USSEC, in collaboration with International Grains Program (IGP) Institute at Kansas State University, hosted participants from Japan for a swine feed and nutrition course from January 10-15.
Japanese swine nutritionists and feed millers looked to USSEC’s Japan Soybean Meal Feed and Swine Nutrition Training Program for new ways to improve their swine nutrition and feed milling programs. Japan is currently the eighth leading pork producer in the world.
The course was structured to teach nutritional components and requirements as well as feed manufacturing for swine through lectures, workshops, guest speakers and field trips. 
 Participants were invited and sponsored by USSEC to increase their knowledge in the swine nutrition and feed manufacturing fields. USSEC consultant and course instructor Carlos Campabadal says that the partnership with USSEC is crucial.
“All U.S. grain buyers benefit from our membership with USSEC when they attend these courses because we know what their clients, the buyers, are looking for,” says Dr. Campabadal, feed manufacturing and grain quality management curriculum manager for IGP.
Course participant Toshiharu Taguchi, a feed manager at SEW Saisaikai Farms in Japan, says that he is interested in operating his own swine nutrition program.
“I was interested in coming to IGP Institute to observe U.S. swine facilities since I want to operate my own swine nutrition program. I will take back the information that I learned from Carlos on feed quality control.”