Think Grain Think Feed - March 2016

Volume 2 | Issue 5
March-2016
Price: 75/-

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Monthly Magazine for Feed Technology
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Dr. Dinesh T. Bhosale
Former Chairman, CLFMA of India
Mr. Amit Sachdev
Indian Representative, US Grain Council
Dr. P.E. Vijay Anand
US Soybean Export Council
Dr. Suhas Amrutkar
Subject Matter Specialist, Animal Nutrition,
MAFSU, Parbhani
Dr. SN Mohanty
Former Principal Scientist, CIFA
Dr. Meeta Punjabi Mehta
Agricultural Economist
Dr. Swamy Haladi
Feed Additive Expert
Dr. R Gnana Sekar
Lead Consultant, GS Dairy Farm Consulting
Dr. Suraj Amrutkar
Assistant Professor, Dept. of ILFC,
SKUAST-J, Jammu
www.thinkgrainthinkfeed.co.in
www.benisonmedia.com
Managing Editor
Dr. T.K. Walli
Former Head,
Dairy Cattle Nutrition, NDRI
EDITORIAL
he Budgetary announcement by
Union Finance Minister in
Parliamentary Budget Session
recently, indicates that the Indian
Teconomy is on a high growth
trajectory. As per the advanced estimates, the
country is expected to register a GDP growth of
7.6 per cent in FY16, as compared to 7.2 per
cent in FY15 (with the base as 2011-12), recording the highest
percentage increase in the last five years. The economic reforms
introduced by the government, a stable macroeconomic environment
and the falling commodity prices are some of the factors that have
helped India achieve strong economic growth estimates. However, to
attain sustainable economic growth, the government could focus on
improving the regulatory environment, increasing the spending on
infrastructure, promoting exports, addressing the lukewarm rural
economy, and attracting FDI and private sector investments.
India's economic performance, which came under distress in FY13,
registering about 5 per cent GDP growth, has attained a high growth
trend, owing to an improved performance in various macroeconomic
parameters as well as the several reforms announced by the
government, to provide the much-needed economic stimulus.
Improved economic growth in FY16 is due to the enhanced
performance in the manufacturing. Indian Industry as such is
expected to display better performance as compared to FY15, owing
to various initiatives launched by the Government of India, such as
'Make in India', 'Start-Up India, Stand-Up India', 'Skill India' and 'Smart
Cities', to facilitate India's growth. Manufacturing in FY16 is expected
to grow at 9.5 per cent as compared to 5.5 per cent in FY15.
However, Agriculture continues to be a major area of concern. As per
advanced estimates, the Indian agricultural sector is expected to
register a modest growth of 1.1 per cent in FY16, due to decline in
production levels of various crops and poor monsoon, recorded for
the second consecutive year. The draught situation experienced by the
country during the last couple of years has caused a very severe
impact on agricultural production and thousands of farmers have
committed suicides. Seized of this serious situation, govt during the
present budget has given a tilt in favour of agricultural sector, keeping
provisions for boosting up agricultural and animal production. We
hope that Animal Husbandry sector gets its due share, which
contributes significantly to total agricultural GDP apart from the fact
that the demand for proteins of animal origins is shooting up with
increased urbanization and affluence among the people. However,
the budgetary provisions of this sector has always fallen short of the
contribution it makes to national and agricultural GDP. Since Feed
Industry too is directly dependent upon grains and oilseed production
as its raw materials, any improvements in their yield shall have a
positive impact on feed ingredient prices and their availability for the
healthy growth of feed industry.
T. K Walli
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 2 | Issue 5 | March 2016

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
INDUSTRY THOUGHTS
MARKET PROJECTIONS
EVENT COVERAGE
PELLETING TIPS
INTERVIEW
ARTICLE
05 New protein extraction method for Animal feed from Biomass
06 An evolution in Cattle Feed Industry
10 Improved energy efficiency & pellet uniformity control
in extruded aquafeed
13 Imported corn awaits discharge at Port
16
14
20 Hydroponic Fodder to Refresh Animal Husbandry Sector
24 Importance of Physically Effective Fiber in the Ration of Dairy Cattle
29 Grain slowdown but Asia still no. 1-VICTAM Asia
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Prachi Arora |
Monthly Magazine for Feed & Feed Technology
Vollume 1 | Issue 10 | August 2015
Think Grain Think Feed is a monthly magazine published by BENISON MEDIA at its office in Karnal. Editorial policy is independent. Views expressed by authors are not
necessarily those held by the editors. The data/information provided in the magazine is sourced through various sources and the publisher considers its sources reliable
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Contents
Upcoming Events
Front Cover: farmet
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29-31
March 2016
18-20
April 2016
INNOVATIONS
Innovative Approaches for Climate Smart Livestock Practices27
Importance of Proper Hydration during Conditioning

R&D
05
eep eutectic solvents (DESs)
are mixtures of solids that
form a liquid solution at low
Dtemperatures when mixed
in suitable ratios. The method has been
tested on separating protein from
brewer's spent grain (BSG), rapeseed
press cake and wheat bran, all of which
contain significant amounts of protein.
These food industry by-products contain
significant amounts of fibre, which
decreases their suitability as feed for
production animals that are not
ruminants. Brewer's spent grain
responded best to protein separation
with DES: almost 80 per cent of the
protein in BSG could be separated, while
conventional extraction methods can
achieve no more than 40 per cent. The
separation of other substances, such as
carbohydrates, can be optimised
through the choice of DES.
This new protein enrichment method can
particularly benefit breweries and animal
feed producers.
Protein in rapeseed press cake could also
be separated to a high degree, but the
difference with traditional extraction
methods was not significant. Further
research is required with regard to wheat
bran. Separating protein from wheat
bran is known to be difficult.
VTT has tested the method with a 60-
litre pilot system. The method can be
easily scaled up to an industrial scale.
The chemicals used are cheap and
suitable for use in foods, and many are
FDA-approved.
DESs are used in metal extraction and
polishing, but today, they are also used
in the separation of biomass fractions.
Previously, there has been no research
on how well they are suited to
separating proteins from biomass.
The method in question is rather
simple: DES and solid biomass, such as
BSG, are heated and mixed in the
reactor for two hours. Finally, water is
added into the reactor and the solids
separated by filtering. DES molecules,
proteins and water are separated
through membrane filtering.
The protein is then dried, and the end
result is a high-quality protein
concentrate that could be utilised in, for
example, the feeding of pigs or poultry.
DES have nutritional value; they contain,
for example, a precursor of vitamin B
used in poultry feed.
The method may also be suitable for the
production of a protein concentrate to
be added to food, though this requires
further study. According to VTT research
scientists, animal feed is the primary
application for protein enriched with
DES.
The commercialisation of this patented
invention is currently being examined.
The research results will be published in
a scientific journal in 2016. The
development work was funded by Tekes -
the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation
and VTT.
A deep eutectic solvent incorporates two
or more substances with high melting
points into a mixture with a melting point
substantially lower than any of the
individual pure components.
A known example of this is the mixture
(molar ratio 1:2) of choline chloride (mp
302 °C) and urea (mp 133 °C), which has a
melting point of 12 °C. Deep eutectic
solvents represent a new generation of
organic solvents; research into their
possible applications only began in
recent years.
Source: 5M Publication
Imagesource:feed-a-gene.eu

INDUSTRY THOUGHTS
06
ince 2000, the technical
growth of feed industry has
contributed to transformation
Sof livestock production to
highly commercial and specialized
business. Thereby, India has shown
ample growth in milk production &
emerged as number one milk
producing country with production of
146 MMT. A major chunk of around
70% of the total production is
contributed by unorganized sector
against 30% contribution by organized
sector, where cooperative sector has
played a substantial role to lead the
growth.
Per capita consumption of milk has
increased from 276 to 450 ml. Milk
cooperatives are continually striving to
meet the milk demand for huge
population (1.31 Billion) of the country.
The three tier structure of the
cooperatives, set up by Amul Dairy,
Anand known as “Anand Pattern”
enabled the country to obliterate the
hardships of milk producers faced over
the period of 6 decades.
Dr. K. Rathnam, Amul Dairy
• Per capita milk
availability – 132 g/day
• Milk rationing and
scarcity
• Dependent on import
• High intermediation
1940s
White Revolution
• Per capita milk
availability – 290g/day
(Slightly higher than world average)
• 17% of global output
• Net exporter
• Increased share of
producers in
consumer price
20 113- 4
Cooperative dairying
countrywide milk grid – linking
producers to consumers
Cutting out middle men
Strengthening production,
procurement, infrastructure &
technology transfer
Made dairy farming India’s
largest self-sustainable rural
employment generator
Indian Dairy sector has evolved from rags to riches
• Production– 146million tonnes
• Estimatedto reach 170 milliontonnes by 2020
• Grew at CAGR of 3.7% in the las t decade*
• Milk is India’s largest agricultural commodity
Top 7 milk producing states contribute
more than 65% of milk production
- UP – 18%
- AP & Rajashtan – 9% each
- Punjab & Gujarat – 8% each
- Maharashtra – 7%
- MP – 6 %
Making the country #1 in milk production

