February 28, 2013
28/02/13: Appointment at Archer Daniels Midland; new distributor at Vortex Valves
The Archer Daniels Midland Company has promoted Gregory Morris
to the newly created role of president, North American Oilseed
Processing. He previously served as vice president of the business.
In his new position, Morris will continue to oversee all of the
company’s North American Oilseeds processing businesses, including more
than two dozen crushing plants where the company turns soybeans,
cottonseeds and various softseeds such as canola and sunflower into meal
and oil for use in food and animal feed ingredients as well as
industrial applications. Morris will also oversee ADM’s Specialty
Products business, which includes the company’s Protein Specialties,
Lecithin, and Natural Health and Nutrition divisions.
Vortex Valves Europe, a subsidiary of the Salina Vortex
Corporation, has appointed NTR Engineers Pty
Ltd. as the company's exclusive manufacturing representative in
Australia and New Zealand.
For 15 years NTR Engineers Pty Ltd. has been a key supplier of high quality pneumatic conveying components to system integrators and end users throughout Australia and New Zealand. The company is committed to meeting customer's solids handling requirements and exceeding expectations for performance and process integrity. Assurance can be taken from the fact that the products handled by NTR are internationally recognised in the food, dairy, pharmaceutical, chemical, mineral, and mining industries with its engineering, quality and solids handling know-how built up over years of experience.
For 15 years NTR Engineers Pty Ltd. has been a key supplier of high quality pneumatic conveying components to system integrators and end users throughout Australia and New Zealand. The company is committed to meeting customer's solids handling requirements and exceeding expectations for performance and process integrity. Assurance can be taken from the fact that the products handled by NTR are internationally recognised in the food, dairy, pharmaceutical, chemical, mineral, and mining industries with its engineering, quality and solids handling know-how built up over years of experience.
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| Oilseed (Photo credit: Xerones) |
R-Biopharm
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| R-Biopharm is a leading developer of test solutions for clinical
diagnostics and food & feed analysis. In both sectors, the
R-Biopharm test kits offer high precision and accuracy, key requirements
where patient and consumer health is at risk.
R-Biopharm AG was founded in 1988 as a subsidiary of Röhm GmbH in Darmstadt, Germany. In 1991 it was taken over by the present managing director, Dr. Ralf M. Dreher. Since 1996 R-Biopharm's quality management systems have been certified to the international standards ISO 9001 and in 2003 the company gained ISO 13485 quality management certification. From January 2000 R-Biopharm acquired sole worldwide distribution rights to Enzymatic BioAnalysis, a product developed by Roche (formerly BOEHRINGER Mannheim). In 2002 R-Biopharm took over Rhône Diagnostics Technologies in Scotland, another supplier of mycotoxin test kits, resulting in successful expansion of its position in the food and feed analysis sector. Today the German parent company R-Biopharm is represented by subsidiaries in the UK, USA, Italy, France, Latin America, Brasil, Spain, Australia and China as well as by a worldwide extensive network of more than 80 distributors. In addition, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands are represented by local Country Managers. Click on the image to visit the R-Biopharm website. |
February 27, 2013
New! GFMT article: Feed enzymes in animal nutrition
Enzyme technology is an integral tool for the
brewing, baking and textile industries. In agriculture there is great potential
for enzymes too but this is yet to be fully exploited. However, animal
nutrition is one area in which the use of feed enzymes is becoming increasingly
important.
There are three driving factors in animal
production that are leading to the development and adoption of feed enzyme
technology. First, the world’s growing population has meant global demand for
food and in particular meat and meat products have increased
substantially. In addition, producers
are also continually looking for novel methods of increasing their efficiency
and productivity and the cost and availability of raw materials for animal feed
is the second factor continuing price rises are a major constraint to meeting
demand. The third factor is concern over the environmental fragility of the
planet and the pressure on agricultural industries to reduce their reliance on
vital resources.
