feed industry

The U.S. in recent years has seen some of the worst hatchability numbers since the late 1980s. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture in January 2024 reported average hatchability at 79.6%. There are many factors in play, in the barn and the hatchery, that can impact hatchability. Some blame poor fertility and embryo mortality, while others consider more management-related issues. Regardless, the cause of this phenomenon is unclear.

Until a firm cause is discovered and addressed, what can producers do to support hatchability and better ensure those chicks make it onto dinner plates? 

Joining Feedstuffs in Focus host Sarah Muirhead is NOVUS executive manager and poultry technology lead Hugo Romero-Sanchez, a poultry expert with a comprehensive understanding of the physiological, nutritional, environmental, and economic variables that affect broiler and layer performance. Dr. Romero presented a TECHTalk on the topic of hatchability during the 2024 International Production and Processing Expo this week. 

To learn how NOVUS is using intelligent nutrition to help poultry producers do more, visit www.novusint.com

The International Production & Processing Expo, also known as IPPE, is held annually in Atlanta, Ga. This year’s event is set for Jan. 30-Feb. 1 and will offer the largest trade show floor space ever and more than 80 hours of dynamic education sessions focused on current industry issues. 

Joining  Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead in this episode of Feedstuffs in Focus to talk about IPPE and everything it has to offer this year’s attendees is Sarah Novak, chief operating officer of the American Feed Industry Assn.  AFIA is one of the hosting organizations of IPPE.

This episode is brought to you by the International Production & Processing Expo, a collaboration of three shows representing the entire chain of protein production and processing. Make your plans today to join the feed, meat and poultry industry in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2024. To learn more at ippexpo.org. 

Recent changes to animal food regulations and how such changes could affect the animal food industry in 2024 are among those topics on the minds of today’s animal food facility managers and operation/mill personnel. The big question being, of course, is how these latest regulatory requirements might impact business and the feed industry overall. 

With us in this episode of Feedstuffs in Focus to talk about the feed education component of the upcoming International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) and what’s on the industry’s radar when it comes to regulation and enforcement is Gary Huddleston, Director of Feed Manufacturing and Regulatory Affairs for the American Feed Industry Assn. Among other things, Huddleston is involved in pulling together the Feed Education Program held each year during IPPE in Atlanta. He also is coordinator of AFIA and Feedstuffs Feed Facility of the Year annual awards program. Adding to the excitement, this year's winner in the commercial dry category will be announced during the feed education session on Wednesday morning of IPPE.

This episode is brought to you by International Production & Processing Expo, a collaboration of three shows representing the entire chain of protein production and processing. Make your plans today to join the feed, meat and poultry industry in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2024. To learn more at ippexpo.org. 

For more information, on this and other topics, we invite you to visit our websites - www.beefmagazine.com, www.Feedstuffs.com,  and www.NationalHogFarmer.com. 
 

What are the pressing issues for the animal feed and pet food industries as 2023 wraps up and we move into 2024. 

Rachael Dettmann Spiegel, a food lawyer with Faegre Drinker in Minneapolis, shares her insight on what to expect. To date, she says there has been an increase inspections and enforcement on the part of the Food & Drug Administration in this post-COVID era. In particular, she says, the agency is looking at companies from more of a complete perspective, making visits to all manufacturing facilities rather than picking and choosing just a few to visits. She also addresses the importance of having contracts in place with suppliers, having a safety culture throughout the team and making sure product recall preparations are in place.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting the website at UnitedANH.com

For more information, on this and other topics, we invite you to visit our websites - www.beefmagazine.com, www.Feedstuffs.com,  and www.NationalHogFarmer.com. 

The National Oilseed Processors Association and the United Soybean Board recently unveiled a new study examining the value of the American soybean industry. 

The study, “The Economic Impact of the U.S. Soybeans & End Products on the U.S. Economy,” found that the total economic impact of the US economy from the soybean sector is around $124 billion annually. Breaking that down, it comes to $85.7 billion from soy production and $9.8 billion from the processing side of the soy industry.

During the recent Farm Progress Show we caught up with Mac Marshall, Vice President of Market Intelligence with the United Soybean Board, to get more details on the recently completed study of the soybean industry to the overall economy and to get an update on exports and the food vs fuel debate. What might all the extra soybean meal mean for those of us in the US livestock industry.  

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting the website at UnitedANH.com

For more information, on this and other topics, we invite you to visit our websites - www.Feedstuffs.com,  and www.NationalHogFarmer.com. While you are there be sure to check out our digital editions and our new Feedstuffs 365 platform.

What might this fall harvest season have in store when it comes to the markets and market prices? Where might the cost of diesel and propane be as growers fire up those combines and grain driers? What about the market for various feed ingredients? Is it advisable to stock up now or hold off a bit on those purchases? 

