USSEC recently organized a seminar in cooperation with the Hungarian Grain & Feed Association – Gabonaszovetseg in Budapest, Hungary. Almost 80 participants representing the Hungarian grain and oilseed trade, livestock production integrators, compound feed producers, farmers associations and agricultural officials attended the event, which focused on protein-rich feed ingredients.

Laszlo Bustyhazai, president of the feed producers’ section of the association, welcomed the audience. USSEC Technical Director - Northeast Europe Jerzy Kosieradzki introduced participants to USSEC’s objectives and activities, as well as the seminar’s agenda and speakers.
USSEC consultant Dr. Gerard Santoma spoke about traditional and new protein sources in animal feeding and the role of soybean products in the compound feed industry. USSEC consultant Dr. Jan van Eys followed up with a presentation on global trends in the production and utilization of fishmeal and soybean meal.
INT FCStone’s Jaime Nolan-Miralles introduced the local industry people to the protein market outlook and Hungarian paradigm, also stressing the importance of the utilization of modern risk management tools by the local traders and feed manufacturers and livestock integrators.
A teaching block on quality analyses for soybean products available to the feed industry by Dr. Van Eys and a comprehensive presentation on nutritional and economic advantages of U.S. soybean meal over the meal of other origins helped to equip the feed ingredients purchasers and nutritionists with the necessary tools to optimize their work.
Dr. Ildiko Tikasz, Agricultural Policy Department of the [Hungarian] Research Institute of Agricultural Economics, presented the local researchers’ study on the practical results of livestock production based on non-GM soy in Hungary, as intended by the local government. The study shows a very high cost of honest application of non-GM feed policy in this northeast European country, where many politicians are seen as hostile to green biotechnology.
The Budapest seminar was the largest in USSEC’s northeastern European sub region and the last in a series of U.S. Soy promotional events held in Europe in FY15. Mr. Kosieradzki said, “Undoubtedly, the work of a whole group of U.S. farmers’ representatives will contribute to sustain and possibly expand our exports to the various European countries.