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February 27, 2015

27/02/2015: Openfield loads 25,000 tonnes of oilseed rape for Turkey

Oilseed rape from more than 7000 hectares has left the UK, bound for Turkey in what is thought to be the biggest single shipment of its kind for at least two decades.

Openfield head of oilseeds, John Thorpe welcomed the sale saying shipments of this size were essential in helping to move the considerable surplus arising from harvest 2014.
 
http://www.openfield.co.uk/
The M.V Dobrota entering port at Bristol Port, UK

The M.V Dobrota is roughly 10 times larger than the typical coaster vessel used to transport oilseed rape to the nearby markets of continental Europe, but it is the ability to service such large ships that has been instrumental in promoting UK-grown commodities to international buyers in 2014.

“This sale was negotiated some time ago, but its importance in helping move the exportable surplus is highly evident.  The strong pound, which recently hit an eight-year high against the euro, means the UK is struggling to be competitive in our nearby markets along the Rhine.”

“This has increased the UK’s reliance on deep-water ports such as that held by Openfield at Bristol Port to meet the needs of far-away markets that prefer the larger vessels,” he added.

The entire shipment was sourced from Openfield members and Openfield grain groups, which further underlines Openfield’s determination to promote itself in international markets as well as being seen as a supplier of quality grains and oilseed to domestic markets.


Visit the Openfield website HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

27/02/2015: Lupins for Layers

by Tony Burgess, Birchgrove Eggs


First published in Milling and grain, January 2015

Lupins are a high protein, high energy, nitrogen-fixing grain legume with a protein and oil composition that can effectively compete with imported soya as part of livestock and fish diets.  As a result, lupins have considerable potential to provide a comparable UK-grown vegetable protein source for farmed animals and aquaculture, as well as providing other advantages as arable break crops.  With the proposed CAP greening reforms and the requirements of the new Basic Payment Scheme in respect of Ecological Focus Areas, there has never been a better time to look at legumes in crop rotations and lupins in particular tick several boxes.

Over the last three years an industry-led consortium has been carrying out research into the use of home grown yellow and narrow-leafed lupins as a soya replacement in animal feeds, research that is coming to an end, at least for now.  The project was led by Poultry Producer, Tony Burgess of Birchgrove Eggs and in addition to leading the partnership Tony undertook a full commercial trial on a flock of 3000 Bovan layers as part of the project.

The project Lupins in UK Agriculture and Aquaculture (LUKAA) arose from a UK Government drive to investigate the feasibility for sustainable home grown sources of protein for UK farmed animals and aquaculture.  This project involved ten industrial partners co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK and in partnership with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and two research institutions.

The project brief was to investigate a home-grown protein source, in this case edible or ‘sweet’ lupins, as a soya replacement in livestock and fish diets.  Partners used innovative approaches to breeding, agronomy, feed processing and nutrition to try to overcome technical and economic barriers and provide incentives for lupin use in terrestrial and aquatic farm animal production.

Options for poultry feed were explored initially through a series of experiments at Aberystwyth University, where different diets using the yellow and narrow-leafed lupins were fed to layers.  Point of lay hens were fed one of four diets for 18 weeks (6 week growing phase plus 12 week laying phase), their performance monitored and egg quality recorded.  Bird performance measurements included bird live weight, dry matter intake, water intake, faecal dry matter, faecal bacterial counts, egg production and weight, shell weight, yolk and colour characteristics. 

All the rations contained 15-16 percent protein with an energy value of 11.4 mega joules per kilogram. The control diet was a standard soya based layers mash and in each of the trial diets lupins were included at 150 grams per kilogram, either whole or de-hulled, with or without the addition of a novel fermentation product shown to improve nutritional availability.

The findings of these experiments with both the narrow leafed and yellow lupins were that lupins can be successfully fed to laying hens without compromising performance or egg quality.  There was no effect on bird growth or weight, no effect on dry matter or water intake, no effect on egg production (number or weight), no effect on bird health.  In both cases a significant increase in yolk redness was observed.  In both cases neither dehulling the lupins nor adding the novel fermentation product had any significant effect.

Following these results a third trial testing different inclusion rates of lupin was carried out using the yellow lupin.  The experimental diets included the lupin at 15 percent layers mash with whole lupin (50:50 soya and lupins ratio); at 22.5 percent layers mash with whole lupin and; 30 percent layers mash with whole lupin, 100 percent soya replacement.  This study concluded that inclusion of yellow lupins to reduce soya inclusion had no effect upon bird live weight, dry matter or water intake, egg production (number or weight), egg quality parameters or bird health.  Again however, yolk redness was affected by lupin inclusion in a manner that varied for each diet over time.




Table 1. Layer performance and egg quality, when fed yellow lupins

http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/38
 


Presented at World’s Poultry Science Association (WPSA) UK Spring meeting 2014 and published in British Poultry Abstracts.


Following these successful trials under experimental conditions a full scale commercial trial was carried out at Birchgrove Eggs where a shed, containing flock of 3000 Bovan hens, was fed a diet containing yellow lupins for 18 weeks.  The experimental feed, supplied by Wynnstay PLC, was a balanced layers feed which included a protein replacement source of 15 percent whole (hulls intact) yellow lupins, in part replacement for soya protein.  At 150 grams per kilogram the lupins replaced up to 30 percent of the soya in the diet.  This was fed to the flock from week 16 through to week 36, a period covering the important phases of onsite bird relocation and growth stage, through to maximum production.  The housed weights of the birds averaged 1300g at 17 weeks.  The yellow lupins used for the layer trials were grown in Devon and supplied by Soya UK, the Bovans were supplied by Joice and Hill.

