Czech Feed Customers Attend Feed Conference, Learn about Sustainability of U.S. Soy

Every spring, the Czech Grain & Feed Association – SKK gathers key local professionals for a two-day conference. Recently, this annual event has been held in Brno, the home of Gregory Mendel who built the foundation for modern genetics. USSEC helped to make the 2018 conference a success.
The 23rd conference focused on six topics: the presence and future of Czech agriculture; major international issues and developments; non-GM crop, feed production and purchasing; proper approach to antimicrobial resistance feed solution; feed protein sources; and the sustainability of feed and food production.
USSEC input contributed to the two last topics: protein sources in livestock feeding and sustainability. USSEC consultant Dr. Jan van Eys delivered a presentation, “Nutritional Considerations in the Use of Different Sources of Protein in Animal Nutrition”, which helped showcase the advantages of U.S. soybeans and soybean meal, especially in poultry and swine production. Dr. van Eys also explained how U.S. Soy, grown and marketed using sustainable procedures, is a contributor to the sustainability of the European feed and food chain, which should encourage better utilization of U.S. Soy in Europe.
“EU Feed Industry Contribution to the Assessment and Mitigation of Impacts on Biodiversity” by Nicolas Martin, was the first contribution of the European Federation of Feed Industry – FEFAC - in Brussels. Pavel Musil, Director General of DeHeus-Czech Rep. feed company, and a regular representative of the Czech feed industry in the European organization, presented the FEFAC’s Committee for Compound Feed Production view on EU protein strategy and the balance sheet in EU and the Czech Republic. In his conclusion, Dr. Musil pointed out the importance of soybeans and soybean meal in European livestock agriculture.
A couple of other speakers focused on livestock production without antibiotics and coccidiostats. Jirzi Bures of USKVBL, Brno, presented the proposals of new rules and their implementation in the Czech Republic. A representative of DSM explained how pig and poultry growers can maintain gut health with antibiotic-free and coccidiostats-free feeding. This presentation also underlined the positive attributes of soy products in healthy feeding systems.
U.S. Soy was a major sponsor of the Czech feed industry conference. The conference provided an opportunity for USSEC consultant – Northeast Europe Jerzy W. Kosieradzki and Dr. van Eys to network among the Czech feed industry members.

During the two days of the conference, 160 Czech grain and feed industry members attended the presentations and social events accompanying the annual event.
Dr. Jan van Eys distinguishes himself not only as a nutrition expert, but also as an outstanding educator who catches the attention of everyone at the gathering.
Dr. Pavel Musil, Director General of DeHeus-Czech Rep. feed company, who is very active with FEFAC, caught the attention of the audience with his address on the EU protein feed and food strategy.
Non-GM certification of crops and products was a topic presented by both Czech and Slovak representatives – here, a Czech expert explains his view of cross pollination in grain and soy plantations.
The DSM voice on livestock feeding systems without antibiotics and coccidiostats, a major challenge for everyone in the European feed and food chain, was an important one at the Czech conference.
U.S. Soy envoys, Mr. Kosieradzki and Dr. van Eys, listened to all of the presentations and participated in professional discussion - here, Dr. van Eys carefully listens to a lecture translated from Czech to English.