Animal feed trends for the week ending Oct. 8

The past week brought us news about mixed ration systems for dairy cows, Vietnam's animal feed market, the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, Evonik's new methionine plant in Singapore, the EU pork industry, mycotoxins in the U.S., Cargill's earnings report, and a blog on organic acids.

---

Total mixed ration system for dairy cows: benefits, drawbacks

The use of total mixed ration (TMR) in dairy cows is so widespread these days that we often forget there are still enterprises that rely on older feeding systems.

8 key findings about Vietnam animal feed market

Vietnam's animal feed market size is expected to reach US$10.55 billion by 2022, according to a new report by Grand View Research Inc.

Countries reach Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement

Negotiators from 12 countries reached an agreement on October 5 on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), resulting in a trade pact that vows to cut trade barriers as well as set labor and environmental standards.

Evonik plans another world-scale methionine plant in Singapore

Evonik Industries has started the planning stage for the construction of an additional world-scale plant complex in Singapore.

Five factors to consider for success in EU pork industry

Competitive power and market position are pivotal to success in the changing European pork industry, Rabobank stated in its recent report The EU Pork Industry: Competitive Power is Key.

5 organic acids in piglet and broiler feeds -- too much?

BLOG: I just reviewed another feed formula, and it contained at least five different acids. I say at least because one product was a blend of acids, whereas three others were straight organic acids. Basically, the whole range of available organic acids! Cost was not an issue, whereas inclusion rate was substantial, but not to the point it would cause any damage.

Mycotoxins confirmed across US during harvest

Aflatoxin, fumonisin and deoxynivalenol (DON) have been confirmed in several states

Cargill first-quarter profit up 20 percent

Cargill reported a 20 percent increase in quarterly profit on October 7, boosted by strong results from its grain and oilseed origination and processing unit.

New animal feed market reports available

• 

  freeimages.com/Jan Kratna

  Several new reports about the animal feed industry are available.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Several new reports about the animal feed industry are available. They provide information and market outlooks on industry categories including feed additives, probiotics, enzymes, animal health and prepared animal feed.
  The reports available are:
  

  • “Feed Additives Market by Type (Antioxidants, Amino Acids, Enzymes, Vitamins, Minerals, Antibiotics, Acidifiers, Binders), Livestock (Cattle, Poultry, Swine, Aquatic Animals), & by Region - Global Trends and Forecast to 2020,” from ReportsnReports
  • "Probiotic Ingredients Market by Function (Regular, Preventative, Therapy), Application (Food& Beverage, Dietary Supplements, & Animal Feed, End Use (Human & Animal Probiotics), Ingredient (Bacteria & Yeast) and by Region - Global Trends & Forecast to 2020,” from Markets and Markets
  • "Lignin Market for Concrete Additive, Animal Feed, Dye Stuff, and Other Applications - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 – 2023,” from Research and Markets
  • “Global Industrial Enzymes Market 2015-2019,” from Fast Market Research
  •  "Global Animal Feed Additives Market Outlook (2014-2022),” from Market Research Store
  • “Global Animal Feed Enzymes Industry Report 2015” from QYResearch
  • “Global Market Study on Animal Healthcare: Feed Additives to Witness Highest Growth by 2019,” from Persistence Market Research
  • “Global Prepared Animal Feed Market to 2019 Market Size, Development, Top 10 Countries, and Forecasts,” from Acute Market Reports.com