Read the full article here. |
| Feed enzymes in animal nutrition |
27/02/13: Is India's growing grain mountain set to topple?; flour recall affects big US brands; new members on GEAPS board
India's growing grain mountain could be set to topple. The country has enough space to store
47 mt of wheat and rice but stockpiles are forecast to reach 100 mt in June 2013. A sixth consecutive bumper wheat harvest is due to get underway in March pushing the reserves up. However, the country runs the risk of wasting the crops due to its inefficient food distribution and storage system
47 mt of wheat and rice but stockpiles are forecast to reach 100 mt in June 2013. A sixth consecutive bumper wheat harvest is due to get underway in March pushing the reserves up. However, the country runs the risk of wasting the crops due to its inefficient food distribution and storage system
The recall of several speciality flour lines by Dakota Specialty Milling has had a knock on effect on major producers in the USA. Frito-Lay and Mondelez have both been forced to recall some of their snacks, cereal and biscuit products as a precautionary measure.
Dakota Specialty Milling company voluntarily recalled some of its speciality flours on February 14, 2013 due to the possible presence of fragments of thin metal wire from a
defective screen on one of its manufacturing lines at a milling
facility. The recall was initiated as a precaution to ensure consumer
product safety.
GEAPS
International board of directors has three new members. GEAPS members
nominated and voted on directors in an election that ended in January.
The new board members were announced at GEAPS Annual Meeting at Exchange
2013 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Elected to terms as 2013-2016 International directors were:
International 2012-2013 First Vice President Slav Waplak, Viterra, Inc., from the Canadian Prairies Chapter, assumed the office of 2013-2014 International president. Bill Lyster, Ag Partners LLC, Greater Iowa, International 2012-2013 president succeeded to the office of 2013-2014 International Board chair.
- Eric Kelley, Attebury Grain, Tri-State Chapter
- David Marr, Michigan Agricultural Commodities, Michigan/Southern Ontario
- Tom Winkel, MaxYield Cooperative, North Iowa
International 2012-2013 First Vice President Slav Waplak, Viterra, Inc., from the Canadian Prairies Chapter, assumed the office of 2013-2014 International president. Bill Lyster, Ag Partners LLC, Greater Iowa, International 2012-2013 president succeeded to the office of 2013-2014 International Board chair.
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| English: Two kinds of rice flour (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Event: Animal Farming Ukraine
Animal Farming Ukraine is gearing up for its fourth edition from October 29 - 31, 2013, at the International Exhibition Centre (IEC), Kiev, Ukraine
Why exhibit at Animal Farming Ukraine?
- Animal Farming Ukraine is the major event in Ukraine that focuses exlusively on animal and poultry farming and includes all product areas related to these sectors.
- Many leading companies from the Animal Farming sector support this event.
- Animal Farming Ukraine officially supported by Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, Committee on Agrarian Policy and Land Relations of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Association of Farmers and Private Landowners of Ukraine, Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, Association "Union of Poultry Enterprisers of Ukraine", Association of Dairy Producers of Ukraine, Association of Pig Producers of Ukraine.
- 3-day trade event (Tuesday-Thursday)
- Extensive conferences and seminars will be organised and will run alongside the exhibition attracting many professional visitors.
- Incorporating the Victam Ukraine pavilion. Victam International is the global event for the feed and food chain.
- Extensive promotion campaign which includes coverage in many specialised trade magazines, free allocation of tickets to exhibitors, special website on which trade visitors can pre-register, direct mailings to high quality databases, promotion in many international trade magazines, editorials in carefully selected trade press.
- Advertising in industry related magazines and websites.
- Specially designed «Exhibitor Service Program» (ESP).
Dedicated Product Areas
One of the important factors differentiating Animal Farming Ukraine
from other agricultural exhibitions in Ukraine are the dedicated product
area’s. While other agricultural exhibitions focus on a broad range of
products, Animal Farming Ukraine focuses exclusively on those product
area’s that relate to animal farming.
Victam Ukraine Pavilion:
Victam International is the global event for the feed and food chain.
Victam International takes place every three years and is a showpiece
event for International companies that serve and supply the
agri-processing and related industries worldwide. We are very pleased
that during Animal Farming Ukraine, Victam International will organise
the Victam Ukraine Pavilion. Product area’s of Victam include: animal
feed production, storage and handling of animal feed related products,
Biomass technology and additives and ingredients for animal feed.
International Exhibition Center
The new international exhibition center (IEC) at the Brovarskyi
Prospect in Kiev is Ukraine’s biggest and most up to date venue for
International Exhibitions. It is easily accessible by road and public
transportation. It offers all modern facilities and heavy machinery can
be exhibited indoors. In 2006 the IEC is extended with a third pavilion
in addition to the two existing pavilions. The total exhibition space is
now 27,000 sqm.
