22/10/13: USDA releases crop reports despite complaints; 'pig' pin for sale at IPPE; the EU 'PROteINSECT' project

According to a US agriculture department official, crop reports will continue to be released during stock exchange trading hours. The reports will carry on in spite of complaints that high-speed traders have access to the data before it becomes available on public websites, reported international news agency Reuters. 

Crop reports used to be released when grain markets were closed. However, last year the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) began releasing its key monthly crop reports to the open grain market.

Read the full Reuters article here.

As the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) draws closer, event organisers have announced a partnership with the Hard Rock Cafe chain to offer a pig pin, which will be on sale during the Expo.

IPPE organisers chose the pin to celebrate the introduction of a new pork and swine pavilion and the VIV International Pork Production Summit education program at the upcoming 2014 Expo.

The pig pin will be on sale in the main lobby near attendee registration during IPPE show hours, as well as at the Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta, located at 215 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, USA.
Read the full release here.

A new EU-funded project, is currently being coordinated in the UK by The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) in collaboration with China, Africa and mainland Europe.

In light of the increasing notion that insects can be utilised as an alternative protein source, the 'PROteINSECT' project is working to drive changes to EU legislation. Current legislation prohibits the inclusion of protein derived from insects in animal feed, with the exception of feed intended for fish or shellfish.

Those involved in the PROteinSECT project hope that the research results will help promote the use of insects in pig and poultry feed in the future, particularly as these animals already consume insects as part of their natural diet.

What's your view?
For the full report and to take part in the PROteinSECT survey, visit the project website. 

Pig litter USDA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Students, free range eggs and lupins….

UK free range egg supplier Birchgrove Eggs supplies Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK with over 4000 eggs per week, and in a commercial trial for a research project with scientists at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), they are feeding their hens a layers mash where most of the protein component of the feed is provided by yellow lupins instead of the usual soya protein.
 

Soya traditionally made up a considerable percentage of the poultry feed and using a home grown alternative which does not affect egg quality contributes to assured provenance and sustainability.

Birchgrove Eggs is undertaking an 18 week commercial trial as part of a collaborative research and development project between industry and academia where Aberystwyth University is one of 12 partners.
 

The company is run by Tony and Gwen Burgess. “We are delighted to be partners in this important research project that has already shown the potential to generate real nutrition and possible future cost benefits for poultry producers across the UK," said Tony Burgess.

“Poultry feed costs are escalating and we are looking for home grown alternatives to the imported soya we have relied on over the years. Growing lupins in the UK to replace imported soya is a really excellent good news story – for consumers, farmers and wildlife. The research with IBERS is a great example of innovation and partnership through science.”
 

The aim of the research and development project is to look at sweet (edible) lupins which are high in protein as a viable UK-grown alternative protein source to go into animal and fish feeds to replace as far as possible and ideally up to 100%, the soya protein component.

IBERS experiments feeding laying hens with lupins found no significant impact on their feed and water intake, growth, weight, egg production or bird health. In fact the lupin based feed seemed to perform essentially the same as the standard feed in comparison.
 

Soya prices are increasing and UK supplies are imported largely from South America, and the impact of their production in South America means that huge areas of land are turned over to soya production.
 

“The UK and Europe has major issues with protein security within the livestock sector and are heavily dependent on imported soya. We need to find ways of increasing the amount of protein that can be grown "on-farm" in the UK.  Research studies at IBERS have demonstrated the potential for lupins in laying hens and it is excellent to have this work taken forward in a large commercial scale study with Birchgrove," said Nigel Scollan, Waitrose chair of sustainable agriculture at IBERS and the principal investigator on this research project 

“We have always used Birchgrove eggs primarily due to the high quality of their produce. We believe that buying local and free range has benefits across the board. It is wonderful to see that they are now working to develop the feed that is local as well so reducing the carbon foot print even further for our eggs." added Jeremy Mabbutt, head of hospitality services at Aberystwyth University. 

Tony Burgess (left) from Birchgrove Eggs and Adrian Smith, Head Chef at Aberystwyth University.

01/10/2013: New Delhi calls for wheat flour not grain; innovative oilseed crop; FEED II project

Back in August, the Global Miller reported the launch of a USD$22 billion government welfare scheme set up to provide subsidised wheat to 1.2 billion people in New Delhi, India under the National Food Security Act.

