The Turkish feed industry is growing rapidly, reaching 25 million tons in 2018, No. 1 in Europe. The feed industry is forecasted to continue growing and will potentially become a significant client for soy products in the country and region.
USSEC’s feed microscopy seminar and workshop, which brings industry and government together to help understand and solve each other’s problems, is one of the most desired activities by Turkey’s feed industry. It took place on April 11 and 12.
USSEC has had a strong collaboration with the Turkish Feed Manufacturers Association for many years. Based on this collaboration, the seminar and workshop was organized in the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture’s laboratory facilities in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, with the participation of 30 people from the industry, including government labs from another part of Turkey. Professor Ana Cristina Barroeta Lajusticia and Professor Roser Sala Pallarès from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona served as trainers. Incekaralar Company supported the seminar by providing microscopes to the participants for use during the seminar.
Yusuf Varlik, the manager of the government lab; Serkan Ozbudak, the secretary of general of the feed association; Christine Strossman, the Agricultural Counselor of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Turkey; and Sirri Kayhan, USSEC country manager, welcomed participants to kick off the two-day workshop. Attendees analyzed samples of different materials as well as different soybean meal origins during the seminar, and a certificate of completion was provided to the participants at the end of the event.
A significant group of feed manufacturers and government representatives were reached. The main objective of the meeting was to teach the integrators’ and feed producers’ quality managers and government lab representatives about feed microscopy as well as the differentiation of U.S. Soy. The seminar attendees are decision makers who give the final approval for raw materials and the government reps audit the feeds and materials in the market on behalf of the government. During the workshop, USSEC was able to demonstrate soybean meal from different origins, which helped participants to understand the value of U.S. soybean meal and differentiate it from other origins.
This event has a definite positive impact in a competitive and cost-conscientious market. Consequently, it is effective and should stimulate interest in U.S. soy products. Providing/facilitating more of this event to the industry clearly is a much appreciated service and will increase the positive image of U.S. Soy.