Download the official brochure: Brochure Animal Farming Ukraine.pdf
Download the application form: Application form Animal Farming 2013.doc
Download the Post Show Report Animal Farming Ukraine 2013
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| English: Map of Kiev. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
February 26, 2013
26/02/13: Fines for German flour cartel; Monsanto patent update; Wheat Quality Council annual meeting
Four mills in Germany have been fined a total of 65 million euros for fixing the price and quantity of flour over a seven year period.
The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's competition regulator, has concluded its
cartel proceedings and imposed
fines of approximately 41 million euros on 22 companies, the association of
German mills (Verband Deutscher Mühlen e.V.) and their
representatives. A first fine of approximately 24 million euros had already
been imposed in the same proceeding in October 2011.
The Mosanto legal battle over its patent for Roundup Ready looks sets to reach the Brazilian Supreme Court. The company has announced plans to file an immediate appeal of a recent
ruling by a single judge of the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice,
relating to the company's request for term correction of a patent
covering its soybean product.
Wheat Quality Council annual meeting
Participants from wheat–growing states gathered in Kansas City, Missouri last week to hold their annual meeting and technical conference. In addition to the annual review of new wheat lines submitted for testing from three wheat classes – hard winters, hard springs and eastern softs, a forum was held with a variety of interesting spears. Author Noel Vietmeyer discussed his book Our Daily Bread, which highlights the life of agronomist Norman Borlaug. Bikram Gill, Ph.D., Kansas State University, delivered a presentation on 'Mapping the Wheat Genome – What Does This Really Mean'. Keynote speaker Heidi Nebel, and attorney with McKee, Vorhees and Pease of Des Moines, Iowa gave an interesting talk on patent law considerations related to genetic modification of any edible plant.
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| Wheat is the third most produced cereal crop (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
New! GFMT article: Efficient barge unloading technology
Sandro Suppa and Vincent van der Wijk of Bühler, Switzerland describe the how transporting grain by barge is an
ecological and cost-efficient alternative to railway and truck haulage.
Since
time immemorial, ships have been used to deliver bulk goods over long
distances, using the river current as a natural force to carry them downstream
or yoking draft animals for upstream transport. Although trucks and trains have
taken up a large part of this task in the modern age, barges are still a viable
alternative for many goods. A barge carrying one ton of cargo can travel five
times as far on five liters of diesel as a truck with the same freight – 500 km
compared to the truck’s 100 km of range overland. A ship carrying 3,000 tons of
goods is equivalent to 50 railway cars or 100 trucks.
Obial
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| Obial is one of the leading global companies on grain storage
technologies. Achieving to become a sought-after brand thanks to its
philosophy of offering the highest quality with the most reasonable
prices, Obial sets its targets being conscious of the responsibilities
that come with being the leader in the sector. In this parallel, the company offers turnkey grain storage system solutions with reasonable prices through the use of materials of highest quality, superior design and production standards, and an effective customer relations management. Click on the image to visit the Obial website. |
February 25, 2013
Event: GEAPS
Two of the Perendale Publishers teams are in Lousiville, USA for the GEAPS Exchange. If you're at the show, visit us on stand L6.
Here's a video from the opening ceremony
Here's a video from the opening ceremony
25/02/13: Maintenance of US grain transportation system; Cereals 2013; DNA testing from Romer Labs
We're already planning out trip to Cereals 2013 in the UK this June and have found the revamped website very useful. It has a host of new features including searchable exhibitor lists, an online profile for every exhibitor (which you can update and add to), better navigation, mobile phone optimisation and an improved method of displaying news.
Visit the website.
Over the last weeks, news headlines have been dominated by the European-wide scandal on undeclared horse meat in food. Tighter control measures are now being discussed in numerous countries and at EU level in order to prevent future adulteration. Cutting-edge polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology can be used to detect very low levels of horse DNA in food.
In several European countries, food safety authorities and supermarket chains have initiated recalls on food products, predominantly those containing processed beef, such as burgers, lasagna, bolognese, tortellini and ravioli.
