Press Release: FFI Matters: "Accelerate Africa" proposal approved; Uzbekistan begins fortifying flour

Dear Friends of FFI,

In early March, the FFI Executive Management Team approved a proposal for FFI’s continued work in Africa. Their action followed a comprehensive six-month analysis of historical trends, partner activities, industry capacity, consumption, grain trading patterns, urbanisation rates, and potential health impact of fortification. See the FFI newsletter for a summary of the proposal as well as links to an in-depth Power Point explanation.

In another part of the world, Uzbekistan began fortifying flour and salt this year as part of a mandate from the Ministry of Health. The country is adding iron, folic acid, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin to first-grade flour.

We’re interested in knowing which countries are fortifying maize flour. Please send us information about your experiences so we can share that information with other countries that are considering maize flour fortification.

You may have already seen the news that Scott Montgomery is the new FFI Director. Read how he will use his business approach to benefit FFI.

We look forward to seeing many of you next week at the Quality Assurance/Quality Control and Monitoring and Surveillance workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Then we will anticipate seeing many more of you in Manila 27-29 September for a meeting on the regulatory monitoring of salt iodisation and flour fortification programs.

Sincerely,
The FFI Team

www.FFInetwork.org
www.Facebook.com/FFInetwork
www.Twitter.com/FFInetwork

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Press Release: Gateway to Indian Grain Industry- GrainTech India 2011

GrainTech India 2011 is the largest international exhibition in India on grains technologies & products from 9-11 Sep.2011 at Bangalore.

Last year participating countries were Germany, USA, Turkey, China, Japan, Ethiopia, Philippines, Canada, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Denmark, Thailand and India. Products & exhibitors profile of the event is the manufacturer of cleaning, grading, milling technologies, grain silos, processing & packaging machineries and importer, exporter & trader of grains, cereals, pulses, spices, oilseeds, food products etc.

The event supported by Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, APEDA and leading trade associations. For details visit www.Graintechindia.com or call +91-11-26681671/ 65656554 or email: info@graintechindia.com

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

IFF Practical course "Pelleting of compound feed“ Germany

In the European Union, approx. 70 percent of the industrially produced compound feed is pelleted. Highest demands are put on quality. Conditioning, pressing and cooling require more than half of the energy necessary for the production of compound feed.

An essential evaluation criterion for the pellet quality is the abrasion stability but not every formulation leads directly to acceptable pellets. A multitude of influencing factors must be paid attention to, like e. g. physical and chemical material properties, application of increased liquid contents, conditioning, steam quality, parameters of pellet mills, cooling as well as stability of thermo-sensitive additives.

The rising energy costs require the utilisation of possible savings. So it is worthy to enlarge knowledge and competence in order to handle the pelleting process even better.

The course will be held in English language on May 31 and June 1, 2011 at Braunschweig-Thune, Germany.

Link to more information:
http://www.iff-braunschweig.de/lehrgang-pdf/invitation_pelleting.pdf

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

“Aviana Nepal 2011” International Expo for Poultry & Livestock

“Aviana Nepal 2011” International Expo for Poultry & Livestock to be held from 26th to 28th May 2011 at United World Trade Centre, Kathmandu, Nepal. Nepal is emerging and fastest growing market in Poultry and Livestock Sector in Asia with strategically located between India, China and Pakistan.
To date, there are a total of 76 big hatcheries, 115 feed mills, 500 layers and 1,000 broiler farms in Nepal.

AVIANA Nepal 2011 would be a Gateway to most of the Companies and a great business opportunity for all.  With over 80 exhibitors from 20 different countries, this expo will not only provide a platform to exhibit innovative technologies and identify distribution channels in Asian region, but also establish a large business forum for supplier and distributors to penetrate in the growing Asian Livestock industry.

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Rice industry adds US$34 billion to U.S. economy

A new study conducted by Agriculture and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M for the USA Rice Federation highlights the US rice industry’s economic contributions to the economies of the six-major rice-producing states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas, as well as to the nation’s economy.

