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February 28, 2018

01/03/2018: The rise of Russian wheat production

by Andrey Sizov, Director of SovEcon

What are the factors behind country turning from the largest grain importer into #1 wheat exporter

 


How Russia expanded its wheat production from 27 mmt to 86 mmt in 20 years
At the end of 2017 Russian state statistical agency Rosstat has published official 2017 wheat crop results. The country has harvested 85.8 mmt of wheat, which is a new all-time record. The previous maximum was set not a long time ago, in 2016 when the country produced 73.3 mmt. Only 20 years ago the country produced 27 mmt, more than three times lower.

What has happened in those years that boosted the production?
One of the key fundamental drivers is the collapse of the Soviet Union and highly inefficient planned economy. The farmers became entrepreneurs and received the freedom to produce what they want and to sell it to any buyer at any price contrary to fixed prices and volumes in the Soviet times.

Land reform, which started in early 2000s, led to appearance of new institutions of land long-term lease and land ownership. The farmers believed that what they were producing belonged to them and received intensive to improve their business and invest in better agritechnologies and infrastructure.

Thanks to foreign trade liberalisation the farmers have received the access to huge world market.

Contrary to many other economic sectors (i.e. oil & gas) the state didn’t actively participated in the agriculture. They just set quite reasonable rules and let the sector grow with very limited additional support and subsidies.

Russian crops sector also has been a big beneficiary of the global warming. In Russia where annual temperatures are increasing faster than average world ones it led to milder winters and expansion of area under higher yielding winter wheat. Since 2016 Russia is sowing more winter wheat than spring wheat. 20 years ago the spring wheat acreage was exceeding winter wheat one by 80-100 percent.

Long period of high world grain prices in 2006-2012 also helped sector to prosper and develop. In 2012/13 - 15/16 seasons world prices were rapidly declining to find a bottom in 2016/17, which hurt wheat farmers badly around the world. However thanks to rapid devaluation of ruble in 2014 this trend had a relatively muted effect on Russian farmers.

Transformation from the largest world wheat importer into #1 exporter
In 80s the USSR was the largest grain and wheat importer (Soviet Russia was the largest consumer but it’s hard to separate its imports from other member of the Union). In 1985 the country imported 46 mmt of grain including 21 mmt of wheat.

With rapid expansion of production post-Soviet Russia became a #1 world exporter. The domestic food consumption is relatively stable, feed one is growing but at the slower pace. As a result in 2017/18 the country is expected to exports as much as 35 mmt by USDA.

Our latest forecast is even higher – 36 mmt and it looks like we will have to revise it up again shortly. Supply of wheat is ample, domestic prices are stagnating, warm weather helps to ship grain from shallow Azov sea which typically freezes much earlier than in the current season.

With a total supply of 99 mmt of wheat, which includes not only 2017 record crop but also high stocks from the previous season the country in the current season potentially could export significantly more – 45 mmt or event 50 mmt. Actual exports are likely to be lower because of lack of export terminal capacity, which is the major bottleneck for the current export campaign.

However we believe that medium term we see a lot of investments coming into grain exports infrastructure. This season when terminal owners are likely to make a fortune will definitely encourage investors to pour more money into the sector. The key barrier on a way of Russian wheat to the world market is likely to be lifted.


Read the full article, HERE.
 

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


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

FAMSUN company profile




Muyang Co, Ltd. announced changing its brand name from Muyang to FAMSUN starting May 2014.

This move is prompted by the idea of better illustrating the company’s business and the farm-to-table industry chain it serves. It is consistent with Muyang’s global strategy and its aim of becoming an integrated solution provider in the agro-industry. 


The name FAMSUN derives from “famous, farm, family, sun and union”; it signifies Muyang Co, Ltd’s development concept and vision, which is to build a green and healthy supply chain from farm to table together with its customers and to convert traditional agriculture into a modern, profitable and sustainable business with its integrated solutions in feed manufacturing, grain milling, grain handling and storage, food processing, as well as industrial automation. 

The creative design of the FAMSUN logo features a beveled letter “F”, a curvy letter “A”, a stretching letter “S” and a friendly letter “U”. It will be the only signage representing Muyang’s business, products, service and solutions.