It has become evident that the origin of the contaminated meat in these products is not always clear due to the complexity of the food industry’s supply chain, which reaches across the 27 member EU bloc. The discovery of horse meat in beef products is thought to affect up to 16 European countries.
Tonio Borg, The European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, has urged all EU members to carry out DNA tests on processed beef for traces of horsemeat within three months of March 1, 2013, an estimated 6,500 tests.
In addition to horse meat contamination, it emerged that a number of products have been found to be contaminated with pork, creating considerable issues for those who have a prohibitive diet and raising further concerns about meat labeling and authenticity.
The current method of choice for detection of DNA from a specific species, utilises PCR methodology. Romer Labs offers DNA testing in its laboratories located in the UK and Austria. The labs are equipped with the latest instrumentation and technology and services include meat speciation, GMO analysis, food allergen detection and chemical analysis of contaminants such as mycotoxins and veterinary drug residues.
More information...
A new study released by the US soybean industry emphasises maintenance of the US grain transportation system. This is a shift from the recent years when the industry focused on new construction and is a reaction to the government's repeated funding delays.
Watch video below
Visit the website.
Over the last weeks, news headlines have been dominated by the European-wide scandal on undeclared horse meat in food. Tighter control measures are now being discussed in numerous countries and at EU level in order to prevent future adulteration. Cutting-edge polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology can be used to detect very low levels of horse DNA in food.
In several European countries, food safety authorities and supermarket chains have initiated recalls on food products, predominantly those containing processed beef, such as burgers, lasagna, bolognese, tortellini and ravioli.
It has become evident that the origin of the contaminated meat in these products is not always clear due to the complexity of the food industry’s supply chain, which reaches across the 27 member EU bloc. The discovery of horse meat in beef products is thought to affect up to 16 European countries.
Tonio Borg, The European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, has urged all EU members to carry out DNA tests on processed beef for traces of horsemeat within three months of March 1, 2013, an estimated 6,500 tests.
In addition to horse meat contamination, it emerged that a number of products have been found to be contaminated with pork, creating considerable issues for those who have a prohibitive diet and raising further concerns about meat labeling and authenticity.
The current method of choice for detection of DNA from a specific species, utilises PCR methodology. Romer Labs offers DNA testing in its laboratories located in the UK and Austria. The labs are equipped with the latest instrumentation and technology and services include meat speciation, GMO analysis, food allergen detection and chemical analysis of contaminants such as mycotoxins and veterinary drug residues.
More information...
A new study released by the US soybean industry emphasises maintenance of the US grain transportation system. This is a shift from the recent years when the industry focused on new construction and is a reaction to the government's repeated funding delays.
Watch video below
February 22, 2013
New! GFMT article: Recycling surplus factory food into quality animal feeds
Paul Featherstone, group director, SugaRich, United Kingdom tells GFMT about converting food waste into animal feed.
When food is manufactured, a number of by-products are
created and a proportion of the finished product can’t be placed on the market
for consumption by humans. This can be for a variety of reasons such as
packaging defects, or for technological reasons such as the wrong size or weight
biscuits, over-baking, trial runs or over ordering and out of date stock.
Many of
these former foodstuffs, including biscuits, bread, breakfast cereals, grain products, crisps
and confectionery can have a very high nutritional value – being a source of
high quality fats, sugar and carbohydrates. After checking their safety and
traceability and therefore suitability, SugaRich converts them into high quality
ingredients for use in animal feed, avoiding waste from food that is
not destined for human consumption.
After processing, the foods are blended to the required feed
formulation, then sieved and ground to create a free flowing meal. Finished feed is delivered direct to the
compounder, blender or farms.
Click on the image to read the article in full.
Click on the image to read the article in full.
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| Recycling surplus factory food into quality animal feeds |
22/02/13: NIR workshop; Egypt's wheat challenge and OSHA agreement
Members of the Aunir team will be sharing their expertise in the field of near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy at a pioneering workshop in Gembloux, Belgium, on March 27, 2013. Application specialists Rocio Garcia and Simon Flanagan will discuss the challenges and opportunities that come from working with large volumes of NIR data.
Organised as part of the EU’s Quality and Safety of Feeds and Food for Europe (QSAFFE) project, the NIR platform workshop will focus on the use of online technology and the detection of contaminants in NIR spectroscopy, as well as recent developments in NIR instrumentation. Along with Aunir, representatives from scientific research centres, universities and private companies will talk through the advantages of using NIR in their daily work.