Economic Contributions of the US Rice Industry to the US Economy calculated the value of rice farming, milling and various end-user sectors in 2009 to complete the study. The report puts the total output effect of US rice production for the nation’s economy at US$34 billion (UK£21.056 billion) in 2009, with the rice industry supporting more than 128,000 jobs nationwide. Additionally, the value added to the US gross domestic product (GDP) was nearly $18 billion (UK£11.147 billion). Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Nutreco eyes Provimi, analysts say

Market analysts expect that animal feed firm Nutreco is to take over Netherlands based and Paris listed feed maker Provimi. Last week rumours arose that feed manufacturer Provimi could be a possible prey for takeover by Nutreco. It was said that Povimi’s divestment of its pet food business made it more attractive for the Dutch conglomerate.

Provimi is owned by investment company Permira and it was said that it was looking for a buyer since it had Provimi in possession for almost four years now. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

China launches clean-up on tainted pig feed

China's government has launched a year long concentrated effort on illegal additives in pig feed after some pigs owned by meat suppliers tested positive for clenbuterol, a banned chemical that can be dangerous to humans.

Tainted pork has become the latest food safety scandal to shock China after state broadcaster CCTV ran an expose earlier this month showing that a subsidiary of China's largest meat producer, based in central Henan province, used pork tainted with the fat-burning drug clenbuterol in its products. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Stricter requirements for feed fats producers

German feed mills have to fit more stringent requirements after the dioxin scandal, Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner (CSU) said when she presented a new draft regulation this week. German feed sector accuses her of political activism.

The regulation “Security and transparency” foresees a licensing obligation for companies and more stringent requirements regarding self-control. Feed fats and oils and industrial or technical fats industry are no longer allowed to be processed in the same facility. This is to decrease that both types of fat are inadvertently mixed. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Cargill to open rebuilt feed mill

Cargill Animal Nutrition will on May 1, 2011 start producing at their new facility, known as the Feed Depot at Letterkenny (Pennsylvania, US) which replaces the feed mill that was destroyed in a fire on Feb. 12, 2010.

"While we lost our mill in the fire, we never lost our commitment to the dairy and livestock producers in this region," said Rob Sheffer, regional general manager for Cargill Animal Nutrition.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the fire, which was estimated to have caused between US$5 million (UK£3.097 million) and US$8 million (UK$4.954 million) in damage. A cause of the fire has not been determined. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Tainted poultry feed seized in Bangladesh

A raid lead by the Bangladesh Department of Environment (DoE) on an illegal factory set up on the ground floor of a residential building in the Adabar region. Yielded 16 tonnes of contaminated poultry feed that was mixed with toxic tannery filth.

During the raid the factory manager was arrested, the operation was lead by DoE Director Mohammad Munir Chowdhury. Also sized in the raid were low standard chemicals, the raid was carried out by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Antitrust Merial and Intervet/Schering-Plough terminate agreement

US-based Merck and France based sanofi-aventis have terminated their agreement to form a new animal health joint venture by combining sanofi-aventis’ animal health business Merial with Intervet/Schering-Plough, Merck's animal health unit. As a result, each party will keep its current, separate animal health assets and businesses.

Since the initial announcement about the intended combination on March 9, 2010, both companies have worked diligently to create the proposed animal health joint venture, including submitting requests for the required antitrust reviews. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

ASTA seeks funding for Germplasm Enhancement of maize

The American Seed Trade Association organised a congressional delegation March 17-18 in Washington, DC to inform US House of Representatives and US Senate Agricultural Appropriations subcommittee members about the importance of the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) program and to request additional funding.

GEM is a joint partnership between members of the seed industry and the US Department of Agriculture designed to increase the genetic diversity of corn germplasm and corn hybrids grown by US farmers. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Farmland soils tested for Radioactivity near Fukushima plant

Japan is testing soils from farmland in the prefectures hit by radiation leakage from the Fukushima nuclear power station, to asses whether crops can be planted. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) plans to finish testing the soil samples by mid April, about the period that the farmers sow their rice.

