USSEC held one-on-one workshops in Morocco May 7-10 to further expand knowledge on aquafeed, fish nutrition, and production.

Escorted by USSEC consultant – Morocco Khalid Benabdeljelil, USSEC consultant Tim O’Keefe, president of Aqua-Food Technologies, Inc., visited with several operators in the aquafeed industry to address specific issues.

Extensive fishing of small wild fish species caught and transformed into fishmeal and oil for aquafeed needs pushes feed manufacturers to look for alternative ways to face ecological, economical, and nutritional challenges.

A strong reliance on fishmeal and oil as sources of nutrients for farm-raised fish is not sustainable. Reducing dependence on fish oil and meal and developing alternative sources of protein and oil contributes to the success of the aquaculture industry.

Soy-based aquafeed helps reduce the “fish-in: fish-out” ratio in the production of major farm-raised fish species. U.S. soybean meal and soy protein concentrate inclusion in sustainable feed can produce wholesome nutritious fish for Morocco’s growing market.

Formulating high performance soy-based feed for Mediterranean fish species on sound nutritional considerations were among the issues discussed with major feed producers, as well as the current challenge in finding alternative sources.

As new aquaculture projects are being developed, growing sustainably ultimately builds opportunities for U.S. Soy products in aquafeed.

One-on-one workshop with Aqua Mdiq Company

One-on-one workshop with Aqua Mdiq Company

One-on-one meeting at Alf Sahel Company

USSEC, in cooperation with the Egyptian Poultry Producers Association, organized a poultry nutrition seminar in Cairo, Egypt on May 14.

Dr. Craig Coon, animal nutrition professor at the University of Arkansas, gave two presentations to the Egyptian Poultry Producers Association, speaking about broiler breeder nutrition and broiler nutrition. He focused on how the breeder has changed over the past 25 years, discussing some of the nutrition and reproduction problems that occurred in the 90s, comparing them to some of the main issues of concern with the modern breeder. Dr. Coon’s students have generated data on breeders over the past 20 years and he discussed some of the key biological concepts that his students have developed.

A key phenomenon that has been uncovered is how protein turnover changes are linked to body composition in the pullet and breeder hen in production. The breeder dramatically decreases the fractional protein synthesis rate in breast and leg muscles at sexual maturity and elevates fractional protein breakdown rates. The breeder loses lean mass from peak production through 40 weeks and then gains lean mass from 45 to 65 weeks. The breeder supplements the feed nutrients with the breakdown of body skeletal protein during the early production period from sexual maturity to 37 weeks and then switches fuel and mobilizes body fat during the last portion of production (45 to 65 weeks). The breeders were also evaluated in metabolic chambers and the data shows that the respiratory exchange rate (RER) is highest during early production with the largest decline occurring at 45 weeks. The lower RER values in breeders shows that the largest amount of body fat is used near the 45 week mark. The body fat increases in breeders from sexual maturity until 45 weeks of age and then declines from 45 to 65 weeks. A key observation is the large amount of heat produced in breeders during the last portion of production. The Arkansas team believes the increased heat production is because of the protein accretion that occurs during the late production period. Dr. Coon thinks that future feeding systems for breeders will need to account for the protein accretion that is occurring in breeders. The maintenance requirement of broiler breeders is much larger than the requirement for daily egg production or weight gain and the requirement will continue to increase with the added protein accretion in the modern breeder.

In the second presentation, Dr. Coon discussed the response of the modern broiler to dietary amino acids and energy. The University of Arkansas team has worked with Evonik and showed with four large feeding studies that the modern broiler responds to added amino acids above the standard requirements. The broiler improves weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), processing weight, and yield with amino acids. The broiler also shows that increasing AME with lysine will improve weight and FCR, but the weight gain is primarily increased fat and not protein. Economics need to be involved in making the decision of selecting the optimum digestible lysine:Mcal for your market. Dr. Coon and group have also been evaluating NE while feeding increased amino acid concentration with same energy density and also looked at NE when adding dietary energy with same amino acid concentration. Additionally, the Arkansas group has been evaluating different nutritional programs for the heavy broiler during the 42-56 day period. Dr. Coon talked about white striping and woody breast problems that may occur with the larger broilers.