Arcadia receives FDA approval for safflower meal

Arcadia Biosciences Inc., an agricultural technology company, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Arcadia’s application to amend relevant regulations to permit the use of seed meal from the company’s high gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) safflower seed in animal feed. The FDA concluded that the data provided by Arcadia establishes the safety and utility of this safflower meal for use in cattle and poultry feeds.
Arcadia’s GLA safflower seed is processed to produce nutritional oils with more than 40 percent GLA. These oils are marketed by Arcadia under the SONOVA brand and are used in nutritional supplement products for humans. GLA has multiple clinically demonstrated nutritional and medical benefits, including anti-inflammation, improved skin condition and healthy weight management.
Seed meals are the ground residues obtained after processing seeds to extract their oil and are common ingredients in livestock feed. This approval provides an additional market for byproducts from SONOVA GLA safflower oil production.
“The FDA’s approval of Arcadia’s safflower meal in animal feed opens up an entirely new market for us and improves the overall production economics of GLA safflower oil,” said Eric Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia Biosciences. “This approval, in addition to the recently announced Argentinian approval for Stress-Tolerant Soybeans and completion of the FDA Early Food Safety Evaluation of our Nitrogen Use Efficiency trait, demonstrates Arcadia’s strong regulatory capabilities and commitment toward creating the greatest possible value for our entire trait portfolio.”
With this most recent FDA approval, Arcadia will immediately begin marketing its safflower meal to animal feed manufacturers. The company has been marketing GLA safflower oil under its SONOVA brand since 2010.

Global Feed Life Cycle Assessment guidelines released

The Global Feed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) guidelines developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-led Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP) have been officially released.
The International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF), American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) are founding members of LEAP, which aims to improve how the environmental impacts of the livestock industry are measured and assessed. These groundbreaking global LCA Guidelines are an essential step to help reduce the impact of livestock products on the environment.
“The guidelines provide practical and science-based recommendations to assess the environmental performance of feed supply chains. They carry an international scientific consensus based on the input of 20 international experts in the drafting process and a thorough international public review which took place ahead of this official release,” said Dr. Frank Mitloehner, from the University California Davis and former chairman of LEAP.
“These guidelines represent a significant milestone for the global feed industry,” said Mario Cutait, IFIF’s chairman. “Sustainability is one of the key priorities for IFIF, and these global guidelines will enable consistent and credible environmental assessments with a view to reduce the environmental footprint of livestock products. We can now work with our partners on the agri-feed chain to develop practical tools for feed and livestock producers to assist them in further reducing the environmental footprint of their activities.”
“LEAP is an international and a multi-stakeholder process,” said AFIA’s President and CEO Joel G. Newman. “It means that the LEAP/FAO Feed LCA Guidelines reflect a common vision among partners, including the FAO, national governments, private sector organizations as well as NGOs. This adds value to these globally harmonized metrics and will help meet our customers’ expectations.”
“We took into account the main recommendations of the Product Environmental Footprint Guide published by the European Commission Common during the development of the FAO/LEAP guidelines,” said FEFAC President Ruud Tijssens. “From a European perspective, the FAO/LEAP guidelines are therefore the logical and relevant starting point to develop a standard aligned with the recommendations of the European Commission.”

FEFAC releases Feed & Food Statistical Yearbook

FEFAC has released its Feed & Food Statistical Yearbook for 2013.
The 66-page document contains information on the animal feed and animal nutrition industry, industrial compound feed production, and macroeconomic data on the agricultural production in the European Union (EU) and its disposal.
FEFAC, the European Compound Feed Manufacturers Federation, represents 24 national associations in 23 EU member states as well as associations from Norway, Turkey, Serbia, Russia and Switzerland with observer/associate member status. The European compound feed industry employs more than 110,000 persons on approximately 4,000 production sites often in rural areas, which offer few employment opportunities.


Key findings


• The value of livestock production in the EU amounts to EUR169.5 billion (US$192.2 billion) and accounts for 41 percent of the overall agricultural output by the EU-28, amounting to EUR415.5 billion in 2013.
• The compound feed industry has become capital intensive and uses a very high level of technology.
• The feedstuffs market depends on the market for livestock products.
• Compound feed production in the EU has remained stable since 1996.