High levels of radiation are delaying repair work at the Fukushima Dia-Ich power plant, site of the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Yukiko Yamada said that “we will advise each of the local government offices, based on the test results as to whether the farmers can go ahead with planting. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Japanese cows kept inside as radiation keeps leaking

Japan has asked farmers to keep cows and cattle in barns as radioactive contamination of milk spread from Fukushima prefecture, where high radiation levels and fires have hampered repairs of a crippled nuclear plant. “To prevent milk contamination, we are advising farmers that cows should be barred from grazing, kept inside barns and fed with grass harvested before the nuclear plant accident,” said Mitsuhiro Honda at the milk and dairy products division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

“We are not concerned about the safety of beef as the meat now on the market came from animals born more than two years ago.” Japan has restricted raw-milk shipments from Fukushima and neighbouring Ibaraki prefecture after tainted products were discovered through random testing. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Hamlet protein invests in new manufacturing plant

Hamlet Protein a Danish based company have commenced a multi-million dollar investment on the back of strong sales in the North American Market. The production plant will be located in Findlay Ohio employing initially 25 members of staff. They will be responsible for the entire North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA).

The new plant will be supplied by the areas large soybean farming community and combined with Hamlet Protein bio based technology . The new production plant is expected to go into operation during 2012. The bio-conversion technology is based on minimum energy consumption, no use of chemicals and minimum waste. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

LinkAsia Partners appoints Thai distributor

LinkAsia Partners, the commercial partner for Bluewave Marine Ingredients has appointed Protech Animal Health as distributor for PerfectDigest products in Thailand. Within the agreement Protech will distribute and market liquid dispersible fish peptide concentrate and spray dried fish peptide isolate under the PerfectDigest brand.

Plans are underway to utilize PerfectDigest in varied applications including swine, poultry, aquaculture and pet food. Mark Rottmann, COO of Bluewave Marine Ingredients, said, “We are extremely pleased to partner with Protech, a company with established and strong market presence in Thailand. With its extensive distribution network and strong customer base, Protech is clearly the ideal partner to help us expand our footprint and leverage the business opportunities in the region.” Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Gambian leader aims at agro-export

The president of the Republic of Gambi, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh last week officially opened the 2011 Legislative Year. Among others he reaffirmed that the main thrust of his government is not only food self-sufficiency, but also becoming a major player in the agricultural exports market.

Agriculture being one sector that has the greatest potential to provide employment for hundreds of thousands of people across all walks of life in the country, according to the president, his government is bent on eradicating poverty through this sector. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Feed costs cut Cal-Maine profits

Cal-Maine Foods Inc.'s earnings fell as the producer of eggs and egg products reported feed costs jumped 16 percent and selling prices eased. The owner of Eggland's Best and Farmhouse egg brands was hit by a nationwide egg recall and higher feed costs that hurt profit last year, though sales improved as prices recovered from the recession's slumping levels.

President and Chief Executive Dolph Baker said retail demand remained strong and higher-priced speciality-egg sales continued to grow, accounting for nearly 24 percent of revenue and nearly 18 percent of total numbers sold. For the quarter ended February 26, the world's largest egg producer and distributor reported a profit of US$33.6 million (€23.852 million), down 2.7 percent from US$34.5 million (€24.491 million)a year earlier. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Crop yield improved by removing manure solids

Manure has long been used as a crop fertiliser, but the challenge of finding an efficient use of the nutrients found in manure is ever present. The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus in manure is low in relation to the nutrient needs of most crops. Therefore, crops tend to be overloaded with manure to meet the nitrogen requirement of agricultural crops, but the excess phosphorus from the process can damage the environment.

In a study funded by agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, scientists at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Center in Agassiz, British Colombia, with collaborators in Quebec City, Quebec, and Brandon, Manitoba tested the effectiveness of removing solids from dairy manure to improve yield by increasing the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio and reducing the loss of nitrogen by hastening soil infiltration. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Russian livestock industry hampered by high feed costs

The US Department of Agriculture said that high feed costs are likely to hamper growth in Russia's burgeoning livestock industry this year until the new harvest reduces supply pressures. The Russian pig herd is set to grow 1.8 percent to 17.51 million animals by the end of the year, although pork production is predicted to stay flat this year compared with a 4 percent growth in 2010, according to the USDA's Moscow attaché.