08
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 2 | Issue 5 | March 2016INDUSTRY THOUGHTS
Animal Population
In India, the largest milch animal (in-
milk and dry) population comprising of
cows and buffaloes, has increased from
111.09 million to 118.59 million (growth
of 6.75%) and the number of animals in
milk, cows and buffaloes, has increased
from 77.04 million to 80.52 million
(growth of 4.51%) and the total number
of female cattle count is 122.9 million.
Feeding Scenario in the Country
Though India has succeeded in
attaining number one position in milk
production, traditional feeding to
milch animals needs to be replaced by
feeding of scientifically compounded
feeds to further improve milk
production and profitability.
Unfortunately, Indian feed industry is
able to fulfill only 10-15% of the total
requirement. For nutritional growth
and maintenance of quality food
standard, the fast growing Dairy
industry in the country should be
ideally complimented with a growing
feed industry. Extensive efforts are
needed to educate the farmers to
minimize cost of milk production
through ration balancing, use of TMR,
bypass proteins and bypass fats. Like
organized farms and progressive
farmers, small and marginal farmers
also need to adopt these practices for
better profitability.
Nutritional Advances
Biotechnology is proved beneficial to
livestock producers through breed
improvement like use of alkali
biotechnology to enhance digestibility
of fibrous feed and maximize the
utilization of crop residues. Use of
bypass feed technology to facilitate
fermentative digestion and inclusion
of bypass nutrients to balance
fermentative digestion is also getting
popular.
Genetic manipulation & balance of
rumen microbes is in vogue as a tool
to improve digestion of low quality
feeds.
For better nutrient availability of feeds,
feed additives like enzymes,
probiotics, single-cell proteins and
antibiotics are widely used in
production systems worldwide.
Economy
Currently, India is self-sufficient in
livestock feeds and does not depend
on imports. Instead, the country
exports solvent extracted meals. The
Indian economy growing at the rate of
6-8 percent per annum & livestock
industry is the second largest
contributor to gross domestic product
(GDP), after agriculture which
accounts to 9 percent of the total.
Considering the need of balanced feed
and its supply, the feed industry has
better opportunities and scope to
perform well in near future. India had
a considerable increase in feed
production, up to 29.4 million tons (a
10 percent increase over 2013), owing
mainly to favorable weather
conditions and consistently-improving
farming methods and technology.
Conclusion
Today the livestock industry is seen as
the principal factor to improve the
livelihood of people and bring extra
income to the family. Globally Indian
92.5
100.9 116.2
FY
'05
FY
'06
FY
'07
FY
'08
FY
'09
FY
'10
FY
'11
Milk production trends (million tonnes)
FY FY FY FY
'12 '13 '14 '15
127.9 132.4
140.0
146.0
140
106
95.91
24.35 32.88 19.27
Milk Rice Wheat Maize Oilseeds Pulses
Commodity wise production (million tonnes)
Data 2013-14
Feed Production by species
World Scenario of Feed Producton
1 China 182.69
2 USA 172.45
3 Brazil 66.15
4 Mexico 30.70
5 India 29.43
6 Spain 29.18
7 Russia 25.66
8 Japan 24.31
9 Germany 23.58
10 France 22.16
11 Canada 20.35
12 Indonesia 19.98
13 Korea 18.58
14 Thailand 16.91
15 Turkey 15.42
16 Netherlands 14.33
17 Vietnam 14.10
18 Italy 14.04
19 UK 13.49
20 Philippines 12.38
TOP 20 COUNTRY TOTALS
(In Million Tons)
Number of Feed Mills Globally
(estimate)
Total Global Tonnage
31,043 980 Mil Tons
Source: Alltech 2015 Global Feed Survey

09
China 183 856 20.2 24 41 0 18 0.4 0
USA 173 2419 210 20 55 7 11 9 6
Brazil 66 145 30 6 31 1 1 2 1
Mexico 31 55 30.2 4 11 0.3 0.2 1 0.5
Spain 29 143 40.2 2 3 0.4 0.2 0.5 0.2
00.1 9 11 0 1 0 0
Russia 26 92 0.30 4 10 0.6 0 0.5 0
Japan 24 63 50 6 4 0 0 0.3 0
Germany 24 107 00.3 2 4 0 0 0 0.3
France 22 5.33 20.4 2 3 1 0 1.1 0.3
Top Ten in-depth results
feed production stands at only 3%,
which is approximately 29.43 MMT of
total 980 MMT (2014). Among which
Cattle feed is 7.5 MMT. It is been
estimated that by 2025 the country
would require more than thrice the
quantity of feed it produces today,
including a double increase in cattle
feed. To meet the growing demand, it
is essential to identify the challenges
of the sector. As mentioned above, not
only an aggressive promotion of
educating the farmer is essential to
promote the usage of feed, but
strengthening the link between feed
industry and the farmer is equally
important. There also needs to be
formulated an approachable cost
factor for the small & marginal
farmers to avail the same to increase
the per capita consumption of protein
feed, thereby increasing and
improving quantity and quality of
milk. There has been a slow but steady
change in the feed sector of the
country with international standard
feed plants being established.
Production of safe and hygienic feed,
along with biogenetically modified is
the current and upcoming trend to
improve the quality of nutritionally
balanced compounded feed. Thus
supporting millions of farmers with
added income and benefiting over 1.3
billion population with availability of
quality and affordable milk.
“Good days are ought to come!”
Amul’s - State of the art feed plant in Kaira district
Source: Alltech 2015 Global Feed Survey

ARTICLE Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 2 | Issue 5 | March 2016
10
o substantially improve
extruder performance in
aquafeed production, in
recent years Muyang GroupTmade research efforts in different
aspects. The energy efficiency
improving technology and its
application as well as the development
on pellet uniformity control is
introduced in the present article.
With the development of extrusion
technology, one of the development
trends in aquafeed milling is that
extruder is taking the place of pellet
mill and becomes the most popular
and most efficient milling machine
because of its flexible production
adaptability, high product quality and
high sanitation assurance. However,
the obstacle impeding extruder
popularization is energy input, which
must be decreased.
As it is well known that, sufficient
energy is required to put into the
extrusion system to sustain the whole
extrusion process, from material
conditioning to kneading, shearing,
cooking, extruding, forming and finally
obtaining qualified aquafeed.
Essentially, the input energy is
normally defined into two forms: the
specific mechanical energy (SME) and
the specific thermal energy (STE).
Analyzing from the energy inputs that
required for cooking the raw recipe
components, there are three possible
ways to improve energy efficiency of
an extrusion system, i.e. to increase
production capacity while decrease
the power consumption:
(1) Improve the utilization efficiency
of SME;
(2) Improve the utilization efficiency
of STE
(3) Try to input and utilize most STE
from the relatively cheaper source
-steam to substitute some SME
input
1.1 Method to maximize SME
utilization
First of all, the approach was studied
to match the SEM input with that
required for material ripening. If lower
than that required, the input SME
could not ripen the material
sufficiently even though it would
result in higher production capacity,
vice versa. Therefore, only proper SME
input can guarantee high quality
extruded aquafeed while maximizing
production capacity.
By quantifying the abilities of each
screw segment (including conveying,
shearing and mixing abilities) and
testing the effects of different screw
combinations, the extruder research
team found out the optimal screw
configuration that can achieve proper
SEM input for a given auquafeed
production task.
Based on above mentioned studies
and a perceptual as well as rational
knowledge of extrusion technology,
Imagesource:nofima

11
Muyang extrusion team worked out a
new concept — “stabilized shearing.”
Usually, the whole extrusion process
that material undergoes, from being
fed into the extruding chamber up to
being extruded out of the die plate, is
a “hasty shearing” process
accompanied by high pressure, high
power consumption and high wearing
of working parts, and also inconstant
discharge of extruded material.
The stabilized shearing technology
brought by the group can largely
stabilize the shearing efficiency in the
whole extrusion process (see Fig.1).
The optimal screw configuration can
not only impart extrusion process
proper SME inputs but also ensure the
product gelatinization not less than
that of the “hasty shearing
technology.” It has been proven that,
when producing aquafeed with the
stabilized shearing technology, an
extruder can increase the capacity by
15% with an energy savage of 12% per
ton of feed.
1.2 Method to maximize STE
utilization
Aquafeed mash needs to be pre-
cooked in the conditioner by hot
steam before entering into the
extruder chamber for extrusion. How
to maximize the utilization of thermal
energy from a given amount of steam
to improve the gelatinization of
aquafeed mash in the conditioner has
been the focus of research team for
years.
The moisture and heat of steam is
hard to penetrate into the core of feed
mash particles and “cook” them just
by the simple physical mixing function
of a conventional conditioner,
especially for the oil-rich aquafeed
mash. That means more steam and
longer conditioning time has to be
given in order to achieve high mash
gelatinization.
Targeting the goal of improving steam
utilization and enhancing feed
gelatinization, the research team has
invented the “reinforced conditioning
technology”, which can improve the
mass and heat transfer efficiency and
uniformity of steam effectively.
Conditioner with the new technology
achieves excellent conditioning
performance. Besides, the production
capacity of an extrusion system
equipped with reinforced conditioning
technology is able to increase by 10-
15% compared to that with a common
DDC conditioner, because of the
thorough pre-cooking function in the
conditioning process. Furthermore,
the enhanced pre-cooking could bring
in more stable running of the machine
and less wear of the working parts
such as the segmented screws and
extruding chamber liner, which
alternatively is saving maintenance
cost.
1.3 Substitute SME with steam
thermal energy
As it is well known that, the same
energy in steam thermal form is far
cheaper than that in electric power
form. And the SME input to a running
extruder always comes from electric
power supply. What if some part of
the required electric power is
substituted with steam thermal
energy, the production cost of
aquafeed will be decreased
significantly.
During cooking, the amount of steam
thermal energy utilized by feed mash
is determined by conditioner pressure.
For instance, conditioned by saturated
steam, the highest conditioning
temperature that feed mash can
achieve is 100°C under 0.1MPa while
can reach 164.19°C under 0.6MPa.
Therefore, on one hand to make full
use of steam thermal energy under
ambient condition, on the other hand
to optimize the conditioning pressure
and maximize the steam energy
utilization.
The more the steam energy being
utilized by feed mash, the less the
SME required for extrusion.
The “substituting SME with steam
thermal energy” technology in the
extruders has been proven to be an
effective and economic way.
Pellet Uniformity
Good pellet uniformity and pleasing
appearance are the important and
attractive characters for high quality
aquafeed. However, the relationship
between good pellet uniformity and
high production capacity is hard to
balance, especially for the single-screw
extruder. As the production capacity
increases, the pellet uniformity
declines. Usually, good pellet
uniformity can be gained when the
extruder is running at 70~80% of its
rated load. Essentially, the non-
uniform extruded pellets are
generated by materials lacking
homogeneity in the whole feed milling
process. From grinding to mixing,
conditioning, extruding and forming,
material's lack of proper homogeneity
in any of these processes will finally
cause non-uniform extruded pellets.
Fortunately, material homogeneity in
the grinding, mixing and conditioning
hasty shearing
stabilized shearing
shearingefficiency
Fig.1 Stabilized shearing VS. hasty shearing
Feeding Discharging

