertilizer and fuel -- have the average per-bushel production cost for corn around US$4.19 per bushel. That's up 30 cents from a year ago. The jump in soybean production costs is around 33 cents per bushel at US$9.73. The numbers, say Purdue ag economists Craig Dobbins and Bruce Erickson are based on "average-quality land" that's capable of raising 161-bushel corn and 49-bushel soybeans.

Last October, Purdue specialists estimated corn fertilizer costs to be around US$134 per acre. That's up to US$151 per acre in the most recent figures. Soybean fertiliser costs are seen up US$7 to US$69 per acre in that same time-frame. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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Vi-Cor to present research results at VIV Asia

Manufacturer of specialised yeast culture products for livestock Vi-Cor will present research results in pigs of two of their product at VIV Asia.  Sangita Jalukar of Vi-Cor will be a presenter at Asian Pig Veterinary Society Congress, held in conjunction with VIV Asia, March 7-11, 2011 in Thailand.
Jalukar, a microbiologist and immunologist, will present the results of university research in which Vi-Cor's Bg-Max and Celmanax yeast-based products were added to swine diets.

Yeast culture

In a research trial conducted by the University of Kentucky's Department of Animal and Food Science, Celmanax was added to the diets of sows and their weaned pigs. Celmanax is a product made of yeast culture and hydrolysed yeast cell walls and offers many beneficial complex carbohydrates. As a result of including Celmanax in gestation, lactation and nursery diets, the average piglet weight increased by 1,860 grams by the end of the nursery phase. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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Leather protein new food concern in China

China pledges to halt use of leather protein in food production, saying the potentially harmful substance was being added to some products in the country's latest concern over safety.

China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said the quality and safety of fresh milk on the Chinese market was "generally safe" and that no leather hydrolyzed protein or other prohibited materials had been detected in its tests in recent years.

Authorities will "harshly crack down upon and punish companies that illegally process or produce milk using leather protein," the country's product quality watchdog said in a statement on its website. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Strong growth agribusiness Thailand foreseen

Agriculture has been consistently contributing an average of 11 percent to the country's GDP. The main contributors are rice, sugar and livestock industries which are highly export-oriented.  Business Monitor International (BMI) continues to foresee strong growth in these industries on the back of strong private investment.

Poultry Production to 2014/15: 35.6 percent. BMI expects most of the production growth to stem from increased private investment in the sector. Increased trading links with the region for example through the ASEAN Free Trade Area should also boost production of poultry and other livestock of which Thailand is already a major exporter of.

Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) is to expand operations rapidly in emerging markets. Main markets it is targeting are India, Russia and Turkey. It has also reportedly set aside some US$199 million for overseas investment in 2011. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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2010 Agricultural Export Sales Hit US$115.8 Billion, Sets New Record

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that US farm exports reached an all-time high in 2010, showing again that agriculture is one bright spot in an otherwise middling economy. Ag exports were worth US$115.8 billion in 2010, surpassing the previous high export record of US$114.8 billion set in 2008, a year of high prices and short supplies due to weather and other issues for many crops, including wheat.

Export sales of bulk commodities increased 19 percent to $47.2 billion, and consumer-oriented agricultural products increased by 15 percent to US$45.4 billion. For the marketing year (MY) 2009-2010, US wheat export sales totaled 22.7 million metric tons (mmt). According to USDA’s weekly Export Sales Report, exports of all classes of wheat for the current 2010-2011 MY, through Feb. 10, were 29.6 mmt, 55 percent higher than last year at this time. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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February 23, 2011

US DDGS exports reach record high in 2010

The United States, due to a 400 percent increase in ethanol exports in 2010, managed to increase its export of Distiller's Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) by 60 percent compared to 2009. DDGS exports already doubled in 2009 compared to 2008 and last year the increase was 60 percent totalling nine million tonnes.

China was the largest buyer with 2.5 million tonnes, or 28 percent of the total. The remaining top importers were Mexico, Canada, South Korea, and Vietnam. The upward trend in 2011 will be tempered because China in January started an anti-dumping investigation on US DDGS, which halted imports. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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Organic Vs. Conventional Farming: No clear answers

The population and diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in agricultural soils varies more according to what crop was previously farmed than with whether those soils are organically or conventionally farmed, according to a paper in the February 2011 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

This study was conducted as part of the ongoing and long-standing Nafferton Factorial Systems Comparison study in Northumberland in northeast England, UK. The Nafferton study has conventional and organic plots side by side, enabling precise comparisons between the two methods.