Meanwhile, the company will continue to operate in its current structure, provide follow-up service based on relevant agreement, and its business contacts will remain unchanged. 


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 27, 2018

28/02/2018: Ardent Mills names Chris Meyerpeter as Chief Information Officer

Ardent Mills, a flour-milling and ingredient company, has announced Chris Meyerpeter will join the company as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and member of Ardent Mills’ senior leadership team

 
Chris Meyerpeter
Image credit: Ardent Mills
In this role, Chris will lead the Information Technology (IT) function and will be responsible to drive Ardent Mills’ IT strategy, objectives and goals as well as provide innovative enterprise solutions.

“We are excited to announce Chris as the CIO of Ardent Mills,” states, Dan Dye, CEO. “He comes to Ardent Mills with extensive experience in building and leading diverse teams to support innovative businesses.”

"With more than 20 years working with an agricultural company, Chris brings a vast background and skill set along with an innovative approach to technology solutions. His expertise will allow Ardent Mills to drive simplicity, one of our core values, across the company," notes John Barton, CFO of Ardent Mills.

"In addition, his history in working with global leaders to identify strategic initiatives and solutions, he will bring a fresh lens to the way we operate and will help nourish the innovative nature of our company. We are pleased to welcome Chris to the Ardent Mills family."

Mr Meyerpeter will report directly to John Barton and will be located in Denver, Colorado. 

Visit the Ardent Mills website, HERE.
 

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


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

28/02/2018: The positive effects of drying pasta in high temperatures

By Luciano Mondardini, R&D Director, Pavan, Italy

The positive effect of high temperatures on the drying of pasta is a fact that can no longer be questioned

Its use has improved the cooking quality and appearance of pasta made from soft wheat.
 


The mechanism, or at least the main mechanism, by which cooking quality has improved in soft wheat pasta is essentially due to the transformation that occurs in the protein chains when they are exposed to temperatures that enable coagulation.

It is known that the protein chains of soft wheat gluten in comparison to durum, are longer in length and behave less tenaciously when subjected to stress. This is supposedly due to a different tendency to be distributed in space and to form hydrogen bridges or in smaller quantity or with less potential. This generates a weaker glutinous network, less able to keep the starch wrapped when it, due to the effect of cooking in water pasta, swells and gelatinises.

The high temperature treatment, made in a phase where the protein chains still have enough water to be in their maximum development of hydrogen bonds, blocks this network with coagulation allowing it to make the most of its binding capacity.

In addition, it has been observed that in soft wheat the quality of pasta made with high-temperature technology relates more closely to total protein content than gluten content. It is as if the albums and globulins that do not form part of the glutinic complex, submitted to the rapid coagulation process in the initial drying phases, could make a significant contribution to the glutinic complex in the formation of a containment net.

Tests conducted at the Cereal Institute

Here is an example of a report, drawn from the tests conducted at the Cereal Institute in Rome for a quality provision of spaghetti pasta.

OJ= Overall Judgement values between 20 (very bad quality) and 100 (excellent quality) TOM= Total Organic Material Organic material that is lost on the surface of a spaghetti, values from 1.4 (very good) to above 2.8 (very bad).

As we can see, the correlation found in the high temperature dryness is only related to the percent of proteins and not to gluten quality.


Read the full article, HERE.
 

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


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

Leiber GmbH company profile


Behind every activity, there is a person.

Over 180 people work for Leiber. Each one is a specialist in their particular field.

An experienced team within a company that has pursued a clear strategy for more than 60 years: working with values.

What makes Leiber different? They concentrate on what they can do best:

brewer's yeast, production at the highest quality, the latest technology, findings from science and research, the performance of a team of specialists.

This is what defines Leiber's strategic direction, and that is what makes them entrepreneurs.


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 26, 2018

27/02/2018: GRAPAS 2018, a one-day conference for millers of food, flour & rice

On Tuesday 27th March, the GRAPAS & Global Milling Conference will take place, a well-respected conference that has been organised by Milling and Grain magazine since 2013.

It is hosted by Victam International at their exhibitions both in Europe and Asia. From last year, the GRAPAS Conference has been held bi-annually in Europe to rotate with it’s bi-annual conference in Asia. This conference is a great opportunity to reach key decision makers in the milling industry across Europe and worldwide.