Record low Zimbabwe corn crop badly affect
drought-hit South Africa
outh Africa, which is the
continent's biggest corn
producer and is suffering the
worst drought in history, maySneed to help neighboring Zimbabwe
with corn supplies as a drought cuts its
harvest to the lowest since records
started, a grain and oilseed farmers'
body said. Zimbabwe will probably
produce 200,000 metric tons, said Grain
SA, South Africa's largest representative
of corn farmers, which cited data from
South Africa's Bureau for Food and
Agricultural Policy. That would be the
smallest crop since at least 1961, when
data from the United Nations' Food and
Agriculture Organization starts.
Zimbabwe needs 1.1 million tons to 2
million tons of corn in 2016-17, Grain
SA estimated. Zimbabwe traditionally
relies on South Africa and Zambia for
corn, which is used to make a staple
food. The biggest nation in the region
last year suffered its lowest rainfall
since records began in 1904, with
Zambia stepping in to provide supplies
to countries in the area, but dry spells
have now also curbed agricultural
output in Zambia, where the 2016
harvest may drop about 30 percent to
the smallest since 2009.
South Africa may have to import 3.8
million tons of corn in the year to April
2017 as the drought cuts this year's
harvest to 7.44 million tons, the
smallest since 2007. Grain SA's import
estimate includes about 810,000 tons to
be supplied to the Southern African
Development Community countries of
Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and
Swaziland, but doesn't account for
Zimbabwe's needs because it estimated
Zambia would fulfill the requirement.
“Zambia stocks are down, which lessens
its ability to sufficiently supply regional
markets,” said Wandile Sihlobo, an
economist at Grain SA. “What all this
means is that there will be additional
pressure on the South African side.”
The broader region may have to import
as much as 10.9 million tons of grains
such as corn, wheat, and soybeans,
according to Senzeni Zokwana, South
Africa's agriculture minister.
Source: bloomberg
12
processes is easy to be controlled with
available techniques. The most
challenging task is to control feed
mash homogeneity during extruding.
Causes of non-uniform feed mash:
(1) Non-uniform shearing force- The
more difference of shearing force
brought by extruding screw stressing
on feed mash, the more non-uniform
gelatinization and the more non-
uniform pellet is achieved.
(2) Different flow rate- Flow rate of
feed mash during extruding could be
different in two zones: the screw zone
and the non-screw zone (between the
end of screw and the die plate). The
different flow rate of feed mash in the
extruder will cause different ripening
time, and different gelatinization as well
as different pellets quality accordingly.
For a normal extruder, the difference of
shearing force and that of flow rate are
related to production capacity. The
larger the actual capacity that is close to
the rated value, the bigger the difference
of shearing force and that of flow rate. In
view of above impacting factors, the
research team has developed the
“turbulent flow extruding technology”
to control pellet uniformity in aquafeed
extrusion (See Fig.2). It is applied to
well distribute the shearing force in the
screw zone and to unify the flow rate in
both the screw zone and to unify the
non-screw zone (between end of screw
and die plate) in an extruder chamber.
The turbulent flow extruding technology
can help extruder (especially the single-
screw extruder) perform outstandingly in
aquafeed production.
Source: Muyang
Nonuniform flow rate
Flow pass width
Uniform flow rate
Flow pass width
Fig.2 Non-uniform flow rate VS. uniform flow rate
INDUSTRYNEWS

MARKET PROJECTIONS
13
mported corn that arrived in
India in late February 2016 is
awaiting discharge, following the
IMethyl Bromide re-fumigation at
Kandla port. As market awaits the
receipt of the cargo, spot prices have
more or less remained stable. From last
week of February to 1st week of March,
the prices moved up slightly.
Nizamabad at Rs 14614/MT up 0.41%,
Davangere at Rs 14900/MT up 0.51%;
Karimnagar stable at Rs 14550/MT;
Sangli down 1% to Rs 14750/MT,
Gulabbagh 4.67% to Rs 16930/MT.
which indicates that the market awaits
the arrival of maize in Bihar. Future trade
from Bihar continues, contracts at Rs
14500-14750/MT being done for
April/May 2016 deliveries. There have
been some rains in some of the corn
belts, no major harm reported, but that
could delay the harvest by a few days.
The high day time temperature would
also mean early maturity. Future price
however have move up in the last two
weeks as weather related and
sentiments. March up 0.92% to Rs
14240/MT; April up 5.28% to Rs
12760/MT; May up 3.52% to Rs
12350/MT; June up 3.32% to Rs
12440/MT and July at Rs 14614/MT.
In the US however, the future prices
have been down from 2nd week of
February 2016 and for last week have
been stable. The market may have
found the bottom as of date as the
market also await the WASDE report
this week. On Corn contracts March
$130.52/MT; May $141.02 down 0.36%;
July $143.06/MT down 0.22%;
September $145.42/MT down 0.16%.
The downtrend on the CBOT has helped
the FOB prices to also soften and
currently indicated at $159 /MT (FOB US
Gulf); $168/MT (FOB PNW).
The freight rates from US to the market
has been low and the market may have
found a bottom here as well. There are
more ships in the market and this is
leading to more supply than demand.
Trade is also good, but not enough to
fulfill the supply. Benchmark US Gulf-
Japan down to $22.75/MT; PNW-Japan
down to $13.25/MT; US Gulf-China
$21/MT; PNW-China $12.25/MT;
Argentina-Brazil-China ranging.
Following the low corn prices in US,
DDGS prices on FOB basis have been
more or less stable at $183/Mt (FOB US
Gulf) and $198/MT (FOB PNW). It is a
good buy for the poultry and date
sector as a protein-energy source. CNF
price stop Vietnam at $213/MT and to
China at $210/MT. The DDGS has 27%
protein and 6% fat and can be used in
broiler and layer ration at 10% levels
and in dairy feeds at 15% levels without
any problem. Indian poultry and feed
millers continue to use high priced SBM
at Rs 34000/MT, while the world
continues to use low prices protein
meals to feed the livestock. Imported
Sunflower meal is all coming to India
and priced at a max of Rs 21000/MT (all
costs paid) for a 35% protein. DDGS
could be one of the cheapest sources of
protein with an added advance of
energy, which also will need to be
valued. Just as corn, the duty on import
of protein meals will need to be ZERO
to make it feasible.
Source: Techproindia
Imagesource:dredgingtoday

14
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 2 | Issue 5 | March 2016PELLETING TIPS
While we all accept, understand and
agree that steam is the only thing that
contributes to all three elements -
temperature (sensible heat), heat (latent
energy or heat), and moisture required
to condition the mash meal before
going for pelleting. Requirement of
these three elements vary according to
local ingredients, meal temperature,
and meal moisture including other
environmental factors.
In some parts of the world (mostly
temperate regions) or at a particular
time of the year, meal moisture gets
quite high so we need to focus more on
temperature and heat from the steam.
While in other places, meal temperature
gets too high and ingredients are so
dried up (in tropical regions) that we
require more moisture by pulling in low
temperature high saturated steam to
manage extra conditioning time and
before reaching setting conditioning
temperature fast. In some conditions,
both temperature and moisture of the
ingredients is so low that we require all
three elements-temperature, heat and
Dr Naveen Kumar, Delst Asia
moisture of steam to condition the
meal properly. It is not desirable to
have a single operating setting
parameter for running the pellet mill, as
all the three elements mentioned above
are closely related to each other for the
successful pelleting operation.
Hence, it is of utmost importance to
work with the correct steam type that
provides a fine balance of these three
elements, as per the requirement of
meal ingredients and the mill operator
should be trained to work dynamically.
In case, steam is not able to contribute
enough moisture in dried-up
conditions to properly condition the
starch rich diets as required for feed
manufacturing, we may add moisture
through water in the mixer. It is
necessary to provide sufficient moisture
as enough hydration is the key in starch
cooking and properly conditioning the
mash meal before it enters the pellet
press.
So, the primary objectives of proper
meal hydration during conditioning are
to:
• Ensure uniform moistening of
feed particles – Adding sufficient
water in mixer or sufficient steam in
conditioner, helps to moisten the
feed particles uniformly which if
offered sufficient time (inside the
conditioner), helps this water to
penetrate inside the feed particles
with enough agitation in the form
of paddle rotation which also
depends on the particle size (at this
point of time, we have to
remember while it is very easy to
transfer temperature and heat from
the steam to the feed particles, it is
the moisture which is the most
difficult to get transferred and that
is the reason that we always
advocate for a long time
conditioner with minimum 40-60
seconds of conditioning time).
• Initiate the cooking process – the
cooking reaction is primarily a
function of temperature and time,
in the presence of sufficient water.
If any of the element is missing,
feed will not get properly

15
conditioned to produce desirable
quality of pellets. Enough
conditioning with right quantity of
moisture in the mash meal in
conditioner also helps the starch
gelatinization process to get
completed in the die.
Note that in this discussion, cooking,
conditioning or starch gelatinization are
being used as interchangeable generic
terms to describe the various material
transformations, which occur during the
feed processing to form pellets or
crumbles.
Benefits of Proper Hydration:
Achieving required hydration softens
particles and reduces die wearing. As
water is part of the cooking reaction,
uniform hydration also enhances degree
of starch gelatinization that means more
leaching of amylose to bind other feed
particles. Gelatinization enhances the
ability of starch to absorb large
quantities of water and this may lead to
improved digestibility and improved
feed conversion efficiency (a starch
granule can hold up to 300% moisture
than its weight).
By achieving required degree of cooking,
digestibility of the pellet is improved.
Gelatinization increases the speed of
enzymes (amylases) to break down the
starch linkages, thus, converting it to
simpler and more soluble carbohydrates
as higher gelatinized starch or feed gets
faster digested and assimilated in the
bird's body. A high degree of cooking
also means that binding and pellet
durability can be achieved with less
starch (with protein binding also
contributing to the protein quality). If
cooking is initiated in the conditioner,
less cooking needs to be done in the die
chamber, which may result in improved
throughput. But also, in a conditioner,
the cooking is achieved under relatively
low shear conditions (low mechanical
energy) compared to cooking in the
extruder barrel – so reduced water
solubility and higher water absorption
in the product also enhance pellet
durability after it is wet.

