USSEC attended a technical poultry seminar, "New Technologies in Feed Production, Modern Approaches to Feeding of High Productive Crosses, Quality Control of Raw Materials, Compound Feeds and Feed Additives," organized by the Russian Poultry Research Institute (VNITIP) on April 9-10 in Sergiev Posad, Russia. A total of 90 people, predominantly representing the feed industry and poultry scientists, attended the seminar.
 

USSEC consultant Dr. Jan van Eys gave a lecture titled, “Mash vs. Pellets in Broiler Feeds.” This presentation used a technical subject to communicate about quality differences in soybean meal (including differences in origin) and the impact on broiler production. The presentation was well received as evidenced by the number of questions and reactions of people. The role of USSEC and U.S. Soy products was clearly appreciated and recognized.

The two-day visit was used to network and get a better understanding of the Russian markets. U.S. Soy exports to Russia are not subject to sanctions or import restrictions. These same sanctions have become a strong driver for increases in local animal production. The share of poultry in Russia's domestic meat consumption is expected to continue to grow in 2015. Russian poultry production is expected to be 3.4 million metric tons (MMT) in 2015, up nearly 4.5 percent from 2014. There is a major effort in the area of animal production, which should benefit soy imports. Consequently, a pointed marketing effort and open discussion with the Russian poultry breeding and feed industry could be beneficial to promote imports of U.S. Soy.