Event: GPCA Fertilizer Convention

United Arab Emirates (Photo credit: saraab™)

The 3rd Annual GPCA Fertilizer Convention, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 17-19, 2012

Keynote speaker announcement: UAE's Minister of Environment and Water to open the Convention

His Excellency, Dr Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, the UAE’s Minister of Environment and Water, will join the 3rd Annual GPCA Fertilizer Convention as the guest of honour and keynote speaker.  The Minister will open the conference with a look at the UAE’s progress towards environmental sustainability. A long-time proponent of sustainability, the Minister has recently formed a National Committee on Environmental Coordination to promote environmental policies in the UAE.  

Dr. Abdul-Wahab Al Sadoun, Secretary General for the GPCA commented “The GPCA is honoured to welcome His Excellency Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad to our 3rd Annual GPCA Fertilizer Convention and we are delighted that he can lend his support to the event as our opening keynote speaker. Dr. Fahad’s commitment to environmental sustainability is well known. His insights into the UAE’s moves towards sustainability will complement the theme of this year’s Convention, Transforming sustainable development into value creation in the fertilizer industry. With the Minister’s backing, the Convention will help the fertilizer industry move even further forward in its steps towards a sustainable industry.”

The Annual GPCA Fertilizer Convention, co-hosted for the third year running by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association and CRU Events, will be returning to Dubai on 17-19 September 2012.
In this time of significant expansion and uncertainty in the fertilizer industry, the GPCA 3rd Annual Fertilizer Convention will examine how sustainable development can lead to value creation in the fertilizer industry with a special focus on the market demands in the Gulf, Africa, Iraq, China, Brazil, India and Iran.

Organisations confirmed to present at the Convention include The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), Ma'aden, Unilever, SABIC, GPIC, CNCIC, EtherChem (Beijing), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Stamicarbon, Iraq Geological Survey and Nalco as well as market insights from CRU’s own analysts.
This year’s event will begin with pre-conference technical workshop on the first day of the Convention on 17 September.

More information...

31/07/12: Muyang; Mycotoxins; safety webinar

Hello, 

• Who knew you could use duckings to evaluate mycotoxin binders?  Well, Daniele Marzin, Technical and Marketing Manager Neovia, France does.  Read more... 

• Lunch Box Safety Webinar, August 7, 2012  presented by Joe Mlynek, president and safety/loss control consultant for Progressive Safety Services LLC, Gates Mills, USA.  This webinar will cover Harvest Safety at grain, feed, processing, and milling facilities.  More information...

• Muyang attains ATEX certification.  The ATEX directive describes what equipment and work environment is allowed in an environment with an explosive atmosphere.  Read more...

harvest (Photo credit: freefotouk)

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The Richard Ferrell collection 2

Earlier today we had a video about the Richard Ferrel collection. For those of you who we interested in the first video, we have found another that talks to the man himself.

The Friday video: The Richard Ferrell collection

Hello Millers

Well it's Friday again, so why not have a video highlight to end the week on The Global Miller.

I have found this interesting video about the handover and cataloging of the Richard Ferrell Flour Milling Industry History Collection.

With over 3,000 items collected over 40 years, this collection of items from the flour milling industry in Minnesota presented quite a challenge to the Historical Society!

Indiana farmers unload livestock as drought continues

Indiana farmers unload livestock as drought continues.  According to a report in the Indianopolis Business Journal pig sales are almost double what they were in July 2012 and have even caused backups in some processing centres trying to handle the flood of farmers unloading their livestock.  Read more...

An iteroparous organism is one that can undergo many reproductive events throughout its lifetime. The pig is an example of an iteroparous organism (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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GFMT Article: Packaging for the future

Today we are revisiting the topic of packaging. Technological advances have changed the way we work and products we use dramatically.  The packing world is no different.  This article from GFMT Jul/August 2011, charts modern developments in packaging.   Read full article here.

Contains no pig or pork product (Photo credit: wonderferret)

New Facebook page for GFMT

The GFMT Facebook page has undergone some maintenance work and emerged brighter and slicker than ever.  Check it out here (http://www.facebook.com/GrainFeedMillingTechnology) You can find out what we’re up to across all out platforms so if you like us, then Like us on Facebook.

Image via CrunchBase

The GFMT Facebook page and undergone some maintenance work and has emerged brighter and slicker then ever.  For those of you who use Facebook, the page is a great place to find out what GFMT and it’s associated titles, the Global Miller and the Global Milling News service, are up to across various platforms.

You can also find out information about out publishers, Perendale Publishers Limited and its other titles.