Dr. Coon was very effective in presenting his technical messages to the audience. In attendance were 35 high-level management and industry participants from Egypt.

Seminar participants

A few seminar participants

Dr. Craig Coon speaks to attendees

USSEC’s 3rd Annual Advanced Training Program for Veterinarians from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) was held at the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, in Gainesville, Florida from May 15- 19. 22 industry-leading veterinarians from the poultry industries of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey participated in this educational program.

Presentations focused on practical application involving vaccination, disease control, and management in commercial poultry. This forum stimulated considerable discussions among the veterinarians from the different countries and provided ample opportunity for the exchange of ideas.

USSEC again has played a leading role in providing technical support for the MENA region’s commercial poultry industry.

Group picture

Participants at the training program

Some participants at the training program

USSEC Middle East – North Africa (MENA) recently organized a trade team visit composed of leading animal industry representatives from main Maghreb companies to the U.S. The objective was to show the strength, reliability, and sustainability of the U.S. soybean value chain from fields to port facility.

Improving knowledge of the U.S. soybean value chain and highlighting the advantages of U.S. soybean meal were other targets of the visit, as assisting participating customers to meet soy suppliers and allied industries to ultimately build opportunities for the U.S. soybean products trade.

Khalid Benabdeljelil, USSEC consultant – Morocco, escorted the Maghreb team of nine customers from Morocco and two from Tunisia. The team, composed of a crusher, feed mill purchasing makers, and integrators, had the opportunity to meet with U.S. suppliers and allied industries.

The visit to CHS facilities in Morris, Minnesota was for most team members a first time visit to loading facilities, where they discussed logistics in the U.S., transport time, loading, and exporting processes. R.J. O’Brien updated the team on the company’s activities, providing insights and outlook on soy business worldwide.

Perdue company representatives discussed their activities in relation to U.S. soybeans, sourcing, the flexibility of shipping through the port at Norfolk, Virginia, the numerous possibilities offered at their location, and their supplies to the two important Maghreb markets.

The visit to Thionville Laboratories covered specific interests expressed by customers. The president of the company extended a warm welcome to the team and explained technical aspects of surveying, its advantages conditions, and requirements. Laboratory staff discussed analytical issues regarding sampling procedures, analytical methods, equipment and resources available.

Meetings and visits at RMG provided visiting customers with first-hand exposure on the advantages of U.S. Soy in relation to infrastructure, transportation, and logistics assuring on time deliveries of high quality products.

Participants had the opportunity to interact with USSEC member firms and discuss their specific supply issues and interests in-depth, covering key aspects of soybean meal, products, exports, technical, trade, and marketing.

The trip was a great success with the team expressing their appreciation to USSEC and all the companies and firms visited. Customers from the two markets, who are all users of U.S. soybean meal and other soy products in their operations, learned more about the U.S. soybean value chain, its sustainability, and the advantages of U.S. soybean meal, which offered an opportunity to continue to build a preference for U.S. Soy.

Visit and discussions at CHS Morris loading facility

Visit and discussions at CHS Morris loading facility

Visit and discussions at CHS Morris loading facility

Thomas Russell with the team at RMG headquarters

Visit at Perdue Company

Visit at Thionville laboratory

Visit at Eurofins Laboratory

Visit at Thionville laboratory

Visit at Eurofins Laboratory

USSEC recently published a biosecurity guide for commercial poultry production in the Middle East and North Africa in English, French, and Arabic. The guide aims to provide farmers with the information they need to implement a successful biosecurity program, which will enable farmers to control and eliminate diseases that are currently devastating the poultry industry.

