More than 170 participants attended the three-day Animal Nutrition and Feed Formulation workshops held April 18 – 20 in separate venues in the Philippines with the objective of highlighting the higher nutrient and economic values of U.S. soybeans and soybean meal / fullfat soybean meal than that of other origins. The topics and the approach used were tailor-made to the interests of the participants in those three events.
On the first day, 34 commercial feed millers based in Batangas province, regarded as the layer basket of the Philippines, attended the workshop. On the second day, which was the main event, more than 100 practicing nutritionists and quality assurance officers in the country participated. The final day was an exclusive seminar for San Miguel Purefoods Inc (SMPFI), the biggest integrator in the country.
Over the course of those three days, nearly all of the country’s largest end-users as well as key importers were in attendance. All the events were very successful, according to participants. Feedback collected during the events showed that most of the participants agree that crude protein should not be used as the basis of soybean meal quality, instead quality should be based on digestible amino acids where U.S. soybean meal is proven to be superior to other origins. The usefulness and credibility of the data presented by USSEC was well regarded by the participants.

Presentation topics included “U.S. Soybean Meal: Nutrient Values Beyond Crude Protein” by USSEC consultant Dr. Basilisa Reas; “Role of Crude Protein vs Essential Amino Acids Sources In Swine” and “Poultry Feeds & Essential Fatty Acids in Raw Materials: Evaluating Energy Sources for Swine & Poultry Diets” by Dr. Julian Wiseman from the University of Nottingham, UK; “How Much is Raw Material Variability Costing Uou?” by USSEC In-Country Representative Dr. Benito Oliveros; “Soybean Meal Evaluation using NIR Tests” by Lihong Zhang of Adisseo – Philippines”; “Full Fat Soybean Meal and Cassava Production & Utilization in Swine and Poultry Diets” by Dr. Uthai Kanto, Technical Consultant & Nutritionist, Thailand; and “Making Purchasing Decisions based on Prices and Quality for Major Ingredients to Maximize Feed and Production Profit” by Matthew Clark, Consultant, FeedGuys Inc.