Rocio Garcia said: “Aunir is delighted to be involved in the NIR platform workshop, which will help participants find out more about state-of-the-art NIR instruments, their possibilities, and application. The workshop will be of interest to anyone working in analytical research or industrial science, and promises to stimulate both lively debate and future collaboration.”
Organised as part of the EU’s Quality and Safety of Feeds and Food for Europe (QSAFFE) project, the NIR platform workshop will focus on the use of online technology and the detection of contaminants in NIR spectroscopy, as well as recent developments in NIR instrumentation. Along with Aunir, representatives from scientific research centres, universities and private companies will talk through the advantages of using NIR in their daily work.
Rocio Garcia said: “Aunir is delighted to be involved in the NIR platform workshop, which will help participants find out more about state-of-the-art NIR instruments, their possibilities, and application. The workshop will be of interest to anyone working in analytical research or industrial science, and promises to stimulate both lively debate and future collaboration.”
Egypt's wheat buyer, Nomani Nomani has been replaced, raising concerns over the stability of the country's bread programme. Nomani has been responsible for running the US$2.5 billion bread subsidiary programme since 1979. The challenge now is to keep the country's wheat prices high while the currency is at an all time low.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry today
signed an alliance with the Montana Grain Elevators Association. The
alliance will focus on
identifying, reducing and preventing workers' exposure to hazards in the
grain handling industries throughout Montana.
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| English: An Egyptian wheat plant. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
O&J Hojtryk
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| O&J Hojtryk endeavours to be a powerful, vigorous and energetic company. With our customers needs and the immediate environment as our point of departure, we want to be a trendsetter in our core area of business - Mechanical Engineering - reworking of dies and rollers for the manufacture of Feedstuffs and Biopellets, as well as the sale and delivery of wearing parts in connection with Roller Re-working - as well as to remain open to new initiatives and business opportunities. Click on the image to visit the website. |
February 21, 2013
21/02/13: Thursday news round up
Drought, weather and fluctuating commodity prices caused US farmland to shrink by 3 million acres in 2012 according to a report by USDA's
National Agricultural Statistics Service. Texas suffered the bulk of the drop, losing 2 million acres due to a two years of drought.
A man has been successfully removed from grain bin in Kansas, USA.
Thai mills buy Canadian wheat as global prices ease, reports Reuters.
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| A bag of wheat, often used as an adjunct (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
New! GFMT article: Controlling explosion risks in hammer mills
The new issue of GFMT starts off with a bang! Kevin Spiess, EMEA sales manager for explosion protection, BS&BSafety Systems, United Kingdom details safety precautions to control explosions in hammer mills.
Grain and feed processed within
hammer mills is common fuel for
dust explosions due to the nature of its handling and storage. Any time that feed such as grain,
meals and flours is handled or moved, the fine organic dusts are at risk of burning
and exploding.
A
fire or explosion results from ignition of combustible material (dust, gas or
vapour) when mixed with oxygen in the air. When this takes place inside a grain
silo, process or storage enclosure, the rapid rise in pressure could cause a
violent explosion in milliseconds, placing personnel and property at risk.
Just a few burning
embers entering a dust collector are enough to trigger a dust explosion.
Likewise, combustible material conveyed into a storage silo could become the
nucleus of a fire. Sparks or smouldering particles from hammer mill operations
may spread from the mill to other more vulnerable equipment.
Click on the image to read the article in full.
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| Controlling explosion risks in hammer mills |
February 20, 2013
20/02/13: We're getting ready for GEAPS; International Grains Program offers training opportunities in English and Spanish
The International Grains Program, in conjunction with Buhler Inc., will host its Expert Milling course in English March 18-22, 2013 and in Spanish April 15-19, 2013. The course will be held at the IGP Conference Center and will give participants a more theoretical and practical milling understanding. Production managers, head millers and shift managers are encouraged to attend.
The English course will be instructed by Tobias Nänny, manager of the Buhler Training Center in Uzwil, Switzerland, and John Steinfort, Buhler adjunct instructor. The Spanish course will be instructed by Ralph Linnemann, flour milling expert from the Buhler training center in Uzwil, Switzerland. The course content will include wheat tempering, cleaning systems, break release, purifier techniques and more. The course will have a combination of in class presentations and practical milling exercises in the Hal Ross Flour Mill.