Check it out here.

GFMT Article: Efficient cereal processing

The GFMT article today comes from the May/June edition of the magazine.  Sylvia C Graf of Vibronet Graf, details what the company is doing to make strides in energy saving and cost saving innovations for cereal processing. 

Read full article here.

Bowl of Honeycomb cereal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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AFIA urges Obama to waive ethanol blending mandate

AFIA Urges President Obama to Waive the Ethanol Blending Mandate Under the Renewable Fuel Standard 

In a letter to President Obama, the American Feed Industry Association urged the President to waive the ethanol blending mandate under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). With present drought conditions impacting the cost and availability of corn supplies, AFIA believes that food security should command the same priority as energy security and that the Administration must immediately use the RFS waiver to mitigate disaster.

“Livestock and poultry feed represent up to 70 percent of the cost of producing this nation’s meat, milk and eggs. Any negative influence on the cost of feed represents an increase in the cost of on-farm food production,” explained Joel G. Newman, president and CEO of AFIA.

That cost is absorbed by the entire food chain, resulting in consumers paying higher costs for food; an unfortunate circumstance given today’s economy.

Despite this, Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, earlier this week stated there was no reason for the Administration to waive all or part of the ethanol RFS mandate. AFIA emphasised that the current RFS requires the ethanol industry to use in excess of 40 percent of the U.S. corn production to meet this mandate. Given current conditions, the corn crop will certainly not be able to meet the Secretary’s expectation of producing the country’s third ever largest corn crop; and our projected stocks-to-use rations are reaching dangerously low levels.

AFIA urges EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, Secretary Vilsack and Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, to give immediate attention to waiving the RFS mandate in order to mitigate the current and future economy.

The U.S. feed industry plays a critical role in the production of healthy and wholesome meat, milk, fish and eggs, representing a $45 billion industry, with $15-20 billion spent annually on domestic ingredients alone. In the midst of an historical drought where corn prices are already 21 percent higher than last year, analysts are forecasting $10-12-a-bushel corn by harvest, with soybean prices exceeding $20 a bushel. AFIA is greatly concerned by these record highs that are detrimental to the feed industry and its producer customers.

While AFIA supports the development and commercialisation of financially viable alternative biofuels as part of a comprehensive energy policy, we do not support government blending mandates. AFIA believes there must be a level playing field for both energy and food security.

The biofuels industry should be driven by market demand and not government mandates. We urge Congress to pass the “Renewable Fuel Standard Flexibility Act” (H.R. 3097), which automatically adjusts the mandate based on the ratio of ending corn stocks relative to total use. This is a balanced way to reduce the ethanol mandate without negatively impacting the RFS.

In cooperation with The Council on Food, Agricultural & Resource Economics, AFIA earlier this week released the report, Future Patterns of U.S. Grains, Biofuels, and Livestock and Poultry Feeding, which concluded the three main factors impacting feed availability and cost are: biofuels, global demand/exports and annual crop yields. This and other recent studies confirm the need for ethanol reform.
        

25/07/12: new name for ZCME; flood-proof soybeans; rice 'super bags'

Hello, 

• ZCME is to change its name to ZHENCHANG from August 2012.  The former brand name ZCME will no longer be the brand name and logo of the feed machinery products of the company. Meanwhile, the company will continue to provide follow-up after-sale service according to the relevant agreements for the products attached to the brand name and logo of ZCME.

• Excess rainfall is not a concern in the US at the moment but researchers at the USDA are working to developing a flood resistant strain of soybean.  Read more...

• 'Super bags' designed to minimise rice wastage available for Filipino farmers.  The airtight, reusable plastic bag designed by IRRI  keeps rice seeds viable after harvest.  Read more...

GFMT Article: Conditioning as part of the pelleting process

The GFMT archive article today is conditioning as part of the pelting process.  Harold Schroijen for Van Aarsen International explains the importance for condition at the pre-pelleting stage of production.

English: Extruded feed pellets (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

24/07/12: drought in the USA; Cargill's grain elevator; UK cereal prices

Hello, 

Pictures of wilting crops and 'dust bowl' paddocks in the US highlight the worst drought the country has faced since 1956.  The crops most under threat from the warm weather are corn and soybean.  Read more... 

Cargill completes grain elevator modernisation project at Hales Point, USA.  Read more...

Cereal prices remain high in the UK.  Delivered grain prices rose by £5 last week according to a report in the Farmers Guardian.  Read more...

