AFIA opens registration for Equipment Manufacturers Conference 2022

Registration is now open for the American Feed Industry Association's (AFIA) Equipment Manufacturers Conference, being held November 9-11 in St. Petersburg, Fla, USA.

Hosted by the AFIA's Equipment Manufacturers Committee, this annual conference focuses on updating the equipment sector of the feed industry on current issues and trends, providing an environment for learning from educational speakers and industry leaders, and bringing the industry together to network.
 

'Sustainability has become a topic that permeates all aspects of feed and equipment manufacturing,' says Gary Huddleston, AFIA's director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs. 'While the animal food industry has long been committed to sustainable manufacturing, there is more work to be done, and we are excited to focus on that at this year's conference.'

Themed, 'Building An Industry Perspective On Sustainability,' the three-day event kicks off with the annual golf tournament, which raises money for the Institute for Feed Education and Research's scholarship fund, a program designed to encourage college students to consider careers in the feed or grain sciences.

Educational programs at the conference will also include a panel on what sustainability means in the current feed industry environment, discussions on communicating with government, customers and the public, and more.

Early-bird registration runs through October 7, with a discounted rate of US$720 for AFIA members and US$1,415 for non-members.

Register and view more information on the event's 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.

Bioprocessing partnership for future of food and feed

Swiss Bühler Group has announced the formation of a new joint venture with Austrian pharmaceutical and biotechnology company ZETA. The new company, Eridia, will engineer food and feed biotechnology plants primarily in the fields of precision fermentation and cellular agriculture. ZETA brings extensive experience in scaling pilot scale to industrial bio pharma. Bühler is a market leader in providing technology and processing expertise for the food and feed industry and is focused on creating more sustainable value chains for its customers worldwide. Eridia, headquartered in Leobendorf, Austria, is a 50/50 joint venture that will develop solutions to meet the rising global demand for food and feed while reducing the impact on the environment.

'Harnessing bioprocessing for the food and feed industry is not new, but it needs to be applied at scale. Technologies such as precision fermentation and cellular agriculture offer the potential to drastically reduce the land and CO2e footprints of food and feed production. This is a potential pathway to produce food and feed for a growing world population whilst respecting the limits of the planet. We want to accelerate the development of this market and better serve our customers. ZETA is a fantastic partner with which to achieve this,' says Ian Roberts, Chief Technology Officer, Bühler. 

The 50/50 joint venture, Eridia will enable Bühler and ZETA to contribute further to the field of precision fermentation as well as to the newer field of cellular agriculture. 

Precision fermentation uses microorganisms as cell factories to efficiently produce valuable nutrients and functional ingredients such as proteins, omega-3 rich oils, or natural pigments. Developed further, it can also be used to recreate animal products such as meat or fish. This new field of cellular agriculture can help alleviate the pressure on ecosystems by reducing the impact of food and feed production on arable land, biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions. With cellular agriculture, meat products can be cultivated that are identical in structure and taste to the animal counterpart without raising animals. 

Biotech expertise and experience at scaling
ZETA brings experience in biopharma process engineering, having been the selected supplier for major biotech projects globally. With 1,200 highly qualified employees and 22 subsidiaries worldwide, it specializes in planning, automation, digitization, and qualification of customized biopharmaceutical facilities for aseptic process solutions. ZETA supports the scale-up of fermentation processes from laboratory to industrial production and will apply this expertise to the field of cell culture fermentation for the food industry.

Bühler holds a leading position in the global food and feed industry, contributing to feeding over two billion people every day. Bühler brings expertise in processing technologies, a deep knowledge of the cost competitive food and feed markets, and global access to those markets. Bühler is exploring new applications and technology developments in these fields, in line with its target to have solutions ready to multiply that reduce by 50 percent the energy, waste, and water in its customers' value chains by 2025.

The new company will have its headquarters in Leobendorf, Austria, but also leverage the Bühler innovation campus in Uzwil, Switzerland. Erika Georget, Head of Bioprocessing at Bühler, and Claudia Neuhold, Business Development Food and Biotech at ZETA, will join the managing team of Eridia.

'We are very excited about the joint venture with Bühler. We see this as an opportunity to bring our expertise in biotechnology to bear in order to provide more sustainable pathways for food and feed production at a global scale,' says Andreas Marchler, Managing Director of ZETA.

'Bühler is simply the right partner for us. We bring our competence and leverage this with Bühler's market access in order to grow in this exciting segment,' says Claudia Neuhold, Business Development Food and Biotech at ZETA. 