The markets for beef cattle and hogs look to be making some adjustments as well. What might those look like as we head into the end of the year? 

Lots of questions and to find out more we caught up with Andrew McCarty and Domenic Varricchio, co-founders of Pluto Commodities, during this week’s Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois. 

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting the website at UnitedANH.com

For more information, on this and other topics, we invite you to visit our websites - www.Feedstuffs.com, www.BeefMagazine.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com. While you are there be sure to check out our digital editions and our new Feedstuffs 365 platform.

Pet owners will soon find updated packaging and labels when shopping for pet food and specialty pet food products. This is because the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has approved new suggested labeling guidelines. Guidelines that will ensure consistency and transparency and allow consumers to more easily make more informed buying decisions for their pets.

Passage of the revised Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food sets a new standard for pet food manufacturers and distributors and is the result of feed regulatory professionals across the United States and Canada working cooperatively with consumers and professionals within the pet food industry on a strategic course to ensure pet food labels provide a more comprehensive view of the product.

Joining us in the episode with all the details is Austin Therrell, Executive Director of AAFCO.  We talk about what the new guidelines will mean for pet owners and feed manufacturers. We also talk about what's ahead in terms of adoption of the new guidelines at the state level and, for that matter, what may be the best approach to the regulation of pet foods and animal food. 

For more information, on this and other topics, we invite you to visit our websites - www.Feedstuffs.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com. While you are there be sure to check out our digital editions and our new Feedstuffs 365 platform.
 

During World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa, NOVUS International, a global feed additive company, revealed its comprehensive rebranding initiative. The changes reflect the more than 30-year-old company’s promise to deliver more to its customers and its commitment to providing solutions created through advanced technology, based on global scientific research that goes further to offer unexpected benefits to customers. 

“Intelligent nutrition is how we support animal health and performance,” says NOVUS SVP and Chief Commercial Officer Ed Galo in this week’s Feedstuffs in Focus podcast and press release. “Our novel combination of experienced people, insightful perspective, and smarter solutions allows us to put more into everything we create. Because we want to deliver more benefits that deliver more for producers. That’s intelligent nutrition.” 

As Galo explains, Made of More™, the company’s new slogan, represents the focus of all its future endeavors.  

NOVUS liquid and dry methionine solutions utilize the HMTBa molecule, which is a precursor to L-methionine. Because of this unique molecule, ALIMET® feed supplement, MHA® feed supplement and MFP® feed supplement are nitrogen-free and have properties of an organic acid benefiting overall gut health. Liquid ALIMET® feed supplement requires virtually no handling thanks to the company’s automated inventory system for customers (AIMS). HMTBa is also the backbone for MINTREX® bis-chelated trace minerals, highly bioavailable and absorbable organic zinc, copper, and manganese that allow producers to use lower inclusion of minerals in the ration while seeing the same or improved performance and growth. MINTREX® is also a source of methionine through HMTBa. ACTIVATE® nutritional feed acid is made from a blend of organic acids and HMTBa shown to reduce the survivability of certain pathogens in feed. 

Just as NOVUS works to do more for its customers, it’s also working to offer more to the industry. Galo says new products – created in-house, through partnerships, or via mergers and acquisitions – are on the horizon. 

“Innovation remains our core priority. As experts in the global food system, we can see where the animal protein industry is heading and this vision directs how we can help meet regional goals from performance and environmental sustainability to return on investment,” he says. “We are driven to create new ideas and technologies that improve the health of animals and animal protein production.”

For more information on intelligent nutrition and how NOVUS is made of more, visit http://novusint.com/MADE-OF-MORE. 

There is a new day on the National Day Calendar. April 21 is now National Rendering Day. It’s recognition the rendering industry sought as a way to educate the public on the efforts and accomplishments of renderers as well as a way to spread the word about the positive environmental impact of rendering. 

The date of April 21 was specifically chosen to fall on the day before Earth Day (April 22) in order to represent the sustainable nature of the rendering industry and its contributions to food waste reduction and environmental protection.

In this episode, we turn to Anna Wilkinson, Vice President of Communications, and Kent Swisher, President and CEO, of the North American Renderers Association (NARA), to find out more and to learn about the inaugural National Rendering Day and how it came to be.

“Rendering companies and their employees are longstanding members of their communities, improving the quality of life by volunteering and supporting local charities, providing jobs, and offering essential recycling services for farmers, restaurants and food service,” Swisher said. “Rendering upcycles by-products that would otherwise be wasted and is the purest example of the circular economy. The observance of National Rendering Day is a great way to educate the public on the efforts and strides of renderers and the positive environmental impacts of rendering.”

For more information on NARA and the rendering industry in general, follow NARA's podcast, "The Invisible Industry."