The performance of the Bovan hens was compared with the previous cycles’ performance in the same house.  In line with the findings of the earlier experiments at the University, the commercial trial at Birchgrove Eggs was successful.  The birds fed the lupin ration performed the same if not better than those who had eaten a standard wheat/soya ration. Body weight was maintained and egg production was the same at week 37. That is, the incorporation of yellow lupins at 15 percent of dry matter had no negative effect on bird growth, live weight, health and egg production.  The table below compares key indicators from the 18 week commercial trial period in 2013 at Birchgrove with those from a more standard commercial flock at Birchgrove in 2012.

Table 2. A comparison of results between birds fed a standard soya based feed in 2012 and those fed a lupin-based feed during the trial in 2013

http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/38

Figures are estimates using standard commercial data collection methods


It was also observed that the birds fed on lupin based feed had 100 percent feather cover at week 37.

Tony admitted he had concerns before the commercial trial such as palatability of lupins to poultry, feed consumption, general overall bird health and egg production, but these were laid to rest and all have exceeded expectations.  Similar positive results were found in both the ruminant and the aquaculture feeding trials carried out by other partners on the project. 

Overall, Tony believes that so far home grown lupins tick all the boxes as a soya replacement. In addition the project has also raised a number of new questions based on observations.  Tony is keen to point out that there are also possibilities that lupins can offer other benefits in animal and fish feed diets such as improved amino acid content and lower cholesterol levels, however, he emphasises that more specific research needs to be carried out to investigate these potential factors.  Tony is also keen to look further into the potential benefits of lupins crude fibre content which is 18 percent where soya is 3-6 percent.  Again this is not something the partners have been able to explore through the current project but could be a valuable direction for further detailed investigation.

Other components of the project set out to tackle the most difficult aspect of using home-grown lupins in animal feed in the UK, the availability and supply of lupins.  At the current time lupins grown in the UK amount to around 4,000ha.  Richard Flack, former Nutritionist at Wynnstay PLC stated that if demand arose from e.g. the supermarket sector, for eggs produced from a lupin based protein diet, Wynnstay alone would be looking for about 200-300 tonnes of lupin per month.  This equates to about 12,000ha of lupin sown.  Richard also calculated that lupin as a break crop could, under the right market conditions, produce in the region of UK£630 gross margin per hectare for growers.  With increasing pressures on current high value crops such as oil seed rape predicted into the future, now is perhaps an opportune time for growers to consider lupins in their rotation.

An improved agronomic package for narrow-leafed and yellow lupins in the UK will be important to improving productivity.  Project partners PGRO have recently published a Lupin Agronomy Guide, available to download from their website www.pgro.org.  This offers updated advice to growers on the ideal conditions for growing, weed control, crop reliability and value of home grown lupins in the rotation as a spring break crop.

Partners recognise that perhaps the next hardest part will be to convince supermarkets, caterers, farmers, growers and feed mills of the benefits of using a home grown lupin as a soya protein replacement.  The partners realise that despite these favourable results the success of lupins in the UK will rely heavily on demand from consumers, retailers and caterers, this demand will then translate through the much shorter supply chain than soya - to producers and growers.

This three year, business-led project brings together ten industrial partners and two research research institutes (Birchgrove Eggs, Alltech, Alvan Blanch, Ecomarine, Germinal Seeds, Kelvin Cave, PGRO, Soya UK, The Arable Group (TAG), Wynnstay PLC and the Universities of Aberystwyth and Plymouth).  The project is funded by the industry partners co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK in collaboration with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/ibers/research/major_research_projects/lukaa_project/

Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency.  Its goal is to accelerate economic growth by stimulating and supporting business-led innovation.  Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), Innovate UK brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy.  For more information please visit www.innovateuk.org

Read the magazine HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

Wenger Manufacturing company profile

http://www.wenger.com/

With a little ingenuity and a lot of hard work, brothers Joe and Louis Wenger founded Wenger Mixing Company in a small Kansas (USA) town in 1935. 

They went on to design a machine that blended molasses with dry feedstuffs and produced pellets in 1948. Theirs was the first extrusion cooking system and the basic technology for all commercial extruders used today.


The Wenger brothers' novel idea created a worldwide industry. And, seventy-five years later, Wenger Manufacturing, Inc. is still a family-owned business committed to groundbreaking innovation in the extrusion market.


Today, Wenger offers a range of premium single-screw extruders, twin-screw extruders, dryers/coolers, flavor coating and enrobing systems, and control systems. A new generation of proud employees works toward customer satisfaction daily in our multiple plants, in our world-class research and development center, and in sales and service offices around the globe.
Wenger equipment is unmatched in quality. 


Perhaps even more importantly, we've built a reputation for having lasting partnerships with customers. Lasting because of our dedication, ingenuity, and responsiveness – and our promise to carry out that commitment for generations to come.
 