'This is a great opportunity to support our customers in their next steps in developing production for the food and feed system. We see that the existing fermentation space for food is already developing further, and cultured foods are progressing well. Eridia allows us to play a key role in the development of these new food and feed businesses,' says Erika Georget, Head of Bioprocessing at Bühler.

For more information about Bühler visit the 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.

Alex Carnahan promoted to engineering manager for LeMar Industries

Alex Carnahan has been promoted to Engineering Manager for LeMar Industries, a subsidiary of Brock Grain Systems, according to Nicholas Kiederlen, Plant Manager for the CTB, Inc. business unit. In his new position, Mr Carnahan will be responsible for leading the engineering team in designing towers, catwalks, and other grain structures for large, complex grain storage systems.

Mr Carnahan had been named Senior Structures Engineer for LeMar Industries in July 2021. Prior to his employment with CTB, Mr Carnahan worked 13 years as a Senior Structural Engineer for a national engineering and design company, where he led numerous large projects from design through completion. He graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois, earning a bachelor's degree in civil engineering with a focus on structures.

A native of Sherrard, Illinois, Mr Carnahan currently resides in Altoona, Iowa.

For more information about LeMar Industries visit the 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.

Successful start of the trade show trio

Good things come to those who wait. After the break caused by Corona, the trade show trio Solids, Recycling Technology and Pumps & Valves 2022 in Dortmund proved to be an indispensable business platform. In summary temperatures and despite the new challenges caused by the crisis, almost 4,000 visitors finally exchanged views with the experts of the 430 exhibitors face-to-face again, followed the numerous technical lectures and live explosion demonstrations and explored the exhibition along one of the four topical tours. For many, it was important to be able to turn to the experts with concrete concerns for technical challenges. 

'Like everyone involved, we were very pleased to finally be back on site in Dortmund with the trade shows. The large number of well-known companies and the intensive discussions at the stands clearly show us how important the personal exchange and how useful the new trade show combination is for the industries,' confirms Sandrina Schempp, Head of Processing Cluster from the organiser Easyfairs Deutschland GmbH. For the first time, the representatives of three trade shows presented themselves at the same time in Dortmund. The combination of Solids, Recycling-Technik and Pumps & Valves was very well received by exhibitors and the public, because the sectors around the processes of pouring, recycling and pumping are closely linked.

High quality contacts and satisfied exhibitors
With more than 3,800 trade visitors from various sectors, the trade show trio was therefore well attended despite the new crisis-related challenges such as high inflation, sharply rising energy prices and still disrupted supply chains. Representatives of renowned companies such as BASF, Caterpillar, Estato Umweltservice, Haribo, Volkswagen or Stahlwerke Bochum went in search of new technologies on the two days of the trade show. The visitors were often looking for very specific solutions to technical challenges in their plants. Optimally prepared, the representatives of bulk solids, recycling, valves and pump technology showed their possibilities and were able to make numerous valuable contacts. This ensured great satisfaction among visitors and exhibitors.

Cynthia Günther, Strategic Buyer at Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, can also confirm this, "I was at the trade show because we have a design problem with a slide valve. I was hoping to find a supplier or dealer at SOLIDS, RECYCLING-TECHNIK and PUMPS & VALVES Dortmund who would support us with our request, and fortunately we did. I have found someone who is now taking on the project together with us."

Show programme impresses the visitors
In addition to the promising innovations, the visitors were also enthusiastic about the informative show programme. Many listeners followed the high calibre lectures on the stages of the Innovation and Solution Centres and picked up valuable and practical suggestions. The pre-planned topical tours were also well received. Numerous visitors took advantage of the opportunity to explore the exhibition along one of these routes and obtained specific information on certain core topics. In addition, there was still plenty of room to discuss markets that are under pressure. Besides process automation and sustainable production, fire and explosion protection, agricultural and feed technologies were on the tour programme.

Into the future with the trade show trio
The successful debut of the three trade shows in Dortmund and the positive response of the participants encouraged the trade show organiser Easyfairs Deutschland GmbH to continue to rely on the trio in the future. Just in time for the end of this year's event, participants can already start thinking about the next edition of the big three on 29th and 30th March 2023. Until then, the organisers and experts will keep the community of Solids, Recycling-Technik and Pumps & Valves Dortmund up to date via blogs, LinkedIn and Twitter.

For more information about the event visit the 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.

Kemin celebrates anniversaries in Europe, Middle East and North Africa

Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services, is celebrating six decades in business with its "61 since '61"-themed anniversary, commemorating 61 years since the company's founding in 1961. This year also marks 50 years of serving the animal nutrition and health industries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (EMENA). Celebrations in EMENA for both milestones will take place this month at Kemin's regional headquarters in Herentals, Antwerp, Belgium.