Also beef production is expected to be limited to 1.4 million tonnes in 2011, which is 2.4 percent less than last year, due to a sharp decline in the number of cattle. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

United States consumers face ‘nightmare’ as China drives up meat, grain prices

As the growth of China pushes meat and grain prices higher, the US consumer faces a nightmare scenario, the end of cheap food for Americans.

Already one of the world’s biggest grain users, China’s appetite for corn, wheat and other farm commodities is poised to expand significantly over the next decade as the country’s people “move up the food chain,” adding more meat and dairy products to their diets, Brown said in a March 23 conference call with reporters. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

China biofuel policy may be in conflict with food security objectives

The USDA today said the China’s food security objectives may clash with its energy independance and environmental objectives. The study, titled China's Agricultural Trade: Competitive Conditions and Effects on US Exports says the development of China's biofuels industry affects China's agricultural production mix as it diverts output away from human and animal consumption into use as a fuel and contributes to increased imports of feedstock sources.

According to the report, China has been making an effort to move away from grain-based ethanol production and into alternative feedstocks. Until May 2006, government subsidies were limited to fuel ethanol, at which time the central government outlined the creation of a special fund to encourage the development of renewable energy resources, including ethanol and biodiesel. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

ADM adds to US capacity with boosted grain storage.

US grain storage capacity continues to trend higher as farm production grows, with Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) becoming the latest company to announce expansion plans. The Decatur, Ill.-based grain processor and merchandiser said its elevators in Novelty and Center, Mo, will triple their storage capacity, while a barge-loading terminal in Quincy, Ill, will add grain storage as well.

Construction at the facilities will begin this spring with the expanded capacity ready for the fall harvest. The expansion projects will add nearly 1.7 million bushels of storage capacity, the company said. In the US, ADM operates 191 elevators with an aggregate storage capacity of more than 420 million bushels. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Company Update: Charoen Pokphand China

The Chinese division of Charon Pokphand a Thailand based global feed and food conglomerate has reported increased profits of US$132.8 million in 2010, more than 14 times the profit of 2009.

C.P. Pokphand Co. Ltd (CPP), the leading animal and aqua feed producer in China, has announced its annual results for the year ended December 31, 2010. Since completing the acquisition of a feed business in China from the parent company in late February 2010, the Group has strengthened its competitive edge in the feed business and has achieved significant enhancements in its operational results. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Alltech making stronger presence in Europe

Global health and animal nutrition company Alltech continues to develop its European presence with the announcement of new hires in its sales, marketing and solutions deployment teams. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Japanese feed industry making significant strides

According to the United States Grains Council the Japanese feed industry is making significant strides to regain its production capacity to near normal within the next few months.

"Assuming significant escalation of the nuclear power plant issues will not arise and in spite of the horrendous losses suffered in Japan, the Council believes the consumer demand in Japan will remain strong and will drive continued imports of US coarse grains," said Tommy Hamamoto, USGC director in Japan. "In the short-term, logistical issues will continue to be a problem, but the Japanese feed industry is working hard to recover from the damage. By April or May, the Council is hopeful Japan will recover and return to somewhat normalcy."

At least four of of Japans major importing facilities and feed mills were damaged severely during the earthquake and tsunami. These four facilities account for for approximately 3.66 million metric tons of compound feed production, that's about 15 percent of Japans total annual feed production. However some feed production has partially resumed. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

PRESS RELEASE: The European Commission imposes special conditions on import of food and feed from Japan

Today we received this Press Release from Fefana on the conditions being imposed on the importation of feed and foodstuff from Japan following the accident at the Fukushima Nuclear power station.

"Following the earthquake in Japan and its impact on nuclear plants in Fukushima, the European Commission has published Regulation (EU) N° 297/2011 imposing special import conditions for food and feed originating from Japan. FEFANA understands that a number of feed business operators are wondering about the possible sanitary implications in Europe of this emergency situation and has compiled the following information in order to help operators coping with this situation and with possible requests for certificates or particular measures.