English: Grain elevator in Michigan, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

GFMT Article: Pelleting: the link between practice and engineering

Delving through the GFMT archives, this article on pelleting: the link between practice and engineering caught my eye.  The case study on the California Pellet Mill Group shows the real life application of the technicalities of pellet production.  Read the full article here.

C0000P0082 (Photo credit: Nottingham Vet School)

23/07/12: CBH; Nigerian flour; Australian Grains Industry Conference

Hello, 

• New senior level appointments at CBH.  Read more...

• Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc has announced a new organisational structure and a series of investments aimed at bolstering its strong market position in the Food and Agro-Allied sectors.  Read more...

• Australian Grains Industry Conference app now available.  Keep up-to-date with the session information during the conference, to be held 30 July - 1 August 2012.  Read more...

Flours (Photo credit: makatcheks)

Video: Lego milling machine

Ok, so this milling machine is better suited to floral foam than grain or feed but it's made of Lego!  Two and a half minutes of mind-blowing milling.  Enjoy.

20/07/12: oil-free blowers; mill maintence from IAOM; Cargill

Hello, 

• Atlas Copco oil-free, low-pressure blowers help Becker Underwood protect bio-cultivation process.  Leading bio-control product manufacturer Becker Underwood has installed new Atlas Copco ZS low-pressure, oil-free blower technology at its manufacturing facility in Littlehampton, Sussex, to guarantee the essential supply of high quality, oil and contaminant free compressed air required for its bio-cultivation processes. 

• Upgrade your Mill Maintenance Knowledge with IAOM.  The IAOM Milling Maintenance I Course will be offered on Oct. 22-24 in Kansas City, Mo. A very full schedule of maintenance topics are planned, including: bearings; gates and valves; belts, chains and power transmissions; electric motors; sifters; process auditing; and automation. More information...

• Cargill and Institut Pertanian Bogor to establish Indonesia’s first oil palm teaching farm.  The teaching farm, essentially a scaled down commercial oil palm plantation, will also be the first such collaboration between a commercial oil palm grower and an educational institute. Located in the Jonggol sub-district of Bogor, the teaching farm will provide high quality and industry standards training on the latest plantation production and management techniques.  Read more...

See you on Monday
 

Oil palm fruits (Photo credit: CIFOR)

FEFANA and EPA join forces to promote probiotics for animal nutrition

FEFANA and EPA established a cooperation agreement to collaborate for the promotion of probiotics for animal nutrition. The two associations have recently joined their forces with the aim to generate, develop and share their know-how and information on probiotics with feed chain stakeholders.

EPA has been created to specifically support the generic promotion of probiotics in feed. Through several initiatives they inform and update the scientific communities, veterinarians, nutritionists and the relevant industries about the benefits of probiotics in animal nutrition. FEFANA represents the interest of Specialty Feed Ingredients at large, and involves the majority of probiotic operators in its membership. The activities of the association are mainly focused on regulatory aspects impacting the specialty feed ingredients industry; joining forces with E.P.A. organisation to strengthen promotion of probiotics toward    the feed chain partners is amongst major strategic interest.

Today the main ambition of this joint group is to better position the probiotics in the national, European and International arena being a pivotal source of information, combining and strengthening their activities, and providing common outcomes based on knowledge sharing.

The joint group will work on a series of communication activities along the year on topics already identified and related to subjects perceived as important and/or innovative for probiotics. A website is under construction to become a reference and an information source to those interested to follow-up developments related to probiotics.

The traditional Jules Tournut Probiotic Prize, created by EPA in 1999, will also be granted in November 2012 during the Eurotier in Hannover, Germany, to reward researchers for their innovative works in the field of probiotics in animal nutrition.

The joint group will operate within the FEFANA structure and make sure that their activities fit to the Specialty Feed Ingredients Industry overall objectives. Gérard Bertin, EPA Secretary General, will take care of the management of this joint group, with support and involvement of the FEFANA staff.
Building on their different assets, the associations aspire to a fruitful cooperation to better inform relevant stakeholders about the role and importance of probiotics in animal nutrition.

More information...

Probiotic Drinks (Photo credit: Jepster)

Event: Grain of Russia 2012

The National Union of grain producers and APK-Inform Agency under support of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia hold of the international conference “Grain of Russia - 2012” (September 24-2 5 2012, Russia, Rostov-on-Don, hotel DON-PLAZA). The event takes place within the Russian Grain Week..

For the fifth time the southern "capital" of Russia will welcome guests from all over the "grain" world. Unlike other conferences "Grain of Russia" gathers not only the government officials and top-managers of a small number of large-scale multinational companies, but also a wide range of grain market participants, including small and medium-scale companies, all segments of the industry – grain producers, processors, traders, surveyors, lawyers, logisticians. At the same time, the geography of participants shows fairly broad range: Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Libya, France, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, the USA, etc.