In the study, the researchers analysed soil samples from both sets of plots, once each in March, in June, after application of fertiliser (manure to organic plots, chemical fertiliser to conventional), and in September, following application of pest control measures. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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Failed policies lead to food shortages

World food prices are pushing higher the United Nations overall food index shows a 28.3 percent annual increase, with cereals up 44.1 percent, sparking concerns that a new food crisis may be emerging, just three years after the last one. Does this mean the world is running out of food?

The quick answer is that the world does seem to be running low on cheap food. There is still an ample potential supply of foodstuffs; it's just not getting tapped, thereby creating low current supply even as demand shoots up with the rise of large emerging markets. This supply shortage stems from the failure of governments and donors over nearly three decades to fund the basic agricultural research, investments in rural infrastructure, and training for smallholder farmers necessary to push out the productivity frontier.

Until recently, world food crises have been relatively rare events—occurring about three times a century, usually three to four decades apart. The last one to have truly global ramifications, occurred in 1972-74. Over those two years, real rice prices rose 206.3 percent and real wheat prices rose 118.2 percent, both setting historic highs. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Fenchem launches coated products for ruminants at VIV Asia

Nutritionists are constantly challenged to maximize the digestibility of sometimes poorly absorbed feed ingredients. Many approaches have been evaluated to physically protect feed ingredients from ruminal degradation.

The products Fenchem launches at VIV Asia in Bangkok have high ruminal protection and intestinal release coefficients, produced through a unique microencapsulation technology:

Aminofence-Lys is a rumen stabilized lysine - a cost effective source of rumen bypass and intestinally released lysine for use in ruminant.
CholineShield is a rumen stabilized choline - a cost effective source of rumen bypass and intestinally released choline chloride for use in ruminant.
Aminofence-Met is a rumen stabilized methionine - a cost effective source of rumen bypass and intestinally released methionine for use in ruminant.
Aminofence-Nia is a rumen stabilized niacin - a cost effective source of rumen bypass and intestinally released niacin for use in ruminant. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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IFF Feed Processing Conference at Victam exhibition

The IFF Feed Processing Conference during Victam 2011 is meant to be a platform for innovations which were developed by science and industry. The conference is taking place on May 3 11:00-16:30 hrs, in rooms 3 to 5 of the Rheinsaal on the second floor of Congress Centrum Nord of Koelnmesse.

Well-known companies will present their innovations to a skilled audience. More statements on product safety as well as on nutritionally favourable compound-feed products will complete this compacted event. The conference is organised by the Research Institute of the International Research Association of Feed Technology (IFF) which since its foundation in 1961 has been engaged with topics of the compound-feed production relevant for practice. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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February 22, 2011

Farmers watch crop returns rise as production costs follow

Farmers will spend more to produce their 2011 crops but they're likely to make that up and then some from higher grain prices, say two Purdue University Extension specialists.

Which crops farmers choose to plant this season also will play a factor in the returns they'll earn, said Craig Dobbins and Bruce Erickson of Purdue's Department of Agricultural Economics. The numbers suggest a corn-soybean rotation is the best choice, with double-crop soybeans/wheat a good option for those farmers living in areas where that cropping system is viable.

"At this point in time, contribution margins the difference between gross revenue and production costs are really quite large," Dobbins said. "If one is looking for a place to expend energy from now until you can get out into the field and plant, I think one ought to focus that energy on protecting the margin that you've got in crop production today." Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Is there enough 2011 planted corn acreage

Most of the focus on 2011 US planted acreage centers on corn acreage. There are a number of reasons for that focus, said University of Illinois agricultural economist Darrel Good. “First, under the current policy regime, there is a mandate of 13 billion gallons of renewable biofuels production during the 2011-12 corn marketing year that begins on Sept. 1, 2011.