Over the past 20 years, the commercial poultry industry has grown tremendously worldwide. Due to chicken’s versatility as a food, consumption has increased, and it is lower priced and considered a healthier choice as compared to other meats. As the poultry industry has rapidly expanded, however, diseases have become more common and increasingly costly.

In many regions of the world, diseases in the commercial poultry industry have resulted in devastating losses and companies have been forced to rely on increasing amounts of vaccines and antibiotics to control these losses. In recent years, several diseases, including a variant Newcastle disease and several types of avian influenza, have become endemic, resulting in substantial deficits.

The success of the poultry industry depends on improved performance. This will allow the industry to continue to grow and increase its demand for soybeans.

Please use the links below to access the guides:

Biosecurity Guide ENGLISH BR 27

Biosecurity Guide FRENCH 12

Biosecurity Guide Arabic 17

USSEC hosted its annual seminar on cost effective aquafeed formulations and aquafeed manufacturing in Egypt. A total of 80 participants attended the event, representing the top aquaculture feed mills and aqua producers.

Bret Tate, U.S. Agricultural Attaché – Cairo, opened the seminar. In his opening speech, Mr. Tate pointed out the importance of the agricultural and trade relationships between Egypt and the United States and stressed the win-win opportunity presented by the aquaculture industry, which utilizes large quantities of soy.

Egypt imports approximately 4 million metric tons (MMT) of soy, mainly soybeans along with some soybean meal. Historically, 50 percent of the beans are of U.S. origin.

During the week of the seminar, the USSEC team conducted one-on-one industry visits with aqua feed mills to provide the necessary support for adoption of least cost formulation and the benefits that arise from formulating with U.S. Soy.

USSEC consultant Tim O’Keefe, keynote speaker at the event, praised the sequence of the seminar. The morning session provided an opportunity for the participants to gain an understanding of the nutritional requirements of tilapia. The session that followed was delivered by USSEC Regional Project Manager – EU / (Middle East – North Africa (MENA) Sirri Kayan, who provided participants with the opportunity to apply that knowledge using an interactive model that allowed them to share in the formulation process. The participants helped in formulating a number of diets while applying different ingredients on least cost software to demonstrate the value of U.S. Soy.

Guest speaker Dr. G. Ramesh of Wenger delivered a presentation on the manufacturing process of marine diets and the new developments in the area of marine diet formulation. The presentation revolved around the critical factors in marine diet formulation including the high inclusion rates of fat and the ability of different types of equipment to handle fat inclusion rates including, single screw extruders and double screw as well as the advantages of high intensity pre conditioner. He applauded the level of interaction and interest of the participants, saying they were “reactive, very interested, and highly engaged. Clearly the aquaculture industry is growing rapidly.”

Ned Williams from Ever-Extruder spoke about the background and history of his company and Carbide technology advantages and industries. Mr. Williams also presented new and innovative technology for dyes, knives, drive hubs, extruder alignment, and support for high efficacy and SSDS innovation for real time density control. Mr. Williams commented that this seminar and similar USSEC activities that take part around the world is truly a global effort on the part of USSEC and provides the opportunity for global exposure for U.S. companies seeking international markets.

Hussein Mansour of Aller Aqua delivered the final presentation of the seminar. His presentation revolved around future perspectives in the Egyptian aqua industry, mainly the complete replacement of fishmeal by soy in tilapia diets, as well as the global trend of aquaculture as a replacement of wild catch. Mr. Hussein also explained the importance of fish protein for the Egyptian market. Current per capita consumption is almost 21 kilograms (kg). He added that while Egypt is one of the top producers in the world of aquaculture products, most of the fish is sold on the spot market; Mr. Hussein explained that in the future, processing will play a major role in the development of the industry. During his presentation, he explained the importance of increased customer awareness of the quality of farmed tilapia and the initiative that is currently being adopted by the industry to produce a generic brand under the name Egyptian Tilapia.

A team of key customers from the Moroccan dairy and feed industry attended USSEC’s 3rd Regional Dairy Nutrition & Soy Hulls Conference held in Dead Sea, Jordan April 8 – 10.