BASF increases capacity for vitamin A by 25 percent

BASF has increased its production capacities for vitamin A by 25 percent. The company has expanded an existing plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, which is part of BASF’s Citral Verbund.
With this capacity extension, BASF reacted to the rising demand for its high-quality vitamin A products, as well as to the global market growth. Additional capacities are available immediately. Vitamin A is an essential and fat-soluble micronutrient. It is used by the human and animal nutrition industries in feed and food products, and also by the personal care sector. Vitamin A supports, for example, the function of the eyes, lungs and skin. It also helps to prevent growth disorders and supports skeletal development.
“With our vitamin portfolio, we are leaders in supply reliability and high quality: Our vitamin A stands out thanks to exceptional product stability and bio-availability.  This capacity increase shows our commitment to the growing vitamin A market”, said Dr. Christopher Rieker, who heads BASF’s animal nutrition business.
In animal nutrition, Vitamin A is used as a feed additive in all types of feed for livestock and companion animals. In human nutrition, vitamin A is used in supplements and to fortify foods and beverages. The BASF product portfolio includes a broad range of fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins. BASF also offers vitamins A/D3, D3, K1, B2, B5, E and choline chloride.

Alltech: Global compound feed production up 2.4 percent

Alltech's 2015 Global Feed Survey reports a 2.4 percent increase in 2014's total compound feed production over its 2013 data. 
Animal health and nutrition company Alltech announced the results of its 2015 Global Feed Survey on Friday. According to the company’s estimate, 2014’s global compound feed production rose by 2.4 percent – specifically, growing to just under 980 million metric tons in comparison to 963 million metric tons in 2013.
“This increase is in line with the increases in meat production we’ve seen over the last year,” reports Aidan Connolly, Alltech’s chief innovation officer, who presented the survey results via webinar on Friday.
Alltech’s analysis includes data gathered by its network of 600 international sales representatives – as well as numerous trade associations – to include data from 31,000 feed mills in 130 countries. The fourth edition of the annual survey aims to assess global feed tonnage and industry trends in “an area where production statistics have traditionally been difficult to quantify.”


Regional analysis
Notably, the 2015 survey cites a new player in the Top 5 feed-producing country lineup as India surpassed Spain to overtake the No. 5 slot with a 10 percent spike in feed production. 
Elsewhere in Asia Pacific, China’s production dropped by 4 percent, particularly in the poultry sector due to its struggle with avian influenza and food safety issues. However, Indonesia, Nepal, New Zealand and Vietnam experienced “significant” increases in production.
Meanwhile, Australian feed production was down by 18 percent.
Africa proved the fastest-growing region for a third consecutive year, with 9 percent growth (34.57 million metric tons in total) despite its social and economic challenges. According to Connolly, despite high ingredient costs, the continent is the only region to see increased feed production across all species. 
In North America, the United States (192.8 million metric tons) and Latin America (144.84 million metric tons) saw growth in compound feed volumes and the reported number of feed mills. 
Latin American volumes were up by 4 percent overall, making it the second-fastest-growing market.
European volumes grew by 2 percent – a change from flat or declined levels in years past. Western European (U.K. and Ireland) markets dropped while Turkey and Poland experienced the most growth. 
In the Middle East, which is dominated by large feed mills, total production was reported around 24.75 million metric tons, a 2.3 percent increase. 


Volume-by-species at a glance
A broad look at the amount of feed produced for the major species revealed flat volumes for poultry and ruminants; however, despite various market and disease challenges, pig feed volumes rose by 5.4 percent.
Of the minor species, aquaculture has stagnated; pet food saw a slight increase (4 percent); and equine feed production declined. 
Here’s a recap of Alltech’s 2014 estimates for total production volume by species:
Pig: 255.87 million metric tons
Ruminants (dairy + beef): 195.63 million metric tons
Poultry: 438.62 million metric tons
Aquaculture: 40.98 million metric tons
Pet food: 21.72 million metric tons
Equine: 11.26 million metric tons
The Alltech survey focuses on compound/complete pelleted and mash feed manufactured in feed mills and does not account for forages and on-farm mixing.
Taking a look back to compare the 2014 figures to past Alltech surveys, the 2013 survey cited global production to sit around 963 million metric tons, a one percent increase from 2012. 

Noble Foundation small grain varieties to be commercialized

Four of the Noble Foundation’s small grains varieties will be commercialized by Oklahoma Genetics Inc.: Wheat NF101, Triticale NF201, Maton II Rye (NF306) and Oat NF402.
The Noble Foundation’s small grains breeding program focuses on creating dual-purpose varieties with improved forage qualities – better fall production, the ability to recover after grazing, and better overall forage yields to benefit livestock production in the Southern Great Plains and southeastern United States.