Visit the website HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

27/02/2015: Canadian man uses rye grain to heat his house

Many of us have turned to rye to warm ourselves on a cold winter evening, but a Nova Scotian man relies on it for all of his heat, CBC News reports.

Peter Maxner of Falmouth gets the heat not from whiskey, but by burning the grain.

"I wanted to go to something that was a little more environmentally friendly and I also wanted something that was a lot less labour for me personally," he says.
 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/falmouth-s-peter-maxner-uses-rye-grain-to-heat-his-house-1.2972513

"I have burned wood and I like wood but there's a lot of physical labour involved into it."

He’s used rye to heat his family home since 2005. He figures he’ll go through 12 tonnes of grain this year at a cost of about CAN$2,000. That keeps his two-storey home warm.

He bought the grain from a Kings County farmer and he burns it in a specialized furnace made in the US.

"You don't get the same amount of BTUs out of rye that you do out of corn. But you just burn a little bit more to get the same sort of heat that you need," Maxner says.

Before ditching your regular furnace, make sure you have room for a 12-tonne grain bin, pipes from the furnace shed to your house, and the time needed to check on the grain supply and clean ashes from the burner. 

Maxner doesn’t mind, as he’s often outside visiting his two Clydesdale horses, Abbie and Maggie. He urges other rural people to follow his path.

"I think it's an exceptionally good thing because if you have the land base, you can actually grow the crop. The straw you can sell or use as mulch back into things on your property and then you've got your grain to use as heat for the winter time,” he said.
 


Read the article HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

27/02/2015: Canadian opposition says Ottawa still failing to cope with grain handling crisis

With a federal election only months away, federal opposition parties are continuing to raise concerns about Canada’s grain handling system in light of reports car orders are, again, starting to pile up across the Prairies, iPolitics reports.

Speaking to delegates at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual meeting in Ottawa this week, both Deputy Liberal Leader Ralph Goodale and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair attacked the Conservatives’ attempts to fix Canada’s grain handling and transportation system after last winter’s devastating logistics crisis.

“The government’s response,” Mulcair said of the grain crisis, “has been nothing short of incompetent.”
 

http://www.ipolitics.ca/2015/02/26/opposition-says-ottawa-still-failing-to-cope-with-grain-handling-crisis/

Millions of tonnes of the 2013-2014 record grain crop was left stranded in bins and elevators across Western Canada thanks to a combination of poor rail service, major miscommunications along the supply chain and frigid temperatures.

The crisis triggered hours of extra agriculture meetings and an emergency parliamentary debate. The government would eventually issue an emergency cabinet order forcing the railways to move a certain amount of grain per week. The order was extended under the Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act and extended again in November.

Both Canadian Pacific and Canadian National remain under federal orders to move 345,000 tonnes of grain each per week. Failure to comply risks fines of up to $100,000 per violation payable to the federal government. The current order expires March 28.

The after-effects of the backlog are still being felt today, with the AG Transport Coalition reporting the railroads are currently behind nearly 20,000 hopper car orders. The backlog cost the national economy and Canadian grain farmers $5 billion, Goodale said. Only 44 per cent of the hopper cars ordered for this crop year, he said, have been delivered on time.

And while the situation has been “quieter” this winter because of a smaller harvest, Goodale said issues still exist, in part because of variations in this year’s crop quality.

“It’s not sufficient just to ‘move grain’. The detail matters,” Goodale said. “It must be moved in a timely manner, in response to shipping orders, to get the right product at the right export position just in time to fill the right vessel for the right customer at the right price.”

Asked Wednesday about the accuracy of the data being released by the AG transport coalition on hopper car order delays, Transport Minister Lisa Raitt said she “couldn’t confirm someone else’s data.”
 
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2015/02/26/opposition-says-ottawa-still-failing-to-cope-with-grain-handling-crisis/

“What I can say is that the data we do receive indicate that the order in council and act that we put in place is working for grain farmers here in Canada, that indeed the grain is moving to the port and indeed it is happening in the framework that we expected it would,” Raitt said.

Meanwhile, Conservative promises to stand tough against the railways, Mulcair said, have fallen flat. “They don’t hold the railroads to account, even as the companies take in record profits.”

Both CN and CP have been fined by Transport Canada for failing to meet a combined three weeks of grain targets. CN has said it will pay its $100,000 fine while CP is currently challenging its $50,000 fine in court.

A full-costing review of the railroads is needed, Mulcair said, “to fix Canada’s grain logistics crisis once and for all.”

Goodale said the system also needs a better definition of service, someone to oversee and coordinate the logistics, equitable service regardless of the selected corridor and liquidated damages for shippers if their product doesn’t move.

“The shippers are captives with no competitive commercial alternatives and no legal recourse when the system fails,” Goodale noted.

He said farmers and shippers must make these shortfalls known to those involved in the ongoing Canadian Transportation Act review, including former Conservative cabinet minister David Emerson, who is heading the review.

The CTA review was fast-tracked last June in light of last winter’s backlog. A final report is expected by the end of 2015.

Both Raitt and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz have said they will be looking to the review for longer-term improvements to Canada’s grain handling system given the emergency Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act sunsets in August 2016.
 


Read the article HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

27/02/2015: Greek seaside town explodes into flour war

For a few hours on a single day every year, the prim and elegant Greek seaside town of Galaxidi explodes into frantic childishness, The World Post reports.