The team, which was composed of the largest dairy cooperative and feed mill representatives and sales staffs of ruminant feed and milk producers, appreciated its participation in the conference, which gave the members an opportunity to learn more about herd feeding and dairy nutrition management.

The Moroccan dairy sector is composed of large regional dairy producer cooperatives and several smaller dairy coops with a total of 1.2 million cows producing 1,400 million liters of milk per year. Per capita consumption of dairy products was 42 kilograms (kg) five years ago and is projected to reach about 140 kg by 2020. The “Green Morocco Plan” sees the development of modern dairies and the consolidation of smaller units as a projected means to double dairy production by 2020. Most large beef and dairy operations are gradually moving toward integration.

The feed millers association (AFAC) has identified an opportunity in the dairy and ruminant feed for developing the ruminant compound feed market in Morocco. Ruminant compound feed production grew fivefold in the last ten years reaching one million tons in 2016 with a growing use of compound feed by the dairy sector.

Soy product (soybeans, soy hulls, soy oil, bypass proteins, etc.) usage is increasing in dairy feed sustained by a higher understanding of their nutritional supply in concentrates, as nitrogen correctors, and as part of total mix rations (TMR).

USSEC programs continue to better position U.S. Soy products in a growing ruminants feed market. Attendance of key partners to trade and technical conferences contributes to develop new business relationships with prospects for U.S. soybean products.

(Left to right) Amsaguine K., marketing director of Sofalim; Larossi-Akhrife D., head of ruminant department at Alf Sahel; Nacir O., dairy and beef producer; Moufid Y, ruminant feed sales representatives at Alf Al Mabrouk; Elmorsy M., project manager at strategy department at Copag; Zaazaa S.; sales manager at Alf Sahel; Benabdeljelil K.,USSEC consultant

During the first week of April, a team of poultry nutrition and disease control consultants, consisting of Dr. Richard Miles, professor emeritus of poultry nutrition at the University of Florida, and Dr. Gary Butcher, professor of poultry diseases at the University of Florida, visited Romania to provide technical assistance to U.S. soybean meal customers from Romania and Bulgaria. USSEC Animal Utilization Consultant – Romania Dr. Iani Chihaia escorted the visitors.

Dr. Miles and Dr. Butcher met with Vis Campi’s owner, Eda Kizilcelik, and her young team managing the broiler farms in Amaru, southern Romania

For three full days, the team of consultants met with key broiler integrations from southern Romania and northern Bulgaria to learn about the current status of poultry diseases in the region and offer recommendations in preventing the most critical threat to the worldwide poultry industry, avian influenza. Dr. Miles emphasized the importance of soybean meal quality for modern broilers and how U.S. Soy creates advantages for the broiler farming industry.

USSEC consultants Drs. Miles and Butcher visited with leading poultry companies in Romania and Bulgaria

Poultry necropsy techniques were demonstrated by Dr. Butcher and Dr. Miles in front of the broiler farms managers, veterinarians and nutritionists

Broiler house management, poultry necropsy techniques, and the reasons for vaccination failure were discussed during onsite sessions organized at the farms for the customers’ technical teams. Young professionals both enjoyed and benefited from the meetings with the U.S. experts and asked for future trainings conducted by Drs. Miles and Butcher.

Onsite session on poultry management, nutrition, and disease control was held at Vis Campi Farms, a state of the art broiler farm in Romania

Although their industries are still considered small, Romania and Bulgaria’s poultry farming sectors have made significant progress during the past decade in both volume and technical performances, enabling them to compete with important European players, making the two countries’ industries valued and reliable customers for U.S. Soy. Offering technical support in the field of nutrition and disease control is creating a win-win relationship between exporters and the growing southeast European poultry industry.

USSEC organized two animal feed formulation training sessions in Tunis, Tunisia on April 18 and 19, in collaboration with the Tunisian National Veterinary School (ENMV) and the Scientific Poultry Veterinarian Association (SSTMVA).