INTERVIEW
16
Ottevanger Milling Engineers is one of the
leading feed mill suppliers in the world.
The company specializes in design and
manufacturing of equipment and
installations in the feed industry, and
carried out a large number of projects
worldwide: equipment and installations for
mixed feeds, premixes, additives, fish feed,
pet food, and other cereal related
processes.
Mr. Paul Eijmberts, Area Sales Manager
Asia & Pacific, shares about the company's
profile, the challenges in the Indian market.
Could you tell our readers about Ottevanger Milling
Engineers?
What are the new projects that are expected to be
pursued by Ottevanger Milling Engineers in near
future? Especially, in the feed section, which of these
three areas viz. Poultry, Cattle, Aqua feeds is going to
be the main thrust area of your activity.
Could you please share the factors that makes
Ottevanger Milling Engineers different from other
national and international players in the market?
Ottevanger Milling Engineers is a family-owned,
Netherlands-based company, founded in 1909. For more
than a century Ottevanger Milling Engineers is a major
player in the global feed milling industry. Over these years
a large number of countries and customers have been
provided with dedicated and proven solutions for feed
production.
Ottevanger's solutions can be found in all sectors of the
animal feed industry and also cover fish feed and petfood
processes. Furthermore Ottevanger builds premix plants,
oil seed and cereal processing plants and biomass process
plants.
Majority of the plants in Asia are related with processing
of poultry feeds (mash, pelleted/crumbled), but there is a
significant trend for fish feed production, for either
floating and sinking fish feeds.
Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for heat
treatment processes for sanitizing purposes.
Through constant innovation and with changing market
needs in mind, Ottevanger is constantly improving
Equipment and Services. Recently the High Efficiency Line
(HE Line) has been launched, which covers the new
generation Pelletmill, Rollermill and Crumbler. This line has
brought to the market improvements in terms of capacity,
reduced motor power, dust-arm design, as well as easy and
ergonomic maintenance.
Besides conventional feedmills, Ottevanger also has a
unique modular concept; the Containerized Feedmill. This
Containerized Feedmill is developed in the early 70's and
since then many references build worldwide. The
Containerized Feedmills are still growing in popularity and
are supplied for a range of applications, bringing versatility
to the market.
Containerized Feedmills can be supplied in the range of 1
ton per hour up-to 45 ton per hour. According to the
defined scope of processes, the proper equipment is
installed in 20-foot container frames, which can be handled
as separate modules. The container frame, being used for
shipment, is also the steel structure for the machine tower.
The modules can be stacked and connected together,
creating the planned process line of the feedmill. Depending
on the capacity, finally the machine towers seldom exceed
10 meters in height.
Benefits to customers may include :
! Machine tower has limited height, and can be build
inside lightweight warehouse building (no wind loads).
! As the container frame is used for shipment and being
part of the steel structure of the machine tower, the
savings on steel and shipment cost are significant.
! In combination with the low weight loads of the
machine tower, the costs on building and civil works are
limited.
Please throw some light on concept of Containerized
Feedmill.

17
! As such plants can be erected in a
short timeframe; require less
installation personnel and tools,
and for a shorter period of time.
! Having a small floor print, this
compact feedmill still has enough
space for maintenance activities.
! The modular concept also allows
easy expansion on later date. The
ease of attaching an additional
pelleting line or other processes
on the existing Containerized
Feedmill, prevents you from huge
(re-)investments on equipment
and on building.
A number of Containerized Feedmills
have been provided in several Asian
countries, performing to satisfaction of
customers and meeting processing
requirements. Some of the latest
customers opting for Containerized
Feedmills are in Thailand and Malaysia.
In India, Containerized plants are
installed for producing a range of Fish
Feeds.
Paul started working in the feed
industry in 2007, and is within
Ottevanger Milling Engineers, since
2012 responsible for the Asian &
Who is Paul Eijmberts (Area Sales
Manager Asia & Pacific) and how
does he see the market ?

18
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 2 | Issue 5 | March 2016ARTICLE
Pacific region. Visiting the Asian and
Pacific countries is large part of his job,
and Paul can be found on the major
trade shows in the region. For customer
meetings and participating in selected
trade shows, Paul travels frequently also
in India. He is involved in development
programs and has constant interaction
with supporting companies, embassies
and local representations, with one
goal: bringing feed production
(standards) to higher levels to
accommodate the local feed
production.
Paul: “It is important to listen carefully
to customers, and to understand their
needs, demands and plans. With proper
understanding of these plans,
customers can be guided in defining a
solution that suits for the next decades,
and not only for the next years. I feel
pleased that pragmatics and flexibility
within Ottevanger Milling Engineers, is
key in serving customers with durable
solutions. Many of such tailor-made
solutions found their way in the
different areas of the feed sector”.
“Besides offering complete projects or
single machines/equipment,
Ottevanger Milling Engineers has a
unique feedmill concept: the Modular,
Containerised Feedmill. This flexible
feedmill design is already available
from small capacities and opens doors
for small feedmillers to high quality
equipment standards”.
Please share some of learning about
Indian Feed Industry. What are the
challenges and opportunities for
Ottevanger in the Indian market ?
The Indian feed market is maturing,
with growing awareness of the positive
impact of compound feed on animal
products. Contribution of balanced
compound feeds on higher farm output
(milk, meat, eggs) and increased safety
of these products, but also on animal
health (less diseases), has been
recognized. The Indian Feed industry is
looking for the best possible solution,
but is also a price-sensitive market.
Limited by budgets, customers find it
challenging finding appropriate
processing solutions. The unique
Ottevanger Containerized Feedmills
concept, is a great opportunity to
overcome this challenge. It is
challenging to build understanding that
the overall investment of a new
feedmill, is more than equipment only.
Containerized Feedmills come with
multiple cost reductions in the overall
investment, without sacrificing on plant
performance and durability, and
making European standards affordable.
It is positive to find several
Governmental programs boosting the
Agricultural sector in India, in order to
create better access to protein sources.
Also the Dutch Embassy in Delhi plays
an active key role in part of these
programs, we feel always supported in
a professional way.
The first Containerized Feedmills
already found their way in India, and for
sure more will follow.
Would you give some tips to the feed
millers on maintenance of feed mills?
Maintenance is an important part of
running the feed mill, and must be part
of the daily schedule. Every system
requires more or less maintenance.
Maintenance can and should be
planned, to have the best machine
performance and durability. Without
maintenance any machine finally will
stop at an undesired time, causing
unwanted downtime and costs.
Besides the machine choice on price,
properties and performance, also the
serviceability topic should be balanced.
Well-designed equipment also meets
this aspect, which will limit your
maintenance activities and costs in the
upcoming years.
With our design, dedicated machine
parts absorb the wear factor, and are
simply exchangeable and cost efficient.
For more details, customers may
contact at india@ottevanger.com or
mkp@ottevanger.com
Telangana's first cattle feed production plant was inaugurated in February at Gadwal. Construction started in mid-2013,
with the feed plant being completed at an estimated total cost of Rs 8-10 crore. The new feed plant has a production
capacity of 100 tonnes per day, a large increase from the 10 tonne a day plant that had been in operation.
The new feed mill will produce more than enough feed to satisfy local demand, so the feed mill is also set to supply
feed to neighboring states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. The feed plant manager, Satyanarayana
Yadav, said that the new modern plant had been built in addition to the existing conventional feed mixing plant. The feed
produced at this plant is distributed in Khammam, Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda, Warangal, Medak and Nizamabad districts in
Telangana and Chittoor and Anantapur districts in Andhra Pradesh. Feed is produced by mixing 12 types of ingredients to
help enhance production of milk in cattle. The feed is sold under the brand name of Vijaya Feed.
Source: Feedmachinery
Telangana's first cattle feed plant opens
INDUSTRYNEWS