Wheat NF101
NF101 is the first wheat variety developed at the Noble Foundation for high fall and winter yield suitable for sustainable forage production and better grain production. NF101 produced the greatest fall-winter forage yield when compared to other varieties during seven years of testing. NF101 is well adapted to southern Oklahoma, northern Texas and the southeastern United States. “It is an excellent choice for producers wanting to maximize fall forage production under rain-fed conditions,” said Mike Trammell, Noble Foundation plant breeder.


Triticale NF201
NF201 triticale is an alternative small grains forage for producers. NF201 is best adapted to the areas of southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. It is more productive on marginal lands and requires less management under stressful conditions compared to wheat, according to Trammell.


Maton II Rye (NF306)
Maton II (NF306) is intended for use in fall through winter grazing systems and builds upon the Noble Foundation’s previous release, Maton. Maton II produces more total forage when compared to the commonly grown rye varieties in southern Oklahoma, with more than half of its total yield produced during the early growing season. Maton II is suited for light-textured and sandy loam soils, and is well adapted to southern Oklahoma, northern and eastern Texas, and the southeastern United States. 


Oat NF402
NF402 is a winter-type forage oat intended for pasture and forage production. In seven years of testing, NF402 produced more total forage than most commonly grown oat varieties with nearly half of the production occurring during the fall and winter.
This oat variety was selected and released based on superior forage production, especially in the fall and winter, compared with standard oat cultivars. “The early fall-winter forage production of this oat is particularly valuable, allowing producers better flexibility for earlier grazing or increased stockpiling,” Trammell said.

AB Vista reports 20 percent revenue increase

AB Vista has announced revenue growth of more than 20 percent for the financial year ending September 15, 2014.
The results, which strengthen the company’s position at No. 3 in the global feed enzyme market, includes strong sales growth (more than 30 percent) of its Quantum Blue phytase enzyme, which continues to perform well – particularly since its launch in Europe this year.
AB Vista Managing Director Richard Cooper says the financial performance confirms that the company continues to grow faster than the market.
“We’re committed to delivering value for our customers – right across our business – so we’re proud to see the results pointing to the success of that vision. The year on year growth of AB Vista affirms what we do as a team, and in partnership with our customers around the world.”
Cooper says a key component of the results is the adoption of phytase superdosing – which has led to increased sales of Quantum Blue, notably in the Americas and a growing penetration in Asia and Europe.
“As a result of the additional value it brings, three of the top five global monogastric feed producers are now superdosing Quantum Blue; we expect the EU market to follow other regions in trending towards this approach to capitalize on the formulation cost and animal performance benefits it delivers.”
AB Vista also has invested in bringing new talent and infrastructure to its business – with 40 new hires this year and a new laboratory in Memphis, Tennessee, offering increased capacity and capabilities for its feed assay services.  The new PGPI granulation facility in Evansville, Indiana, is operating successfully to meet increasing enzyme demand, and the company also has appointed new distributors in several regions, and secured new product registrations in multiple countries.
Cooper says the business is set to continue with its growth strategy in the year ahead, while maintaining its focus on innovative research and high-quality customer care.

Feed Pelleting Reference Guide section four now available

Log in to www.wattagnet.com  to download informative PDFs from sections one through four in the Feed Pelleting Reference Guide  . 
WATT Global Media and Kansas State University now released section four, ingredient considerations, in the exclusive Feed Pelleting Reference Guide for the industry. 
This free guide covers everything you need to know about feed pelleting in a convenient, downloadable PDF format. Within the PDFs, you will find detailed explanation written by industry experts with charts, photos and diagrams to illustrate the concepts. 

The Feed Pelleting Reference Guide  is brought to you by Kansas State and WATT Global Media  . 
Section four contains four chapters: binding and other functional characteristics of ingredients; stability of vitamins in pelleting; phosphate sources in pelleting; and considerations for pelleting for aquafeed.
Users can register or log in to WATTAgNet to download topical PDF files from each of the four sections at www.wattagnet.com/feedpelleting.html. Sections one through four are now available for download. Each of the other sections will be subsequently released about six weeks apart.

