Latin American Soybean Buyers Attend RAPCO Feed Manufacturing Course at IGP

Kansas State University’s IGP Institute held the Regional Agriculture Production Course (RAPCO) Feed Manufacturing course for USSEC’s Americas region during the week of September 24 to 27. Thirty-five participants from eight countries came to understand more in-depth practices of feed manufacturing as well as the importance of U.S. soy products’ quality.
“The goal of this course is to help U.S. buyers to improve their feed manufacturing productivity, optimize their processing, and increase their knowledge on everything that involves soybean meal quality, storage and handling, and all the different attributes that make U.S. soybean meal better for increased animal performance,” says Carlos Campabadal, IGP Institute feed manufacturing and grain quality management outreach specialist.
Participants were able to complete an online course on basic topics in manufacturing before traveling to the IGP Institute to attend the advanced course. Once on campus, attendees were able to learn about an array of topics, ranging from ingredient quality to new technologies in feed manufacturing.
In addition to listening to lectures, participants were also able to join in hands-on activities. According to participant Magda Cano, production assistant for Grupo Toledano, Panama, collaborating with other participants was a beneficial way to apply their knowledge.
“The tips and advice from the other participants in the course who have similar processing in their countries was very beneficial,” Cano says. “We were able to share with each other our own experiences on how to improve and apply our styles in order to best fit with what we’re doing in our mills.”

Caitlin Evans, graduate student and feed mill employee, shows the participants of the RAPCO Feed Manufacturing course the process of unloading grain trucks in the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Center.
Carlos Campabadal (far right), shows different types of feed products at the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Center for participants of the RAPCO Feed Manufacturing course.
Caitlin Evans, graduate student and feed mill employee, shows how the roller mill processing works, and the differences between roller mill and hammer mill processing.