Sirri Kayhan, USSEC Country Representative – Turkey and specialist in animal feed formulation, planned these events. The first day was organized at Sidi Thabet at ENMV and the audience was composed of graduate veterinary students and the staff of the nutrition department. The second day was held at the poultry association headquarters, with the presence of nutritionists from eight major feed companies. Mr. Kayhan gave a presentation on feed formulation and performed a practical training session based on real examples.

Dr. Jamel Rekhis, animal nutrition professor and head of LCAAB, National Reference Nutrition Laboratory, also participated by giving a presentation on the importance of soy products in animal nutrition.

Group Photos: Vet. School Students Training Session at ENMV & Nutritionist Training Session at GIPAC

Because of the high level of the event, major feed groups were present at this training. After the event, the participants expressed their satisfaction about the scientific level of the speakers and the organization of the event.

Before the training session, Mr. Kayhan had the opportunity to visit two plants with Dr. Riadh Karma, USSEC Country Representative – Tunisia: NUTRIMIX, the largest feed mill in the country, and Green Label Oil (GLO), a new extrusion plant recently build by Poulina Group Holding.

Visit of NUTRIMIX Feed Mill (from left to right): M. Hassan & S. Kayhan

View of New Extruders at GLO Plant

The extrusion plant is a good acquisition for the Poulina Group Holding to satisfy its needs in full fat soybean meal, soybean oil, and express soymeal. The total nominal capacity of this extrusion unit should be around 17,000 metric tons (MT) of beans per month (around 200,000 MT per year). The storage capacity for soybeans will be around 30,000 MT in metal silos.

View of the two plants

USSEC consultant Dr. Gary Butcher, a professor of at the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine, traveled to Egypt from April 8 – 13. His program, which was coordinated by USSEC – Middle East/North African (MENA), provided an opportunity to meet with key technical personnel in the Egyptian poultry industry who had participated in an intensive USSEC training program at the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2016.

Cairo Poultry Technical Team

During the week in Egypt, Dr. Butcher visited three major poultry integrators and spoke at the Reference Laboratory for Poultry Diseases in Cairo. Poultry diseases in Egypt are causing severe losses and are limiting the ability to expand production, as costs of production are increased and the ability to export are adversely affected. Dr. Butcher advised the poultry industry on vaccination programming, interpretation of diagnostic testing, and plans of action for controlling devastating diseases such as H5 and H9 Avian Influenza, Genotype 7 Newcastle disease, and endemic Mycoplasma infections.

Young vets from Cairo Poultry who attended USSEC program at University of Florida in prior years

Improved production and expansion of the poultry industry in Egypt will increase demand for soybean and soybean products in Egypt and the Middle East.

Meeting at the Reference Laboratory for Poultry Diseases

As part of the study to improve marketing of Egyptian aquaculture products, a wrap up workshop was held on April 18 at the Conrad Hotel in Cairo, entitled “Improved Marketing of Egyptian Aquaculture Products.” Forty participants attended the event. They included fish farmers (both freshwater and marine), traders, feed mill operators, researchers, and some development partners.

The workshop aimed to present the findings of the study undertaken by Ian Goulding and Maggie Kamel to “Characterize and Improve Distribution of Aquaculture Products in Egypt.” The seminar was divided into four sessions: analysis and key findings of the study; recommendations to improve marketing; guidelines for handling of aquaculture products; and discussion.

Based on a SWOT analysis of the aquaculture sector, Goulding drew recommendations for both the private sector, centering around developing new marketing channels through investment in processing and distribution infrastructure; improving safety, hygiene and handling conditions; improved organization of the sector (strengthened association of aquaculture operators); and generic marketing support.

Participants actively engaged in a vibrant discussion over the recommendations. They agreed on the need for establishing an organization to better represent the interests of the sector and lead some of the marketing activities required to support the sector. They also discussed potential technical assistance activities that could be extended by development partners such as training and study tours.