Riotous groups of residents pelt each other — and unsuspecting visitors — with bags of dyed flour, in a Holi-like end-of-carnival tradition thought to date back to the town's period of maritime glory more than a century ago.


The flour fight, on the coastal road lining Galaxidi's old harbor, takes place on Clean Monday, the beginning of the 40-day Christian Lent fast that ends on Easter Sunday. Although Clean Monday ceremonies abound across Greece, the most common being kite-flying, Galaxidi's flour-fight is unique, and is thought to have been influenced by similar goings-on in Sicily in the 19th century.

Lying about 200 kilometers (120 miles) west of Athens, the town of about 1700 people was once a major maritime power whose white-masted sailing ships plied a booming trade around the world.

However, Galaxidi ship owners failed to adapt to the advent of steam power in the 19th century, and gradually declined. Its traditional stone houses, the upper floor of which was an open area dedicated to sail-repairs during the winter months, attest to its former glories.

Its economic decline spared Galaxidi from the depredations of modernization that swept the country after World War II, with the town only acquiring a good road link to the rest of central Greece in the 1960s. Until then, it remained a kind of island, nominally attached to the mainland, whose outlook was always to the sea.
 

See the article and photos HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

February 26, 2015

26/02/2015: Largest rice milling plant in Indonesia successfully operating


http://www.satake-group.com/news/2015/150224.html
Panoramic view of TPS’ husking and milling plant
In 2012 Satake received an order for a rice milling plant from PT. Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food, Tbk (TPS), completing a total of three lines by December 2014.

The plant is now successfully operating as the largest state-of-the-art husking and milling plant in Indonesia.
  
Although TPS was officially established in 1992, the company’s roots date back to 1959. They currently have business operations in three sectors: food processing, rice milling and coconut plantations and processing. Entering the rice milling sector in 2010, TPS now produces and sells many popular brand-names of rice.
  
http://www.satake-group.com/news/2015/150224.html
Installed optical sorter
To expand their rice milling operations further, TPS planned for a new husking and milling plant in 2011 and turned their attention to selecting a capable plant manufacturer. After visiting Satake Manufacturing (Suzhou) Co, Ltd. and inspecting rice milling plants manufactured by Satake in China, TPS were pleased with what they had seen.

TPS also evaluated Satake’s latest ‘high total engineering systems’. Additionally, TPS required long-term training and support in rice milling and processing technologies. So in April 2012 Satake receivied an official order for a 15 tonne/hour (t/h) husking and milling plant (A line); operations started in April 2014.

Subsequently, in line with TPS’ continuous business development plan, Satake received a further order for a 12 t/h brown rice milling line (B line) in June 2013 and a 24 t/h brown rice milling line (C line) that November.  The B line started operation in August 2014, while the C line started operation in December of the same year.
  
http://www.satake-group.com/news/2015/150224.html
Capital Jakarta and Sragen
This rice milling plant is now the largest in Indonesia and able to manufacture both high yield and high quality milled rice, thanks to Satake’s state-of-the-art technologies, particularly the use of optical sorters.

TPS plans to achieve a 5 percent share of the milled rice production volume in Indonesia by 2020 and is developing plans to construct a further rice milling plant. TPS also intends to stabilise and enhance the lives of local farmers who supply material (paddy) to the plants due to their business expansion. Satake intends to continue to support TPS’ business by supplying plants and training in rice milling and processing technology.

Appendix
Outline of TPS’ husking and milling plant in Indonesia
  • Company: PT. Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food, Tbk (President Director; Mr Joko Mogoginta)
  • Location of plant: JL.SOLO SRAGEN KM.23RT.017/004,DS.DUYUNGAN.KEC. SIDOHARJO,KAB.SRAGEN Zip No.57281 (Sragen city, Java, Indonesia)
  • Capacity:
    A line: Husking and milling line 15 t/h (dried paddy input)
    B line: Brown rice milling line 12 t/h (brown rice input)
    C line: Brown rice milling line 24 t/h (brown rice input)
  • Supplied machinery: Pre-cleaner, paddy husker, rice whitener, optical sorter, packer
  • Contract and start of operation:
    A line: Contract April 2012, Start of operation April 2014
    B line: Contract June 2013, Start of operation August 2014
    C line: Contract November 2013, Start of operation December 2014

          
Visit the Satake website HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

26/02/2015: AFRICA: The importance of flour fortification

A report from the Africa networking meeting

by Tom Blacker, Milling and Grain magazine


First published in Milling and Grain, January 2015

The purpose of fortification or enrichment (adding micronutrients and vitamins to food) is to improve health, reduce illnesses and progress populations to be smarter, stronger and healthier. 


Millers have a role in play in achieving these goals by ensuring the products are effectively fortified to ensure products destined for human diets such as baked goods, breads and more are delivering healthy benefits as well as sustaining life.


Smarter Futures is made up of the following supporting organisations: Food Fortification Initiative (FFI), AkzoNobel, Helen Keller International, International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (IFSBH) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The aim of Smarter Futures is to improve health in Africa through the enrichment of wheat and maize flour with essential vitamins and minerals.


http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/34
 On Tuesday December 2, 2014, in Cape Town, South Africa the opening reception for the Africa Networking meeting took place. Speakers for the following day such as Lieven Bauwens – Secretary General of the IFSBH, Scott Montgomery from the FFI, Greg S. Garrett from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Anna Verster from Smarter Futures, and others were all present to meet attendees. 