Here is the summary of the measures adopted: 

• They apply to feedstuffs and foodstuffs as defined under Regulation 3954/87 (feedstuffs means products which are intended only for animal nutrition); this is interpreted as applying to all feed including specialty feed ingredients and their mixtures.  
• They do not apply to products that left Japan before March 28, 2011 or products that have been harvested and/or processed before March 11, 2011 
• The measure requires that each consignment shall be accompanied by a declaration to be issued by the Japanese authorities (standard format that is provided with the Regulation) attesting that either  
•  product has been harvested before March 11, 2011, or  
• the product is not originating from the prefecture of Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Miyagi, Yamagata, Niigata, Nagano, Yamanashi, Saitama, Tokyo and Chiba, or  
• in the case the product is originating from one of the prefectures listed above, proof of compliant analyse have to be provided with the declaration (caesium 134 and 137 according to the value listed above).  
• A single identifying code for the product must be used on the declaration and the certificate of analysis, and on any document (including commercial ones) accompanying the consignment.  
• Prior notification of arrival of all consignments must be provided at last two working days in advance of physical arrival to Border Inspection Point.

• As far as feed is concerned, these permitted levels of radioactive contamination are limited to caesium 134 and caesium 137 (monitoring of other isotopes was deemed irrelevant based on the half-life of these and transfer rates from feed to food) as follows: 
• 1250 Bq/kg for pig feedingstuffs; 
• 2500 Bq/kg for poultry, lamb, calves feedingstuffs;  
• 5000 Bq/kg for other feedingstuffs.

The authorities at arrival shall carry out documentary checks on all consignments and shall carry out analysis (20 percent of consignments for products originating from the 12 listed prefectures, and 10 percent of consignments for the other prefectures). Endorsement of the declaration by the Border control authority shall be necessary for the release for free circulation. Costs for these control, are at charge of the feed/food business operator. Non-conform products shall be disposed of or returned to Japan. Member States shall keep the Commission informed of all analytical results obtained. The measures entered into force on March 27, 2011 shall be in place until June 30, 2011 and the Regulation will be subject to regular review.

FEFANA appreciates the proportionality and focus of the measures taken. Since the earthquake, FEFANA has put itself in a vigilance status regarding this issue. We launched with our members a proactive control phase and have recommended to all members to reinforce and take this aspect in their HACCP processes, as covered under their FAMI-QS certification, and of course giving full cooperation to the official controls that are being established by the EU sanitary authorities. It was also recommended that operators inform their customers about the fact that they included this risk in their HACCP processes and inform them about the results and measures taken.

About FEFANA

FEFANA is the EU Association of Specialty Feed Ingredients and their Mixtures. Established on  October 13, 2004, FEFANA is the new juridical form of the feed additives operators association which was originally founded in 1963. With more than 100 Members from 28 countries, the Association is the interface between the specialty feed ingredients industry and the European Union authorities, including Member States authorities, in order to promote, safeguard and defend common and general interests of the industry (in several topics like guidelines, register, labelling and definitions, analysis, feed hygiene and food chain safety or non-feed use of additives). FEFANA’s current President is Dr. Frank Chmitelin of Adisseo."

For more information on FEFANA, please contact:

Didier Jans
Secretary General
FEFANA Asbl
Avenue Louise 130A
B-1050 Brussels
info@fefana.org
www.fefana.org
T. + 32 2 639 66 60
F. + 32 2 640 41 11

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Agriculture innovation enables water and food security

As World Water Day focuses on responding to the urban challenge of 'Water for Cities,' it is also a global reminder of the critical role water plays in food production. With urban populations growing by two people every second and cities reaching deeper and further for freshwater resources, farmers must produce more food with even less available water. Water management in agriculture must be considered a priority to enable water and food security for our growing urban population.

