Report: China animal feed output down 1.7 percent

ASKCI has released the performance ranking report of the top listed animal feed companies in China for the first half of 2015 by total revenues.
The demand of the feed market was influenced by the falling profits of the animal husbandry industry in the first half of the year. According to the data from the 180 key companies tracked, the total output of animal feed in China in the first half of 2015 was 87.3 million metric tons, decreasing 1.7 percent year on year. Among the total production, the output of pig feed was 36 million metric tons, decreasing 7.1 percent year on year. Layer feed output was 13.5 million metric tons, down 0.7 percent year on year, and broiler feed output was 23 million metric tons, down 1.05 percent year on year.
The increased profits came from the decreasing costs of feed ingredients. The average purchase price of corn was CNY2,400 (US$376.88) per ton and the purchase price of soybean meal was CNY2,600 (US$408.29) per ton, hitting the lowest level of the past five years. With many alternative products replacing corn in the feed industry, the costs of feed ingredients declined dramatically, enabling Chinese feed companies to profit.
According to the report, New Hope Group and Haid Group had the highest revenue among Chinese feed manufacturers in the first half of 2015.

New Hope Group

New Hope Group is China's largest feed manufacturer and one of China's largest agri-husbandry enterprises. New Hope Group has built feed mills and poultry plants in several Southeast Asian countries. In 2014, the company had 200 feed mills and produced 18.7 million metric tons of feed.

Haid Group

Haid Group focuses on research and development, production and sale of a variety of feed products. Aqua brands include Hinter, Haid, Hailong, Dachuan, Haibei, Fengguang, and Rongchuan. In 2014, Haid produced 5.52 million metric tons of feed.

Canadian Bio-Systems adds Philippines in market expansion

Delivering the leading edge in feed technology to livestock industry customers in the Philippines and other key parts of Southeast Asia is the focus of a new market expansion by Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. (CBS Inc.).
The expansion was announced during the Canadian trade mission to the Philippines led by International Trade Minister Ed Fast.
It includes new product introductions for the Philippines, currently in final stages of registration, along with an enhanced presence for sales, marketing and distribution in the region. This is anchored by a growing team at the CBS Inc. Southeast Asia office based in Manila, Philippines as well as a strengthened relationship with local CBS Inc. distribution partner AgriPro Premier Nutrition.
“The fast-changing world of feed technology represents one of the greatest opportunities for livestock industry customers to get more value out of feed and dramatically improve their efficiency and profitability,” says Owen Jones, CBS Inc. president. “The Philippines and Southeast Asia as a whole are well positioned to take advantage of the latest advances.”
“I am pleased to congratulate Canadian Bio-Systems on their success in the Philippines,” says International Trade Minister Ed Fast. “When Canadian businesses succeed abroad, they are helping to create jobs, growth and prosperity at home.”
CBS Inc. products in final stages of registration for the Philippines include multi-carbohydrase and protease enzyme formulations. Superzyme-CS is designed for poultry and swine diets, delivering a broad spectrum of activities to break down a range of hard-to-digest feed components. Concentrase-P features concentrated protease activity to target protein components. Both are scheduled to enter the Philippines marketplace in July through AgriPro.
“These products help customers capture more value from feed through better utilization of energy and nutrients,” says Dr. Eduardo Tuason, international sales manager-Asia Pacific for CBS Inc., who heads up the Manila office. “This leads to corresponding improvements in animal performance and health while reducing potential waste and environmental impacts. All of these benefits are particularly important for successful expansion of livestock production in Southeast Asia.”
Enzymes also have an advantage as a tool that is derived from nature and used to enhance natural processes, said Rob Patterson, CBS Inc. technical director. This fits well in today’s environment of higher consumer expectations for food production, including greater scrutiny of all types of inputs. “At a time of tightening regulations related to the use of antibiotics and medicated feed, the results enzymes can achieve make them a viable alternative option that can play a stronger role in today’s livestock industries.”
Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. researches, develops and manufactures a wide range of products used in feed, food, industrial and environmental applications.