Aimed at CEO’s directors and mill managers, to plant managers, transportation managers and nutritionists Reaching key decision makers in the milling industry

There will be three sessions achieving great synergies between milling sectors as the world wakes up to the challenge of feeding 9.5 billion people by 2050.


www.gfmt.co.uk/grapas15

Agenda

9.30-10.00 Coffee
10.00-10.30 Welcome & Opening Keynote

Session A: Milling Technology Update
10.30-10.50 Mycotoxins in Wheat - survey and result Glenn Ferirol, Nutriad, Belgium
10.50-11.10 Square silo integrated building solutions Archit Newaskar, SCE, Belgium
11.10-11.30 Innovations in grain preparation for milling Roger Cook, Petkus, Germany
11.30-11.50 Latest Innovations - Amylab FN and LabMill Mathilde Berra, Chopin Technologies, Indonesia

12.10-13.40 Lunch break

Session B: Milling Innovations Awards - Processing
13.40-14.00 Technology and automation trends in milling Yiannis Christodoulou, Progressus, Thailand
14.00-14.20 The significance of smart sensor and software technology for grain dryers Dr Erfan Shahkar, Agentis Innovations, Thailand
14.20-14.40 TBC Peter Marriott, Satake, UK

14.40-15.00 Coffee / Viewing of GRAPAS Award Nomination

Session C: Milling Innovations Awards - Handling
15.00-15.20 Integration of laser marking in fully automatic industrial bagging lines David Pernia Grillo, TMI, Spain
15.20-15.40 Sukup double-ended stud bolt John Bowes, Sukup, USA
15.40-16.00 TBC Jean Patrick Corso, Vibrafloor, France



 Sponsorship Opportunities



Platinum x 1 (US$5000)
- Full-page in the programme
- Full-page advert in Milling and Grain magazine - alongside the Conference report
- Banner x 2 inside the hall
- Web-banner on GRAPAS page
- Banner against GRAPAS reports in Milling and Grain magazine
- Large banner on slides on the main screen

Gold x 2 (US$2000)
- Half-page advert in the programme
- Banner x 1 in the room
- Web-banner on GRAPAS page
- Banner against GRAPAS reports in Milling and Grain magazine
- Banner on slides on the main screen
 

Silver x 3 (US$2000)

- Quarter-page advert in the programme
- All sliver logos banner x 1in the room
- Web-banner on GRAPAS page
- Banner against GRAPAS reports in Milling and Grain magazine
- Banner on slides on the main screen

If interested in sponsoring the conference please contact Tuti Tan on +44 1242 267700 or email tuti@perendale.co.uk

You are invited to attend GRAPAS 2018, to register for the event click HERE.
 

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


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

27/02/2018: Mobile quality control: Test results retrievable from any location

The Brabender MetaBridge is a web-based software solution for a cross-platform and cross-location access to measurement readings recorded by Brabender instruments. It simplifies operation by new and optimized measurement, evaluation and administration functions. 
 


For which devices is it available? 
The Brabender MetaBridge is the standard software for the Brabender Farinograph-TS and Moisture Tester MT-CA. An integrated industry PC allows connecting those with other Brabender instruments. By the help of the MetaBridge Controller as an upgrade kit, Brabender instruments with a USB connection can be retrofitted with the MetaBridge software. 


www.brabender.com
 What is your benefit? 
- Time-saving: Immediate use via simple and secure browser log-in. No installation on any end device necessary
- Mobility: Fast access from anywhere in the world and through any type of end device
- User-friendliness: Simple navigation through touchscreen-optimized interface for tablets and smartphones. Screen automatically adjusts to all resolutions
- Internal communication: Several users can access the MetaBridge and monitor tests simultaneously, can comment results and forward them to their colleagues
- Individuality: Numerous customization options available, e.g. different chart types, colours, widths etc. - Fast problem solution: Instant remote access by a Brabender service technician
- Cost efficiency: No additional user licenses required



For more information visit the Brabender website, HERE.
 