Rye Fields (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The season-2012/13 will become a challenge for players of the grain market". Price volatility together with correlation of forces on the world scene will dot all the "i"s.

Key topics of the conference:

·     global grain market: changes and challenges of the last season, and prospects of the new one;

·     the results of 2011/12 МY and opportunities for Russian grains on the world market in 2012/13 МY;

·     infrastructure and state regulation in the major Black Sea countries;

·     logistics and development of the transport infrastructure of the grain markets in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan;

Please contact the conference organisers for questions concerning participation and sponsorship support:

APK-Inform Agency +7 495 789-44-19; +380 562 32-07-95, 321-595 (ext. 120) Irina Ozip, e-mail: market@apk-inform.com

The National union of grain producers: Tel. (495) 745-55-62 Fax (495) 745-85-74 e-mail: nszr@inbox.ru

19/07/12: Stories from China, Mexico and the UK

Hello, 

True to our Global Miller name, we've got stories from three continents today.

• New source of animal feed from bioethanol UK farmers.  The Vivergo biofuel plant in East Yorkshire is due to open late this summer.  It will use 1.1 million tonnes of wheat per year to produce bioethanol, but a co-product of this will be half a million tonnes of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS).  Read more...

• China Food unit agrees sale of animal feed business.  Read more...

• Essex, UK milling company, Marriage's expands.  Read more...

• H.J. Baker and Vimifos to provide poultry products to feed industry across Mexico.  Read more...

Dry Distiller's Grain (Photo credit: agrilifetoday)

Schenck Process: Pneumatic conveying systems

Pneumatic and Vacuum Conveying expertise in the Food Industry

Schenck Process has extensive experience in the design of specialist pneumatic conveying systems using positive and negative air pressures for the food industry to transport a wide range of powders, granulates and extruded shapes.

Food quality systems range from simple, lean phase, product transfer applications to fully automatic factory wide multi-reception point installations for storage and distribution and for the mixing and dosing of ingredients.

For vacuum conveying systems Schenck Process have particular expertise in the design of products with quick release clamps, easy to clean and fully polished stainless steel components to ensure that the highest standards of hygiene are maintained. The Schenck Process vacuum systems include the standard modular products of Moduload and Modufeed which are tried and tested designs for conveying and feeding materials in lean phase mode.

The modular system offers flexibility not just in terms of the vacuum source, but in the material selection and filtration too. The vacuum system feature precipitous tanks as standard, which ensure smooth material withdrawal, without the need for additional withdrawal machines. The full bore discharge flap valves and butterfly discharge valves that enable refilling of loss-in-weight feeders are standard features too. Control and sequencing of the conveying system can be by either solid state microprocessor controller or a programmable logic controller.

Recent installations by Schenck Process include the conveying of granulated sugar, flour, green coffee beans, barley malt, popcorn, bulk ingredients and whole corns.  Utilising a mixture of lean phase positive pressure, lean phase vacuum (negative pressure) and dense phase systems, giving flow rates of up to 55kg/hr over distances of 100m.

Schenck Process's pneumatic conveying technologies provide to clients system solutions that have low energy consumption, lower operational costs, increased reliability and lower maintenance costs with increased productivity and reduced risk of material spillage.

18/07/12: AB Vista's corn quality service; KSU's new feed centre; Nigeria's flour fortification

Hello, 

• AB Vista launches a fully automated online corn quality service using NIR spectroscopy.  The results of NIR analysed via the Corn Quality Service provide AB Vista customers with instant and accurate predictions.  For more information email info@abvista.com

• Construction has begun on the new feed centre at Kansas State University.  Read more...

• Nigeria includes folic acid in flour fortification standard.  Currently 74 countries have legislation to fortify wheat flour with at least iron or folic acid.  Read more... 
  
  

  

  Public relations of high-fructose corn syrup (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

   
  

17/07/12: Gates grant for GM crops; coarse grain forecast; Dersert Locusts threaten crops

Hello, 

British scientists scoop a $10 million Gates Foundation grant for GM crop research.  Read more...

World coarse grain production is set to plummet according to the USDA.  Read more...

Desert Locusts pose a threat to crops in Mali and Niger says FAO.  Read more...