Dutch ambassador visits Norfolk BOCM Pauls mill

BOCM Pauls, a UK-based animal feed company, has hosted a fact-finding visit by Her Excellency Laetitia van den Assum, ambassador of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, at its Tucks Mill in Burston, Norfolk. Producing more than 300,000 metric tons of pig and poultry feed annually for farmers in Norfolk and Suffolk, the mill is the largest operated by BOCM Pauls, which is owned by European livestock feed manufacturer ForFarmers B.V., headquartered at Lochem in The Netherlands.
The ambassador was at Burston to find out more about the UK agricultural sector and how BOCM Pauls operates as part of a program by The Netherlands Embassy in London. Accompanied by Dr. Henk de Jong, agricultural counsellor and Stella van Bemmelen, agricultural assistant, the ambassador was welcomed by Bert-Jan Ruumpol, CEO, ForFarmers B.V., Iain Gardner, CEO, BOCM Pauls and Nick Major, corporate affairs director, ForFarmers.
Following an introduction to BOCM Pauls by Gardner, Ruumpol outlined ForFarmers' strategy, objectives and reasons for investing in the UK, while Major discussed the opportunities and challenges for the UK's food and farming sector. Her Excellency was then shown around the mill by Ketill Lord, regional operations manager, BOCM Pauls, providing an opportunity to see the entire production process, from raw materials being delivered to finished feed products being loaded for delivery to farms throughout the region. The visit concluded with a discussion on how the embassy of The Netherlands might assist the company in its future development.

Specialty feed manufacturer enters Asia-Pacific market

LinkAsia Partners, a company representing global manufacturers in the feed and food ingredient sector in the Asia-Pacific region, announced the addition of its newest client, Tecnozoo, a manufacturer of specialty nutrient and management solutions for livestock and game birds.
LinkAsia Partners will be supporting Tecnozoo in its commercial and marketing initiatives to introduce their products and solutions to the animal production industry through the growing number of channel partners targeting the important Asia-Pacific markets.
“We made the decision to partner with LinkAsia Partners because of their proven track record of introducing and supporting their clients and associated channel partners in Asia-Pacific, as proven by the success of other products that they represent,” said Danilo Vanzetto, CEO of Tecnozoo.  “With LinkAsia Partners’ key insights to reaching the rapidly growing and diverse Asia-Pacific region, we are excited to see the results this new partnership can bring. Our dedicated nutrition and farm production experts in Tecnozoo are ready to provide focused support for our channel partners as we launch our best-of-breed products out to the important markets here.”
“We are very excited to have Tecnozoo on board, giving us the privilege to market their extensive line of specialty nutritional products applicable across varied animal species,” said David Saunders, CEO of LinkAsia Partners.  “Tecnozoo offers high quality, proven and reliable products that the region demands and we are looking forward to support their expansion and business development plans in Asia-Pacific.”

Alltech 2013 symposium to focus on agribusiness challenges

The 29^th Annual Alltech International Symposium, being held in Lexington, Ky., on May 19-22, plans to zero in on the next seven years, posing the question: can agribusiness overcome the myriad challenges facing it and also feed 7.4 billion people by 2020?
The event will offer a fresh GLIMPSE into the future of agribusiness. In a recently published International Food and Agribusiness Management Review article, interviews with 25 agribusiness experts identified seven key barriers that may impede the world's ability to feed nine billion people by 2050. The challenges and opportunities were organized under the acronym GLIMPSE: Government, Losses in the food and ingredient supply chains, Infrastructure, Markets, Politics and policies, Science and innovation, and the Environment.
GLIMPSE's findings will be a centerpiece of symposium plenary session discussions, which will also review the state of play in the global feed industry. Given the new information revealed in Alltech's 2013 Global Feed Tonnage Survey, is agriculture's next great frontier possibly Africa?
In light of recent food crises, the symposium will explore how the industry can maintain or restore consumers' perceptions of food safety and health. It will also seek to answer the question: where does the buck stop with traceability?
New in 2013, Alltech International Symposium delegates will have the opportunity to select breakout session tracks. These tracks, as opposed to traditional species or subject breakouts, will offer attendees a more holistic experience in which they take part in discussions ranging from algae and agriculture's carbon footprint to nutrition and marketing. Discussions within the track selections may include:

• The Business of Agriculture
• Crisis Management
• Farming Soils for the Future
• Milk: The Perfect Food
• Carbon Footprint, Sustainability and Profitability
• Feeding for Fertility
• Optimizing Rumen Function
• Branding Food: A Taste of What Consumers Really Want
• Reimagining Beef Production
• Nutrigenomics: A Nutrition Revolution
• Interfacing Nutrition and Immunity
• Experiences from the Field: Rethinking Animal Health
• Farming the Sea
• The Algae Opportunity
• Feeding Your Friend: Companion Animal Nutrition
• Connecting with Consumers through the World's Premier Equestrian Event
• Profit from the Core
• Next Generation Foods
• Celebrating the Farmer
• Beyond the Brand: Customer Engagement
• Farm to Fork: Branding All-Natural Omega-3 Pork to the Consumer
• Communicating Diversity: A Dialogue with the Latin Market
• The Changing Face of Media
• Building a Successful Brand Beyond Your Home Market
• Crops: An Extra Ton per 2.5 Acres?
Registration for Alltech's 29^th Annual International Symposium is open and available for an early discount price of $599 through April 15. Standard registration after April 15 will be $850. Two paid registrations from a single company or organization will receive a third registration free of charge.

India soybean-meal exports may grow 5 percent in 2013

India's soybean-meal exports could grow up to 5 percent in the 2013 harvest year beginning October 1, exceeding 4 million metric tons compared to 2012's 3.8 million metric tons, according to Atul Chaturvedi, CEO of exporter Adani Wilmar Ltd.
Soybean-meal prices have increased 55 percent in 2012 and reached a record on concern that the worst U.S. drought in at least 50 years will shrink soybean and corn supplies from the world’s largest exporter. But soybean meal futures have fallen 10 percent since reaching an all-time high of $541.80 per 2,000 pounds on the Chicago Board of Trade on September 4. The December-delivery contract was at $486.70 at 3 p.m. in Mumbai on September 21. Soybeans rose to a record $17.89 a bushel also on September 4, as U.S. farmers will harvest the smallest crop in nine years.
India competes with the U.S., Argentina and Brazil to supply animal feed to China, Vietnam, Japan and South Korea. The country usually exports more than 70 percent of its soybean-meal output. Traders have contracted to sell as much as 300,000 tons at prices ranging from $620 per ton to $640 per ton free-on-board to buyers in South East Asia and Africa for shipment in November and December, said Rajesh Agrawal, spokesman for the Soybean Processors Association.

China feed production up 30 percent in January, February

Output of China's feed companies reached 13.88 million tons in January and 14.6 million tons in February, totaling 28.48 million tons, up 30 percent from same time in 2011, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics.
At the beginning of 2012, China's poultry and livestock production increased from 2011 numbers, particularly pig production, which was up 5.5 percent. These numbers, in turn, led to the increase of feed output. Another reason for the increase in feed production was significant growth in complete feed production. With this sector gaining more market share than concentrated feed, the product structure of industrial feed changed, which required more feed to be produced.
Large-scale feed companies continue to expand and feed prices are increasing, both of which contribute to the increase of companies' sales.

Japan to buy 77 percent more feed wheat in 2012-2013

Japan's farm ministry said it plans to buy 77.7 percent more foreign feed wheat in the 2012–2013 year as an alternative to corn, which is usually the main ingredient in Japan's compound animal feed, according to reports.
The ministry plans to buy 764,000 metric tons of wheat and 1.288 million metric tons of barley, compared with 430,000 metric tons of wheat and 1.41 million metric tons of barley bought in the 2011–2012 year. Japan carefully controls imports of wheat and barley to protect local farmers and sets an import target for both grains for use in animal feed annually to buy them in a tender under a system to reflect the needs of end-users.

Animal feed to overtake fuel as biggest use for corn

Animal feed is projected to overtake fuel as the biggest use for corn because ethanol demand is slowing as farmers produce a record crop, according to reports.
The BGOV Barometer, which shows the proportion of the corn harvest going into ethanol in the year ending Aug. 31, 2013, is forecast to fall to 35 percent of the crop from 40 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Animal feed was overtaken by ethanol in 2011 and 2012. “Ethanol growth should slow down, so if we get increased production, then this will lower the food-versus-fuel debate for awhile,” said Bruce Babcock, an energy economist at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
A 45-cent-per-gallon tax credit given to ethanol blenders and a 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on ethanol imports expired at the end of 2011, while ethanol stockpiles are at record levels. Federal requirements for ethanol use are increasing at a slower pace and are set to peak at 15 billion gallons in 2015, according to the Renewable Fuels Association in Washington. Production in 2011 was 13.9 billion gallons.