Initially formed to provide feed flavors, crop preservatives and antioxidants to farmers in the Midwestern United States, Kemin's portfolio and reach has grown immensely over 61 years. Kemin founders, R.W. and Mary Nelson, started the business in an old wool barn in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., where the multinational, family-owned-and-operated company remains headquartered. Just 11 years after launching Kemin, the Nelsons expanded their business overseas with the first international office in Herentals, still home to Kemin's EMENA region headquarters. 

'Since entering Europe 50 years ago, Kemin has grown significantly. We currently employ 296 specialists in the EMENA region, 158 of which are based in Belgium. These employees are involved in R&D, product development, logistics, marketing, sales, production, support functions, customer services and so much more,' says Stefaan Van Dyck, President, Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health – EMENA. 'Our region produces 131 specialty products, 105 of which are produced in our Belgium facility, and our employees and products serve nearly 1,000 unique customers.' 

The company's scientific expertise and ability to react quickly to market needs and trends has attributed to its ongoing success and growth. Today, Kemin operates in more than 90 countries and applies its technologies and skills in molecular science across a variety of industries to offer products with functional benefits that enhance the health and safety of people, pets, production animals, plants and the planet. Six decades later, Kemin remains focused on transforming the quality of life.

'For the past 50 years, we've seen many changes and challenges in our industry, such as antibiotic-free production, food safety legislation, a ban of animal proteins in feed and so much more. Since the beginning, Kemin has adapted products and practices to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers, and our experts have dedicated their knowledge and creativity in research to create new solutions. We continue this legacy today,' says Mr Van Dyck. 

Kemin believes in ongoing innovation for solutions—both products and services—to ensure sustainability, feed a global population and assist customers. Embracing digital transformation with an increased focus on superior services, Kemin is expanding its offering to deliver data-driven insights to customers. Using technology to achieve its vision and help make customers more profitable and sustainable is Kemin's key focus in upcoming years.

For more information visit the Kemin 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.

Joint statement on FDA's Drought Tolerant HB4 Wheat Safety conclusion

Joint Statement by U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conclusion that it has no further questions regarding the safety of drought tolerant HB4 wheat developed by Bioceres Crop Solutions Corp.

Image credit: Susanne Nilsson on Flickr
(CC BY-SA 2.0)

The finding by the FDA is not an approval for this or any other transgenic wheat to be planted for commercial sale in the United States. To date, the HB4 wheat has been approved for commercial production within a closed system in Argentina only. The trait has been approved for human consumption by regulators in Brazil in the form of flour, and in Australia, New Zealand and now in the United States. Bioceres recently announced it will seek approval to plant HB4 wheat in Australia, but it has not announced plans to commercialise the in the United States.  

With global demand for wheat increasing every year the need to produce more wheat in sustainable ways is clear. Drought had already reduced world wheat supplies and pushed prices higher before the invasion of Ukraine cut off supplies from the world's fifth largest wheat exporting nation. A trait such as drought tolerance in wheat could help wheat growers in increasingly arid regions be more productive and ease food security concerns. Bioceres says the HB4 drought-tolerance technology has been shown to increase wheat yields by an average of 20 percent in water-limited conditions. 

The U.S. wheat industry recognises the benefits and value that can be created through the prudent application of modern biotechnology. USW and NAWG are guided by jointly approved 'Wheat Industry Principles for Biotechnology Commercialisation,' which lay out specific steps expected from plant breeding companies if they wish to commercialise transgenic wheat in the United States.  

In addition, USW and NAWG support the ability of domestic and overseas customers to make purchases based on their preferences for specific wheat traits, classes, qualities and characteristics.

For more information visit the U.S Wheat Associates 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.

Accelerating impact together with Bühler

Swiss technology group Bühler is bringing together over 1,000 decision makers from the food, feed, and mobility sectors at its Networking Days in Uzwil on June 27-28 to 'accelerate impact together.' This unique, convening event was created by Bühler in 2016 and is held every three years. At the center of the many keynotes, panels, and technology demonstrations is the question: How can we enable 10 billion people (by 2050) to live a good life within the boundaries of our planet? The event focuses on leadership, technology, education, inspiration, and action across international industry boundaries. It highlights examples of companies that provide tangible impact on mitigating climate change, eradicating poverty, creating employment, protecting and restoring nature, and improving food security.

