Twenty participants representing major feed millers, nutritionists, researchers, and government officials from the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) attended USSEC’s 4th Poultry Feed Milling Training program from April 20 to 27 at Kansas State University’s International Grains (IGP) Institute.
The course marked IGP’s effort to reach an international audience while teaching the basics of essential feed processing to attendees from Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.
“It was a good group with diverse technical backgrounds, but all from the animal feed and production sector,” says Carlos Campabadal, IGP Institute outreach specialist for feed manufacturing and grain quality management. “The group was interested in improving their knowledge on the different technical areas on feed operations.”
The course covered topics that included U.S. feed production; particle size reduction; batching and mixing; energy audits; feed mill management; quality control in a feed mill; pelleting; extrusion; feed ingredient storage, and the effects of feed processing on poultry nutrition among other things.
Participants of this course also had the opportunity to visit Countryside Feed Mill in Seneca, Kansas. There, participants were able to interact with the operation’s personnel and the animal nutritionist.
Having the opportunity to meet participants from other countries that are professionals within the poultry and feed industries, USSEC consultant and course participant, Miguel Escobar, explains the benefit this course brought to him and others.
“To have all the participants thinking and collaborating with each other’s problems in our own feed mills was beneficial,” says Escobar. “The professors summarized the pros and cons of poultry feed manufacturing and we were able to discuss different situations that we have come across in our daily activities within our own companies. For me I found that questions and comments outside of the classroom were always an initial point for other in-depth conversations.”
“At IGP, we see North Africa as a key area for the growth of poultry production, which is very important for the growth of export of U.S. Soy,” stated Mr. Campabadal.