Almost all of that mandate is being met by corn-based ethanol production. The mandate implies that a minimum of 4.65 billion bushels of corn will be used for ethanol production during the 2011-12 marketing year,” he said. Use in other categories of consumption is influenced by available supply, demand and price. Consumption of corn for food and industrial purposes other than ethanol is currently running at about 1.4 billion bushels per year, Good said. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Oregon State University (OSU) to study farming methods to adapt to climate change

Oregon State University has been named a partner on a US$20 million grant to ensure the long term viability of cereal based farming in the inland Pacific Northwest amid a changing climate.

OSU will receive US$4 million of the total award, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today in Washington, D.C. The other participants are the University of Idaho, Washington State University and the USDA's Agricultural Research Service.

The five-year grant will take a holistic approach to study the relationship between climate change and cereal crops, primarily winter wheat. Researchers will study how climate change might affect cereal crops; how production practices might contribute to or help curb climate change; what farming methods might help these crops withstand climate change; and which factors influence decisions about crop management.

"As a result of this project, the people who produce our food will be better equipped to reduce their carbon footprint and to face the challenges associated with climate change," said Sonny Ramaswamy, the dean of OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Proposed budget cuts threaten US food supply

Not since the Great Depression have Americans been so concerned about food security in this country. At the same time, demand for more and better food to feed the hungry around the world is exploding. US agriculture, and especially agriculture in the Southeast, is prepared to ramp up production to meet the demand. Exports are at an all-time high.

Yet, devastating funding cuts from state legislatures across the nation over the past two years have threatened our ability to develop better crops, advance food safety and improve packaging and shipping technology. Earlier this week, the US House Appropriations Committee released proposed cuts to agriculture that, if passed, will endanger the US food system.

Nothing is more important to Americans than keeping a roof over their heads and food on their dinner tables. In the proposed Continuing Resolution that will determine budgets for the remainder of the 2011 calendar year, Housing and Urban Development and the US Department of Agriculture are asked to shoulder 55 percent of the total federal budget cuts. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Growing world middle class changing grain industry

J.B. Penn, chief economist with Deere & Company, set an optimistic tone during the opening session of the U.S. Grains Council’s 2011 International Marketing Conference and Annual Membership Meeting in New Orleans.

In “Forces Shaping the Agricultural Marketplace of the Future,” Penn credited rising incomes and changes in dietary preferences of the growing middle class in developing countries as important drivers of demand for U.S. coarse grains.

Fast-growing world demand is keeping commodity prices high. Penn noted that 40 percent of the world’s population now lives in countries with economies that are growing at eight percent annually. “This is good news for people with grain to sell,” Penn said. Penn contended the world is undergoing a significant and sustainable shift in supply and demand. Read more ...


This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Nations to expand food stockpiles, boost subsidies, traders say

Governments worldwide will increase their role in global food markets and may boost stockpiles and subsidies or impose trade curbs to head off the protests that have rippled through the Middle East, commodity traders said.

“Greater political intervention in food matters is only to be expected,” Alan Winney, chairman of Emerald Group Australia Pty Ltd., said in an interview at a sugar-industry conference in Dubai. “Governments will be careful to take preemptive measures to prevent increases in food prices,” said Winney.

Countries across Africa to Asia are increasing imports or releasing supply from state reserves to cool inflation as rising demand and adverse weather cuts harvests and pushes food prices to a record. A revolt in Libya widened at the weekend, with leader Muammar Qaddafi’s son warning that a civil war would risk the country’s oil wealth and invite a return of colonial powers. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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February 21, 2011

USDA's Feed Grains Database

This database contains statistics on four feed grains (corn, grain sorghum, barley, and oats), foreign coarse grains (feed grains plus rye, millet, and mixed grains), hay, and related items. This includes data published in the monthly Feed Outlook and previously annual Feed Yearbook. Data are monthly, quarterly, and/or annual depending upon the data series.

Available data include:

    * Supply: beginning stocks, production, and imports
    * Demand: utilization for food, seed, and industrial uses, feed and residual,
       exports, and ending stocks
    * Prices: farm and market prices
    * Quantities fed: concentrates, oilseed meals, and animal and grain-protein
       feeds
    * Feed-price ratios for livestock, poultry, and milk
    * And much more!

Yearbook Tables
Data in the Feed Yearbook.