“This course is focused on experienced millers and the main objective is to teach more advanced milling techniques and broaden the knowledge of the different equipment that they may not be familiar with,” says John Steinfort, Buhler adjunct instructor.
A 2012 English course participant says the course helped him improve his understanding. A 20-year milling industry veteran, Scott Roberts, Cereal Food Processors in Utah, appreciated what the course had to offer and strengthened his milling knowledge.
“The course provided good technical information and application of equipment in mill flow design. It also provided techniques to teach the concepts and apply the information within our company,” he says.
For more information about this course visit the IGP website.
The English course will be instructed by Tobias Nänny, manager of the Buhler Training Center in Uzwil, Switzerland, and John Steinfort, Buhler adjunct instructor. The Spanish course will be instructed by Ralph Linnemann, flour milling expert from the Buhler training center in Uzwil, Switzerland. The course content will include wheat tempering, cleaning systems, break release, purifier techniques and more. The course will have a combination of in class presentations and practical milling exercises in the Hal Ross Flour Mill.
“This course is focused on experienced millers and the main objective is to teach more advanced milling techniques and broaden the knowledge of the different equipment that they may not be familiar with,” says John Steinfort, Buhler adjunct instructor.
A 2012 English course participant says the course helped him improve his understanding. A 20-year milling industry veteran, Scott Roberts, Cereal Food Processors in Utah, appreciated what the course had to offer and strengthened his milling knowledge.
“The course provided good technical information and application of equipment in mill flow design. It also provided techniques to teach the concepts and apply the information within our company,” he says.
For more information about this course visit the IGP website.
We're busy preparing for GEAPS in Louisville, USA where we are an official media partner. There will be over 600 booths for over 300 exhibitors and 2,800 visitors for the grain and feed milling industries. Come and visit us on booth L6 to grab a copy of GFMT or the IMD.Two of the Perendale team will be there, including Tom Blacker from the International Milling Directory (IMD).
Read Tom's preview on the IMD blog.
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| English: Ears of wheat Close up shot of the soon to be harvested crop of wheat,this will be used for new seed or milling for flour. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Event: 3rd Commercial Farm Africa Summit
Agricultural investment opportunities,
best practices and innovations define CMT’s 3rd
Commercial Farm Africa Summit,
Centre for
Management Technology today launches the 3rd Commercial Farm
Africa Summit to take place on March 19-20 in Accra, Ghana. Endorsed by
Ghanaian Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and supported by Private
Enterprise Foundation, the 2-day summit addresses rising agricultural
investment opportunities in the region, spotlighting on funding, best
practices, infrastructure and innovations challenges.
ACCRA, Ghana, Co-sponsored
by SGS South Africa (Corporate) and Swiss Re Corporate Solutions (Afternoon
Reception), the 3rd Commercial Farm Africa Summit will open with a
keynote speech by a top level official from the Ministry of Food and
Agriculture,addressing “Agricultural Investment Opportunities in Ghana”, and
public-private partnership in agribusiness development.
Among the speakers
at this Africa summit are Mr Stephen Kumadoh, Principal Valuer of Land
Commission who will elaborate on land banks and availability for agricultural
investment opportunities, Ms Sarah Marchand (Holmes) Senior Advisor of
Technical Assistance Facility for the African Agriculture Fund sharing on
smallholder outgrower schemes and experiences across various countries and
sectors, plus Mr Cobus Burger, Managing Director from SGS South Africa presenting
a paper on sustainability in crop production.
Additionally Ms.
Christina Ulardic, Head of Market Development Africa, Swiss Re will be
examining agricultural project risk management while valuable case studies on
agricultural projects in commercial farm in Ethopia and rice project in Africa
will be presented by Mr Vijay Kumar Jain, Director of Ruchi Soya and Mr Mick
Bartlett, Chief Operating Officer of Vita Rice respectively. Praire Volta and
Kwanim G.D.K farm, both operating in Ghana, will share their experiences and
challenges of investing and operating in Ghana
Tackling sessions
on infrastructure and logistics are Mr Jules Gogoua, Head of Transport
Division in ECOWAS Commission, who will focus on development plans in West
Africa, and Mr Nana Osei-Bonsu, Director General of Private Enterprise
Foundation, zooming into warehouse receipt system. IFC & Phatisa - Manager
of African Agriculture Fund will provide insights on funding of agricultural
projects.