'Global industry has excellent examples of companies that are highly responsible, applying innovative technologies at the heart of their transformation, and through this, becoming economically healthier and addressing sustainability at the same time,' says Bühler CEO Stefan Scheiber. 'In fact, despite all the challenges we are facing – from climate change to food and energy insecurity to supply chain issues and social disruptions through to wars – I am convinced we can turn things around. Innovative technologies offer many business opportunities when they also address sustainability issues. We must not shy away from seizing these opportunities.'

During the event, customers and partners along with Bühler will demonstrate that the rate of innovation is accelerating. Highlighted are solutions from global companies, extraordinary entrepreneurs, start-ups, academia, and NGOs – all illustrating that solutions to global challenges can be found and delivered at an impactful scale. Vital to all of this is education and training and the role they play in building the skills for the impactful jobs of the future. Through all of this, the Networking Days create an exceptional collaboration platform for sharing, learning, networking, partnering, and most importantly, for creating positive impact. A stark reminder of the need for collaboration is unfolding in front of our eyes. Food scarcity is increasing as a result of conflict, and we can see the terrible consequences on the poorest populations where food security was already an issue.

Tangible examples of companies that balance nature, humanity, and economy in their decisions are shared at the Networking Days. Among them: a coffee company from Norway, which reduces CO2e emissions by 85 percent in its new facility; an entrepreneur in Angola, who has built a gigantic industrial food complex as a huge first step towards providing self-sufficient food security across the country; a battery manufacturer in the UK who is building Europe's first Gigaplant with new mixing processes, reducing waste in the production process by 80 percent; and a miller in India who is making tortillas in a plant that reduces water consumption by 84 percent and eliminates wastewater. Many other companies in attendance are transforming the food system with sustainably delivered plant-based proteins. These are just a few examples of the many businesses using proven technologies.

Bühler established the Networking Days in 2016 to bring together and nurture its growing global ecosystem of partners. 'We need massive collaboration among industry, start-ups, academia, educators, politics, NGOs and the public to manage and limit the effects of climate change, loss of biodiversity, and eliminate poverty,' says Bühler CTO Ian Roberts. With 50 partners and start-ups taking an active part at the Bühler Networking Days, the idea of a global ecosystem has created momentum: At the event, Bühler will celebrate and announce multiple partnerships that will facilitate the transition towards more efficient food and feed production and accelerate the transformation towards sustainable mobility.

Developing novel solutions is important to transform industry, however, the potential optimisation of existing industry assets across the world is the biggest short-term lever for reducing CO2e footprint. Bühler is showcasing services, technologies, and solutions that can optimise existing assets, provide a pathway to CO2e reduction in new plants, and support the development of new, more sustainable diets and mobility solutions. 'Our biggest impact comes from supporting our customers in reducing their energy consumption, waste generation, and water usage and at the same time ensure productivity and yield. We have clear targets on these topics. By expanding our collaborative ecosystem, we can accelerate meaningful and lasting impact in the food, feed, and mobility industries,' says Stefan Scheiber.

For more information about Bühler visit the 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.

New Lallemand studies presented at Zero Zinc Summit in Copenhagen

For swine producers all around Europe, 2022 marks the end of medicinal zinc use and the deadline to find alternative strategies for weaning. Lallemand Animal Nutrition was proud to help support this year's Zero Zinc Summit as a Bronze sponsor. This year's event, which took place in Copenhagen, on June 22-23, was dedicated to 'healthy weaning without antibiotics.' During this unique conference, two innovative studies were presented illustrating the benefits of yeast-based feeding strategies to help manage the weaning period.

Image credit: fen-tastic on Flickr
(CC BY-ND 2.0)

The power of yeast-based solutions
Yeast-based products are a good alternative to support piglet gut health and performance in a pharmacological zinc oxide-free context. To provide additional data, a research team from Dankook University in Korea, teamed up with Lallemand Animal Nutrition to assess the effect of a combination of yeast products supplemented in weanling piglets. The combination included: the live yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079, the yeast fractions association YANGand the hydrolysed yeast YELA PROSECURE.

The researchers measured growth performance and nutrient digestibility compared to pharmacological levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) in 200 weaned piglets.

Results clearly indicated the combination of yeast-based products exerted similar levels of benefits on piglet growth performance as well as on the digestibility of crude protein and gross energy compared to the pharmacological level of ZnO.

Functional hydrolysed yeast
Weanling piglets are sensitive to different dietary protein sources while their digestive system is still developing. There can be a significant difference in palatability and amino acid digestibility depending on the protein source and its production process. Fish meal is a traditional protein source included in weanling piglets´ diets. However, fish production for animal nutrition is not in line with the current UN environmental sustainability targets. Hydrolysed yeast (YELA PROSECURE) has been recently developed by Lallemand Animal Nutrition as a novel source of highly digestible and functional nutrients (free digestible amino acids and small peptides).