19
China may suffer a shortage of canola
meal, a protein-rich feed ingredient,
after Beijing plans to toughen the
import standards for the oilseed from
major exporters, industry analysts said.
China will allow no more than one
percent of foreign material in canola
shipments starting April 1, the country's
quarantine agency said last month. The
higher standard may be costly for
Canadian exporters, resulting in the
country taking a more cautious
approach to selling canola to China.
The rule also affects Australian canola,
but Canada is by far China's largest
supplier of the oilseed, known also as
rapeseed. Industry participants have
speculated that the higher standard is
part of a plan to reduce China's large
canola oil stockpiles by reducing seed
imports rather than because of
concerns about the transmission of the
blackleg fungus.
Expectations of low canola oilseed
Import rules to toughen in China
imports coupled with a big drop in the
domestic harvest means China may
have to increase imports of canola meal
this year to meet the needs of the fish-
farming sector, the analyst said.
“There will be a shortage of canola
meal at home. Feed mills may have to
increase imports whenever prices are
favourable,” said an industry analyst.
Chinese feed mills consume about 11
million tonnes of canola meal a year
and soymeal has already replaced the
use of canola meal to a large extent
since 2015. The replacement would
continue this year and that would cap
the growth of imports, the analysts
said. But for fish farming, canola meal
cannot be replaced fully, he added.
“But imports would not return to the
2011 level, though there could be a
short-term spike during the peak
consuming season” from May to
August, said Xu Aixia, an analyst with
Everbright Futures Co. Ltd.
China imported a record 1.38 million
tonnes of canola meal in 2011 after
Beijing limited canola imports from
Canada due to fungal disease in 2009.
Beijing has been selling its sizable state
rapeseed oil reserves, equivalent to
about one year of consumption.
China was the biggest importer of
Canadian canola during the 2014/15
crop year, buying 4.1 million tonnes,
according to Statistics Canada data.
Source: Reuters
INDUSTRY NEWS

20
ARTICLE
Dr. Suraj Amrutkar*, Dr. Suhas Amrutkar** and Bharti Deshmukh***
Introduction
Hydroponics means the technique of
growing plants without soil or solid
growing medium, but using water or
nutrient rich solution only for a short
duration. Typical hydroponic systems
are produced under artificial conditions
(i.e. green house or lighted systems in a
closed box) with regular watering,
producing a crop within 6-7 days. This
amount of time is sufficient to sprout
seeds such a barley, wheat, and
sunflower, or legumes like peas, to
produce a 4-8 inch growth of green
shoots. With hay and grain prices
reaching record highs, unpredictable
weather patterns, damaging pasture
lands, farmers across the country are in
need of a dependable and affordable
feed for livestock. Growing fodder
hydroponically is more efficient than
any other means of producing feed for
livestock. There is renewed interest in
hydroponic fodder systems for dairy,
livestock or poultry operations. The
idea of putting one kilogram of seed
into a hydroponic system to produce 10
times its weight in fodder is appealing.
However, the actual dry matter weight
of the original grain to the fodder
produced may or may not increase.
Hydroponic Fodder System Analyses
In analyzing hydroponic fodder, the first
step was to analyze the dry matter
exchange in sprouting the seed. A
simple experiment was conducted.
Barley seed in the amount of 5.5
kilogram when put into each tray
around 88% dry matter (DM), yielded
55 kilogram of fodder when harvested
at 12% DM or 6.6 kilogram of DM. This
equated to a 36% DM increase. Other
samples have shown more than 10%
DM losses. Feed analysis shows the
barley fodder protein increases 2%-4%
from the barley grain seed as a percent
of dry matter. Total digestible nutrients
(TDN) as a percent of dry matter can
decrease 10% from the barley grain.
Thus, it is important to evaluate this
DM exchange that occurs as total dry
matter weight changes of protein and
TDN. This may yield much different
results than only looking at percent dry
matter changes.
Hydroponics grown up by Maize
Hydroponic green fodder is grown up
by maize. Soaking time of only 4 hours
is sufficient for maize seed. Soaked
seed produced from 1.25 kg un-soaked
maize seed is loaded in a 90 x 32 cm
tray. Hydroponic green fodders look
like a mat consisting of roots, seeds and
plants. About 3.5 kg and 5.5 kg
hydroponic green fodders were
produced from each kg of yellow maize
(CT-818) and white maize (CM-4),
respectively. Production cost of
hydroponic green fodder from white
maize was lower than yellow maize. In
comparison to conventional green
fodder, hydroponics green fodders
contained more crude proteins (13.6 vs.
10.7 %) and less crude fibre (14.1 vs.
25.9%). Intake of hydroponic green
fodders by dairy animals was upto 24
kg/animal/day. As green fodders is an
integral part of dairy ration. Progressive
modern dairy farmers with elite dairy
herd or in situations where fodders
cannot be grown successfully, one can
produce hydroponic green fodder for
feeding dairy animals.

21
Effect on milk production
On daily feeding of 10 kg hydroponic
fodder maize per cow, farmer can save
1.0 kg concentrate mixture per cow
with further enhancement of 1.0 litre
milk per cow per day. The young calves
fed with 1-2 kg hydroponic fodder
gained higher body weight (350 gm vs.
200gm) with better skin coat.
Benefits to Livestock
Hydroponics Fodder is a more natural
feed and is comparable to the forages
the digestive systems of livestock and
horses were designed to process. Due
to its increased digestibility and the
availability of nutrients, there is a wide
range of benefits to feeding fodder
over grains and concentrates. Not only
shall the animals be healthier and have
a better quality of life, they shall also be
more productive and profitable.
Benefits to all animals include:
! Faster weaning and less stress on
mothers and young stock
! Less manure due to increased
digestibility of fodder
! Boosted immune system
! Increased longevity and lifespan
! Earlier heat cycles
! Improved fertility
! Stimulated appetite during heat
stress
! Better behavior and temperament
Advantage of hydroponic fodder
production
! Minimal labour
! Higher green fodder yield grown
in a limited area
! Control over feed quality
! Less manure to handle
! Lower operating costs
! Less feed wastage
! Reduced feed storage cost
! Minimized veterinary/ treatment
costs
Correction for dry matter is very
important
1 kg of seeds will make 6 kg of fodder.
All animal rations consider feeds
primarily as dry matter (DM) equivalent,
since water is provided separately and
all of the other nutrients required by
the animals to live, grow and lactate are
in the dry matter (DM) portion. Thus, a
feed with 90% water (such as sprouted
grain) has considerably less feed value
than something with only 5% water
(such as the grain itself). So, in the
example above, if 1 kg of seed is 95%
DM and the resulting fodder is 10%
DM, then 0.95 kg of seed (1kg at 95%
DM) produces about 0.9-1.2 kg of dry
weight fodder (9-12 kg of total fodder
at 10% DM) which is no net DM gain at
all, in fact, it is a loss of DM.
However, this is just a back of the
envelop calculation. Let's try testing the
concept using real data from real
sprouted fodder.
Why do seedlings lose dry matter in
6-7 days of growth?
Seed utilizes the starch stored in the
seed during the first week or so of
growth before photosynthesis and root
uptake of minerals kick into cause
dramatic increases in growth. So, its not
surprising that the total dry weight of
the plant (i.e. seed, root, shoot)
decreases during that time, rather than
increasing, because the plant is using
up stored carbohydrates from the seed.
Later, plant is quite capable of
producing its own food from sunlight
and CO and begins to gain weight2
rapidly. So, the hydroponic systems are
likely to lead to a net loss in dry matter
and carbon upto about 10-14 days of
growth.
Disadvantage
The hydroponic concept may be
appealing at first look, but it generally
does not hold up to scrutiny after
careful though. The main problem is
that it exhibits a net loss in terms of dry
matter yield of 24-30% after 6 to 7 days
of growth. The dry matter yields of
hydroponic systems are actually
negative, compared with the initial seed
input. Additionally, there is likely to be a
loss in feeding value of sprouted grain
compared with raw gain, on dry weight
basis. This result makes sense when
considering that the seed must utilize
stored carbohydrates in order to drive
growth of the seedling. The costs per
kg or ton produced are likely to be
significantly higher per unit hay
equivalent (or feed grain equivalent).
Although, hydroponic forage has great
appeal to those who wish to be more
self-sufficient in feed supply, the yield,
quality and costs of this system appears
not to be favorable.
Can hydroponic fodder production
be profitable?
If you have animals, you have a choice
whether to
! Graze, pasture or grow your own
hay or silage
! Purchase hay or other forages
! Grow the feed hydroponically
So the economics of production appear
to be quite questionable. Additionally,
one should consider that one is losing
D.M. each week in a hydroponic system
compared with feeding barley grain
directly.
Where hydroponic fodder may fit?
Although the economics, the yield
and the quality of hydroponic sprouted
grain forage are not highly favorable,
the concept has a great appeal to those
who wish to be more self-sufficient in
feed. It may fit for those producers who
do not have local sources for hay or
forage or simply want to be more self-
sufficient. For small animal producers
Dry Matter Exchange Analysis
Type Dry matter % Whole sample Total Dry matter
on whole sample
Conclusion
Grain seed 95 1 kg 95 It means loss of dry matter
after soaking
Sprouted grain 10 6 kg 60

