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21/08/2013: Giant King Grass animal feed; calories in crops could feed 4 billion; employer fined after grain silo injury

Viaspace Inc. today announced results of independent and third-party testing that show its Giant King Grass is an excellent high protein animal feed. 

The average protein content of five samples was 14.3 percent with good energy content and digestibility. The results show that Giant King Grass is much better than wheat straw, corn straw, sorghum silage, Bermuda grass or Sudan grass. It is very similar in nutritional value to oat hay.
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New research published this month in Environmental Research Letters suggests that utilising cropland for human consumption rather than livestock feed and biofuel could feed an additional 4 billion people.
 
This shift in availability has the potential to produce the  equivalent yield increases achieved for maize, wheat and rice between 1965 and 2009.
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A worker has been awarded NZD$26,000 in emotional harm reparations by NZ Starch Ltd.

According to New Zealand news broadcaster TVNZ, the worker - who following the advice of his supervisor - failed to stop the blades of a sweep auger and consequently fell into the moving blades of the grain silo.

The company has also been fined NZD $35,000.
Read  more...

New Zealand (Photo credit: mdid)

New! GFMT article: Improving poultry health and production efficiency with probiotics

In this article Dr Detlef Kampf of Orffa Additives, the Netherlands discusses how poultry health and production efficiency can be improved with the use of probiotics.

To avoid diseases resulting from high pathogenic pressure in intensive broiler and turkey housing systems, antibiotic growth promoters have been used in many cases in the past. Since the EU-prohibition of these products, an increasing interest exists for alternatives to support the microbiota in the intestine and for the maintenance of animal health.

Read the full article here. 

Dr Detlef Kampf of Orffa Additives discusses the use of probiotics in improving poultry health and production efficiency

Quality Control and Quality Assurance in Flour Milling

Kansas State University’s (KSU) International Grains Program is hosting a new course for the milling industry. This unique five-week, online course will highlight the quality control and quality assurance aspects of the flour milling process. This course is focused toward operative millers and quality assurance personnel, but would also be helpful for plant personnel at any level of experience in all parts of the milling process.
 
“At Kansas State and IGP, we recognize the need to expand our training programs to include more online courses,” says Mark Fowler, IGP associate director and milling specialist. He adds, “This course on quality control is our second distance education course developed and will be the first course offered as we launch our new KSU Milling Specialist credential program.”
He adds, this professional development, non-credit course grants one continuing education unit (CEU) upon completion. It is offered as an individual course or as the first step toward the completion of the KSU Milling Specialist credential.
 
“The goal of Quality Control/Quality Assurance in Flour Milling is to enhance the knowledge and skills of all those involved in the milling process,” Fowler says. To accomplish this, Fowler will co-instruct the course with Rebecca Miller, research assistant professor and director of wheat quality.
Fowler has expertise in technical flour milling, plant operations management and food and employee safety programs from his time in the industry and in the classroom. His lessons for this course focus on the impact of the milling principles on flour quality, sampling procedures and process control.
 
Miller has a diverse background of knowledge in the areas of wheat and flour quality and baking and cereal chemistry. She will cover topics including a review of wheat classes and uses, flour quality characteristics analysis, mixing property analysis, dough analysis and flour additives.
This is just one example of the trainings offered through IGP. In addition to flour milling and grain processing, IGP offers trainings in the areas of feed manufacturing and grain management, and grain marketing and risk management.

More information and registration details available here. 

English: An exhibit at the Mill City Museum showing a millstone that was used in traditional flour milling. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

APK-Inform increased the forecast of grain production in Ukraine in 2013/14

Analysts from the APK-Inform Agency increased the estimations of the general grain harvest in Ukraine in 2013 to the level of 57.1 mln tonnes, a decrease of 5.5 percent compared with the previous month estimations (54.1 mln tonnes), and the index exceeds the record high grain production volumes, observed in 2011/12 MY (56.7 mln tonnes).

APK-Inform analysts increased the estimation mainly due to the growth of maize production forecast, which planted areas faced quite favorable agro-climatic conditions in the summer, assisting to improvement of the grain yield. For example, the experts increased the yield index from 5.29 t/ha, expected in June 2013, to 5.95 t/ha. As a result, the grain production forecast was increased from 23.9 mln tonnes, expected in June, to 26.2 mln tonnes. At the same time, the forecasted index significantly (up 14.6 percent) exceeds the record harvest of maize in Ukraine, made in 2011 (22.8 mln tonnes). The estimation of maize planted and harvested areas remained unchanged.
As for the forecast of other grain crops, the indices were slightly increased compared with the June estimations: wheat production is forecasted at 21.4 mln tonnes (as opposed to 20.5 mln tonnes in June) with the average yield of 3.25 t/ha, barley - 7.3 mln tonnes (7.15 mln tonnes) with the yield of 2.31 t/ha.

Cornheap (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Adifo

Adifo develops and services specialised software solutions for the feed and food industry. It achieves success by launching new products, exploring niche markets, reducing costs, optimising resource efficiency and handling the loss of essential business knowledge. Click on image to visit company website.

20/08/2013: Engrain appoints new global accounts manager; India launches grain subsidy programme; Deyu outlines new strategy

Enzyme technology development company, Engrain has promoted its logistics specialist, Taylor McFall to sales manager of global accounts. With the promotion, McFall will be traveling from Manhattan, USA to Nairobi, Kenya.

Engrain believes that having an Engrain Manager on the ground will make it easier to serve local clients face to face. McFall will be responsible for logistics development, distribution, and inventory, and will also be working to solidify Engrain’s presence throughout the region.
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The Indian government has launched a US$22 billion welfare scheme which will provide cheap food to hundreds of millions of people.

The minority government sidestepped the unruly parliament and resorted to an executive order to implement the programme.

"The union cabinet has approved the food security ordinance unanimously," KV Thomas, Indian food minister told New Delhi reporters.
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Deyu Agriculture Corp recently announced it has outlined its new strategic direction. The Company will continue to focus on its core businesses in the farming and consumer markets. 

In terms of its agriculture business, Deyu intends to streamline its operations by reducing the number of partners involved within the value chain from farmer to end customer.
Read more...

An aerial of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)