From modern plant varieties that produce higher yields, to the adoption of conservation tillage that preserves soil moisture, plant science innovations are already leading progress on global water conservation efforts, and hold tremendous potential for the future. According to the United Nations, a one percent increase in water productivity in food production alone can make up to an extra 24 liters of water available per person per day. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Foreign markets opening quickly for U.S. farm goods

Foreign markets are opening up quickly for US farm goods, as is reflected by the current high prices for US grown crops. American farmers are positioned well to meet these demands and get a very good payday for doing so, says Virginia Economist Dennis Gartman.

Gartman publishes the Suffolk, Virginia based Gartman Letter, a daily commentary on commodity and marketing issues. He has been publishing the daily commentary since 1987, and over the years has conducted numerous presentations and courses on issues relating to the capital markets and derivatives for various brokerage firms, central banks, and US government entities. Read more ...  

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Environmental Protection Agency plans stricter rules on pesticide applicators

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to strengthen its certification requirements for pesticide applicators to protect bees and other pollinators the latest effort by the agency to limit pollinators' exposure to the chemicals. EPA also is weighing changes to how it assesses the risks that pesticides pose to pollinators but the revised applicator certification requirements action likely will precede that because the changes have broad support and can be implemented quickly.

Tom Moriarty, a team leader in EPA's Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division, recently announced plans for the new certification requirements at the spring meeting of the Association of American Pesticide Control Officials in Arlington, Va. He said EPA is planning to revise its rules governing certification of pesticide applicators to include requirements for better training for spraying in a way that is protective of bees. Along with the new rules, which will need to be adopted by the states after federal approval, EPA also will issue an updated training manual. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Biodiesel returns US soybean farmers’ Invest by the Billions

An updated, independent study funded by the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff shows production of biodiesel continues to positively impact U.S. soybean farmers’ on-farm profitability as well as the bottom lines of poultry and livestock farmers.

According to the study, the biodiesel industry’s demand for U.S. soybean oil supported U.S. soybean prices by as much as 27¢/bu  over the past five years, bringing U.S. soybean farmers an additional US$2.7 billion (UK£1.692 billion) in net returns. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

UK Group calls current food policy inadequate

A new report released Friday in the United Kingdom says the country cannot rely on the market to create a more sustainable food chain. The report was released by the Sustainable Development Commission.

UK consumer food prices in January rose 6.3 percent for the year, which more than doubled the average across Europe. And those prices are likely to climb further as oil prices go up and demand for basic commodities like wheat increases, the report says. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Norel SA announce Ms Marta Gutierrez appointment

Norel SA is pleased to announce that since January 1st, Ms Marta Gutierrez has been appointed as Product Manager Specialities and Regulatory Affairs Officer. Marta, an Agronomic Engineer and DVm student, has been working with Norel since November 2009 as Technical Department Assistant.

In her new position she will take care of the development of the Specialities products (toxin binders, pellet binders, special premixes) including preparation of the registration dossiers for the various export markets. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Japan struggles to reinstall feed production and trade

The US Grains Council reports the Japanese industry has been making significant strides to regain its normal feed mill production capacity within the next few months. “In the short-term, logistical issues will continue to be a problem, but the Japanese feed industry is working hard to recover from the damage.

By April or May, the Council is hopeful Japan will recover and return to a somewhat normalcy,” said Tommy Hamamoto, USGC director in Japan. Four of Japan’s major importing facilities and attached feed mills were severely damaged by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck the country on March 11. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Large regional changes in farmland area predicted

The effects of climate change and population growth on agricultural land area vary from region to region, according to a new study by University of Illinois researchers. Regions with relative high latitudes China, Russia and the US could see a significant increase in arable land in coming years, but Africa, Europe and India and South America could lose land area.

Civil and environmental engineering professor Ximing Cai and graduate student Xiao Zhang published their findings in the journal Environmental Research Letters. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

National Corn Growers Association says billionaire food profiteers wrong to call farmers immoral

Remarks made this week by the chairman of Nestle about the use of corn for biofuels production were not only wrong but dangerous, the president of the National Corn Growers Association said.  At a time of economic struggle for millions of Americans, any proposal that will kill jobs, damage the environment and raise energy prices needs to be opposed vehemently.