The trial presented, conducted in a context of ZnO-free diets, shows that YELA PROSECURE compares favorably to fish meal by stimulating post-weaning feed intake, growth performance and economical production efficiency. It showed significantly improved feed intake and growth performance as compared to fish meal. Interestingly, these effects were more important in the smaller piglets, suggesting the weaker piglets benefitted more from the functional and nutritional properties of the hydrolysed yeast.

For more information visit the Lallemand 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.

Nearly two hundred thousand hectares of spring wheat are sown in Ukraine

Sowing in Ukraine is coming to an end. In total, almost 99.5 percent of the area projected for spring wheat has already been sown. The sowing of all spring crops of Vinnytsia, Volyn, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil and Chernivtsi regions has been completely completed.

In general, sowing of spring cereals and legumes was completed by 81.7 percent of last year's figures. Winter crops will be harvested in some regions next week.

Image courtesy of GPA Photo Archive on Flickr
Shared under license CC by 2.0

As of June 9, 2022, the projected sown areas of the main spring crops for the 2022 harvest in the territory controlled by Ukraine are 14,163.4 thousand hectares, which is 2752.9 thousand hectares less than last year (16,916.3 thousand ha).

According to the operative data of the structural subdivisions of the regional state administrations, which ensure the implementation of functions on agro-industrial development, the sowing of spring crops is carried out by 23 regions of Ukraine, except Luhansk, where fighting is taking place practically on the whole territory.

All categories of farms are sown:

• Spring wheat 191.1 thousand hectares;
• Spring barley 951.2 thousand hectares:
• Spring rape 33.4 thousand hectares;
• Oats 159.2 thousand hectares;
• Peas 130.6 thousand hectares;
• Buckwheat 74.9 thousand hectares;
• Millet 48.5 thousand hectares;
• Corn 4,627.3 thousand hectares;
• Sugar beets 180.6 thousand hectares;
• Sunflower 4685.8 thousand hectares;
• Soybeans 1211.8 thousand hectares;
• Potatoes 1104.2 thousand hectares.

According to the State Statistics Service, sowing of winter crops for grain for the 2022 harvest was carried out on an area of 7.6 million hectares, which is 0.3 million hectares less than in 2021, including:

• 6.5 million hectares of winter wheat and triticale have been sown,
• Rye sown 109 thousand hectares,
• 969 million hectares of barley were sown.

In addition, winter rapeseed was sown on an area of 1,414,000 hectares, which is 442,000 hectares more than in 2021.

To find out more, visit the Ukranian Ministry's 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.

New appointments strengthens Protix's team

Protix has appointed Barry Greyling as Corporate Treasurer ahead of a planned major scale-up of its business. Barry will be joining recent hires Jeroen van der Staay, Chief Growth Officer and Aneeke van de Geijin, Chief Commercial Officer, in the company's expansion of its team.

Protix currently supplies insect ingredients on an industrial scale to a number of industries including petfood, livestock feed, aqua feed, food and fertiliser ingredients. The insect of choice, black soldier fly, is highly beneficial for its ability to turn low-grade food waste into valuable nutrients such as proteins and fats. These high-quality ingredients are used by a number of brands and industrial manufacturers in a drive to bring more healthy and sustainable feed and food products.

With current pressure on the availability of raw materials and the need to produce more sustainably, Protix's sourcing and in-house production helps to alleviate this. The company is now investing in its mission to bring the future closer.

Barry brings over 15 years of experience in corporate finance, banking and treasury with one at the big four professional services firm. He is a member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments, with a diploma in Management Accounting from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Jeroen van der Staay is a business leader with experience as a strategy consultant, investment manager, corporate business developer, marketing director and commercial director. Anneke van de Geijin is a business executive with past roles as Global Marketing Director, Global Sales Director and Commercial Director of large divisions.

"As the only supplier of commercial products in a substantial volume, Protix has forged strong relationships with feed and food manufacturers," says Kees Aarts, Founder and CEO of Protix. "Since the opening of our large-scale production facility in 2019 we have been working closely with our customers to understand their needs and are now at the exciting stage of further ramping up our production to meet increasing demand."

"We are now in a unique position to take a big leap forward and look forward to the contributions of Barry, Jeroen and Anneke to the next milestones on our exciting journey to bring the food system back into balance with nature," he adds.