Custom Queries
Query the feed grains database. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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The impact of rising food prices on Arab unrest

As governments across the Arab world look for ways to calm their angry populations, one challenge in particular stands out: how to address the spiraling cost of food. Coincidence or not, the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt came just as world food prices hit a record high. The World Bank reported this week that the cost of food is now at "dangerous" levels.

High prices are far more burdensome for people in the developing world because they typically spend a much higher percentage of their income on food. Many also buy raw food commodities grain rather than packaged bread, for example and it is those commodity prices that have increased most dramatically. Wheat prices have doubled in the past six months alone. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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DSM gets competition clearance for acquisition of Martek

Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, has received the unconditional clearance of the Counsel of the National Competition Commission in Spain for its previously announced take over of Martek Biosciences Corporation.

This was the final clearance needed under applicable antitrust and competition laws and this condition of the offer is thus completely satisfied. Martek is a specialist in innovation, development, production and sale of high-value products from microbial sources that promote health and wellness through nutrition. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Schothorst Feeds and Nutrition course

Netherlands based Schothorst Feed Research is starting a feed and nutrition course in June. When seeking a sabbatical week in the area of Amsterdam this is an excellent opportunity. The Feeds and Nutrition course is designed to quickly inform participants about the main theoretical and practical aspects of everything involved in feed production.

The course is set up in different modules so that depending on the interest of the participant a custom program can be made.

Annual course

All modules will be offered over the course of one week and the course will be repeated yearly. In this way participants can take one or several modules in one week/year and eventually additional modules later on. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Corn stover valuable cattle feed

A new process can improve feedlot’s profits using stalks, leaves, cobs of corn currently left on field. New research has shown that a substantial portion of the grain in cattle feed can be effectively replaced with corn stover the plant’s stalks, cobs and leaves when these harvest residues are treated with a common food ingredient known as hydrated lime, or pickling lime.

The alternative feeding strategy, which could improve feeders’ financial returns by lowering input costs without impacting the animals’ physical development, has been validated through recent studies conducted at Iowa State University and the University of Nebraska. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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February 18, 2011

Catherine Shortall joins the sales team at Perendale Publishers



I am delighted to be joining Perendale Publishers as the newly appointed International Marketing Manager,” says Catherine Shortall.
With my extensive background in sales and event management, I hope to make a positive change within the company as it expands as a leading publisher in the grain, flour, feed milling and aquaculture publications industry,” she says.
Miss Shortall will lead a dynamic sales team in a company that is adopting new ways of disseminating technical information to those who need it. She has worked in marketing and event management since 2005 and brings valuable experience that will compliment the company’s sales team based in Cheltenham, UK.
Magazine publishing is changing in all sectors as the digital landscape re-shapes itself,” says Perendale’s owner/publisher Roger Gilbert.

In trade publishing, we must adopt to the new ways our readers expect to find and use information. By strengthening our marketing department with the addition of Catherine, Perendale Publishers will deliver better services to its loyal readers and advertising clients alike.
We were innovative leaders in our field in 1891 when our first magazine was launched and we are innovative leaders today as we adapt to the digital era in the 21st Century,” he says.
Catherine adds, “2011 looks to be an exciting and equally progressive year for us within the industry. My aim and objective is to move forward our sales team and produce dynamic results which will optimally create a beneficial platform from which we can develop new products and services for 2012.”
Perendale Publishers publishes Grain and Feed Milling Technology, International Aquafeed and the International Milling Directory. It has recently launched a new book review service, reviewing key agriculture and aquaculture titles for it readers.

More information:
Perendale Publishers Limited
7 St George’s Terrace, St James’ Square
Cheltenham, Glos GL50 3PT
UK
Tel: +44 1242 267700
Email: enquiries@perendale.co.uk
Website: www.perendale.co.uk

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Plants cloned for the first time as seeds

Plants have for the first time been cloned as seeds. The research by UC Davis plant scientists and their international collaborators, published February 18 in the journal Science, is a major step toward making hybrid crop plants that can retain favourable traits from generation to generation.

Most successful crop varieties are hybrids, said Simon Chan, assistant professor of plant biology at UC Davis and an author of the paper. But when hybrids go through sexual reproduction, their traits, such as fruit size or frost resistance, get scrambled and may be lost. "We're trying to make a hybrid that breeds true," Chan said, so that plants grown from the seed would be genetically identical to one parent.