New report features feed yeast market trends, forecasts to 2019

A new market research report, "Feed Yeast Market by Type (Live Yeast, Spent Yeast and Yeast Derivatives), by Livestock & by Geography - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2019" is available from MarketsandMarkets. It defines and segments the global feed yeast market with analysis and projection of the global revenue for the market. It also identifies the driving and restraining factors in the global market with analysis of trends, opportunities, burning issues, winning imperatives, and challenges.
Feed yeasts are nutritive supplements which are added in the diet of animals. They are used for various purposes such as to enhance the growth of the animals, maintain their level, and improve immune system and digestibility of feed. Thus, they are added so as to rear a healthy livestock, which are used for consumption as meat and breeding. The important feed yeasts discussed are spent yeast, live yeast, and yeast derivatives. These yeasts are supplemented with feed in varying quantities, depending on the livestock as well as the surrounding environment, and the animals' nutritive needs.
Feed yeasts are less harmful to the animals than other supplement and act as nutritive supplements; these factors drive the demand for the feed yeast market. Crucial restraints of the industry are the production cost and health issues. However, the increasing use of feed compounds and mixes is creating opportunities for feed yeast. The manufacturers are developing innovative production techniques to increase production capacity and make it cost-efficient.
The global market for feed yeast, in terms of value, is estimated to be worth $444,827.9 million in 2014 and is expected to reach $701,764.4 million by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 9.5 percent from 2014 to 2019. The global market for feed yeast in terms of consumption is estimated to be worth 439,221.2MT in 2014. It is projected to reach 592,951.5KT by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 6.2 percent from 2014 to 2019. Leading manufacturers are focusing on expansion of their feed yeast business across regions and setting up a new plant so as to increase production capacity as well as strengthen their product line.
The market is segmented and revenue is projected on the basis of main regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and rest of the world ROW. The key countries are covered and their market is forecasted for each region. The market is segmented and revenue is forecasted on the basis of type, livestock, and geography.

Danisco launches two value-add services for customers

Danisco Animal Nutrition, a business division of DuPont Industrial Biosciences, has announced the global launch of two exclusive, value-add services for customers.
The online Optimize Feed Service is an easy-to-use tool that enables customers to maximize profitability from the use of the company’s bio-efficacious phytase products - Axtra PHY and Phyzyme XP - and its Betafin natural betaine. The service uses accurate and well-researched matrix values based on animal species, diet variation, substrate levels and the age of the animal to help its customers determine the right dose of:


• Phytase to maximize uptake of phosphorus, reducing the need for costly inorganic phosphorus supplementation and balancing calcium levels. It also helps minimize the impact of phytate and other anti-nutrients on the diet using extensive global data on raw material substrates.
• Betaine to allow accurate and safe replacement of costly methionine and choline, and to support production stress, maximizing profitability.
In addition, the company’s new semi-quantitative Axtra PHY FASTkit assay quickly detects the presence of active Axtra PHY phytase in the feed, saving valuable production time.
“To determine the optimum doses of phytase enzyme and betaine, it is important that various factors, such as the species, age, substrate levels and other dietary variations, are taken into account,” said Nicholas Hewens, head of global marketing. “Using the Optimize Feed Service, our Phyzyme XP, Axtra PHY and Betafin natural betaine customers can be confident in the knowledge that their dosing calculations are backed up by reliable, worldwide trial data. The phytase FASTKit assay also speeds up the production process by quickly establishing that Axtra PHY is present and active in the feed.”