“It is scandalous, ludicrous and highly irresponsible for the chairman of a global conglomerate that tripled its profits last year to talk about higher corn prices forcing millions into starvation,” said NCGA President Bart Schott.  “Perhaps if Nestle is so concerned about food prices, its board will consider putting more of their US$35.7 billion (UK£22.373 billion) in 2010 profits back into poor communities. Just their profits alone represent more than half the entire farm value of the 2010 US corn crop.” Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Aarhus University: Bacteria in pig feed can protect the environment

Specially developed bacteria added to pig feed can help reduce nitrogen emissions from agriculture. The little Bacillus subtilis is particularly welcome in pig feed because it has the attractive quality that it is expected to be able to help farmers reduce the impact of nitrogen from agriculture on the environment. Scientists are now aiming at developing new strains of Bacillus subtilis that are tailor-made for this job.

In order to ensure optimum growth development, pigs are fed feed that fulfills all their nutritional requirements. With regard to protein, pigs are actually fed more than they need. This is done to ensure that their requirements for the individual amino acids are met. Amino acids are the building blocks that make up protein. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

USDA Wheat Data

This data product contains statistics on wheat including the five classes of wheat: hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, white, and durum and rye. Includes data published in the monthly Wheat Outlook and previously annual Wheat Yearbook. Data are monthly, quarterly, and/or annual depending upon the data series. Most data are on a marketing year basis, but some are calendar year. Available data include:

• Supply: beginning stocks, production, and imports;
• Demand: utilization for food, seed, feed and residual, exports, and ending stocks;    
• Prices: farm and market prices;
• Mill grind and milling profitability;
• Per capita flour disappearance;
• And much more! Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

USDA feed grains database

This database contains statistics on four feed grains (corn, grain sorghum, barley, and oats), foreign coarse grains (feed grains plus rye, millet, and mixed grains), hay, and related items. This includes data published in the monthly Feed Outlook and previously annual Feed Yearbook. Data are monthly, quarterly, and/or annual depending upon the data series.

Available data include:

• Supply: beginning stocks, production, and imports;
• Demand: utilization for food, seed, and industrial uses, feed and residual, exports, and ending       stocks;
• Prices: farm and market prices;
• Quantities fed: concentrates, oilseed meals, and animal- and grain-protein feeds;
• Feed-price ratios for livestock, poultry, and milk;
• And much more!  Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Flour milling firms ‘should target individual consumers’

Firms in the flour milling industry could be set to see increased demand for their produce from private consumers, it is claimed. Wessex Mill in Wantage, Oxfordshire, is the smallest commercial flour mill left in Britain, according to the Oxford Mail.

While sales dwindled as supermarket loaves became more popular during the recession, the producer is now seeing a rising demand for its bread flour from farmers' markets throughout the county. Owner Paul Munsey explained that supplying flour direct to customers is proving to be a very profitable area. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

UN wheat outlook is positive for feed manufacturers

Firms in the animal feed manufacturing industry have been boosted by the latest United Nations (UN) report into wheat supplies. The UN's food agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has put forward a "favourable outlook" for global wheat production in 2011, which should lead to lower prices for the commodity.

Higher sowings and more benign weather is expected to help raise supply levels of wheat, as will a strong recovery in the Black Sea region that is putting cereals exports back on the agenda. The FAO statement suggested that total global production of wheat will increase by 3.4 percent to 676 million tonnes in 2011. "Plantings have increased, or are expected to increase, in many countries in response to strong prices and yield recoveries are expected in areas that were affected by drought in 2010," Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Global warming creating the perfect crop conditions

The news media are flush with stories this week claiming global warming is crushing global crop production. According to the media, global warming is putting the hurt on two of our favorite indulgences coffee and beer. For the more globally conscious (or less caffeinated/less inebriated) among us, the media are also focusing attention on an alleged African corn crisis.