22
ImageSource:GrainSaver
(rabbits etc.) this may offer a ready
source of palatable feed. Hydroponic
sprouted grain may also be an
appealing feed which varies in the diet
for animals fed only hay and grains.
Hydroponic fodder growing system
It is well accepted fact that feeding
dairy animals is incomplete without
including green fodder in their diet.
Green fodders are staple feed for dairy
animals. Dairy animals producing upto
12-15 liters milk per day can be
maintained by feeding green fodders.
Inclusion of green fodders in ration of
dairy animals decreases amount of
concentrate feeding and thus increases
profit. Therefore, for economical and
sustainable dairy farming, fodder
production round the year is highly
essential. As an alternative to
conventional method of green fodder
produce hydroponic technology is
coming up to grow fodder for farm
animals. In a simple way, a hydroponic
fodder system usually consists of a
framework of shelves on which plastic
trays are stacked. After soaking
overnight, a layer of seeds is spread
over the base of the trays. During the
growing period, the seeds are kept
moist, but not saturated. They are
supplied with moisture usually via
spray irrigation. Holes in the trays
facilitate drainage of excess water. The
seeds will usually sprout within 8-12
hrs after soaking in 7 days has
produced a 8-10 inch high grass mat.
Hydroponic fodder is much more
easily digestible, full of nutrients and
enzymes that the energy spent on this
digestion process would be less with
the resultant extra energy being
diverted to milk production and
growth.
Hydroponic fodder: can it refresh
dairy sector
Hydroponic fodder promises to be
the way to redeem dairy farmers
faced with scarcity for quality cattle
feed, especially for dairy farmers in
urban area who do not have enough
land to cultivate the required
quantity of green fodder. Such
farmers are dependent mostly on
packaged cattle feed. Of course,
hydroponic fodder cannot substitute
green fodder and hay completely, as
it lacks fibre content. But, it is
definitely a better substitute for
packaged feed. The urban dairy
farmers in India are worried about
the ever increasing price of cattle
feed, and the lack of availability of
green fodder. Shrinking land size in
the state ensures lack of availability
of green fodder and hay in sufficient
quantities. The spiraling cost of
packaged cattle feed add to the cost
of dairy farming. Hydroponic fodder
provides an effective solution for
both problems. Hydroponic fodder is
more nutritious than the
conventional green fodder and
cheaper and safer than the
commercially available packaged
feed. The fodder production unit may
use green house. The green house
has tiered racks, each racks has row
of perforated trays for soaked seeds.
Pipes fitted with micro fogger above
each tray ensures proper
maintenance of required humidity
and water fogging of the seed trays
in the green house. Tube lights
provide optimal light requirement
inside the green house. The sensor
control unit regulates inputs of water
and light automatically. Seeds like
maize, barley and sorghum are used
to grow fodder. The unit requires
electricity round the clock. The seeds
are sown in a batch of 12 trays on a
daily basis. The water and soluble
nutrients are sprayed at regular
intervals. Within six days, the plants
reach the height of 22cm, they are
then peeled off from the trays, and
the fodder is ready to feed the cattle.
Some farmers claim an increase of
milk production and in terms of
quality, there is an increase of 0.3% in
fat and 0.5% SNF, fetching better
prices for the formers. In nutshell,
fodder produced through
hydroponics system is definitely of
better quality, compared to normal
grown fodder, but because of
operating system, the cost goes up.
However, it is still cheaper than
concentrate feed and the animal gets
the satisfaction of consuming fodder.
Conclusion
A noval fodder technique i.e. advanced
hydroponic system for growing green
fodder indoors is designed to
overcome green fodder shortage,
especially in areas, where limited land
is available for fodder cultivation. It
has very low water use. This system
recovers and recirculates water for a
98% water reduction. This system
allows growing mold free sprouted
fodder. It has lowest labour
requirement. The unique construction
of system, allows for easy collection of
mature fodder resulting in lower
labour costs. Fodder system must
operate in a damp environment.
However, hydroponic sprouts may still
have good application in organic,
intensive, small-scale livestock with
high value outputs or in areas with
extremely high land or alternative feed
prices.
Hydroponics can have application in
organic dairies needing to feed very
high forage levels year round that can
produce their own seed for reasonable
costs. Due to changes in the nutritive
characteristics of the fodder (less
starch, more sugars, vitamins and
lysine) monogastrics such as people,
horses, swine and poultry may have
more benefit. Research data on dairy
cows is limited to determine
definitively whether or not the feeding
characteristics of the fodder changes
production or body condition enough
to warrant the additional cost. With a
cost 3 to 5 times that of the original
barley grain or other readily available
feed sources, increased animal
performance of that magnitude is
highly unlikely, but more research
seems necessary.
* Assistant professor, Poultry Science, F.V.Sc.
& A.H., SKUAST-J, Jammu.
** Subject Matter Specialist, Animal
Nutrition, MAFSU, Parbhani, Maharashtra.
*** Assistant Professor, AGB, KCVAS,
Amritsar.

The Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences
University (KVASU) has been selected as
one of the institutions to get Worldwide
Universities Sustainability Fund to
strengthen and accelerate the
development of major initiatives under
sustainable agriculture.
The project titled 'Global farm platform —
towards sustainable ruminant production'
has been accepted under the Worldwide
Universities Network (WUN) sustainability
fund. KVASU is the only institution
selected from the country and it would
get nearly £5.7 million under the project
initially, said Dr. T.P. Sethumadhavan,
Project Coordinator and Director of
Entrepreneurship, KVASU.
Besides KVASU, other universities such as
University of Alberta (Canada), University
KVASU -only Indian Institution to get Worldwide
Universities Sustainability Fund
of Leeds (UK), University of Sydney,
University of Western Australia (Australia),
Zhejiang University (China), Kansas State
University, Penn State University, University
of Wisconsin (USA) and Bahir Dar
University (Ethiopia) have been selected
for the project.
KVASU has been identified for the project
towards dairy stabiliser for the tropics and
feed intake. A significant proportion of
grazing animals utilise feed resources
poorly so they fail to meet market
specifications and thus reduce profitability.
These unproductive animals have a
disproportionate environmental impact
because they have low productivity, he
said.
The key aim of the project is to
standardise protocols for collection of
individual feed intake records on young,
growing cattle and on grass land
production systems.
The project includes international
workshops at Malawi, Alberta and India in
the areas of advanced ruminant feed
intake, genetics and ruminant methane
emissions. WUN sustainability grant will
be essential to maintain functionality of
network and envisages genetic
improvement in dairy cattle for tropics.
The project will recognise and emphasise
the role of women in livestock rearing and
smallholder livelihoods. “At a time when
women self help groups are actively
involved in dairying, this project assumes
more significance for Kerala,” said Dr.
Sethumadhavan.
Source: The Hindu
Ethiopia is taking the leading position in its
livestock resource potential compared to
other African countries. However, due to
various reasons, the nation has not yet
exploited from this untapped economic
potential for years.
Learning from past experiences, it seems
that things are improving. Following the
drought, both the government and pastoral
community are working together to reverse
the situation by devising various
mechanisms. Among others, developing
fodder bank is one.
A fodder bank is a bank that deposits
livestock feed and provide to pastorals.
Communal grazing usually comprises poor
quality grasses which are burnt-out during
the dry season. Fodder banks can provide
high-quality feed during the dry season,
and are gaining acceptance among settled
pastorals in the sub-humid zone.
Animal and Fish Husbandry Directorate
Director- Tadesse Sorri said, "The fodder
bank serves a great deal when there is
shortage of feed, especially when the
drought is extended. It can be green or
dried and accumulated in shades to use it
Fodder Banks to provide quality feed to Secure
Livestock Resources in Ethiopia
in case of emergency. It also has satellite
areas to transfer fodder from the area
where it was developed to pastoral
community." In some African countries, a
well managed fodder bank of about four
hectares can provide protein supplements
for 15 to 20 cattle during the dry season.
Growing forage legumes also increases
yield of subsequent crops. The ability of
forage legumes to benefit both crops and
livestock will be increasingly important in
areas where population pressure is
increasing. These days, this mechanism has
been being implemented not only in states
that are affected by the drought but also
other states that are not facing this
challenge. Presently, the government has
been working aggressively to reverse the
drought both in Afar and Somali states. Dr.
Mohammed Ibrahim- animal work process
head, Somali State livestock and pastoral
bureau said, "Together with the federal
ministry, the state has been providing
emergency assistance to areas highly
affected by the drought. Every effort has
been made to protect the livestock. We are
making efforts to control the drought
before affecting beyond 50 per cent.
Besides developing fodder banks, the state
together with the government is now
buying and transporting fodder in to the
drought affected areas." Currently, in
drought affected areas, the government
has been taking various measures to
protect livestock. Realizing the root cause of
the problem at drought affected areas,
various water wells has been dug and gone
operational. On the other hand, on
emergency basis the government has been
providing molasses and various type of
fodder to areas exposed to the drought. In
the emergency basis, besides the provision
of fodder, the government has been
supplying various types of drugs,
vaccination and other medical equipment
to control disease that may occur as a result
of crowding. Besides this, the government
has bought over 35 million cattle from
pastorals to keep them at ranches and
return to the community after the drought.
Developing a fodder bank assisted by
irrigation water is not new for Ethiopia. It is
also common in other parts of the world.
Source: allafrica
23
INDUSTRY NEWSThink Grain Think Feed - Volume 2 | Issue 5 | March 2016

24
ARTICLE
Dietary fiber is a key component of
dairy cattle ration. Decreased milk fat
percentage, reduced feed conversion
ratio and hoof health problems are
often related with the low fiber content
in the animal diet. The effectiveness of
the fiber in the ration depends on the
type, quality, particle size as well as the
amount of forage and non-forage
fibrous sources being fed to the animal.
Adequate length of the fiber is
necessary in dairy cattle ration to
maintain proper rumen function
because long forage particles in the
diet promote chewing and salivary
secretion, thus maintaining the rumen
pH. The physical effectiveness of
dietary particles can affect feed intake,
digestive efficiency, milk production
and composition as well as and health
of the dairy animals cattle. The concept
of physically effective fiber (peNDF) was
introduced to relate the physical
characteristics of feeds to rumen pH by
assessing the effects of feed particle
size on chewing activity. The term
peNDF combines the physical
effectiveness factor (pef) of the feed
with its neutral detergent fiber (NDF)
content and can be used in diet
formulation to ensure adequate particle
size.
Importance of fiber animal ration
Long forage particles in the diet
promote chewing and salivary secretion
which facilitates the buffering of acids
resulting from feed digestion. In
addition, it creates a floating mat
(dense, floating layer located just under
the gas in the top portion of the rumen
containing the more recently consumed
feed to be available for microbial
population for fermentation) in the
rumen stimulating contractions of the
rumen. In absence of fiber in the diet
rumen becomes stagnant pool and
removal of VFA via absorption and fluid
passage from the rumen declines
thereby increasing the risk of ruminal
acidosis. Thus, particle length of
forages and the amount of fiber in the
diet can have a significant impact on
ruminal pH through the provision of
salivary buffers. Inclusion of fibrous diet
slows the rate of feed digestion in the
rumen as fiber is more slowly digested
than starch and sugar. It is established
that more VFA are produced after
concentrate feeding as compared with
forage which causes the depressions in
ruminal pH. Therefore, addition of
forages to the diet not only increase
the rumination time but also balances
the VFA production. This may also shift
the site of starch digestion from the
rumen to the intestine which reduces
the potential risk of ruminal acidosis.
Fiber and Non-Fiber Carbohydrates
The reduced level of effective fibre
decrease animal performance by
lowering chewing activity, leading to
less salivary buffer secretion. This may
cause reduced ruminal pH and results
in altered ruminal fermentation
patterns with low ratios of acetate to
propionate (A: P) that ultimately result
in modified animal metabolism and
reduced milk fat synthesis. Nonfibrous
Deepika Tripathi, Srobana Sarkar, Ravi Prakash Pal and Veena Mani
National Dairy Research Institute