Video version
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVVglav_bmR0Ks3jBrz-PA

NARA website: https://nara.org/media/nara-podcast-the-invisible-industry/

Audio
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4h5ntK5tW0AMPvZcrw7Fz6

For more information, on this and other topics, we invite you to visit our websites - www.Feedstuffs.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com. While you are there be sure to check out our digital editions and our new Feedstuffs 365 platform.

What might spring bring in terms of the export and shipping situations? What about Canadian Pacific Railway’s acquisition of Kansas City Southern Railway? What's the latest on the Mississippi River situation? Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, joins today us with an update.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting the website at UnitedANH.com

For more information, on this and other topics, including additional coverage from the AASV meeting, we invite you to visit our websites - www.Feedstuffs.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com. While you are there be sure to check out our digital editions and our new Feedstuffs 365 platform.
 

A gap exists today in production yields seen across the Southeast Asia region as compared to the global average. This industry challenge must be addressed to meet the region’s nutrition needs. Cargill is one company focused on the innovation, investment and infrastructure needed to modernize the industry and serve diverse customer needs. 

With its long heritage of more than 75 years in the APAC region, Cargill views this market as one of the most critical long-term growth opportunities and is committed to advancing productivity gains and sustainability. In the last four years alone, Cargill’s animal health & nutrition business has grown by double and even triple digits in key countries across the region. 

In this episode of Feedstuffs in Focus, we talk with Adriano Marcon, Cargill’s president and group leader for global animal nutrition, for an inside look at Cargill’s growth plans for the APAC region, and how these fit in with the company’s larger global strategy around animal health and nutrition. 

For more information, on this and other topics, we invite you to visit our website. While you are there be sure to check out our digital editions and our new Feedstuffs 365 platform.

For the past 12 years, Alltech has taken a look at the global feed industry on an annual basis. The latest snapshot was released last week as part of the 2023 Agri-Food Outlook.

Overall, the numbers show world feed production remained steady in 2022 with a slight decrease of 0.42% to 1.266 billion metric tons. 

Feed production increased in several regions, including Latin America (1.6%), North America (0.88%) and Oceania (0.32%), while Europe decreased by 4.67%, Africa by 3.86% and the Asia-Pacific region also dropped 0.51%.

Globally, increases in feed tonnage were reported in the aquaculture, broiler, layer and pet food sectors, while decreases were reported in the beef, dairy and pig sectors.

Although it experienced a narrow reduction in feed production, China remains the largest feed-producing country in the world, followed by the United States and Brazil, according to the survey.

Joining us today is to provide his insight on the current global situation related to agriculture and to provide his perspective on 2023 Agri-Food Outlook is Alltech CEO and President Dr. Mark Lyons. Dr. Lyons also shares an update on this year’s ONE Conference which will be taking on a more global approach. 

This episode of Feedstuffs in Focus is sponsored by Alltech, where the focus is on working together for a planet of plenty.  To learn more about the One Conference visit https://one.alltech.com.

African swine fever can be devastating to a hog operation but what about to a feed manufacturing facility. Research is being conducted at Kansas State University to evaluate the feed safety risk related to the feed manufacturing process and what can be done to mitigate that risk. Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple as relying on the heat of the pellet mill to kill the virus and/or removal of dust from the facility. And when it comes to chemical mitigation formaldehyde is an effective treatment but this important tool is currently under attack by the EPA.

To walk us thru the work being done related to ASF and feed manufacturing is Kansas State University’s Dr. Chad Paulk. We caught up with him during the IPPE convention in Atlanta.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

 

Congress intervened this week in an effort to avert an economy-crippling rail strike. What does the labor conflict mean for agriculture, and the feed industry in general? And what does the situation tell us about vulnerabilities to the U.S. logistics infrastructure system?

Late Thursday, the Senate approved a resolution to implement a tentative agreement brokered by the Biden administration with rail labor unions and management. The House approved the measure on Nov. 30, and it now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature.

A few hours prior to the Senate’s vote, Feedstuffs spoke with Max Fisher, chief economist at the National Grain and Feed Association, about what the possibility of a strike meant for the feed industry and the broader agriculture industry. He explained the situation, how the parties arrived at a place requiring the federal government to get involved, and the long-term prospectus for labor relations in the rail space.

More broadly, Fisher discussed the current state of the commodity logistics chain, from challenges facing our inland waterways, a lingering lack of truck drivers, and now the vulnerabilities facing the rail system.

A few hours after our conversation with Fisher, the Senate approved a measure to implement a tentative agreement to avert the strike, which NFGA, the American Feed Industry Association, the Soy Transportation Coalition, and other relevant industry groups hailed as an important step in averting a national crisis. 