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


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

27/02/2018: Addressing biodiversity, hidden hunger and malnutrition

by Clifford Spencer, Goodwill Ambassador, NEPAD and Chairman, Milling4Life

 
Clifford Spencer
For those of you that regularly read this column, you will be aware of my concern regarding the narrowing choice of grains as feedstock for millers of food and feed. The rate of change in cereal production and its reduction to just three principle crops of maize, wheat and rice is ultimately to the consumers loss in terms of food and feed value as well as animal and human nutrition and health.

In 2018 Milling4Life will be working with various initiatives to reverse this trend of reducing biodiversity and also to aid research in major opportunities for previously ignored crops as feedstocks for the industry. We will be doing this, as these are more often than not the crops that smallholder and subsistence farmers in developing countries both understand and rely upon for their survival. What is missing is the investment in plant breeding and agronomy for these crops that the ‘big three’ of wheat, rice and maize have received over the last century.
 


One initiative you will be hearing more about during 2018 is the African Orphan Crops Initiative (AOCC), which we will be working closely. Nutrition is at the core of AOCC and that consortium is working to address hidden hunger, malnutrition and stunting in Africa through the use of nutritious local food crops. Many of these crops are rich in vitamins, micronutrients, anti-oxidants and medicinal ingredients. Due to non-standard and unimproved cultivars grown in the countryside, it is possible that they vary in their nutritional compositions and this may not help in getting the right nutrition in the correct proportions. AOCC aims to make these nutritious crops already grown at scale in Africa productive.

Another initiative whose work we will be supporting is the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT). Crop diversity is essential for life on earth as it underpins nearly everything we eat and drink, but that diversity is rapidly disappearing. The Crop Trust is responding to the crisis threatening the foundation of our food and is the only international organisation dedicated solely to conserving and making available crop diversity.

We will also be looking at developments in cereal processing technologies like extrusion, and how the benefits of these developing technologies can be incorporated into and for the benefit of smallholder production in developing countries. Encouraging grower co-operatives and the adoption of modern milling technology has the potential to be life changing in these situations.


Read the full article, HERE.
 

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


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

Wenger Manufacturing company profile



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 their multiple plants, in their world-class research and development centre, and in sales and service offices around the globe. 
Wenger equipment is unmatched in quality. 


Perhaps even more importantly, they've built a reputation for having lasting partnerships with customers. Lasting because of their dedication, ingenuity, and responsiveness – and  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

February 25, 2018

26/02/2018: VICTAM Asia 2018, Asia’s largest dedicated feed & grain exhibition is only one month away

VICTAM Asia 2018 will be organised from March 27 - 29, 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. The exhibition and conferences will be held once again at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) in Bangkok, Thailand.

VICTAM Asia is firmly established as the event dedicated to the animal feed processing, grain processing, ingredients & additives, aqua feed and pet food industries within Asia. The last edition in 2016 was sold out.
 
www.victamasia.com

The VICTAM exhibitions display the latest technology, ingredients and additives available to manufacture and process feed for animals, pets and aquatics, together with a wide range of necessary ancillary equipment – silos, conveyors, bagging, elevators, etc. The exhibitions also showpiece the newest equipment for grain, rice and flour milling.

Co-located with VICTAM Asia are a series of high quality industry conferences: Petfood Forum Asia 2018, Aquafeed Horizons Asia 2018, FIAAP Animal Nutrition Conference Asia 2018, GRAPAS and Global Milling Conference Asia 2018, Proagrica Feed Efficiency Conference 2018, a GMP+ seminar and the World Feed Perspectives Seminar. Exhibitors will also be given the opportunity to present technical seminars.

New features at VICTAM Asia 2018 include a business matchmaking program and the VICTAM newsroom. The matchmaking program focuses on high quality meetings and will consist of a combination of an online tool, which allows exhibitors and visitors to plan their appointments very efficiently and a personal approach by the matchmaking consultants. They will help exhibitors and visitors get the most out of the program and will support in finding their match.

The other new feature is the VICTAM News Room. The VICTAM newsroom will report semi-live from the show floor to allow those that can’t attend to still be part of the action. Furthermore, speakers, visitors and exhibitors will be interviewed about their expertise and the news crew will make running reports about the event through Victam’s social media channels.

VICTAM Asia are proud to have the support of the following organisations:
• The Feedstuff Users Promotion Association
• Thai Feed Mill Association
• The Animal Husbandry Association of Thailand
• Animal Health Products Association
• Department of Fisheries
• Ministry of Industry
• The Thai Chamber of Commerce
• Department of livestock development
• Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau 


For detailed information visit the VICTAM Asia website, HERE. Alternatively you can register directly, HERE.

Upcoming events
The next event organised by Victam International BV after VICTAM Asia 2018 is VICTAM International 2019 from June 12 – 14, 2019 in Cologne, Germany.

For more information about these events visit the VICTAM website, HERE

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


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

26/02/2018: Symaga Group receives certification for environmental management system

Symaga Group cements its drive towards the optimisation of its resource and waste management thanks to the award of the UNE-EN ISO 14001 certification for its Environmental Management System
 


This certification consolidates the push for the improvement of resource and waste management, a key element in Symaga Group’s social corporate responsibility.

Under Symaga’s Environmental Management System, the company mitigates the negative environmental impact and reduces risks in case of accident, while boosting innovation and productivity.

The environmental certificate adds to the quality re-certifications ISO 9001 and UNE EN 1090 awarded to Symaga. In 2013, Symaga became the first company in the sector to affix the CE marking for metallic structure manufacturing.

These certificates are a recognition of the unabated push for excellence in manufacturing from our corporate quality department and its system for continuous improvement Moreover, they help Symaga to lay down solid foundations to achieve two major goals of the Group: customer satisfaction and continuous product development.


www.symaga.com

Visit the Symaga website, HERE.
 

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


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

26/02/2018: The Isaac Harter Company Fostoria, Ohio

by Mildred Cookson, Mill Archive, UK

We are particularly proud of our collection of ‘The Weekly Northwestern Miller’


 
Mildred Cookson
An American journal first published in 1873. You may have noticed the attractive covers the magazine used during the 1920s, so enticingly displayed in the series of advertisements in Milling and Grain. Not only does the publication give us valuable insight into the development of milling in the USA, it features many accounts from around the world. This month I have chosen to précis an article from December 30, 1898 on the Isaac Harter Company Fostoria, Ohio.

The company had just commissioned a new mill with a capacity of 2,000 barrels, making it one of the largest winter wheat mills in the country. Once the decision had been taken, the contract was given to the Edward P Allis Company of Milwaukee to be built on the Universal Bolter system. They drew up all the plans, furnished all material and machinery, installed it and started up the mill. The contract was signed on March 10, 1898 and on the following 20 September, the mill was put into operation. ‘The Weekly Northwestern Miller’ suggested that anyone interested in modern milling would find that it was well worth a trip to examine the construction and see the results obtained by this elegant plant.
 


The mill was built as two mills, each of about 900 barrels capacity each. Each mill was entirely independent of the other. The engine was a Reynolds-Corliss vertical compound condensing, with cylinders 22x44x48 inches. The engine itself was located between the two main line shafts, extending from the mill through into the engine room. The 18 foot diameter fly wheel of the engine also acted as the driving pulley for both mills and took two 30 inch belts; one to drive each mill. Each mill could be stopped by throwing out a friction clutch.

Each of the two mills contained the same amount of machinery, so the arrangement in one was reflected in the other. The basements had low ceilings and were used for storage. On the first floor there was a line of flour and feed packers on each side of the mill close to the wall, so it left the whole floor in front of the packers for work and storage. The second floor had the line shafting to drive the roller mills and the boots of the elevators and the third floor had on each side 24 double 9x30 Gray roller mills, which did all the grinding. Gray, who was the Chief Milling Engineer to Allis probably justifies an article by himself.


Read the full article, HERE.
 

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


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

Nutriad company profile



Nutriad’s story
The global population increases 50 percent in the next four decades. Livestock production and aquaculture has never been more challenging. 

Limited availability and changing quality of raw materials challenges intake, growth and performance. Growing customer awareness and governmental regulations, especially related to health & safety, challenge your business.

As a manufacturer of state-of-the-art feed additives for more than 50 years they know the agricultural market. Still every day Nutriad are passionate about their work.

Their ambition is to be customers’ first choice in palatability, mycotoxin management and digestive performance. Every day their people work on finding ways to improve your production.

Being active in more than 80 countries, they understand the global issues thoroughly.
The experience of their dedicated local product specialists is available for you. In direct contact with you, they create the best practical solutions for today and tomorrow.

Visit the Nutriad website, HERE.
 

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


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

February 24, 2018

25/02/2018: Where do you plan to be on March 27, 2018?

If you're a miller specialising in the food side of the industry, the chances are you'll have considered attending the one-day GRAPAS Conference being held on the first day of the Victam Exhibition at the BITEC in Bangkok, Thailand. 

That's where key industry professionals will be listening to a line-up of presentation by companies putting forward their latest innovations for this year's 'GRAPAS Innovations Awards'. The program not only includes speakers from the seven award finalists, but also a selection of other experts speaking on key subjects in their fields.

To register is easy - just visit the Victam Registration website if your attending Victam Asia - and once you've entered your contact details you can select the GRAPAS Conference to attend, which is free. (If you have registered already via Victam, but didn't add the GRAPAS Conference to your selection please use the link in the confirmation email provided to re-visit and click to include the conference.)

You may also register through the Milling and Grain service. This is useful for those who might not have an interest in feed equipment. 

In any event, we look forward to welcoming you to the BITEC on March 27, 2018. 

See the program and register HERE.
 

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


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

February 22, 2018

23/02/2018: NGFA seeks clarification on trucking regulatory exemptions for agriculture

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) this week urged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to clarify the agricultural commodity exception to its hours-of-service regulations for commercial truck drivers

In its statement submitted in response to the FMCSA's request in the Dec. 20, 2017 edition of the Federal Register seeking input on the "Proposed Regulatory Guidance Concerning the Transportation of Agricultural Commodities," the NGFA urged FMCSA to clarify that grain elevators, feed and feed ingredient manufacturers, biofuels companies, grain and oilseed processors and millers, and livestock and poultry integrators are a source of agricultural commodities eligible for the exception.
 

"It is imperative that US freight laws and regulations accomplish their goals without disadvantaging US agriculture, given the highly competitive global marketplace that exists for agricultural products," the statement said. "Having access to a highly efficient freight transportation system and a pool of qualified drivers is critical for US agriculture's competitiveness."

Specifically, NGFA said that the agricultural commodity exception should apply to all facility types within the agricultural supply chain to prevent additional financial harm.

In addition, for drivers operating under the agricultural commodity exception, NGFA recommended that FMCSA apply the hours-of-service regulations only to situations in which a driver operates beyond the 150-air mile radius. Under NGFA's recommendation, commercial truck drivers transporting agricultural commodities would not be required to maintain logs until exceeding the 150-air mile radius.

Finally, to prevent unnecessary regulatory burden and excessive costs, NGFA urged FMCSA to exempt from the electronic logging device (ELD) requirement drivers who predominantly transport agricultural commodities.

"Most NGFA members operate under the agricultural commodity exception and, therefore, are exempt from hours-of-service requirements for all or most of the year depending upon their state's definition for planting and harvesting seasons," said the NGFA statement, which also noted that requiring ELDs to be purchased for use during the non-planting and harvest seasons when demand for truck transportation has eased is nonsensical and inconsistent with President Trump's executive order to reduce regulatory burdens.

"NGFA looks forward to working with DOT and FMCSA on additional solutions to address the needs of our industry while continuing to protect the safety of the nation's highways," the statement concluded.

The full NGFA statement is available, HERE
 

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


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

23/02/2018: Purdue, CME Group to host Commodity Classic session

Economists from Purdue University’s Centre for Commercial Agriculture and CME Group will present a learning centre session at Commodity Classic on Feb. 27 at 8:15 a.m. The conference runs Feb. 27-March 1 in Anaheim, California.
 


The session is titled “The Ag Economy Barometer: Lessons from 2017 and Strategies for 2018.” It will focus on the key lessons from 2017 and help producers plan for the financial realities of 2018, based on data from the barometer, including quarterly thought leaders surveys.

“Crop budgets and commodity prices in early 2017 were a near repeat of the tough financial conditions producers faced in early 2016,” said James Mintert, center director and session panelist. “However, producers were more optimistic in early 2017. Anecdotal evidence, such as attendance at land auctions and activity at equipment dealerships, hinted that producers were hopeful about what was in store for 2017 and beyond. But as we have seen, commodity prices have continued to hover at or below break-even levels. During this session, we will take a look at what the current agricultural economy means for 2018.”

In addition to Mintert, panelists are Jason Henderson, director of Purdue Extension and associate dean of Purdue Agriculture; Fred Seamon, executive director of agricultural research and product development, CME Group; and David Widmar, Purdue senior research associate.

Since April, the Ag Economy Barometer, which is based on a monthly survey of 400 US agricultural producers, has predominantly trended lower until an uptick in producer sentiment in January 2018. The panel will discuss some of the drivers of producer economic sentiment, key lessons from 2017, and factors to consider when planning management strategies for the 2018 growing season.

Learn more about this and other sessions on the Commodity Classic website, HERE
 

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


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

23/02/2018: Fi Europe 2017: A unique influence in the food and beverage industries

For more than 30 years, Fi Europe & Ni (Natural ingredients) has been the world’s leading food and beverage ingredients sourcing platform

Its unique influence is underlined by the fact that more than 25 percent of all annual food and beverage manufacturer ingredient procurement budgets are influenced by a visit to the show. The biennial event alternates with Hi Europe (Health ingredients Europe).
 

www.figlobal.com/fieurope/

Fi Europe & Ni is organised by UBM plc. UBM is the largest pure-play B2B events organiser in the world. 3,750 plus people, based in more than 20 countries, serve more than 50 different sectors. Our deep knowledge and passion for these sectors allow us to create valuable experiences which enable our customers to succeed.

Food ingredients Global was launched in Utrecht, The Netherlands, in 1986. Its portfolio of live events, extensive data, digital solutions and high level conferences is now established throughout the world and provides regional and global platforms for all stakeholders in the food ingredients industry. Over 500,000 people have attended the shows over the years, with billions of Euros worth of business created as a result. With more than 30 years of excellence, their events, digital solutions and supporting products deliver a proven route to market for a truly global audience.

A true barometer of food and beverage trends, the Fi Europe Innovation Awards honour research teams and product developers for their outstanding innovations and invaluable contributions to the industry. Mirroring the market, protein solutions featured high on the winners’ podium this year.

More hotly contested than ever before, the 2017 Awards were presented at a festive ceremony on 28 November, 2017, at Messe Frankfurt, Germany. There were 10 Fi Europe Innovation Awards categories, plus two Start-up Innovation Challenge categories. A total of 17 companies were shortlisted in the Fi Europe Innovation Awards and a further 10 in the Start-up Innovation Challenge.

Winners of the Fi Europe Innovation Awards 2017
The Sustainability Champion Award went to pioneering oils producer IOI Loders Croklaan for its sustainable and transparent supply chain strategy for palm oil.

The Organic Champion Award was won by herba ingredients, an allergen-free producer of organic rice flour for baby food that is fully traceable, from cultivation to final ingredient.

The Future of Nutrition Award (the only category open to non-Fi Europe exhibitors) was presented to Alberts for its Automated Smoothie Machine, Europe’s first fresh smoothie vending machine – now in use at Carrefour outlets in Belgium.

The Clean Label & Natural Innovation Award went to Ingredion, who convinced the jury with its clean label-compatible functional rice flour for use in soups, sauces and ready meals.

Winner of the Life Stages Innovation Award was Novozymes, a leader in biological solutions, for its Formea® milk proteins – a promising ingredient for infant formulas with a reduced risk of allergic reactions.

The Performance Nutrition Innovation Award went to ARLA Food Ingredients for its taste-neutral whey protein isolate for use in protein-enriched sports drinks that are as crystal-clear as water.

The Growth Categories Innovation Award was won by ERIE Foods International for its low-fat milk protein crisps. Containing 90 percent protein, these can be consumed as they are or used as an ingredient in bars and breakfast cereals.

The Reduction & Reformulation Innovation Award went to DSM for an innovative cheese culture that makes it possible to reduce the fat content of cheese by up to 30 percent and still maintain the texture and mouthfeel of full fat cheese.

For the Expo FoodTec Innovation Award there was no winner, but the company Handary received a high commendation for its biodegradable antimycotic protective film that prevents mould growth in solid, packaged food.


Read the full article, HERE.
 

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


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

Hydronix company profile




Hydronix is the world's leading manufacturer of digital microwave sensors for moisture measurement in process control industries.

Established in 1982 and with over 50,000 systems installed worldwide, Hydronix is the preferred choice for manufacturers in the Concrete, Aggregate and Asphalt industries.

Their continued success in reducing cost and waste is leading manufacturers in animal feed, grain, sugar and other industries to incorporate Hydronix sensors into their own system. 


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 21, 2018

22/02/2018: Cefetra Ltd acquire Chilton Grain store

On the 21 February Agriculture specialist Cefetra Ltd announced that it will take over the management of Chilton Grain’s store in Chilton Airfield, near Sudbury, Suffolk

The new agreement will take effect from 1 July 2018 and see Cefetra manage the day-to-day running of the store, which has a 45k tonnes capacity and is ideally located in one of the major grain growing areas in the UK.
 

Image credit: Cefetra Ltd

As part of the plans Cefetra will also establish a grain origination team to work out of the same location by May 2018, and all existing Chilton Grain staff will transfer to Cefetra.

Andrew Mackay, managing director at Cefetra, said, “Having worked with Chilton Grain for a number of years we are very pleased to have reached this agreement, and grateful for their support and trust in taking the business forward.

“The store and Sudbury team will enhance the services we can offer to both our farmer suppliers and customers in the area. Simon Weir of Chilton Grain also brings with him a great wealth of experience and local insight as he joins our team.”

“We are confident in the future of the British agricultural sector and believe we can play a leading part in its success. Our recent purchase of Premium Crops and the book of Dalmark Grain Limited - previous operators of the Chilton Grain store - follow on from the acquisition of Wessex Grain in 2015, and are important steps in establishing Cefetra as a strong grain origination company with a nationwide capability.”


Visit the Cefetra Ltd website, HERE.
 

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


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

22/02/2018: Research shows organic acids as viable feed hygiene alternative for formaldehyde

Towards the end of 2017, the European Union denied the authorisation of formaldehyde as a preservative and hygiene condition enhancer

Foreseeing this decision, Swedish organic acid producer and feed additives manufacturer Perstorp has been researching the mode of action and effectiveness of organic acids against Salmonella for years.
 
Salmonella continues to be one of the biggest threats for animal production professionals. Blends of propionic and formic acid with specifically selected essential oils prove to be a potent solution to combat this pathogen.
Image credit: Shutterstock, via Perstorp

New data brought to light that propionic acid reduces the motility of Salmonella, and that specifically selected essential oils have a synergetic effect with organic acids. A new range of ProPhorce™ SA products puts these new insights to optimal use.

Formic acid is well known for its antibacterial properties and has been used to combat pathogens for years. In a new development, research at the faculty of veterinary medicine at the Utrecht University in the Netherlands (Burt et.al. 2016) shows that propionic acid also has an antibacterial effect that works synergistically to that of formic acid.

Where earlier trials have shown that some essential oils can allow formic acid to pass the cell wall and neutralise Salmonella, researchers now found that propionic acid effects on the motility of bacteria by stripping them of their flagella. This takes away the mobility of the pathogen and as such renders it harmless.

The trials executed at the University of Utrecht also show a clear synergy between all of these components where the efficacy of the combination is much higher than the sum of its parts or of other organic acid solutions that were tested.

“After the announcement of the EU about formaldehyde, we saw an immediate uptake in requests for alternatives from all corners of Europe” states Marc Kinjet, Portfolio Director Preservation for Perstorp Feed & Food. “Feed compounders absolutely need to actively eliminate Salmonella in their factories as it can lead to the closure of a plant when found. These combinations of formic and propionic acid with essential oils have the highest efficacy of any alternative to formaldehyde that we have seen”, he continues.

The tested products are marketed by Perstorp as the ProPhorce™ SA product range. All products are labelled non-ADR.

ProPhorce ™ is the property of the Perstorp Group.

For more information on this research including a downloadable copy of the peer-reviewed article (Burt et.al. 2016) visit the Perstorp Group website, HERE.

 

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


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