USSEC partnered with the International Grains Program (IGP) Institute at Kansas State University to hold the Regional Animal Production Course (RAPCO) in feed manufacturing. 30 feed mill staff, nutritionists, and quality control technicians from 9 different Latin American countries traveled to the IGP Institute from September 6 – 9.
“The IGP-KSU partnership with USSEC continues the technical program under RAPCO that helps Latin Americans who import U.S. soybeans and soybean meal to better understand and utilize its nutritional benefits,” says Carlos Campabadal, course coordinator and feed manufacturing and grain quality management curriculum manager. “It also helps them understand how to improve their feed operations.”
Course participants learned new techniques and updated their knowledge in feed manufacturing, including information on ingredient and soybean meal quality, feed storage, feed safety programs, pelleting, extrusion processing, and feed mill design and material handling. Participants heard from USSEC representatives along with IGP faculty and Kansas State professors. In addition to presentation-style learning, participants toured the KSU O.H. Kruse Feed Mill to gain a better understanding of feed manufacturing and plant operations.
Course participant Elizabeth Bastidas from Colombia says she attended the course to learn from others in her industry.
“I wanted to meet people from other countries with the same type of product,” Ms. Bastidas says. “I have enjoyed listening to other individuals’ strategies so that I can incorporate them myself.”
Roger Ferrera, a plant manager for Cargill in Honduras and course participant, said that it was nice to see a variety of companies represented.
“I enjoyed the diversity of companies that took the course and the exchange of knowledge between them,” Mr. Ferrera says. “This is all information that I can take back to my own plant.”
Mr. Ferrera says he enjoyed the quality of instructors and their presentations throughout the week. “You can tell that they know a lot about the subject and can pinpoint specific issues we have in our own plants at home.”