Weakened feed demand causes US containerized exports drop

Second-quarter 2011 growth in U.S. containerized exports dropped to 6%, compared to 12% in the first quarter, due largely to a 25% decrease in demand for pet and animal feeds, according to reports.
In particular, the second quarter saw a 59% drop in shipments of animal feed to China. Overall, June alone saw a 2.1% decline in growth. U.S. export volume is up 9% for the first half of 2011, and the overall year-over-year export has dropped to 2.97 million TEUs.

animal feed, pet food contributing to deforestation

More than 10% of all palm kernel meal, a byproduct of palm oil, produced in the world is fed to British animals as feed or petfood, a statistic that may be contributing to deforestation, according to experts.
The plantations on which most of the world’s oil palm is grown have resulted in an 85% loss of biodiversity, according to a study done for the Department of Food and Rural Affairs. But while many British importers are focusing more on sustainable palm oil, the same cannot be said for sustainable palm kernel meal. "It's not just a by-product," said Defra official Sara Eppel, especially in Britain where "we import five times as much kernel from Indonesia as palm oil." In addition, said Eppel, "government buying standards don't currently cover palm oil sustainability.”
According to the report, the focus on sustainability is increasing, but is not yet as widespread as it needs to be to properly protect the rainforests being affected.

Good housekeeping and the animal feed industry at Victam

It's something that we should all do all the time, but one of those things that, too often, we let slip.
 At the IFF Feed Processing Conference, held as part of Victam 2011, Richard Oldman of Anitox, looked at a topic that is important to each and every one of us and that, in a time of rising input costs, is particularly relevant to the feed industry.
 So how can good housekeeping really help? Well, while new and more efficient technology can usually be introduced to most processes, saving energy always makes sense. Looking particularly at energy demands in the pelleting of feed, he noted that saving energy was essential.
 So where to start? Amongst his observations were that equipment is often left running, there can be build ups of old material, mixers may not properly be emptying, there may be badly worn padders, holes may be half blocked, knifes blunt, and the cooler air flow incorrect. If not enough attention is paid to these, and other, areas, then energy is wasted. Just like the build up of scale in a kettle or an accumulation of lint and dust in a vacuum cleaner in our own homes, failure to attend to simple things reduces efficiency and increases costs.
 Mr Oldman noted that, as far as steam is concerned, he has often seen that pipework is undersized, traps may not be working properly, and an absence of gauges for pressure and temperature.
 He also pointed to trials that were carried out in 2009 at the IFF Research Institute of Feed Technology Braunschweig, Germany, that responded to the question of whether pelleting aids can solve problems. Broiler, dairy and pig feeds were trialled and, across all three feed types, there were savings in electrical power. Although increased throughput could not be demonstrated, electrical savings could be.
 Amongst reasons for this were improved conditioning rates by increased thermal acceptance of the pellet press by thorough heating of the meal particles rather than simply surface heating.
 Mr Oldman notes that there are many mills where energy consumption is much higher than it needs to be.
 Writing from the Victam showfloor, I an wondering whether I left the television on standby, when was the last time I descaled the kettle or gave the vacuum cleaner a thorough overhaul? I need to save electricity!

Animal Feed Forum webinars available free on-demand

The Online Animal Forum: Feeding the Globe archive is open now through July 6, 2011. Sign up or sign in now to view the five on-demand webinars, designed specifically for poultry, pig and feed industry professionals.

As of April 20, 2011, more than 1,300 professionals from around the world registered to attend Online Animal Forum: Feeding the Globe. Sign up or sign in to take advantage of the following
informative, focused sessions:

Innovations from R&D in animal agriculture by Dr. Leo den Hartog, Director R&D and Quality Affairs, Nutreco, Netherlands

What animal breeding can contribute by Dr. Pieter Knap, Manager of Genetic Strategy, Genus/PIC International, Germany

Directions to better feed utilization by Stefaan Van Dyck, Director of Research and Development, Kemin AgriFoods, Worldwide

World feed ingredients outlook - impacts of China, Energy (Ethanol) and Speculation by Tim Brusnahan, Richard A. Brock & Associates, Inc., USA

The Role of Eggs in Meeting World Food Needs by Dr. Simon Shane, Editor, Egg Industry, USA

Still unfamiliar with what a “virtual forum” is? Click here for a three-minute tour of WATT’s virtual event platform.