Animal feed micronutrients market worth $1,476.3 million by 2019

A new report by Markets and Markets finds that the animalfeed micronutrients market will be worth $1,476.3 million by 2019.
The report "Animal Feed Micronutrients Market by Type (Zinc, Iron, Manganese, and Copper), by Livestock (Ruminant, Poultry, Aqua, Swine, and Equine) & by Geography - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2019," defines and segments the animal micronutrients market with analysis and forecasting of the global values for the market.
The “Animal Feed Micronutrients Market” report also identifies the driving and restraining factors with an analysis of trends, opportunities, burning issues, winning imperatives, and challenges. The market is segmented and the value is forecasted on the basis of five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the rest of the world.
The animal micronutrients market includes micronutrients such as zinc, iron, magnesium, copper and others used for livestock such as ruminants, poultry, swine, equine, aqua, and others. Animals require energy, protein, minerals, vitamins, and water in the appropriate amounts to optimize lactation, growth, and reproduction. Imbalance or deficiencies may result in suboptimal performance and health of the animal. Micronutrients are the source of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins. They perform multifaceted functions in animal production and growth and also contribute in enzyme system operation.

Micronutrients expansion brings more IntelliBond trace minerals to market

Due to growing global demand for its products, Micronutrients has completed a project to triple the capacity of the manufacturing plant built in Indianapolis in 2011. The project further expands the ability of the company to manufacture its Large Particle Technology product forms (Zn, Mn and Cu) while maintaining industry-leading quality standards.
Micronutrients also has completed the expansion of its feedstock handling operations. The expansion will increase the ability of the company to receive, qualify and process high purity metal sources of the zinc, copper and manganese used in the manufacture of the company’s products. The expansion will further support Micronutrients’ 20-year commitment to strict quality assurance procedures and full compliance with its ISO Quality System, ensuring the consistent production of very high-quality products
Micronutrients’ products include IntelliBond C (copper), IntelliBond Z (zinc), IntelliBond M (manganese) and IntelliBond Vital 4, a blend for dairy cattle of copper, zinc, manganese and cobalt.
“Growing customer demand is backed by 20 years of independent research that indicates IntelliBond minerals significantly improve nutrient stability in premixes and feeds and increase bioavailability and efficacy in the animal while reducing environmental impact,” said Jeff Cohen, Micronutrients’ vice president for marketing and sales. “Our latest expansion increases our ability to meet current and future demand, while strengthening our commitment to quality.”

Report: Feed antioxidants market to grow 5 percent annually

Analysts at Research and Markets forecast the global animal feedantioxidants market to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.07 percent overthe period 2012-2016. The company reports its findings in its new "Global AnimalFeed Antioxidants Market Report."
One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increasing concern about animal health and feed safety. The global animal feed antioxidants market has also been witnessing an increasing demand for natural antioxidants. However, the impact of global warming due to livestock production could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.
The report has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with input from industry experts. The report covers the markets in the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, and the Europe-Middle East-Africa region; it also covers the global animal feed antioxidants market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.
With the increasing demand for naturally processed meat from consumers, the animal feed industry has been increasingly demanding that natural antioxidants be used in the feed. Research studies have found extracts from plants and natural compounds to be very helpful in improving the quality of meat.
It has also been found that extracts of various herbs and spices have high antioxidant capacity. For instance, some plants from the Lamiaceae species are reported to have a high antioxidant capacity. Essential oil found in the phenolic compound content of these plants is also reported to have a high antioxidant capacity.
Natural antioxidants are used in some stages of the meat production process as such antioxidants are reported to improve the shelf life of meat and improve its quality. Therefore, the increasing demand for natural antioxidants is an emerging trend that is expected to have a positive impact on the growth of the global animal feed antioxidants market.
According to the report, one of the key drivers contributing to the growth of this market is the growing concerns about animal health and safety. Factors such as the increase in the use of antibiotics in animal feed in the recent past and its consequence on meat consumers have raised concerns over the effects on human health. Owing to this reason, acceptable daily intakes of antioxidants have been established to counter the use of antibiotics.