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Agricultural research at land-grant universities is an important part of the story of the success of U.S. agriculture of the past century. One university researcher working on mitigating the livestock industry’s role in climate change came under attack this week for the sin of… working with the livestock industry?

This week the New York Times and the environmental activist group Greenpeace targeted the CLEAR Center at the University of California-Davis, and the efforts of the Center and its founder to reduce the footprint of animal agriculture by calling to question the Center’s source of funding and its close ties to animal agriculture groups. 

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Director of the Center and a University of California-Davis faculty member, joined us Thursday on the Feedstuffs 365 livestream channel to share his thoughts on why it's important that animal agriculture works together to address the issue of sustainability, and to respond to the attacks on his credibility.

Watch the full interview with Dr. Mitloehner at Feedstuffs 365; he discusses sources of funding in agricultural research and what the attacks on his work say about the broader effort of activist groups to put animal agriculture out of business. You can also read more of our coverage of the impacts of climate change on the livestock industry in the pages of Feedstuffs. You can find our latest issue and past editions by visiting Feedstuffs.com and clicking on “Digital Editions.”

Protein prices have increased rapidly in the past 24 months, amid the broader press of inflation. With inflation at its highest rate in more than 40 years, the question becomes how long beef, pork and poultry prices can remain at such elevated levels before demand erodes significantly.

David Williams is senior vice president of procurement and management at CTI Foods, based in Texas. In this episode, Williams discusses the current state of the animal protein markets, with an eye toward the implications of sustained food price inflation on demand, and how those same factors will influence the supply side of the equation over the next 12-to-24 months.

We also discuss the persistent drought in cattle country, and why he says most analysts are underestimating how much the cattle herd is shrinking as producers struggle in the absence of hay and pasture.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

One of the top leaders of the global feed industry previews an upcoming feed and livestock industry conference, in this edition of Feedstuffs In Focus.

Dr. Mark Lyons is president and CEO of Alltech, one of the largest players in the global feed industry, and the driving force behind the Alltech ONE Conference. In this episode Dr. Lyons previews the event, held in-person for the first time since 2019.

This episode is sponsored by Alltech, host of the Alltech ONE Conference, coming up May 22-24 both in Lexington, Ky., and virtually from anywhere around the world. Together we can spark meaningful change as we enter a new golden age of agri-food. The Alltech ONE Conference unites changemakers and thought leaders in a collaborative exploration of solutions within agribusiness and beyond. Learn more and register at one.alltech.com.

On the backside of a global pandemic that wreaked havoc on the global supply chain, the Russian invasion of Ukraine added further strain and chaos to the global marketplace. In the short run, the unprovoked war drove commodity prices higher, but what will the long-term consequences be for the global meat and animal feed markets?

In this episode we’ll dig into the broader implications of Russia’s war on Ukraine for the global meat trade. U.S. Meat Export Federation vice president of economic analysis Erin Borror explains that the war is impacting red meat availability and production, but is having an especially large impact on the cost and availability of key feed ingredients.

Borror also discusses how the war is accelerating consolidation in the European swine industry.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Rail service failures in recent months have led to widespread delays of train delivery at major grain export destinations. Failures and delays that have cost the grain industry more than $100 million through the first quarter of 2022, according to the National Grain and Feed Association.

NGFA testified this week before the Surface Transportation Board about those failures and costs to the industry, calling on the Board to implement financial incentives for the railroads to perform more efficiently – similar to what the railroads do to keep shippers loading and unloading rail cars as efficiently as possible. The Association also testified on a wide set of policy issues, from reciprocity on switching rules, requiring additional data reporting, and developing additional guidance to railroads on their statutory obligations on service.

In this episode we talk with NGFA Chief Economist Max Fisher about the current situation with the railroads, and what NGFA asked the Board to do to alleviate the burden on grain shippers and other agricultural customers.

RELATED: If you want to learn more about the problems facing U.S. transportation and logistics, including rail, truck and ocean freight shipments, visit Feedstuffs 365 and watch our recent interview with Ken Eriksen of S&P Global.

The Fed increased Interest rates this week as part of its plan to tackle inflation. The modest rate hike is part of a strategy to ensure a smooth "glide path" for the economy, which heated up in part due to the unprecedented events of the COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant federal efforts to help consumers and businesses stay afloat.

But what will that rate hike mean for agriculture? We'll discuss it in this week's episode of Feedstuffs In Focus.

We'll hear from:

• Mike North of EverAG on the rate hike and inflation;
• Cortney Cowley with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City on the 2022 outlook for the ag economy;
• Congressman Austin Scott of Georgia and House Ag Committee Chair  David Scott on what Russia's attack on Ukraine means for food production;
• ...and from U.S. Meat Export Federation chairman-elect Dean Meyer on red meat exports and grain prices.