Don’t miss out on this valuable e-learning opportunity. Sign up or sign in now to view the five educational presentations — available online, on-demand through July 6, 2011

European market for feed digestive ingredients climbing

Frost & Sullivan has released new numbers that show the European market for digestive ingredients in animal feed is on the rise.
The market earned $455.5 million in revenues in 2009, according to the report, and current growth indicates revenues will reach $802.0 million in 2016. "The future of European digestive ingredients in the animal feed market is bright thanks to the indispensible nature of these products in boosting animal productivity," said Frost Senior Research Analyst Dr. Kaushik Ramakrishnan Shankar. "The importance of reducing costs in animal husbandry systems cannot be underestimated and the clear advantage of using these ingredients should be communicated to end users."
As the market has grown it has become more competitive, said Shankar, with those devoting the most to research and development seeing the largest payoff. Feed enzymes, feed probiotics, feed phytogenics and feed prebiotics were all covered in the study.

Russian grain export ban highlights need for domestic supply

Russia’s temporary export ban on grain emphasizes the need to maintain productive agriculture in home markets, said the United Kingdom's National Farmers' Union (NFU).
“Wheat prices are up by 70% on prices in June this year, rising 11% on Thursday, August 5 alone," said NFU combinable crops board Chairman Ian Backhouse. "Heavy rain is being blamed for wiping out the wheat crop in Canada and today’s announcement from Russia comes after the worst drought in more than a hundred years, which has devastated crops both there and in the Ukraine.”
Backhouse said it was impossible to speculate on the impact that the dramatic market movement would have, and added that it served to show how important it was to maintain and develop home production capacity in grain when faced with unpredictable supply from overseas.
“Events in this past week, resulting in extreme market movements, underline the importance of a vibrant domestic grain industry and a strong European agricultural policy that focuses on delivering a more productive, competitive sector to ensure food security both at home and abroad,” said Backhouse.
Drought and wildfires are thought to have devastated more than a third of the cultivable land in Russia, and the export ban is due to start on August 15.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has described the move as “expedient” to keep domestic prices low and to maintain cattle numbers.

Chicken industry seeks to ease corn ethanol rules

The federal ethanol program should include a provision for relief from the mandate for corn-derived ethanol in the event of a crop shortage, the National Chicken Council told a National Research Council committee investigating the impact of the regulation. Such a shortage could leave poultry and meat producers lacking in animal feed, according to the council.
Under the Renewable Fuels Standard, the motor fuel industry is required to add specified amounts of biofuels to gasoline every year – including 12 billion gallons of corn-derived ethanol this year. Some 36% of the nation’s corn crop will go into ethanol production by 2015, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts.

World feed manufacturers projected to use more grain

World feed manufacturers are projected to use more grain in harvest year 2010/11 as global economic expansion resumes and encourages more meat consumption, which in turn promotes extra demand for animal feeds.
The projection is contained in the latest market report from the International Grains Council (IGC), which says that 481 million metric tons of maize (corn) is likely to be used in feeds worldwide compared with 476 million tons in 2009/10.
The feed sector’s demand for all grains is increasing, it comments, but large availabilities of distillers dried grains and high-protein oilseed meals could restrain maize incorporations. Although industrial uses of maize are expected to increase by 8 million metric tons over this season to 214 million tons, this would be the smallest rate of growth in 10 years -- reflecting the slowing expansion of the U.S. ethanol industry.
The report suggests that an expansion of the feed market will also help global wheat consumption in 2010/11 to reach a total of 654 million metric tons, about 9 million tons more than in 2009/10. However, this is 2 million tons down from earlier IGC forecasts, because of larger supplies of competing feeds. World production of maize in 2010 is forecast at a record 809 million metric tons, some 6 million tons more than in 2009, while the projection for this year’s wheat output is a reduction of 17 million tons to 658 million tons.