Bill Gates world's most "spammed" person (Photo credit: IsaacMao)

First Mühlenchemie symposium in francophone Africa

First Mühlenchemie symposium in francophone Africa

Flour treatment specialist provides knowledge transfer for local markets on all continents - focusing on quality improvement and flour enrichment

#3 Flour & friends (Photo credit: mrlins)

For the first time, flour treatment specialist Mühlenchemie has invited industry and mill representatives from francophone Africa to learn about the latest possibilities for flour treatment and enrichment. 80 attendees from seven countries met at a three-day symposium in Douala, Cameroon.

After opening remarks by Mr. Engelbert Nama, Managing director of Ingrecam and Mühlenchemie’s agent for more than 10 years, participants listened to presentations by users and representatives of public institutions. In addition the attendees gained valuable information through practical exercises and demonstrations. Some of these were held by representatives of partner companies like La Pasta, Chopin, and Brabender. Flour enrichment with essential vitamins and minerals was another focus of the symposium. Experts from Mühlenchemie, Helen Keller International and the Flour Fortification Initiative showed how the body can be efficiently supplied with sufficient nutrients through flour enrichment, to prevent deficiencies and illness.

“In francophone Africa, the requirements on flour production continue to grow. Buyers expect consistent quality, but production must also remain economical,” said Lennart Kutschinski, Mühlenchemie Managing Director. “This makes flour standardisation and improvement more and more important. To provide it, we’ve bundled our expertise from over 120 countries to make knowledge packages available to millers and bakers in the region,” said Kutschinski.

Mühlenchemie’s choice of a venue for the event was no accident. As Kutschinski put it, “The flour market in Cameroon is representative of francophone Africa as a whole. Flour is a basic ingredient for the people there, and goes into the pasta and bread that people eat every day. With twelve mills, the country has the third largest capacity in the region, and is the largest grain importer in francophone Africa. This market dynamic gives rise to wide fluctuations in flour quality, which the processing companies must then compensate for.” For this reason and due to the positive response, Mühlenchemie, which has had a presence in Cameroon since 1998, plans to repeat the symposium in another country in francophone Africa.

GFMT Article: Global G.A.P International Farm Assurance

Today we are revisiting this article from GFMT March/April 2011.  The story examines the importance of global certification of food and feed safety and Global G.A.P International Farm Assurance.

English: Broomhill Farm The home of "Felton Limousins" and a FABBL farm assurance approved farm. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Event: Animal Farming Ukraine

Animal Farming Ukraine 2012 is pleased to announce the creation of the Danish pavilion
It is with great pleasure that the Danish Agriculture and Food Council in cooperation with the Trade Council and the Royal Danish Embassy in Kiev, are able to invite you to participate at the Danish national stand at Animal Farming 2012 in Kiev, Ukraine.

The companies who will be present in Kiev include:

Pork-ex
S.A. Christensen.
Jyden Bur
In-flux
Sustain Agri
Andritz Feed & Biofuel
DLF-Trifolium
Many more companies have also shown interest and many of these are likely to participate as well!
Want to join as well? It's still possible to sign up!
If you are interested in a possible participation please contact Jesper Hildebrandt from the Danish Agriculture and Food Council at: jhi@lf.dk

The 3rd Ukraine International Exhibition for Animal Farming will be held at the International Exhibition Center (IEC), Kiev, Ukraine, 31 October - 2 November 2012.

More information...

Kiev Metro bridge (Photo credit: ser.ddima)

16/07/12: Paraquat; Glencore and Viterra; AFIA

Hello, 

Here's the news from over the weekend:

• Paraquat is safe insists company insists Australia's largest supplier. The herbicide is banned in 32 countries due to its supposed links to Parkinson's Disease.  Read more...

• Glencore to take over agribusiness Viterra.  The global commodities giant has won approval from the Canadian Industry Minister for the $5.9 billion deal.  Viterra owns the largest share of Western Canada's grain storage and farm supply outlets, as well as nearly all grain storage capacity in South Australia.  Read more...

• AFIA announces first pet food facility manufacturing certification program certificates.  Read more...

What do you think?

Viterra Grain Elevator (Photo credit: AaverageJoe)

Video: Flaman's Satake colour sorter

Friday video treat.  See Satake's colour sorter machine in action.

Event: Oilseeds & Oils 2012

Oilseeds & Oils 2012 conference

July 20 is the deadline of the early-bird registration fee (1000 USD). After July 21, the registration fee will be 1150 USD.
In order to meet the key exporters of sunflower oil from Ukraine and Russia you can submit the application form for participation in Oilseeds & Oils 2012 conference here.
More detailed information concerning participation, sponsorship, advertising and being a speaker of the conference here.