25
carbohydrates (NFC) or nonstructural
(NSC) carbohydrates, rapidly
fermenting carbohydrates, are used to
replace fibre in low fibre rations. Unlike
other nutrients where requirements are
provided in grams per animal per day
for specific body weight and milk
production level, fiber requirements are
considered as minimum amount for
maintaining normal rumen
environment and preventing various
metabolic disorders such as ruminal
acidosis, abomasal displacement and
milk fat depression. NRC (2001)
guidelines for minimum NDF from
forage, minimum total diet NDF, and
maximum diet NFC are presented in the
Table 1.
Diets with less than 19% NDF from
forage should contain high-fiber by-
products by replacing grains to increase
total diet NDF and reduce diet non-
fibrous carbohydrate (NFC). NDF is a
measure of cellulose, hemicellulose,
and lignin fractions of feeds. NDF is
more highly correlated with feed
volume and chewing activity than ADF
or CF. Although the NDF in high fibrous
by-products is not as effective as NDF
from forages to maintain normal milk
fat percentage, it is effective in high
concentrate or low forage diets, as it
aids in meeting the total diet NDF and
NFC recommendations. Fiber
percentage in the dairy cattle ration
should not be less than 15% NDF as it
would result into the milk fat
depression. On DM basis the NDF
concentration for the diet containing
42% or 35% forage would be 19% and
16% NDF respectively.
peNDF
Physically effective NDF is the fraction
of fiber that stimulates chewing and
contributes to the floating mat of large
particles in the rumen. It divides the
rumen contents into floating mat of
large particles on a pool of liquid and
small particles). Earlier the term
effective NDF (eNDF) was used to
determine the total ability of a feed to
replace forage in a diet and maintain
milk fat percentage. The terms eNDF
and peNDF are often used
interchangeably though effective NDF
(eNDF) is the overall effectiveness of
NDF for maintaining milk fat content
and physically-effective NDF (peNDF) is
the specific effectiveness of NDF for
stimulating chewing activity in relation
to particle size of the forage or feed.
Recommended level of peNDF to
maintain ruminal pH at 6 would be 22%
and for maintaining milk fat percentage
of 3.4% is 20%. The peNDF (% of DM)
of feeds is determined by multiplying
NDF concentration by the proportion of
particles retained on a 1.18-mm sieve
or peNDF effectiveness factor.
Percentages of particles retained on a
1.18-mm sieve for some feed
components are soybean hulls, brewer
grains, corn silage, legume silage-
coarse chop, whole cotton seed,
legume hay, and grass hay is 3%, 18%,
81%, 82%, 90%, 92% and 98%
respectively. But the analysis of
individual feed and fodders for the
proportion of particles retained on a
1.18-mm sieve is a limiting factor for
application of this system in the field. It
could be overcome by standardizing
the particle size at feed manufacturing
organizations such as CLFMA. The
actual amounts fed should be
determined by formulating diets based
on the requirements and limits for
nutrients, such as CP, RUP, RDP, NDF,
NFC, fat and P, especially when multiple
high-fiber by-products are used in the
same diet. The peNDF will always be
less that NDF, whereas eNDF can be
less than or greater than the NDF
concentration in a feed.
Need for physically effective fiber??
Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) is the
most common method to estimate
fiber in the animal feed. The
requirement for long coarse fiber in the
form of forage has long been
recognized in cattle. The deficiency of
fiber in the diet results in the syndrome
like failure of rumination, difficulty in
eructation causing tympany or bloat,
reduction in food consumption in cattle
and depraved appetite. The concept of
physically effective NDF (peNDF) is to
estimate the NDF portion of the diet
that stimulates chewing activity and
possibly the growth and functioning of
the rumen microbes. peNDF would
accurately predict the cow's chewing
response to forage/feed particle
size.The adequate amount of physically
effective fibre in high producing dairy
cattle is important for maintaining
normal rumen functions, decreasing the
risk of metabolic disorders and
avoiding suppression of fibre digestion,
feed intake, milk production as well as
alterations in milk composition. On the
other hand, feeding excessive amounts
of physically effective fibre decreases
feed intake and lowers the feed
efficiency due to reduced microbial
protein synthesis. Thus, it is essential to
find out an optimum amount of dietary
fibre that is required to decrease the
risk of ruminal disorders without
impairing production performances in
dairy animals. The particle size of the
forage is also a critical factor to
determine normal rumen fermentation
characteristics. Increasing forage
particle size generally results in
increased rumination time per unit of
dry matter consumed and affect the
nature of feeding behavior. In normal
feeding patterns a consistent supply of
nutrients to the rumen leads to a
constant environment for bacterial
Minimum NDF from
Forage (%)
Minimum NDF in
Diet (%)
Maximum NFC in
Diet (%)
19 25 44
18 27 42
17 29 40
16 31 38
15 33 36
Table 1: Guideline for NDF

In February, Brazil recorded corn
exports of 5.37 million tons. According
to data from the Ministry of
Development, Industry and Foreign
Trade, this is almost five times higher
than exports for February 2015, which
stood at 1.10 million tons. These
exports produced revenue of $892.2
million, compared with $206.4 million in
February last year.
According to Lucilio Alves, a professor
and grain researcher in Brazil, this
phenomenon can be explained by a
combination of a bumper harvest,
favorable Brazilian exchange rate, and
attractive prices. “We are seeing
domestic corn prices 30% higher than
those in Argentinian and American
markets, and so producers are taking
advantage of this opportunity,” he
stated.
Although Brazil's prices for corn have
been high for some months, Alves
explained that they do not represent an
absolute record. “The price curve is
rising and current corn prices are the
highest we've seen in nominal terms.
But taking inflation into account, the
price is only higher than that of
Brazil corn exports are boosting
December 2012,” he explained.
Forecasts for 2016
February exports are up 20.6% on
January volumes, which were 4.45
million tons. Cumulating volumes for
2016, Brazilian corn exports are at 9.83
million tons.
Corn exports are set to shrink in the
coming months, giving way to soybean
shipments. As soybeans are harvested,
producers start planting the second
crop, which includes corn, cotton, rice,
and beans. An increase in the acres
planted to corn for the second crop,
plus a good harvest, is expected,
boosting exports again during the
second half of the year.
According to Flávio Antunes, consultant
at INTL FCStone, Brazil may achieve
record highs for corn exports. “The
main factor driving exports is the
exchange rate. Last year, the U.S. dollar
was worth R$2.80 (Brazilian real). Now
the dollar is worth R$4. For us, it's
beneficial to export, and it's also good
for buyers,” he says.
He believes the U.S. is forecasting an
increase in the acres planted and a rise
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 2 | Issue 5 | March 2016Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 2 | Issue 5 | March 2016
26
growth. Alternatively, rapid or selective
ingestion may result in large diurnal
variations in acid production and
ruminal pH. The average dairy cattle
spends maximum of about 14 h/d in
chewing and ruminating depending
upon the diet. The peNDF content of
the diet can be increased either by:
increasing the NDF content i.e.,
including more forage or byproduct
feeds or by increasing the chop length
of forages for low fiber diets. This
increases the chewing activity resulting
in the increase of rate of flow of saliva,
thus providing the buffering capacity
which may adequately buffer the
digestion of the feeds. Fiber digestion
may be impeded and milk fat levels
may become depressed when rumen
pH levels fall below 6.0. Rumen pH is a
function of lactic acid and VFA
production. The diets with longer
particle size and greater amounts of
effective fiber stimulate saliva
production. The intake of particles
greater than 19.0-mm was found to be
negatively correlated with the amount
of time rumen pH remains below 5.8.
Several methods to measure peNDF
have been proposed with each at
differing stages of development and
validation. The modified Penn State
Particle Separator (PSPS) is a widely
used tool to quantitatively estimate
forage and total mixed ration (TMR)
particle size. Until more research is
available on peNDF systems, the most
practical method to evaluate the
effective fiber level in dairy cattle diets
is to ensure that level of NDF in ration
and forage and TMR particle size are
within recommended ranges.
Conclusion
The physically effective fiber aims at
balancing diets to promote healthy
rumen functions in dairy cattle reducing
the risk of acidosis and improving feed
conversion efficiency. Other factors
such as maintaining the optimum
ruminal pH, during the fermentation of
diet (mainly starch content and grain
processing) and feeding management
practices need to be considered in
addition to physically effective fiber to
prevent ruminal acidosis. A greater
proportion of forages can be included
in the diet without lowering its
digestible energy content. With the aim
of maintaining normal ruminal
functions, fiber digestion and for
preventing milk fat depression
syndrome and metabolic disorders in
high producing dairy cattle, diets can
be formulated or evaluated for
chemical fiber and effective fiber
(minimum) and non-fibrous
carbohydrate (maximum).
in production of corn, which may
balance demand. “When the corn from
the U.S. reaches the market, we may see
a switch. Rather than seeking Brazilian
corn, buyers may prefer American corn,”
he said.
Nevertheless, according to Antunes,
corn prices in the Brazil market will
remain at a high level. “We have very
low stocks, and the poultry and pig
sectors need corn for animal feed. If we
export less, there will be more corn for
poultry and pigs. Demand will remain
high for Brazil,” he adds. Brazil corn
stocks, which stood at around 10
million tons last year, are set to shrink
to 6.5 million tons this harvest.
Source: Agriculture
Image source: bloomberg
INDUSTRYNEWS

