17 Middle East – North African (MENA) feed industry professionals from Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey attended the USSEC MENA Feed Manufacturing course May 15–19 at the International Grains Program (IGP) Institute Conference Center at Kansas State University (KSU). The participants came from the commercial and integrated feed manufacturing industry in diverse fields including feed operations, nutrition, management, and production.
The course included classroom lectures and presentations as well as tours of several industry-related businesses and facilities. Technical topics were covered from maintaining the quality of imported commodities to how to maintain and produce quality feed that will improve poultry nutrition.
The group was very interested in how to improve their pelleting process and how to successfully measure key performance indicators (KPIs) during feed operations. Additionally, participants were exposed to technical presentations on the current status of the soybean crop and the differences in quality of soybean meal based on origin. Overall, the participants had a very good technical level, which allowed the course to be very interactive and focused on discussion on how to improve feed production.
“This is a tailor-made course focused on feed manufacturing. We are aiming to teach the participants how to improve feed production,” stated Carlos Campabadal, IGP’s feed manufacturing and grain quality specialist.
Mr. Campabadal explained that the main goal is for participants to learn the best techniques and then return to their own companies with that knowledge, with the overall goal that they continue buying more U.S. soybeans and soybean meal.
Several of the topics covered in the course included grain, soybean and feed ingredient storage and mycotoxin control; quality control in feed manufacturing; particle size reduction; batching and mixing; pelleting; steam systems; pellet cooling and crumbling; post-pellet liquid applications; feed mill management key performance indicators; understanding the U.S. grain export system; feed mill maintenance; and design and new technology used in feed manufacturing.
“I especially enjoyed learning in this course here at IGP, but also the tour in the feed mill and the dairy farm,” said Hicham Benkatta, veterinarian at Sofalim in Settat, Morocco.
Mr. Benkatta described that he knew about U.S. grains before the course, but now that he has learned more about the industry, he will take the information he learned back with him to his company.
The tours for the course included trips to the KSU Dairy facilities, the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Center, and Midwest Ag Services Feed Mill in Seneca, Kansas.
Please click here to watch a video about this course.