National government programmes across Africa have meant that many countries now fortify wheat and/or maize flour, when only two did in 2004. The attendees were from across Africa, representing fortification working groups, the UN World Food Programme, and health and nutrition experts. 


At the evening reception, annual leadership awards were presented to Peter Muni, Executive Director of Bakhresa Grain Milling in Malawi and Mozambique. He accepted the award on behalf of the Food Fortification Initiative for his colleague, Abubakar Said Salim Bakhresa of the Bakhresa Group for a commitment to flour fortification in Africa. 


http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/34Another leadership award was presented to Dr Mady Shehata, Nutritional Advisor for the World Food Programme in Egypt. He was noted for his role in public health in Egypt’s path to mandatory fortification, working with both governmental and non-governmental groups.
 
The following morning, Lyn Moeng, Cluster Manager for Health Promotion, Nutrition and Oral Health on behalf of the Department of Health of South Africa opened the meeting with a positive message of celebration of hard work paying off and much of Africa enjoying benefits of fortification in foods that had never been achieved before. 


“Colleagues, we are here to celebrate 15 years of trial and error – the road has been bumpy but we are getting there.”

http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/34 Her remarks truly reflected that so far, this has been a challenging journey, one that has required co-operation between research, lobbying, political will and more. This means that even the smallest of celebrations or fewest numbers of individuals benefitting from such changes should be celebrated and applauded. One day was not enough for Lyn to truly enjoy the fruits of the progress and many agreed. 

http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/34Following this, Dr Graham Fieggen of the Red Cross Hospital in Cape Town presented a scientific approach to justifying fortification. He focused on folic acid fortification being an essential step in milled food to prevent nuero-tube defects, spina bifida and hydrocephalus. 
 
For eight weeks ahead of birth delivery, folic acid dramatically assists in lowering the risk of spina bifida by 70 percent. This means that milled flour or other cereal products already with folic acid added directly helps in healthier babies with nearly a three out of four chance of avoiding spina bifida. He also said that a 1000 day programme should be followed by pregnant mothers. 

The picture is not wholly positive and points for progress were given: the US FDA and others worldwide were highlighted for classing folic acid as a drug, not a supplement; the 1000 day programme of folic acid for pregnant mothers should be compulsory and missing target groups should be educated and included so that the benefits extend to all.


http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/34
The agenda moved to partnerships and perspectives from all sectors. This was the private sector, governments, civil society and public-private partnerships. Millers were also there in order to voice the opinion of the industry. Peter Cook, Chairman of the National Chamber of Milling in South Africa importantly said that, “Without the milling industry, we cannot achieve the fundamental need of fortifying food to address vitamin and mineral storage that may be typical in a country. I think this is our role, to actually be the means to this end.”

Flour milling and innovation was also represented in the interested audience members such as Muehlenchemie’s Head of Research of Development, Dr Lutz Popper and Nicolas T. Tshikhlakis of The Modern Flour Mills & Macaroni Factories Co. in Jordan. They networked and questioned speakers and spoke to other delegates throughout the day.


Questions also followed, Hans-Jurgen Hanke, a miller from Namib mills, Namibia asked Mr Quentin Johnson, FFI Training and Technical Support Coordinator about storage of fortified grain and flour products in hot and dry conditions. The answer was advice of air-conditioning the premises; movement of it and monitoring it regularly was given.


http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/34Scott Montgomery, former miller with Cargill and now at the Food Fortification Initiative said that, “he and the FFI wants to turn the world blue” (to mandatory fortification of wheat and cereals). He also aims for awareness, the sharing and transparent exchange of education and experiences to spread further. For Scott, fortifying foodstuffs means more than just folic acid, the more the merrier by all counts is meant. This aims to follow the precedent set by the high example of countries outside of Africa such as Jordan, which has been fortifying milled flour with iron sulphate, vitamin B, vitamin D, zinc and folic acid for the last ten years. 

Recent news since the meeting from the Food Fortification Initiative is that Djibouti has mandated wheat flour fortification. This proves that progress and advancing Africa’s fortification of flour and food is still an important issue. There is much more to discover for the future of this exciting story. The state of play is rapidly changing. This is the future for us all, and it’s only on the way up!

Read the magazine HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

ANDRITZ Feed Technologies company profile

http://www.andritz.com/

ANDRITZ Feed Technologies designs and builds key process machines, but also offers complete plant solutions for the global animal feed industries. Our business is based on a competitive approach to matching the requirements of successful livestock feed, aquatic feed and pet food companies.

When designing new technologies or customer specific plant solutions, ANDRITZ Feed Technologies has to take account of the demand for reliable processing, cost efficiency, uniform quality, and high-performance animal feed, considering the shifting availability of feed ingredients, the increasing number of environmental standards and hygiene regulations, and the requirement for traceability in the interests of food safety.


