A USSEC-supported technical and production team composed of 19 representatives from commercial feed mills across Southeast Asia attended a five-day short course on feed manufacturing at the Northern Crop Institute (NCI) at North Dakota State University. The team members represented companies from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
The five-day course focused on the theory and mechanics of feed manufacturing technology using a combination of classroom presentations, processing demonstrations and ‘hands-on’ training.  The group visited an integrated swine production facility and feed mill at Cando, N.D., and export facilities in Portland, Ore., so participants could see first-hand the quality, efficiency and reliability of the U.S. soy production and logistics systems.
The course provided participants with the latest technical information to better understand today’s feed manufacturing industry and the role of soy.  Technology training focused on the size reduction, mixing and pelleting operations.  The design, working principles and operation of hammer mills, roller-grinders, mixers, and pellet presses was also thoroughly explained.  Nutritional information emphasized the quality and value of U.S. soy when used appropriately.
The course was co-sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, the North Dakota Soybean Council, and the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council in conjunction with USSEC.