21/01/14: Darling International acquisition finalised; grain shipments keeping port afloat; grain foods key in 2015 dietary guidelines

Back in October, Dutch food processing company VION NV announced that it had entered into a final agreement with US based animal by-product firm Darling International on the sale of VION Ingredients.

Following this, VION N.V. recently announced that the sale was finalised on 8 January 2014, at an approximate price of €1.6 billion in cash. 

Full news available here.

According to The Hamilton Port Authority, Canada, grain shipments set the pace for cargo volume through the Port of Hamilton last year.

In a recent news release, the Authority stated that while overall volume through the port was essentially flat last year, grain and the volume of cargo moved in and out of the port by train continued to grow amid steel shipment slumps.

Full news available here. 

In an address made to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), part of the United States Department of Agriculture, the nutritional value of grain foods was a prominent topic.

Speaking on behalf of the grain industry, distinguished Professor and registered dietitian Joanne Slavin of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, USA commented on endorsing the extension of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines which recommend Americans consume six daily servings of whole grains.

Full news available here. 

Grains, the largest food group in many nutrition guides, includes oats, barley and bread. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Symaga

Symaga offer a comprehensive service through their four divisions:
-Livestock equipment offers solutions "turnkey" for livestock projects.
-Silos, specializing in the design, manufacture and marketing of metal silos for storage.
-Agricultural equipment designs, manufactures and markets metal tanks for water and vineyard equipment.
-Steel works dedicated to steel work and plastic injection. Click on image to visit Symaga's website.

20/01/14: Grain and Feed Milling Technology - Editor's observations

Professor Paul Davies, vice principal
and professor of agricultural systems,
Royal Agricultural University, UK

Below is an extract from the November/December edition of Grain and Feed Milling Technology magazine, which featured guest editor Professor Paul Davies, vice principal and professor of agricultural systems, Royal Agricultural University, UK

Excellent work by the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) - working closely with the UN Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Codex - during the last decade has ensured that the animal feed industry has become safer, and a n integral part of the global food supply chain so essential to health and well being - not to mention our food security. Many of you know the significant contribuitons to improving animal feed supply and safety made in recent years by such contributors as Andrew Speedy (previously FAO), Roger Gilbert (Perendale Publishers and previously IFIF), Eric Miller (Cambridge University), together with Reg Preston, Ron Leng, Freddy Ib and many others worldwide. All credit to them.

Increasing  demand for meat, milk, eggs and other livestock products continues to drive up global animal populations - not to mention the substantial expansion we are seeing in aquaculture. If available, and if we cn afford to buy them, most of us are consuming more and more of these products. Of course, this growing demand for high value protein foods is being driven most of all by population growth, rising incomes and urbanisation.
Read the full article on page 4 here.

20/01/14: Adifo strengthens market position in China and the US

News courtesy of software specialist Adifo

Belgian software for feed and food processor Adifo is about to acquire US based Brilliant Alternatives and China based Brill Resellers. The acquisition will help Adifo significantly strengthen its international position. Negotiations have now entered the final stage. The acquisition will help Adifo significantly strengthen its international position.

Brilliant Alternatives has a strong position in the US market, as well as on the international scene. For instance, it has a significant market share in China via its local distributor Brill Resellers.

Peter Tsjoen, sales director
at Adifo.

Peter Tsjoen, sales director at Adifo said: “This acquisition will make us one of the most important partners for the Chinese food and feed sector, a rapidly expanding market. Food safety is increasingly gaining importance in China. 

As a European company, Adifo has acquired lots of expertise and experience in this domain over the past forty years. Through Brill Resellers’ extensive network, we will be able to deliver this added value directly to the Chinese market.”

The acquisition at hand will enable Brilliant Alternatives to ensure a secure future for its international customer portfolio.

Bob Brill, president at
Brilliant Alternatives.

Bob Brill, president at Brilliant Alternatives said: “Adifo has been active in our sector for forty years and has attained an important position in the international market. Over the past several years, Adifo has brought its software portfolio to a high lever through various innovations. 

As a result, it is now recognised as the global technological market leader. Moreover, it values long-term business relationships, making it a solid partner for our customers in the long run.”

Visit Adifo's website here.

20/01/14: China to increase grain subsidies; Malaysia calls for feed antibiotic ban; wheat research agreement

Chinese vice premier Wang Yang recently announced that the Chinese government is set to extend greater support to agriculture, including more subsidies to major grain-growing regions.

Wang made the remarks during his visit in central China's Henan Province from Friday to Saturday, declaring a strengthening of policy reports pertaining to agricultural development and farmers interests.

Full news available here. 

Recently reported by independent news portal Free Malaysia Today, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the federal government to follow the European Union's decision to ban the  use of antibiotics in animal feeds.

It is reported that SM Mohamed Idris, CAP president also called on the ministries in charge of agricultural and health to set up a national system to monitor antibiotic use in food for animals, including refining data collection on antibiotic use in the country.

Full news available here.  

Canadian grain handler Viterra recently announced a CAD$5 million investment to enhance the Crop Development Centre (CDC) at the University of Saskatchewan (also based in Canada).

The five-year agreement continues to build on a longstanding partnership between Viterra and the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, focusing on the development of wheat and durum varieties with enhanced yield.

Full news available here. 

Flag of Malaysia - (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Satake

Satake is involved in the manufacturing and sales of machinery for the food industry and food products. Click on image to visit Satake's website.

17/01/14: Event: From Abuja to Atlanta – Grain and Feed publisher presents at IPPE 2014

Grain and Feed publisher Roger Gilbert has accumulated some serious air miles lately as a result of invitations to present and chair a host of international events. Roger's latest venture involved honouring an invitation to speak at the Nigerian Summit - the first of VIV's global roadshow campaigns - in the country’s capital Abuja this week, where he presented a successful talk pertaining to the feed and nutrition sector. 

Grain and Feed publisher Roger Gilbert
presented a talk at VIV's Nigeria summit this week.

Keep an eye out for a review of Roger's trip over 
the next few days! 

Following his appearance in one of the fastest growing countries in the world, preparations are now underway to present this talk at the world’s largest feed exposition; the International Production & Processing Expo, which takes place in less than two weeks! 

Hosted by IPPE, the International Pork Production Summit is another of VIV's roadshow summits. 

The theme of the summit is centered around the trends & developments in animal welfare, with a particular focus on US pork 
markets from an international perspective.


The summit will feature a range of parallel seminar sessions, with a focus on the technical best practices in the industry.

Roger Gilbert will also be presenting a
talk at VIV's Pork Production
Summit at the end of the month.

Using the global urgency to feed 9 billion people by 2050 as a platform, Roger's presentation - entitled 'The role of a robust compound feed industry to meet the needs of a growing world population' - will offer points of consideration on how livestock feed affects animal health, and by extension, the health of everyone who consumes these animal products.

The International Pork Production Summit will take place at the Georgia World Congress Centre, Atlanta, USA on 29 January, as part of the International Production and Processing Expo which spans 3 days from 28 - 30 January 2014. 

For more information, visit the IPPE website here.
A Pdf version of the seminar schedule is available here.