ANDRITZ Feed Technologies is a corporate group with worldwide development, production within process technology and after-sales service to the feed and biofuel industries. With branches in 13 countries employing approx. 800 people and a world-wide network of agents and distributors, we are the leading supplier of competitive system and process solutions for the feed and biofuel industry. We design and develop all feed and biofuel key productions process and design total solution fitting the customer needs, thus ensuring the highest standards for the customer.


Visit the website HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

26/02/2015: Grain bin safety top priority for Nebraska FFA group

In 2014, a total of 15 people died in grain bin-related accidents across the country. Two of those were in Nebraska, NBC Nebraska reports
 
Now, the St. Edward Future Farmers of America is looking to change those numbers as a part of Grain Bin Safety Week.
 

http://www.nbcneb.com/home/headlines/Grain-Bin-Safety-Top-Priority-For-Local-FFA-Group-294148541.html

Members gave a presentation to area farmers to show them how to prevent accidents, and they recommend making sure someone knows when you'll be going into a bin and securing yourself with a safety harness.

"I've been in grain bins before. I've scooped out grain bins," said Christina Hamling, a St. Edward FFA Member.

"I've helped haul corn outside of grain bins. As a farm kid, that's what you do. You go into grain bins, and I guess I never really thought about the dangers that you can potentially face in a grain bin."

They also warn farmers about toxic fumes produced, including carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
 


See the video HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

26/02/2015: Russian grain production may fall 40 percent if weather takes its toll

As much as 40 percent of the Russian grain crop could fail this year, recent reports from the Russian Agriculture Ministry suggest, Agriland reports.

UK-based HGCA, says that production of grain from autumn sown crops is forecast at 28-30Mt against 48Mt in 2014. The estimate is based on the assumption that 3.6M ha of crops will fail which are currently in a “bad state”.
 

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/40-of-russian-grain-crops-may-fail-if-weather-takes-its-toll/

Brenda Mullan, Analyst, AHDB/HGCA said that spring weather will be important in determining just how much of the winter crop area will fail as well as being critical for the success of spring cropping.

“Markets will try and keep a close eye on Russian weather impacts especially if the rouble remains weak (which supports export competitiveness). This is likely to maintain the government’s close watch on domestic food price inflation.

“It would therefore be complacent to assume the removal of export controls when we reach harvest 2015.”

HGCA also says that the weakness in the euro looks set to stay for the medium term and volatility will remain as the economies of individual member nations recover at different rates.

It says that in the UK, due to the large production of the UK’s key crops, strong grain exports are needed if a large carryover is to be avoided. UK wheat futures have dropped in price since January and this may have strengthened exports but data has yet to be released, it says.

The likelihood of the UK market being flooded with imports from the EU is not huge as the weakness of the euro against the dollar provides opportunities in global markets, HGCA experts say.
 

Read the article HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

26/02/2015: Livestock Asia expands

http://www.livestockasia.com/

Reflecting the increased global demand for processed meats as well as sustainability and safety, the trifecta components added and returning to LIVESTOCK ASIA 2015 makes it the most comprehensive Feed, Livestock, and Meat value chain event in Asia. 
 
The 8th edition of the show will taking place from 21- 23 September 2015 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and expanding the show with the second WPVA-WPSA Scientific Conference and the debut of the ASIA MEATEC Expo & Forum.
 

http://www.livestockasia.com/

The launch of ASIA MEATEC 2015 and the announcement for the 2nd WVPA-WPSA Scientific Conference was held on February 12, 2015 at Universiti Putra Malaysia by YH Dato’ Dr Mohamad Azmie Zakaria, Director General of Department Veterinary Services Malaysia along with the President of the World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA) Malaysia Chapter, Prof Datin Paduka Dr Aini Ideris and the President of the World Poultry Science Association Malaysia Chapter, Prof Dr Zulkifli Idrus, witnessed by Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Ahmad Mustaffa Babjee, Chairman of UBM Malaysia and Mr Gandhi, Managing Director, UBM Asia.

"The 8th edition of the Livestock Asia show will include the ASIA MEATEC 2015 Expo & Forum and the WVPA-WPSA Scientific Conference to provide an even wider platform for industry players and the scientific community to exchange knowledge as well as expanding their network", said YH Dato’ Dr Mohamad Azmie.

Speaking on the importance Livestock Asia Expo has within the industry, he strongly encouraged all industry players to take part in the show. The launch and announcement was attended by more than 70 attendees from the industry associations, distinguished guests, exhibitors and prominent media representatives.
 


Visit the website HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

February 24, 2015

24/02/2015: Video: IDMA April 23-26

https://muvidu.wistia.com/medias/2mmfqn1biu
The 6th International Flour, Semolina, Rice, Corn, Bulghur, Feed Milling Machinery and Pulse, Pasta, Biscuit Technologies Exhibition is preparing to host thousands of professional visitors from 139 countries at the Istanbul Expo Center between 23 and 26 April 2015.  
More than 200 brands will participate in the exhibition which will be held in 3 halls with an area of 33 thousand square meters.

Watch the video HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

24/02/2015: The roller flour milling revolution


by Rob Shorland-Ball for Milling and Grain
 
First published in Milling and Grain, January 2015 

Name 6 Hungarians who made significant international contributions to their country.
Laszlo Biro; Zsa Zsa Gabor; Abram Ganz; Ferenc Liszt; Andras Mechwart; Erno Rubik.