Some plants, especially fruit trees, can be cloned from cuttings, but this approach is impractical for most crops. Other plants, especially weeds such as hawkweed and dandelions, can produce true seeds that are clones of themselves without sexual reproduction a still poorly understood process called apomixis. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Evonik to expand its L-Lysine feed amino acid business

Evonik Industries has begun expansion of its North American lysine operation, which will be realised in two steps beginning already in 2011. The first phase of the expansion at its Blair, Nebraska production facility has begun, with the basic engineering for a second phase expansion already approved by the Evonik Degussa GmbH’s Board of Management.

Final production output of the Blair, Nebraska production site by 2013 is expected to nearly double its current output, with the first additional quantities to come on stream already in 2011. This expansion plan fits into the overall growth strategy of Evonik in the area of feed amino acids, and it complements the company’s recent announcement of a major expansion of its DL-Methionine business to reach 580 kilotons. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Rice reserve used to stabilise feed supply in Taiwan

Taiwan's Council of Agriculture (COA) plans to allocate 65,000 tonnes of its old rice reserves to be used as raw material for livestock feed to stabilise the feed supply in the country, council officials said Wednesday. The old-crop rice will be sold to owners of pig, duck, goose and other livestock farms at 10 percent below the cost of imported maize, the council said.

According to the COA, the average price of imported American maize at Kaohsiung harbour rose 27 percent to NT$9.92 (US$0.33) per kilogram in early February this year from NT$7.79 per kilo (US$0.265) last June. Sale of the rice buffer stock will begin in March at a price of NT$8.74 per kilo (US$0.297), in keeping with a decision made at a Cabinet-level meeting held Wednesday to discuss price stabilisation in Taiwan. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Poultry feed takes over pig feed in European Union

For the first time ever in the European Union (EU), poultry feed overtook pig feed to become the leading segment of compound feed. According to the preliminary statistical data provided by Fefac members, the compound feed production in the EU-27 in 2010 may have reached a level of 149 million tonnes, which is about 0.5 percent above the figure for 2009 (148.2 m. t).

This positive result is exclusively due to an increased demand for poultry feed (+three percent), whereas the pig feed production fell back by one percent and the cattle feed production remained stable. The most important factor which has weighed in on the EU feed demand in 2010 was the dramatic crisis affecting the pig sector, aggravated by the high feed materials costs, which triggered a contraction of the demand for efficient pig feed. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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Spain pressured to implement Animal Feed Directive

The European Commission has asked Spain to notify national implementing measures as required by the Animal Feed Directive (2009/141/EC).

The request takes the form of a “reasoned opinion” under EU infringement procedures. In the absence of a satisfactory response within two months, the Commission may decide to refer Spain to the European Court of Justice.

Directive 2009/141/EC establishes maximum limits for heavy metals such as arsenic, certain pesticides and botanical impurities in animal feed. States were supposed to implement this Directive by July 1, 2010, but Spain has failed to do so. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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February 17, 2011

A Review: World Agriculture and the Environment: A Commodity by Commodity Guide to Impacts and Practices

 
ISBN:  1-55963-370-0

In 2004 Jason Clay wrote World Agriculture and the Environment: A Commodity by Commodity Guide to Impacts and Practices. A well-respect author and conservationist with more that 20 years experience working with non-governmental organisations, he taught at Harvard University and has worked with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). He received his BA in anthropology at Harvard, studied economics and geography at the London School of Economics and anthropology and international agriculture at Cornell University,in the USA where he received his PhD in 1979.

In this book he shows how farming is the single largest threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functions of any single human activity.

He shows how the pattern can be broken and identifies activities that producers, policy makers, researchers, market-chain players and environmentalists can play in the creation of more sustainable agricultural practices within the evolving context of global trade.

The Introduction is split into two parts (chapter one and chapter two), the first part (chapter one), deals with agricultural trends and realities. He explains how in the late 1950s most small farms were virtually self sufficient, but by the 1960s farms were encouraged to grow by government programs. The growth of farming onto land that was once considered to poor quality to farm went under the plow.

Erosion increased and the once abundant wildlife, disappeared from those areas. The increased plowing caused ponds and rivers to become loaded with pesticides, nutrients and sediment, making the available water on the farms no longer safe to drink. These kinds of effects can be seen in almost every country  of the world where farming has been made more efficient and more productive.

