26/03/2013: Grain bin rescue training for local first responders; Erich Erber awarded Asian Personality Award during VIV Asia 2013

First responders from several area departments were on the scene at W.I. Miller & Sons in Farmdale, ready to participate in a mock rescue demonstration.

"We're trying to prepare for a bad situation that we hopefully never have to get into," said Doug Elser chief of the Kinsman Township Fire Department.

With United States farms producing more grain than ever, the amount of farmers dying from entrapment in bins and silos is alarming, and preventable.

"A lot of the volunteer firefighters don't have a farming background, and they wouldn't know how to handle an emergency on a farm like this," said Rod McNeely chief of the Gustavus Township Fire Department. "That's why the fire departments from Kinsman Township and Gustavus Township are going through the Ohio Fire Academy's training program."

The simulation trailer was designed by Ohio State University students and is only being used for the third time.

Local fire chiefs said all firefighters in this area should be well-rounded when it comes to rescue. 

"This class is basically to save somebody if they're trapped from say the shoulders down or somewhere where you can still see where the victim is," said Chief McNeely.

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Erich Erber, chairman of the executive board of Erber group and founder of Biomin was awarded the Asian Personality award at VIV Asia 2013 in recognition of his 30 years of contribution to the field of animal nutrition. 

Erber's dedication and foresight has led to numerous innovative and trend-setting solutions for animal production, with a successful business spanning over 100 countries worldwide and more than 1100 employees.

The award adds to a series of important events that mark 2013 as the company also celebrates it's 30th anniversary and introduces a completely new approach to counteracting fumonisins in animal production. 

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Erich Erber awarded Asian Personality Award at VIV Asia 2013

Event: VIV Asia 2013 & Aquatic Asia 2013 ends

What a week this has been in Bangkok! The exhibitors spoken to by The Global Miller report a very successful event - both in terms of visitors numbers but more importantly in their relevance to the feed industry.

Comments from the visitors we spoke to ranged from very good to fantastic. It appears that most were surprised at the numbers of feed manufacturers attending what might traditionally be considered a animal agriculture show alone. The organisers have been putting emphasis into the complete livestock production chain and feed has become a critical part of that process.

According to Niek Reichgelt of VNU, the organisers of VIV Asia, says feed is part of the production chain and VIV represents all animals including fish and pets. He was instrumental is setting up the CropTech-FeedTech conferences - which were hosted by Perendale and Watt Media - which proved most successful in generating interest for feed manufacturers in the event.

"It's interesting that more than 30 percent of visitors have responsibility to some degree for both aquaculture and pet feeds. We are a complete livestock event and feed, in terms of machinery, ingredients and raw materials, is very much a part of that production chain," he says.

"In fact, we are so happy with the outcome of the Perendale conference format that we will offer this at all of our events in Europe and Asia from now on. CropTech-FeedTech brings a debate about new technologies to the feed manufacturer and explains what industry is up to in terms of its product developments. Russia is the next VIV show at which we will offer this interactive format. We hope to also offer it in Mexico and again April 2014 in India," says Reichgelt.

Some feed equipment companies' stands such as Buhler and a range of Chinese suppliers ranged from 100 to 180 square metres and were as impressive as any seen anywhere. All were on several occasions overflowing with visitors. In fact, two exhibitors reported they could not meet with all visitors a key points during the three day event. Friday afternoon, the last dray of the show, saw numbers dwindle somewhat but meaningful visitors were taking place as The Global Miller could still not get to some companies.

VIV Asia must rank alongside IPPE, EuroTier and Victam as a must attend event for feed manufactures everywhere!

Our thanks go to VIV organisers for accommodating the press so professionally during the past week in Bangkok. We wish everyone a safe journey home!

Ruwan Berculo project manager of VNU discuss the outcome of the first CropTech-FeedTech with Perendale Publishers' general manager, Roger Gilbert. Mr Gilbert chaired the inaugural session on 'Digital Engineering in the Feed Manufacturing Industry' held on the opening day.

Event: VIV Asia 2013 & Aquatic Asia 2013 opens with fanfare

VIV Asia celebrates its 22nd anniversary in Bangkok this year and its ninth event. Outlining its achievements over the years, Mr Gerard Leeuwenburgh, director of international exhibitions for VNU Exhibitions Europe and managing director of VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific, told an audience of over 300 that this year's event had a hard act to follow to beat the achievement of 2011 when that event had seen an increase of 20 percent in exhibitor numbers to just over 700 coupled with over 29,000 visitors.

However, 2013 was already looking to exceed those figures with more than 770 exhibitors from 48 countries attending Bangkok this year under both VIV Asia 2013 and Aquatic Asia 2013.

"VIV Asia has establish itself as a must attend event in the animal husbandry calendar in Asia," he told his audience in an introduction.

While China led the country list of most exhibitors, 133 in total, followed by Thailand with 76, India with 70, The Netherlands with 65 and France with 62, he said it was not just about volume and square metres that mattered. "It's the diversity of the complete production chains from feed to meat that is represented here," he added.

He said he was also impressed with the 10 official country pavilions, a new CropTech-FeedTech Pavilion along with conferences and seminars too many to mention, making VIV Asia 2013 a full week of activities. He paid particular mention of the new VIV-Perendale Conference under the CropTech-FeedTech banner which was to be held later in the day as one of this year’s advances.

The opening keynote address was delivered by David Heath, Member of Parliament, Minister of State for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for the United Kingdom followed by opening remarks by Yokol Limiamthong, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives for Thailand.

The opening finished with a photo shoot before the VIPs toured the show.

Minister of Agriculture for Thailand, Yukol Limiamthong being interviewed by Thai press after the official opening of VIV Asia and Aquatic Asia 2013 in Bangkok

13/03/13: We're at VIV Asia; Thai company invests in Cambodia and Laos; rain in the USA

Two of the Grain and Feed Milling Technology magazine team are in Bangkok for VIV Asia. If you are at the show, come and see us on stand H105 B051. If you're not there, check our blog for updates throughout the show.

Grain and Feed Milling Technology publisher, Roger Gilbert is hosting the ‘CropTech-FeedTech 2013’ seminar titled, Digital Engineering in Feed Manufacturing. The seminar is aimed at those working in the area of mill technology and aims at providing background information on intelligent solutions that have been introduced to address processing chain dilemmas.

“What’s unique for our industry about this event is it’s format,” says Roger Gilbert. “There will be seven or eight very short presentations made by supply companies that have developed products either using or that use digital technologies to improve the feed manufacturing process.

More information about VIV Asia...

CPF, Thailand is to set up a feed mill plant in Laos and a corn silo in Cambodia. The combined investment of  THB 250 million (US$ 8.40 million) will strengthen the company's agri-industrial business ahead of the Asean Economic Community (AEC). 

The aim of the facilities is to put CPF in a strong position to serve rising demand once the regional single market is established in 2015.

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Rains helps ease the drought pressure on US crops. Over the weekend, most of the Plains wheat region and the western Midwest were treated to a welcome shower.

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This image shows a cloud to cloud lightning in a very stormy and rainy night in Zwickau, Germany. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)