Would a contemporary roller flour miller, or a world grain dealer, have known the names of Abram Ganz and Andras Mechwart? Perhaps not, because the answers lie in Hungary
 
I mentioned in my previous contribution to the magazine that: “I am spending 5 days in Budapest exploring, and photographing, the surviving roller mill sites and buildings in a city which was once the centre of European roller flour milling.” That visit was very successful; I did not meet Ganz or Mechwart because they died, respectively, in 1867 and 1907, but I saw several of the buildings to which they made important contributions and have subsequently found map and picture evidence of Budapest’s lead in developing roller flour milling and influencing the United Kingdom.

http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/28
The map extract in Figure 1 shows [Jozsef] Henger Malom, the first steam-powered roller mill in Budapest which first milled flour on 15 September 1841. Immediately North West is a later Mill owned by Karoly [Charles] Haggenmacher the Swiss-born miller and inventor; this Mill illustrates the fact that by the 1890s Budapest was one of the world’s leading roller flour milling centres.

An artist’s impression of the new Jozsef mill which I was shown in Budapest may not be accurate but gives an impression of its size, and confirms that the milling machinery was steam-powered. More relevant to the above quiz question; is that Abram Ganz, Swiss-born like Haggenmacher joined the Joszef Mill’s extensive workshops in 1841 so learned something of the flour milling business in a technologically advanced mill. 
 
By 1844 Ganz had his own foundry in Pesth, the part of what is now Budapest to the east of the River Danube and began to manufacture roller mill stands which were advertised, and adopted in the United Kingdom.

Nineteenth century advertisements, perhaps partly because there were then many fewer channels of media communication, are useful sources of additional information for historical research:
  • Gustav Adolf Bucholz was a Prussian engineer who set up an agency in the UK to import and install European rolling milling machinery
  • “Chilled Iron Rollers” were Ganz’s invention which ensured a true and hard-wearing surface for the rollers in Ganz Roller Mill frames.
  • Andras Mechwart (from the quiz question) was a German-born engineer who was invited to Hungary by Ganz in 1859 to work with him and, after the latter’s death in 1867, Mechwart headed the Ganz factory as Managing Director for 25 years. He was the co-author of a number of inventions and improvements to the roller flour milling processes and the reference in the advertisement is to a patented invention to adjust the nip of the rolls and reduce friction so save power.
  • “Smooth” roller mills were generally for reduction of middlings and semolina to flour. Ganz also manufactured “fluted” rolls for breaking the wheat berries in the first stages of the gradual reduction process.
  • The concluding paragraph in the advertisement illustrates the progress of the roller flour milling revolution where Ganz’s chilled iron roller mills are “. . . entirely taking the place of Millstones ...”
http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/28
Although the bullet points above from the Bucholz & Co advertisement are all relevant and correct, advertisements may be suspect as historical research sources because they are product-focused and unlikely to be objective. Other sources, like the Proceedings of professional institutions, are generally sound and in the 19th century the changes in the flour industry which I have embraced by the term Roller Flour Milling Revolution were occasioning learned comment:

“it has been erroneously supposed that, the Hungarians, had, by some imaginary secret processes, been able to eclipse the corn-millers of all other nations. It may be well to state here that there are no such secret processes but that the Hungarians have produced flours still unsurpassed in excellence by skilful manipulation of their native wheats (which, though yielding very bad flour when ground by old methods, possess admirable qualities).
The processes used in Hungary are based on the principle of dividing the flour produced from the same wheat into 8 or 10 or 12 different qualities. The fine qualities, which command very high prices, find their market ... in certain parts of the United Kingdom.
Now the English miller must manufacture for local demand; for, having already incurred the cost of freight, and carriage on the wheat in bringing it to his mill (wheat which he may have to buy in competition with his foreign competitor), he cannot afford to pay another freight on the flour to carry it to a distant place of consumption where he will meet again the competition of the Hungarian or American miller, who can send flour direct to the same place and thus incur only one freight on it (and that freight less than the wheat freight).”
- from: Proceedings of Institute of Civil Engineers Vol LXX. 16 May 1882 by William Proctor Baker (miller)
 
So back to my researches in Budapest and the development of roller flour milling in the city during the mid nineteenth century:
Like Royal Steam Mill in Figure 3, all Budapest mills operated on a large scale: they ran on steam, they worked non-stop, and they conducted business both in domestic and international markets. Several different economic factors together contributed to the development and success of this large-scale mill industry:
  • Transport developments: Modernising transportation began with the Danubian steamships in the 1830s, but the real transformation was brought about by the rise of rail transportation, which decreased shipping time. Since wheat in Hungary was harvested earlier than in Western Europe, both Hungarian (wheat) and flour were able to reach Western European markets before the competition. From the 1850s intensive urban development began which resulted in the construction of new roads, wharfs, ports, bridges, rail yards, warehouses, etc. Budapest became the main transportation hub of the country.
  • Crop trade developments: The cities of Pest and Buda (known as Budapest from 1873) provided an ideal setting for large-scale mill production, as the city gradually became the centre of nationwide crop trade, which meant that the mills had a steady supply of grain at all times.
  • Capital entrepreneurship: from the 1850s onwards, Pest merchants, gained increasing prominence and began to form a capitalised entrepreneurial circle investing in various industrial enterprises. Members of this circle became the primary investors in the mill industry. By the time of the union of Pest and Buda (1873), Budapest was already the economic capital of the country in every aspect.
  • Technological innovations: The Budapest steam mill industry developed ... thrived ... and advanced by the continued development and implementation of important technological innovations (such as the work of Ganz and Mechwarts and the willingness to bring in expertise from Switzerland like the inventions and roller mill improvements of Hans Caspar Escher, Salomon von Wyss, Jakob Sulzenberger and Adolf Buhler. (More quiz names!)
Edited from: The Global Agricultural Crisis and the Steam Mill Industry of Budapest in the Nineteenth Century: Influence and Response Judit Klement (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of History) 2014