Innovative Approaches for Climate Smart
Livestock Practices
limate smart and sustainable
agricultural practices have
been widely discussed at the
Ccountry level. We have also
initiated steps towards enhancing
farmer knowledge about climate smart
agricultural practices. However the
discussion for livestock is relatively
limited as yet, though livestock is a
strong contributor to climate change.
With this article we plan to initiate a
discussion on climate smart livestock
practices based on innovate best
practices from across the globe. To lay
the grounds for the discussion, we first
present an overview of the livestock
and climate change issues. The current
article is reproduced from a report by
UNFAO linking livestock and climate
change .
Climate change is transforming the
planet's ecosystems and threatening
the well-being of current and future
generations. To “hold the increase in
global temperature below 2 degrees
Celsius” and avoid dangerous climate
change, deep cuts in global emissions
are urgently required.
The global livestock sector contributes
a significant share to anthropogenic
GHG emissions. With emissions
estimated at 7.1 gigatonnes CO2-eq
per annum, representing 14.5 percent
of human-induced GHG emissions, the
livestock sector plays an important role
in climate change. Beef and cattle milk
production account for the majority of
emissions, respectively contributing 41
and 20 percent of the sector's
emissions. While pig meat and poultry
meat and eggs contribute respectively
9 percent and 8 percent to the sector's
emissions. The strong projected growth
of this production will result in higher
emission shares and volumes over time.
Technologies and practices that help
reduce emissions exist but are not
widely used. Their adoption and use by
the bulk of the world's producers can
result in significant reductions in
emissions. A 30 percent reduction of
GHG emissions would be possible, for
example, if producers in a given system,
region and climate adopted the
technologies and practice currently
used by the 10 percent of producers
with the lowest emission intensity.
There is a direct link between GHG
emission intensities and the efficiency
with which producers use natural
resources. For livestock production
systems, nitrous oxide (N2O), methane
(CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions, the three main GHG emitted
by the sector, are losses of nitrogen (N),
energy and organic matter that
undermine efficiency and productivity.
Possible interventions to reduce
emissions are thus, to a large extent,
based on technologies and practices
that improve production efficiency at
animal and herd levels. They include
the use of better quality feed and feed
balancing to lower enteric and manure
emissions. Improved breeding and
animal health help to shrink the herd
overhead (i.e. unproductive part of the
herd) and related emissions.
Manure management practices that
ensure the recovery and recycling of
nutrients and energy contained in
manure and improvements in energy
use efficiency along supply chains can
further contribute to mitigation.
Sourcing low emission intensity inputs
(feed and energy in particular) is a
further option.
Most mitigation interventions can
provide both environmental and
economic benefits. Practices and
technologies that reduce emissions can
often simultaneously increase
productivity, thereby contributing to
food security and economic
development. Concerted and collective
action from all sector stakeholders is
urgently required to ensure that
existing and promising mitigation
strategies are implemented. The need
to reduce the sector's emissions and its
environmental footprint has indeed
become ever more pressing in view of
its continuing expansion to ensure food
security and feed a growing, richer and
more urbanized world population.
Reproduced from “Tackling Climate Change from
Livestock: A Global Assessment of Emissions and
Mitigation Opportunities, published by UNFAO,
Rome, 2013.
Dr. Meeta Punjabi Mehta & Dr. Ankaj Sharma, Creative Agri Solutions
INNOVATIONSThink Grain Think Feed - Volume 2 | Issue 5 | March 2016
27

Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 2 | Issue 5 | March 2016CALENDAR OF EVENTS
28
2016
To list any industry event related to Grain & Feed industry please write us at
editor@benisonmedia.com
Ildex Vietnam
Date: 23-25 March 2016
Venue: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Email: ildex@vnuexhibitionsap.com
Web: www.ildex.com
FIAAP / VICTAM Asia 2016
Date: 29-31 March 2016
Venue: Bangkok, Thailand
Email: patriciaheimgartner@victam.com
Web: www.victam.com
MARCH
120th IAOM International Association of
Operative Millers Annual Conference & Expo
Date: 4-8 April 2016
Venue: Antalya, Turkey
Email: info@iaom.info
Web: www.iaom.info/annualmeeting
GFFC
Date: 18-20 April 2016
Venue: Antalya, Turkey
Email: info@gffc2016.com
Web: www.gffc2016.com
APRIL
PIX / AMC 2016 - Australian Milling Conference
Date: 29-31 May 2016
Venue: Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre,
QLD, Australia
Email: contact@sfmca.com.au
Web: www.sfmca.com.au/events/516
MAY
Vietstock
Date: 19-21 October 2016
Venue: Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC,
HCMC
Email: vietstock@ubm.com
Web: www.vietstock.org
OCTOBER
Oilseed and Grain Trade Summit
Date: 14-16 November 2016
Venue: Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Email: ogts-info@highquestgroup.com
Web: www.oilseedandgrain.com
EuroTier
Date: 15-18 November 2016
Venue: Hanover, Germany
Email: expo@dlg.org
Web: www.eurotier.com
NOVEMBER
VIV China
Date: 6-8 September 2016
Venue: Shunyi District Beijing, China
Email: wang.yunyun@vip.163.com
Web: www.vivchina.nl
SEPTEMBER
2nd International Conference on Livestock
Nutrition
Date: 21-22 July 2016
Venue: Brisbane, Australia
Email: livestocknutrition@conferenceseries.net
Web: www.livestocknutrition.conferenceseries.com
JULY
Indo Livestock 2016 Expo & Forum
Date: 27-29 July 2016
Venue: Jakarta Convention Center - Indonesia
Email: info@indolivestock.com
Web: www.indolivestock.com

The year 2016 has begun with a
sluggish outlook for global grain
markets. According to the USDA,
falling rice and corn production are
expected for 2015/16. Wheat and
coarse grains production are also
down, with trade in wheat and flour
remaining mostly unchanged year on
year. The International Grains Council
estimates a 2% slump in world grain
production this year.
Across the world, a slowdown in the
Chinese economy is having a knock-on
effect on global demand and markets.
In the EU, depressed livestock markets
will see a contraction in compound
feed production this year, predicts the
European Feed Manufacturers'
Federation (FEFAC). The Middle East
has also not been spared, with
depressed oil prices and political
challenges impacting demand
appetites in the region.
In the face of such a dull start to the
year, Asia remains the world's No.1
region for pig, layer, broiler and aqua
feed, representing 35% of world feed
production. Annual feed production
growth averages at 4%, with many of
the region's governments increasing
their focus on feed and food safety.
From staple food crop, to
alternative energy and feed
ingredients
The staple Asian crop, rice saw prices
beginning to firm up towards the end
of 2015 with supply outlook remaining
tight into 2016. Rice trade is expected
at 42 million tonnes this year, fuelled
mainly by Asian demand. Thailand is
seen to overtake India as lead
exporter with 10 million tonnes of
export for the first time since 2011.
Commodity price volatilities and new
approaches to feed formulation have
led to soaring demand for DDGS in
Southeast Asia over the past decade.
DDGS use in aquafeed has increased
over the years at inclusion rates of 5-
7% on average for the region's top
aquaculture producers – Indonesia,
Thailand and Vietnam. Opportunities
to increase DDGS inclusion rates could
be increased further, at 10% in
aquafeeds.
As countries move up the income
ladder, so do their demands for food
and energy. Southeast Asia has
tremendous biomass potential with
abundant natural resources and no
lack of raw materials such as rice
husks, residues and wastes from sugar
mills for bagasse, palm oil kernel,
forestry products, and other
byproducts from the agro-processing
industry.
It is estimated that the region has 38
million tonnes of rice husks which can
be used as fuel for heat and energy, in
addition to ample wood wastes from
various non-industrial plantations.
Thailand, Indonesia and the
Philippines generate about 34 million
tonnes of bagasse annually. Given the
region's abundant resources and energy
needs, the opportunities for biomass
pelletizing technologies are plentiful.
The unique three-in-one
FIAAP/VICTAM/GRAPAS concept
addresses the distinct yet highly
complementary sectors from animal
feed ingredients and nutrition, to the
grain and milling sectors. ,
respectively. The GRAPAS Asia
Conference on 29 March will profile
rice and flour milling and grain
processing and the 2nd ASEAN Feed
and Rice Symposium will be hosted by
Victam International on 30 March.
Also on 30 March are Petfood Forum
Asia and GMP + Feed Safety
conferences. Nutritionists and feed
formulators can look forward to the
opening day with the FIAAP Animal
Nutrition Conference and Aquafeed
Horizons Asia on 29 March while the
Biomass Conference will round up the
three-day expo on 31 March. For more
information on FIAAP/ VICTAM/
GRAPAS Asia 2016, visit
www.victam.com
Get up to date at VICTAM Asia 2016
Grain slowdown but
Asia still no. 1
EVENT COVERAGE
29

Think Grain Think Feed - March 2016

Think Grain Think Feed - March 2016

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Think Grain Think Feed - March 2016