The second part of the introduction (chapter two), looks at agriculture and the environment and how like any other natural resources, modern farming practices has an impact on the environment. In the United Kingdom, 15 percent of all agricultural land has been lost to urbanisation. In the future, the highest losses of land due to urbanisation and population growth are likely to happen in China, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil and Indonesia where half of the increase in world population will occur in the next generation.

Chapters three through to 23 deal with separate commodities, taking an overview of the production and the amount of land used in the production of that commodity. It also looks at the countries producing the commodities and those consuming it. Dr Clay also looks at the markets and the markets trends for each of the commodities. Towards the end of each chapter he deals with the environmental impact of production such as habitat conversion, soil erosion and degradation also pesticide use and the degradation of water quality.

Dr Clay goes onto highlight better management practices, and farming practices that could reduce the overall environmental impact that the industrial farming practices are having on the land. In this book Dr Clay has not only explained the problems and issues that farming is causing on a global scale, but suggests a number of ways to make global agriculture more sustainable. He highlights 11 generals areas in which policy could stimulate more widespread use of the ideas and suggestions in this book.

I found this book to be an interesting and thought provoking read, showing how farming in the early part of the 20th Century has evolved. And how we need to change to make global agriculture more sustainable for the future. This book would be a good asset to anyone teaching agriculture, and for students, as well as for ministers  of agriculture departments within governments. A must have book for the bookcase. 





This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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European Feed Ingredients Platform (EFIP) symposium

The European Feed Ingredients Platform on April 5th, 2011, will organise a symposium on "The Contribution of Sector Guides and Certifiable Codes to Feed Safety in the EU". The conference has the aim to explore and discuss with the different stakeholders the present situation of feed safety in the EU.

“We will look together at a number of key issues, such as the responsibility of the industry sectors, the role of the European Guides and certifiable feed safety management schemes in supporting the supply of safe feed,” says Didier Jans, secretary general of Fefana. It will also be discussed how feed ingredient suppliers can contribute to feed safety. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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New Chairman for AgFeed Industries

The board of pork and animal feed manufacturer AgFeed Industries Inc. has elected John Stadler chairman and named him interim president and CEO, replacing two executives who will stay with the company.

Stadler replaces Songyan Li as chairman, Li will become vice chairman of the company's hog production business with a focus on Chinese government relations. Junhong Xiong stepped down as president and CEO and as a board member to focus on being chairman of the company's animal nutrition business, which is in registration for an initial public offering.

AgFeed also said it made Edward Pazdro chief financial officer. He had served as an acting CFO since November. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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US state to ban arsenic from poultry feed

Legislation in the state of Maryland is seeking to ban arsenic compounds from poultry feed. Supporters of the bill say arsenic in chicken feed contaminates both chicken meat and chicken waste, which can end up in the Chesapeake Bay. They also say it increases risks of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Some growers, including Perdue, have stopped using arsenic. But others fought bills in the General Assembly last year, saying it has been approved by federal regulators. Arsenic is often added to chicken feed in the form of the compound roxarsone. While it is intended to control the common intestinal disease coccidiosis and promote growth, there is little evidence that it is necessary to support these functions.

Chronic exposure to arsenic has also been shown to increase the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological deficits and other health problems. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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USDA Acres & oil: 2011 crop factors

The biggest message from last month's USDA grain supply and production reports was that there's not much margin for error with this year's corn and soybean crops. The world needs a lot of both crops. But, the same could still be the case next year at this time; that slim margin for error may be just as tight next year, making a big 2012 crop just as important as a big one this year, says Iowa State University Ag Marketing Resource Center director Robert Wisner.

"Early indications are that crop plantings this coming spring and normal yields would provide only a very modest easing of the tight supplies and that additional easing would be likely to occur in 2012-13," Wisner says. Even if crop output's average this year, the economist says some demand factors could expand in future years, adding to the supply squeeze.

"One should keep in mind several important variables that may influence the degree of tightness next season, including 2011 weather and crop yields in the U.S., China, former Soviet Republics, Europe, and South America," Wisner adds. "Also, with record or near-record high corn and soybean meal prices, it likely is only a matter of time before significant rationing of feed demand begins to occur." Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.
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