In June, Russian poultry experts attended the USSEC technical meeting and training course, “Management, Feeding Practices, and Carcass and Meat Quality in Poultry” at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. The group also made field visits to Labocor Control Laboratory, feed mills, and poultry and livestock operations. The training was organized in close cooperation with CESFAC and FEDNA under the lead of USSEC consultant Professor Gonzalo Mateos.

The training course gathered a large group of specialists representing poultry researchers, broiler companies, compound feed manufacturers, and veterinary specialists from Russia, Turkey, and various other European countries. The class was composed from two parts, beginning with two days of in-class lectures at the Polytechnic University which were attended by more than 50 people including 10 Russian attendees: 3 specialists invited by USSEC and 7 people invited by Zinpro company. USSEC invitees were represented by Ruslan Guliev, the executive director of Balptitceprom, the leading poultry producer in Russia’s Kaliningrad region, and Mrs. Gogina, senior researcher from the Russian Poultry Research and Technology Institute, the leading Russian R&D institution working with the local poultry industry, accompanied by USSEC Russia representative Dr. Maria Domoroshchenkova.

After the two-day in-class training, the team of USSEC invitees from Russia, Turkey, and the other countries was taken for the field visits to Labocor Analitica Laboratory, poultry farms, Veravic and Teca Feed Mills, and a cow-calf operation.
Managers of the Labacor Analitica Laboratory provided the participants with information on commercial feed ingredients and final feed quality evaluation procedures and equipment. The visitors had the opportunity to learn about the practical implications of quality control of raw materials, including soy protein ingredients and finished feeds.

Mrs. Gogina was happy to receive trial samples of plant products for the analysis of mycotoxin contamination. She was extremely pleased with the visit and admired the hospitability of the laboratory staff.

Russian customers appreciated the chance to visit a couple of broiler operations and beef and calf farms. Visits to industrial feed mills – VerAvic Poultry Integration at Casatejada, Caceres province, and Piensos TECA near Caceres – allowed the Russians and other specialists to compare the two totally different types of operations: one that is integrated with poultry production and specialized in production of poultry feeds and the other one that is an independent feed mill producing an assortment of compound feeds for different species.
Mr. Guliev was very happy with the training and said, “The visit was an excellent occasion to understand and assimilate new concepts and technical skills. I appreciate the given possibility to get an understanding of Spanish experience in industrial poultry farming and feed quality control under the EU laws and regulations. My company uses soybean meal on a regular basis. During the courses, I received additional knowledge on modern requirements to nutritional characteristics of soy products and on a difference in nutritional value of soybean meal of different origin and benefits of U.S. Soy.”
The Russian attendees were extremely thankful to USSEC for the invitation and have confirmed their interest to attend such events in future. They gained more knowledge in recent advances in poultry nutrition and feed ingredients, focusing on key sources of proteins used in poultry feeding with the soy protein as a golden standard.