Now, the state of Himachal Pradesh in Northern India has asked the government to provide wheat flour in place of wheat grain.

Speaking at the food ministers conference in New Delhi, GS Bali, food civil supplies minister said there were no grinding facilities for wheat grain in remote and rural areas of the state. 

Read more...

Canadian oilseed producers will soon benefit from research in innovative oilseed varieties with the help of investments of the Canadian government.

Gerry Ritz, Canadian agriculture minister recently announced news of a new Soy 20/20 project that aims to research and develop new varieties of oilseed crops in Canada.

This investment of CAD$3.7 million will help the Soy 20/20 project develop market-ready varieties of camelina sativa to growers across Canada and will help increase the value of the oil for industrial use.

Read more...

Community development organisation ACD/VOCA boasts successful work with Ethiopian smallholder livestock producers. 

Thanks to a cooperative agreement worth almost USD$14 million, which was awarded to the organisation on 12th September 2013 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ACD/VOCA has established The Feed Enhancement for Ethiopian Development (FEED II) project.

Ethiopia's livestock population is the largest on the African continent, with an estimated 80 million cattle, sheep, goats and camels and 32 million poultry. The project will increase livestock and poultry productivity by continuing to develop Ethiopia's animal feed sector.

Read more...

English: Wheat (Triticum aestivum) near Auvers-sur-Oise, France, June 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hice of wheat grain under the National Food S

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/food-subsidy-scheme-himachal-pradesh-demands-wheat-flour-not-grain/425564-3-254.html?utm_source=ref_article

Himachal Pradesh on Monday asked the central government to provide wheat flour in place of wheat grain under the National Food Security Act that will enable over 37 lakh people to get subsidised food grains in the state. Speaking at food ministers' conference in New Delhi, Food Civil Supplies Minister GS Bali said there were no grinding facilities in remote and rural areas of the state and the people were demanding wheat flour in place of wheat grain.

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/food-subsidy-scheme-himachal-pradesh-demands-wheat-flour-not-grain/425564-3-254.html?utm_source=ref_article

Himachal Pradesh on Monday asked the central government to provide wheat flour in place of wheat grain under the National Food Security Act that will enable over 37 lakh people to get subsidised food grains in the state. Speaking at food ministers' conference in New Delhi, Food Civil Supplies Minister GS Bali said there were no grinding facilities in remote and rural areas of the state and the people were demanding wheat flour in place of wheat grain.

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/food-subsidy-scheme-himachal-pradesh-demands-wheat-flour-not-grain/425564-3-254.html?utm_source=ref_article

European food and drink industry heads towards zero fossil CO2 emissions

Campden BRI and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne are co-operating with organisations from Austria, Germany, Poland and Spain in an EU project to help the European food and beverage industry improve energy efficiency and reduce fossil carbon emissions, thus increasing competitiveness.

The project was launched in April 2013 and is co-funded by the Intelligent Energy Programme of the European Union. It mainly addresses dairies, bakeries, the meat industry, the fish industry, cereals, and animal feed, breweries and producers of fruit juice.

The project consortium will conduct 200 energy analyses in food and drink companies, looking at a company’s energy flows (especially the generation of heat and cold and their use in production processes) to determine possible measures for energy efficiency improvement, and options for using renewable energy sources – such as solar, thermal or biomass. From this group, 20 companies will be chosen for more detailed analysis, and five participants willing to implement measures within the project duration will be able to benefit from additional guidance. This is expected to lead to an actual emission reduction of 600 tons of fossil CO2 per year.

The consortium will combine technological expertise of food and drink production with knowledge on energy efficiency and renewable resources to help users identify tailor-made solutions for optimising their processes and energy supply. At the core will be a calculation tool for balancing and optimising energy and material flow, which will incorporate the calculation of primary energy use and CO2 emissions, heat integration, use of efficiency and renewable energy technologies, calculation of profitability and the assessment of suitable process technologies. These calculations will be supported by guidelines for implementation and long lasting energy management in SMEs.

The consortium will also address the question of funding mechanisms, as lack of financing is often a barrier for the uptake of innovative technologies to harness renewable energy sources or the implementation of energy efficiency measures, especially for SMEs.

Challah (Photo credit: Wikipedia)