They join Protix's passionate team of experts that includes Bas Jürgens, Chief Operations Officer, Stijn Harms, Director Projects & Engineering, and Eric Schmitt, R&D Director. Together the team will be looking to build the insect sector globally with new plants set to open within the next years.

For more information on Protix visit their 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.

UK Wheat growers to be spoilt for choice this autumn

Arable farmers will have ample choice when selecting an autumn wheat variety with five new varieties on the Recommended List.

Wynnstay's head of seeds, Toby Reich, shares that the new wheat varieties - KWS Dawsum, Champion, Typhoon, RGT Stokes and Bairstow - are all strong varieties with good agronomic packages, and regional demand.
 

Image credit: Jon Bunting on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

'The new varieties will complement three exceptional varieties already established in the market; Extase, Graham and Gleam,' he says. 'Despite the high number of wheat varieties to choose from, there's clear differentiation between them. Growers can make informed choices based on their region, rotation, or market they're selling into.

'Champion, the highest yielding variety this year, is best suited to drilling from early October onwards. For more flexible sowing across the UK, I would opt for KWS Dawsum, which has the best combined grain quality and yield,' Mr Reich advises.

'RGT Stokes is the 'true growers' variety',' he adds. 'It provides big tiller numbers and biomass, making it an excellent choice for feed and straw, while it also scores 'good' for distilling quality.'

In the barley market, the new entrants are not so plentiful. Mr Reich notes it is the increased availability of varieties which were in short supply last year, which will be most beneficial to growers.

'KWS Tardis is now a proven option for barley,' he says. 'It grows especially well in the east of the country, is suited to heavy land, and has a robust disease package.

'Elsoms' Bolton complements Tardis as it's strongest on light to medium soils. It's an ideal grain for the feed market and a good option in the west as well as the east.'

He also urges growers to remember the stalwarts of the market, Surge, Hawking and Valerie, which perform well in light to heavier soils.

Finally, Mr Reich notes some new oilseed rape (OSR) varieties to watch. 'PT303 delivered the highest gross output in the trials last year, due to its rapid autumn and spring growth,' he says.

'It has come to people's attention because it's the first hybrid in the UK with a resistance to Sclerotinia, which will be a valuable insurance policy if applications are delayed.'

He explains Crossfit is the other noteworthy OSR new entrant, also due to its disease resistance traits. 'It's the first clubroot resistant variety which also includes turnip yellows virus and pod shatter resistance, so will be of particular interest to growers wanting to protect their investment.'

As with barley, Mr Reich suggests the proven OSR favourites may be of most interest this year. 'I expect LG Aviron to remain the variety of choice for many growers. It's robust and resilient, has exceptional autumn vigour and suites challenging establishment conditions, such as later sowing and cabbage stem flea beetle pressure.

'It's also the only AHDB recommended oilseed variety which scores an eight for light leafspot resistance, which is becoming increasingly difficult for growers to manage,' Mr Reich concludes.

Visit the Wynnstay 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.

Latest reports of harvest see 65 million tons guaranteed for Ukrainian consumption

The sowing campaign in Ukraine is close to completion and according to forecasts, will be able to ensure domestic consumption of all key agricultural crops at around 65 million tonnes of cereals, legumes and oilseeds. This includes potential exports of about 30 million.

First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Taras Vysotskyi, discussed this during a press briefing, with special mention of how crop structures have changed, how much harvest has ben lost, the total losses for the agricultural sector.

Restructuring sowing in Ukraine was influenced by a number of factors, Mr Vysotskyi reported, based on the cost per hectare, the possibility of sale for domestic needs and the yield per hectare of land and its cost per ton. The latter factor is particularly important as farmers preferred crops that give more value per ton, such as oilseeds.

Biggest changes in the structure of crops concerned wheat, corn, sunflower and soybeans. Wheat is important for food security and a less demanding crop in terms of intensity and resources, Mr Vysotskyi said, and soybeans are undemanding with regards to mineral fertilisers. The Seed Association reported that Ukrainian farmers were planting soybeans in favour of corn, as they require less processing and can be sold abroad. Read about this, HERE.

The area of sunflowers planted is decreased compared with last year's figures, but remains relatively high at 4.7m thousand hectares. Maize crops have reduced, too, from five million to four million thousand hectares, due to the fact that corn gives a higher yield and is more difficult logistically.

"We will have up to 20 million tons of transitional residues from the previous harvest and potentially at least an additional 30 million tons to export from the new one. In order to cope with such volumes, it is necessary to export at least 4 million tons a month," Vysotsky stresses.