Experts from companies including SABMiller Africa and S.A. Sopex N.V will shed light on prospective crops and farming segments such as cassava, corn, livestock and poultry, while Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture and Netafim will look at technology and innovations.
More information...
Experts from companies including SABMiller Africa and S.A. Sopex N.V will shed light on prospective crops and farming segments such as cassava, corn, livestock and poultry, while Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture and Netafim will look at technology and innovations.
More information...
Buhler
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| There are plenty of good reasons for Buhler’s success: Personal
commitment, clever entrepreneurial decision-making, a high level of
sensitivity to the changing needs of the market, and a core business
that has become a byword for quality and consistency, founded on the
distinct power to innovate. Tackling the challenges of the period and of
the market have always played a role in shaping the direction of the
company. This is simply something that Buhler has always done, and when
it comes to generating benefits and added value for our customers, we
have always been a step ahead. Bühler is a specialist and technology partner for plant and equipment and related services for processing basic foods and manufacturing highgrade materials. The Group is a global market leader in the supply of flour production plants, pasta and chocolate production lines, animal feed manufacturing installations, and aluminum die casting systems. The core technologies of the Group are in the field of mechanical and thermal process engineering. With its expertise and over 150 years of experience, Bühler time and again rolls out unique and innovative solutions for its customers, helping them achieve success in the marketplace. Over the decades, Bühler has come to be acknowledged as a reliable partner, thanks to its distinct commitment to quality and its global presence. Bühler Group operates in over 140 countries, has a global payroll of 7,860, and generated sales revenues of CHF 1,907 million in fiscal 2010. Click on the image to visit the Buhler website. |
February 19, 2013
19/02/13:India's rice revolution; maize is a good value feed; Monsanto patent investigation
India's rice revolution. In a village in India's poorest state, Bihar, farmers are growing world
record amounts of rice – with no GM, and no herbicide. Is this one
solution to world food shortages? asks the Guardian.
Maize is still the best value forage for dairy producers according to an analysis of
Maize Growers Association data carried out by Grainseed Ltd in the UK. Despite
poor weather last year, maize delivered a tonne of
drymatter for nearly 20 percent less than grass silage.
A report by the Center
for Food Safety and the Save Our Seeds campaigning groups has concluded that Monsanto sued small farmers in the US to protect its patent rights on GM seeds. Monsanto
has been accused of trying to prevent farmers from replanting crops they
have produced from Monsanto seeds.
The report, called Seed Giants vs US Farmers, traced Monsanto law suits and found 142 patent infringement suits
against 410 farmers and 56 small businesses in more than 27 states. The firm has won more than $23 million to date.
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| To increase the genetic diversity of U.S. corn, the Germplasm Enhancement for Maize (GEM) project seeks to combine exotic germplasm, such as this unusually colored and shaped maize from Latin America, with domestic corn lines. U Deutsch: Maiskolben (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
New issue of GFMT online now
The first issue of Grain and Feed Milling Technology is at the printer and online now. We've kicked off the year with a bumper 68-page issue including articles on controlling explosions in hammer mills, barge unloading technology and feed enzymes in animal nutrition.
February 13, 2013
13/02/13: Philippines close to rice self-sufficiency; Washington wheat growers oppose GM labeling
The Philippines is close to becoming self-sufficient in rice production, according to the Philippine Information Agency. The country needs to produce an additional 2 million metric tons of rice to reach the target of 20 million tons.
Wheat growers in Washington have come out in opposition to labeling of GM crops. Genetically modified wheat is not yet commercially available in the state but the Washington Association of Wheat Growers has come out against plans that would make labeling of GM products mandatory.
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| Ifugao Rice (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
New! GFMT article: EuroTier product showcase
EuroTier, which was held in Hanover, Germany in October 2012, is one of the largest grain and feed shows. Due to the high number of visitors, many companies choose the show to launch new products and innovations. We take a look at some of the most relevant new releases.
View all the products here.