Groups request FSMA revision regarding brewers grain

The Beer Institute and the American Malting Barley Association have filed joint comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an effort to protect the practice of brewers marketing their brewers' grain to local animal producers.
The Beer Institute has been working with members of Congress, regulators and organizations to present an economic and scientific argument that it is unnecessary for the FDA to add more regulation to brewers' spent grain and other brewing by-products.
For centuries, brewers have given or sold spent grain to local farmers and ranchers. If the draft regulations issued under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) - which gives the FDA broad new authority to regulate food - are upheld, brewers would be forced to throw away valuable feed. This is because it would be too expensive for brewers to comply with the proposed regulations. The Beer Institute estimates compliance could cost a single brewery more than $13 million in one-time and reoccurring costs.
"This regulation is onerous and expensive, but really it's just unnecessary," said Chris Thorne, Beer Institute vice president of communications. "There has never been a single reported negative incidence with spent grain. We have had very positive conversations with the FDA and other concerned stakeholders making us cautiously optimistic."
Support from National Milk Producers Federation
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) also filed comments backing the Beer Institute's stance. The NMPF says it supports efforts to implement the law, but thinks the draft regulation goes too far because it would make it harder to use brewers' grain as animal feed. The NMPF asked the FDA to revise the regulation and requested the FDA establish a new comment period for the industry and public.
"Given the very significant nature of these regulations, a second opportunity for stakeholders' comment is essential to ensure the final rule is practical, achievable and fosters the safe production and distribution of animal feed," NMPF said.
The NMPF believes the draft regulation imposes safety standards on animal feed that are too similar to those for human food.
"The innate hygienic standards of humans exceed the hygienic standards of livestock," the organization said. It asked FDA to propose manufacturing standards specific to animal feed.
The FDA issued a comment in response to the industry's concerns.
"We know there are concerns about the impact of this proposed rule on the brewing community, and we further understand that brewers who are small businesses also have questions about how the proposed rule might affect them. We anticipated some of these issues when we requested comment on the proposed rule and are already reviewing the extensive input received from brewers and others. We recognize this is an area that should be addressed and will reach out to those concerned.  When the agency proposes revised language for this rule later this summer, we will include more on this issue and welcome comments.  We are working to develop regulations that are responsive to the concerns expressed, practical for businesses, and that also help ensure that food for animals is safe and will not cause injury to animals or humans."
AFIA submits 100 pages of comments
The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) also seeks reassurance that the rule is dedicated to the animal feed industry rather than the human food industry.
"It is quite clear the majority of the proposed [current good manufacturing practices] requirements come directly from the human food rule, and it has been left up to the feed industry to prove why the requirements are unnecessary as many do not relate to animal food in the slightest," said Richard Sellers, AFIA's senior vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs. "A blatant example is where the proposed rule suggests ill employees can contaminate animal food, hence making the animal sick."
AFIA submitted more than 100 pages of comments on the proposed regulation, with 19 feed associations also signing in support.

Livestock Feeds saw 12 percent revenue growth in 2013

Livestock Feeds PLC, a Nigeria-based company that manufactures and markets animal feeds and concentrates, saw its gross revenue grow by 12.53 percent to 6.11 billion Nigerian naira (US$372,000) in 2013.
Profits after tax increased 46.25 percent to NGN211 million (US$129,000) compared with the same period a year earlier.
Livestock Feeds says its financial risk has fallen as its debt ratio shrank to 50.1 percent from 146.2 percent, while total borrowings fell by 6.48 percent to NGN870 million (US$530,000).
The company's share price has been rising by 18.73 percent in the past year to close at N3.17 (US$.019) at the end of March.

New global feed acidifiers market report available

A new report on the global feed acidifiers market estimates it was worth nearly $2.0263 billion in 2013 and is projected to reach $2.6167 billion by 2018, at a compound annual growth rate of 5.2 percent.
The report from Markets and Markets, titled "Feed Acidifiers Market by Type (Propionic Acid, Fumaric Acid, Lactic Acid, Formic Acid & Others), by Livestock (Swine, Cattle, Poultry, Aquatic Animals & Others), by Geography - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2018," defines and segments the global feed acidifiers market with analysis and projection of the global volume and revenue for feed acidifiers. It also identifies the driving and restraining factors for the global market with analysis of trends, opportunities, burning issues, winning imperatives, and challenges.
The report includes more than 77 market data tables with 21 figures spread through 168 pages and table of contents. The market is segmented and revenue is projected on the basis of regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and "Rest of the World." Key countries in each region are covered. Further, the market is segmented and the revenue is projected on the basis of types, livestock and geography.
According to the report, demand-driving factors of the feed acidifiers market are the ban on the use of antibiotics as animal growth promoters and the increasing use of acidifiers in treating animal diseases. The main restraints of the industry are the emergence of substitute products such as metabolic peptites, microflora enhancers and herbal products.