Current expectations rests at 48-50 million tons of cereals and legumes: 24 million tons of corn, 18-20 million tons of wheat, and 5 million tons of barley and other crops.

 

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.

Ukrainian Meteorological Center reports favourable weather conditions for harvest

News for harvests in Ukraine has looked bleak, focusing on how the conflict has affected growing farmers, including mined fields, fuel shortages and stolen products. However, the Ukrainian Meterological Center has given a more positive forecast for this year's harvest, looking specifically at the weather conditions.

The forecast was delivered by head of the agrometeorology department of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, Tetyana Adamenko, during a briefing titled 'Results of the end of the sowing campaign in Ukraine during the war.' This took place on June 13, at the Media Center in Ukraine.

Drought often impacts harvest badly, and during February, March and most of April this year, saw a significant deficit in precipitation. On average, Ukraine received 60 to 70 percent of the norm of precipitation, and in some southern and western regions, less than half.

A soybean field.

 After recording droughts of varying intensity in the south of Ukraine and other regions, one June 13-14 the cold, atmospheric front will move from western regions to eastern.

"Weather conditions for the formation of winter cereals – spring barley, oats – today remain quite favourable. Although in recent days we have seen a wave of heat and consequently, more evaporation of moisture from the soil … its level remains insufficient," explains Tetyana Adamenko.

There'll be another atmospheric front on June 17-18, Ms Adamenko announced, and more rain in the West. The next heatwave is expected June 24-27, where daytime temperatures will reach approximately 30 to 34 degrees. For late crops such as soybeans, corn and sunflower, conditions are satisfactory.

It is too early to discuss the state of future harvests, short growing season and possibility of drought in the later half of summer, Ms Adamenko went on to say, but it would be less impactful than drought in June.

 

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.

First Deputy Minister of Ukraine discusses blocked seaports, elevators and pricing

Current blocked seaports in Ukraine were brought up in an interview with Taras Vysotskyi, the First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, as he commented on the situation. 

With mention to transporting grain by sea, Mr Vysotskyi said that the country was continuing to work together with international partners.

"The idea itself is important and necessary, without it we will not be able to realize all our export potential. And, of course, this requires several factors: it is enough anti-ship weapons, and guaranteed military support. Therefore, work continues in this direction. We can announce when the final details agreed upon with Ukraine will be announced," he says.

A Ukrainian port.

Mr Vysotskyi explained that with regards to demining the coast, there are many factors to assess how quickly the situation will be resolved.

"It will depend on the stage of the war," he explains. "Our victory is a completely different speed. If the fighting continues, these are other risks. Therefore, everything will vary from external factors. The mechanisms are quite fast demining, and vice versa. That is why it is difficult to delineate the horizon."

Ukraine is already preparing additional storage facilities so that, in the absence of exports through ports, it will be possible to store last year's balances and the new harvest, which will be harvested in a month, Vysotskyi added.

"Given last year's transitional balances and this year's yield forecast, there could be a deficit of 10-15 million tons. Therefore, mobile elevator cans and hoses are currently being imported as Plan B for grain storage in case of impossibility of quick export, in order to have potential equipment in reserve to store these additional tons," he says.

Ukraine has thousands of elevator capacities and they are distributed throughout Ukraine.

Mr Vysotskyi went on to talk about the pricing of products, as he explained that it depended on the season.

"As for prices for agricultural products, it is an element of seasonality. If we talk about the group of gardening – vegetables, fruits, berries – then we are approaching the season of slightly lower prices … Therefore, if there are no macro-challenges, such as further increases in fuel prices or other factors that may affect the price, purely from the point of view of the agricultural cycle, there are no prerequisites for raising prices."

 

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.

Ukrainian farmers planting soybeans over corn, Seed Association says

In spite of the war raging in Ukraine, Ukrainian farmers are managing to continue sowing crops – against a backdrop of mined fields, fuel shortages, seeds transported from warehouses on fire and stolen products. Spring crops in Ukraine were planted on 14,000 hectares, almost three thousand hectares less than last year. Looking at these figures, the feeling is that Ukraine will be able to feed its citizens and export.

"The structure of sown areas has not changed much in the main crops. Spring wheat was sown almost the same as last year. The same goes for barley, oats, and buckwheat. However, the area with corn and sunflower has decreased: 4.62 thousand hectares and 4.68 thousand hectares in 2022 against 5.47 thousand hectares and 6.50 thousand hectares in 2021, respectively," explains Suzana Grigorenko, Executive Director of the Seed Association of Ukraine.

The area of planted soybeans and spring rapeseed oil has increased, as farmers chose soy, spring wheat, or other crops to plant. This is due to the need to handle corn more carefully and the fact that corn is an export crop. As a result, farmers decided to plant late-season crops, such as soybeans, crops that required less processing, crops that can be sold abroad as raw materials and processed once in Ukraine, and crops that don't require large capacities for transportation.

"This year, we saw a demand for crops that, on the one hand, give a lower gross harvest," says the Seed Association. "For example, the average yield of rapeseed or soybeans is 25-30 centners per hectare against 55-65 centners per hectare of wheat or 80 centners per hectare of corn. However, these crops are more expensive."

Logistics were also considered, with regards to the transportation and storage of products. Grain from the 2021 harvest is still sitting in warehouses in Ukraine. Corn needs to be dried after harvesting and provided with good storage conditions so it can be exported. All of these logistics led to the decision on the part of farmers to avoid planting corn or wheat and potentially lose the harvest altogether.

The number of sunflowers decreased significantly, as 'sunflower regions' – Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and other regions – minimally sowed this crop. In 2021, Kherson planted 338,000 hectares, whereas in 2022 this was 8600 hectares. The differences between 2021 and 2022 are stark for all mentioned regions – Zaporizhia planted 531,000 hectares in 2021 and 60,000 hectares in 2022, while Donetsk planted 349,000 hectares in 2021 and 195,000 in 2022.

The critical situation rests in the Luhansk region, where active hostilities continue. Sunflowers were growing on an area of 427,000 hectares while this year, they were unable to sow anything. This was picked up by regions who increased their sowing of this crop, including regions not known for growing sunflower which includes Rivne, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankisvk regions.

It's a very likely possibility that due to the war, winter crops won't be harvested and there won't be crops for the 2022-23 season.

For more information on the Seed Association of Ukraine visit their 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.

Anta®Shield, the phytogenic champion for safe pig feed

African swine fever (ASF) has become a major threat to the pig industry. Prevention is the key to controlling the disease. Any measures applied must be comprehensive and must not omit any transmission route. Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition has introduced a new product that addresses the risk of transmission through feed.

Preventing ASF: mind the gap
The spread of the ASF virus poses a serious challenge to pig producers: an outbreak of the disease could result in major losses. So far, cases have been reported in 35 countries on five continents, and they are steadily increasing. Transmission occurs in a variety of manners, through infected animals, facilities and equipment, production workers and swill feeding, among others. And there is the possibility of transmission via the feed: the virus can survive in some animal feed types for up to 30 days and can be transmitted via mash and pelleted compound feed as well as certain feed additives. This constitutes a gap in the existing biosecurity measures that needs to be closed. The latest phytogenic innovation from Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition has been developed specifically for this purpose. This is Anta®Shield.

High effectiveness due to synergetic effect
Anta®Shield is based on highly effective phytogenics. It contains bioactive ingredients from plants that have been cultivated for thousands of years for the very purpose of protecting food from pathogens. Vice President Dr Bernhard Eckel explains how the development of the new product came about: 'We at Dr. Eckel have decades of experience with phytogenic active ingredients. Their antibacterial effect has been proven time and again. However, the hypothesis that they could also have antiviral properties is still relatively new. When developing Anta®Shield, we focused on plant substances that destabilise the biomembranes of gram-positive bacteria. Our trials suggest that these substances may also affect the envelope glycoproteins of the ASF virus.'

Each of the tested plant extracts showed greater efficacy than the organic acid treatment in the comparison group. However, the best effect was achieved with a specific combination of various extracts. 'It is only the synergetic effect of the selected active ingredients that produces the optimal result,' states Bernhard Eckel. Anta®Shield was born.

Inactivation after only three days
For the trials, which were conducted in a special laboratory in Vietnam, pig feed was infected with the active virus. PCR assays were used to determine the viral load after one, three and seven days. After three days, virtually no viral DNA could be detected. Moreover, cell culture tests showed that the virus' infectivity in the samples treated with Anta®Shield was reduced by a hundredfold after a mere 24 hours. In practical terms, this translates into a significant reduction in the risk of infection through feed. The product has since been registered with the European Patent Office as a complex for reducing the concentration of the ASF virus in animal feed.

Protecting feed naturally
Dr. Eckel's Anta®Shield is based 100 percent on natural ingredients and is highly effective, even at low dosages. Its highly active plant substances have been proven to be effective against the ASF virus in feed. 'Anta®Shield helps farmers better protect their animal feed,' concludes Bernhard Eckel, 'and this is essential to preventing ASF.'

For more information visit the 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.