A look at facts rather than alarmist speculation, however, shows global warming is strongly benefiting nearly all global crops, including coffee, beer barley, and African corn. Without a doubt, global warming is affecting global crop production. The tremendous improvement in global crop production and worldwide growing conditions during recent decades is one of the most important yet least reported news events of our time. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Possible feeding strategies for US$8 corn

The dietary starch content recommendation for lactating dairy cows is between 23 percent and 26 percent. However, diets for some of the most productive herds in the US contain between 15 percent and 30 percent starch.

The possibility of US$8 corn has increased interest in feeding lower-starch diets to cattle. In a previous article, I stressed exploring alternatives but purposely ignored specific examples to provide an overview of management considerations not limited to feed alone. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Swedish Report finds, that animal welfare does not damage competitiveness

Farmers and politicians have expressed concern that Swedish and European agricultural producers do not compete on equal terms with the rest of the world because of stricter animal welfare legislation. A new report from the AgriFood Economics Center in Sweden shows that there is no justification for more tariffs based on the argument that stricter legislation would increase imports.

EU farmers hold their own well in competition with the rest of the world, despite the comparatively high demands the EU places on agricultural production. "We have investigated the connection between animal welfare regulation in the EU and competitiveness. Read more ...



This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Talking planting intentions, Euro-debt

USDA's Planting Intentions report will be released in less than a week, and the anticipation of what it will show is high. Predictions from market watchers - including Farm Futures - have a relatively wide range. In his regular Friday conversation with Wisconsin Farm Broadcaster Pam Jahnke, Farm Futures Senior Editor Bryce Knorr talks about the upcoming report and its implications.

Another issue weighing on the markets is continued concern over European debt. Knorr talks specifically about Portugal which bubbled to the surface this week and what that may mean to commodity markets. Listen in on the conversation using the audio player below. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Company update: Bühler

The global Bühler Technology Group has once again grown markedly in its anniversary year 2010. Order intake increased 21 percent to CHF 2,160 million (€1.554m), sales revenue (turnover) 11 percent to CHF 1,907 million (€1.372m) , and operating profits (EBIT) at a higher than-proportional rate to 10.6 percent of total sales.

The Group owes this success especially to the identification of market trends such as improved food safety and higher energy efficiency. For the current fiscal year 2011, Buhler expects to further increase its turnover. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Brazil rice breeding

Upland rice is an important crop in Brazil with almost 2 million ha planted every year. Although this area is less than half of the area planted in the 1980s as a pioneer crop in the Brazilian savannas (also known as Cerrado), this system is regarded as having a high potential for expansion with increasing international demand for rice.

The Brazilian Corporation for Agricultural Research (Embrapa) has conducted an upland rice breeding program since 1975, in collaboration with other public institutions, aiming at developing rice cultivars with improved agronomic and grain quality characteristics, resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses, and well adapted to the upland rice growing regions in Brazil. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Global wheat production to increase in 2011

FAO's first forecast for world wheat production in 2011 stands at 676 million tons, representing a growth of 3.4 percent from 2010, the March 2011 edition of the Crop Prospects and Food Situation report said. This level would still be below the bumper harvests in 2008 and 2009.

Wheat plantings in many countries have increased or are expected to increase this year in response to strong prices, while yield recoveries are forecast in areas that were affected by drought in 2010, the Russian Federation in particular, the report specified. As the bulk of the world's coarse grains and paddy crops are yet to be planted, it is, however, too early to forecast total cereal production for this year. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

India says Monsanto covertly, illegally conducted GM corn trials without approval

Recent reports out of India say that multinational biotechnology giant Monsanto has once against skirted the law by clandestinely planting its genetically-modified (GM) corn without receiving approval to do so. Nitish Kumar, chief minister of the Indian state of Bihar, recently wrote a letter to India's environment minister Jairam Ramesh explaining the situation. Just days earlier, Ramesh had denied Monsanto permission to plant the crops at all.

When he discovered that Monsanto had schemed with India's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) and the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) to plant genetically-modified (GM) corn without official approval, Kumar was outraged. Kumar had previously written a letter to Ramesh reinforcing his opposition to the GM corn, and shortly thereafter Ramesh asked GEAC to block Monsanto's corn plantings that it had first approved back in December. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.