‘Grain & Meat Outlook’ webinar series offers strategies for livestock producers

Register to attend the first installment of a three-part "Grain & Meat Outlook" webinar series for 2014. This webinar is part of the 2014 WATTAgNet Webinar Series and will be presented by WATT Global Media on April 11 at 10 a.m. CDT.
Register for the webinar at www1.gotomeeting.com/register/682638592.
Webinar attendees can expect to learn:

• The most current information regarding the U.S. feed market for 2014
• Key observations regarding planting intentions and grain supply estimates for 2014
• Strategies for feed users
• Wholesale meat and poultry supply and pricing for 2014
Speakers
Tim Brusnahan, vice president of consulting, Richard A. Brock & Associates Inc.; and Dr. Tom Elam, president, FarmEcon LLC, will present estimates for the spring planting season and the impact of the projected plantings on grain supply, price and availability in 2014. The impacts of the projected harvest on the meat and poultry sectors will be forecast, including expectations for meat and poultry supply and prices for the remainder of 2014.
Richard A. Brock & Associates is a commodity trading adviser and commodity pool operator that provides commodity price forecasting, research analysis, hedging and procurement strategies for farm producers, dairy producers and end users of hedgeable and non-hedgeable commodities. Richard A. Brock & Associates serves as an adviser to many of the nation's largest farm operations, agribusiness firms, financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies. Brusnahan has been a stable influence in the sometimes volatile commodity industry. Prior to his employment with Brock Associates, Brusnahan was registered as an associated person with Gerstenberg & Co., a commodity retail brokerage firm in Chicago.
Elam has been working in the area of grain and livestock economics for more than 35 years. His professional career spans service to the University of Illinois, the Economic Research Service of USDA and Elanco Animal Health. In a 24-year career at Elanco, Elam was primarily engaged in global market research and strategic business planning. As a result of that experience, he has broad capabilities in the areas of agricultural price outlook, agricultural production, food marketing, and animal health economics. After retirement from Elanco in 2003, Elam founded his own company FarmEcon LLC.

Create a new feed revenue stream in the pet food market

Learn where the U.S. pet food market is headed in the pet specialty channel including data and insights on the global market and capitalize on this lucrative feed market at the 2014 Petfood Forum, March 31-April 2 at the Renaissance Schaumburg, Schaumburg, Illinois.
Petfood Forum offers a lineup of conference sessions that educate, inform and inspire pet food and pet treat professionals with the latest on nutrition, ingredient, processing, packaging and food safety technologies. Industry, academic and supplier experts will lead the conference with information you won't find anywhere else in the world.
Petfood Forum, and Petfood Workshop: Marketing to Today's Consumers, April 2-3, together feature more than 30 educational sessions, with industry experts providing the latest research, information and insights on pet food manufacturing and marketing.
Here are some feed Petfood Forum educational sessions you don't want to miss:
*FSMA preventive control rule for feed: the pet food industry's response
*Common dry beans as a novel ingredient in extruded diets for canine weight loss
*Plant-derived nutrients to fight aging in pets
While making plans, add Petfood Forum Asia 2014, April 9, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre to your list of must-attend shows. This conference focuses on the fast-growing Asian and global pet food markets, new product development, pet food safety and production.
Here are a few educational sessions from Petfood Forum Asia you won't want to miss:
*How does pet food processing affect nutritional benefits?
*Meat or grain for dogs - or both?
Petfood Forum Asia 2014 is co-located with Victam Asia/FIAAP Asia, one of the largest agrifeed trade shows in the world. Victam Asia is scheduled for April 8-10, 2014, at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre.