March 26, 2018

27/03/2018: Adverse weather does not necessarily mean adverse results

by Chris Jackson, Export Manager, UK TAG

Today I write these notes, winter is taking a hold in the UK rather late as spring approaches with snow and frost - affecting most of our country, which has in recent years had so little winter weather we are not used to or equipped to easily deal with it.


 
Chris Jackson
For those people of my age we still remember being frozen solid for most of March so nothing really new. It means a great deal more work for our livestock farmers, who will be looking forward to the spring regrowth and the ability to start grazing again.

Faced with difficult transport conditions logistics for moving food to the farms and stock away becomes yet another problem to be coped with. It is really heartening to see however under adverse conditions how communities pool resources for the common good.

As you read these notes with our magazine, I will be attending VICTAM, which incorporates FIAAP and GRAPAS in Bangkok.
 


This event outlines the interdependence that our industry relies on, we start all of the food production process with primary production in livestock, crops, fruit and vegetables not to mention arboriculture and fish production. But very little produce is suitable for human consumption until it has undergone some process.

For livestock and fish farming we rely heavily on our milling industries to supply feed that meets all the necessary nutrient requirements for efficient production, delivered in a format that is highly digestible and palatable.

As our industries become more globalised and specialist, then milling and feed formulation for all species takes on technology and investment in plant and machinery, making best use of the raw materials that are readily available in the local markets.

In the rapidly developing markets of South East Asia, co-operation is vital to effectively supply farmers with properly formulated rations that would not be available to the small scale individual producers.

With the advanced animal genetics that have been successfully deployed, rations have to be produced to allow the farmers to maximise the genetic potential. Indeed I have seen where the feed is not of sufficient quality the animals are suffering from lack of nutrition, a problem not seen using native breeds that have adapted to low nutrition and consequently low production.


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

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