http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/28
Miller Baker commented on the number of grades of Hungarian flour which gradual reduction millers could produce. 

We know that imported Hungarian flour was popular in the UK and, with imported Hungarian hard wheat, represented a serious economic threat to country mills still  using millstones and trying to produce saleable white flour.

However, Hungary was in turn facing powerful competition from the United States. Mills in and around Minneapolis intensively increased their grinding capacity from the 1880s onwards. Key factors in the Minneapolis boom were new achievements of economic development characterising the years of peace after the Civil War; crops grown in enormous swathes of agricultural lands in the west; an efficient rail network which made the transport of crops from the west and mid-west to the East Coast possible; and steamboats shipping grains to Europe.
Thanks to US railways and steam boat companies, American flour producers were able to keep their prices lower than the Hungarian competition, despite increasing customs duties. Their favourable pricing also benefited from the fact that production was nearly fully automatic, which ensured non-stop, large-scale, production and low production costs. In addition, North American grain was as hard as its Hungarian counterpart, and was suitable for producing similarly high-quality flour.

Paragraph above edited from: The Global Agricultural Crisis and the Steam Mill Industry of Budapest in the Nineteenth Century: Influence and Response Judit Klement (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of History) 2014

Helped by my recent research visit to Budapest I have been able to witness, and to learn more about, the mid-19th century flour milling industry in the city.

Ferencvaros is the District of Budapest, south of the centre of the city and on the low-lying east bank of River Danube where many of the new steam roller flour mills were built. The area was nicknamed “The stomach of Budapest.” The first large mill in Ferencvaros, Concordia, was built in 1865 in Soroksari Road which is just in-shore of the railway tracks and warehouses. As the proximity of the river made it faster to transport the grain, and flour, many other mills were built in Soroksari Road. The second big mill, the Mill of Millers and Bakers of Budapest started grinding in 1868. The Gizella and Kiraly mills were opened in 1880 and the last one, Hungaria was built in 1893. 

As an important complement to the big mills of Ferencvaros, the largest warehouse in Budapest, the Elevator House was built in 1883 and was the most prominent shore-side building until it was demolished in 1948.

http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/28This multi-storey warehouse at Boraros Square was one of the tallest buildings of the capital. It contained 290 bins with an overall storage capacity of 36,000 cubic metres. The scoops of the 3 machine-operated paternoster lifts unload 65 tons of grain every hour from the ships. The grain is weighed by automatic scales then taken by 10 other paternoster lifts, at the speed of 80-85 tons per hour, then finally, through tubes it is elevated into the cells. 

From railway wagons, the grain is taken to the scales, from there to the paternosters, which deliver it through the tubes to the cells. 

The cells are emptied into sacks through the scales again. The whole operation is run without human power.

Edited from: Budapest Muszaki Vtmutatoja [The Technical Guide of Budapest] edited by Illes Aladar Edvi Budapest, 1896 

The Elevator House was damaged by bombing in WWII and subsequently demolished in 1948 but the mills in Soroksari Road remain and, apart from Concordia, have been converted into apartments and offices. Figure 4 is a poster advertisement for Gizella Malom and Figure 5 is my photograph of the converted mill taken in 2014.

http://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1501/28Concordia, one of the largest remaining mills contains Budapest Museum of Milling, now closed to the public but still containing an internationally significant collection of mill machinery and records in the care of the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture. I was privileged to visit the collection in Concordia with Andrea Korosi, Deputy Director of the Museum and Dr. Tibor Sebok, former Director of the Museum of Milling and from a milling and mill-engineering family.
Concordia Mill was working between 1866 and 1929 and then became a warehouse. It was rail-connected and was close to River Danube and the Elevator House. 

Today it has a variety of office and warehouse uses but the structure is deteriorating so there is concern for the long-term future of the Museum of Milling collections.

There is much more to tell of Budapest’s roller flour milling history and although it was relatively short-lived we can learn from Hungarian experiences in researching the Roller Flour Milling Revolution in the UK.

Since this is an international journal I would like to conclude by publicly thanking my hosts and guides in Budapest:
  • Zsofia Potsa – General Secretary – Hungarian Grain & Feed Association [see International Milling Directory]
  • Andrea Korosi (Deputy Director), Laszlo Szabo (Curator, Milling); Gabor Gergely (Curator, Maps & Papers) – Museum of Hungarian Agriculture
  • Tibor Sebok – former Director, Museum of Milling
  • Gabor  and Judit Zsigsmund – contacts via BKV Zrt

All were welcoming, very patient and very helpful; thank you again!

Read the magazine HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com