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| EuroTier product showcase |
February 12, 2013
12/02/13: High feed prices affect UK farmers; US wheat supply; IMEF scholarship announced
Farmers in the south west of the UK are facing a tough start to the new year due to bad weather and high feed costs reports Farming UK. Wet weather means cattle are spending longer indoors and diets have to supplemented with expensive feeds.
There has also been less revenue coming into the UK from farming, with
poor forage being blamed for falls in milk yields and beef farmers struggling to produce cattle at their
finished target weight.
This article looks at wheat supply issues in the USA. Following the 2012 drought and poor weather this year, the supply chain is under pressure. Kim Anderson from Oklahoma State University forecasts that the problem could last until September 2013 with prices dropping by 50 cents a bushel.
The
first recipients of the International Milling Education Foundation
(IMEF) Scholarship Program for Professionals have been named as Dan Ramseyer, Benjamin Ruch and Julie Wavinak . The scholarships will
provide tuition for all three professionals to take the IAOM
Correspondence Course in Flour Milling over the course of the next two
years.
IMEF is the philanthropic partner of IAOM. The IMEF Scholarship program was established in 2008 to support the
education of undergraduates in the sciences of grain milling. In 2012,
the program was expanded to include training opportunities for
professionals already working in the industry.
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| Cattle (Photo credit: CameliaTWU) |
Brabender
 | |
| Founded in 1923 by Carl Wilhelm Brabender, Brabender® GmbH & Co. KG is the leading company for the development, manufacture, and distribution of instruments and equipment for testing material quality and physical characteristics in all fields of research, development, and industrial production in the chemical and food industries all over the world. Click on the image to visit the Brabender website. |
February 11, 2013
11/02/13: Monday news update
Irrigated
grain production in Southeast Asia is predicted to decline due to
climate change. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, irrigated rice
production in Asia could fall by 20 percent and irrigated wheat as much
as 25 percent by 2050.
Read more... A warehouse employee in Punjab, India, has been arrested for unloading government rice at a private rice mill.
Read more...
Engormix is a great source of information on the feed industry. The site is home to technical articles professional guides and forums on all aspects of the feed world.
Take a look at a recently published technical article on the effect of a direct fed microbial (Megasphaera Elsdenii) on the productivity and health of Holstein cows.
Read more... |
| Asia - Satellite image - PlanetObserver (Photo credit: PlanetObserver) |
February 08, 2013
Event: First Global Milling Conference
Improving the efficiencies of feedmills
There are five key areas where feedmills in India and other
developing countries should concentrate to make dramatic savings in the cost of
processing and either improve profitability or become more competitive in the
marketplace.
That’s the message Novus Animal Nutrition (India) Ltd’s
Director for South Asia, Dr Vaibhav Nagpal, had for the 80-plus delegates
attending the 1st Global Milling Conference in Chennai, India, on its
first day.
He told delegates, “We cannot improve what we can not control.
We cannot control what we can not measure. We cannot measure what we cannot
define.”
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| Dr Vaibhav Nagpal, Director – South Asia & South East Asia Pacific for Novus Inc |
Therefore, feed manufactures had to first define a plan in
order to gain control over their costs and avoid over formulating to compensate
for nutrient inconsistencies.
He provided examples of where simply knowingly over
formulating soybean meal in a diet by 0.2 percent would cost a reasonably-sized
company as much as US$100,000 per year.
Producing the wrong particle size also has significant
consequences for costs in the grinding process and subsequent conditioning
times and pellet quality. He provided data on ideal particle sizes that would
optimise throughput at the press and save energy. The impact on costs were also
to be seen in the growth rate of broilers further down the line.
In much the same way there were costs to be saved in the
provision of steam to the pellet press. To dry or inconsistent steam supplied
to the pellet press would see throughputs reduced and energy costs rise.
Dr Nagpal also highlighted the value of detecting and
eliminating salmonella from the production cycle and suggested cost-effective
ways of ‘cleaning’ production lines.
Finally, he mentioned HACCP and the need for overall mill
hygiene.
The 1st Global Milling Conference attracted both
feed millers and flour millers to Chennai for the first of a two-day meeting
that continues tomorrow, Saturday February 9, 2013.
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| A normal map of the world and a view of the world based on land allocated on a square metre per head of population. As a result Asia would account for 56 percent of the world’s land mass |
