Drought Having Heavy Impact on Rice Farming. US Agriculture May Eradicate the Monarch Butterfly. 21/03/14: NGFA Voices Concerns to OSHA Over Proposed Rule to Track Workplace Injuries, Illnesses. The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) is concerned that an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notice of proposed rulemaking "does little to achieve its stated goal of reducing injuries, illnesses and fatalities.
" In a recently submitted statement, the NGFA asks OSHA to withdraw its proposed rule to track workplace injuries and illnesses. 21/03/14: The 9th China (Shanghai) International Starch and Starch Derivatives Exhibition 2014. China International Starch and Starch Derivatives Exhibition has witnessed 8 years of rapid development for China’s starch industry ever since its debut in Shanghai in 2006.
It is the only professional exhibition directly organized by the China Starch Industry Association which focuses on showcasing starch and starch product processing industry. On the 2nd of August 2013, Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International Exhibition Co Ltd (UBM Sinoexpo) acquired China (Shanghai) International Starch & Starch Derivatives Exhibition (Starch Exhibition) and the co-located International Starch Sugar Products Exhibition from Epica and organized the show together from 2014 onwards. Starch Exhibition 2014 will be concurrently held with leading events CPhI China and Food Ingredients Asia, totally covering 200,000 square meters, attracting more than 3,500 exhibitors and 60,000 visits. 21/03/14: GRAPAS Bangkok - April 8-10, 2014. Pre-registered attendees will receive a 'Certificate of Attendance' at the end of the day together with a 2014 subscription to GFMT magazine.
All attendees will receive a copy of the latest edition of the International Milling Directory 2013-14. Managing mill maintenance: Getting your dies and rolls re-worked locally to global standards. 21/03/14: CIC Feeds targets efficient growth with SmartPro™ incubation from Pas Reform. Sri Lanka’s CIC Feeds (Pvt) Ltd. has selected the latest SmartSetPro™ setters and SmartHatchPro™ hatchers, together with a full suite of ventilation, climate control and hatchery automation systems from leading Dutch hatchery technology company Pas Reform, to fasttrack plans for further expansion.
As an integrated poultry company the operations of CIC Feeds Group include the manufacturing of compound feeds, breeder farms, hatchery, broiler farms and processing plant. With plans to expand its breeder business, the company will increase production with a further 400,000 day-old chicks per week, to meet rising demand both in its own broiler farms and for supply to customers.
19/02/14: Event: Cassava World Africa in Lusaka zooms in on commercial opportunities. This year's inaugural Cassava World Africa, organised by the Centre for Management Technology, will showcase the transformation of cassava from a staple food to a commercial crop used in production of flour, beer, feed, starch and as source for bioenergy.
What will the conference involve? His Excellency Honorable Robert K.K. Sichinga, MP & minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Zambia will inaugurate the conference that will focus on‘transforming cassava in Africa into agro-industrial products’. Satake. 18/02/14: Event: Best Practices in Oilseeds, Oils & Fats Processing and Applications. 18/02/14: Difference of opinion about maize prices; improving Africa's food scarcity with chickens; South Australian grain policy.
According to price projections announced by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently, their is a considerable difference of opinion regarding the future prospects of maize (corn) beyond the current marketing year.
Baseline projections released by the USDA suggest that the average farm price of corn will average $3.50 for the next five years. Current futures market analysis however, points to an average farm price between $4.40 and $4.50 over the next four years. Full news available here. In an attempt to improve nutrition and alleviate food scarcity in Africa, animal science faculty members based at Iowa State University, USA are studying the genetic makeup of the country's chickens. Susan Lamont, a distinguished professor of animal science, recently returned from a trip to Africa where plans were established for a project aimed at identifying the genetic mechanisms that strengthen the resistance of chickens to heat and potentially devastating diseases. Full news available here.
17/02/14: HGCA’s tasty way to a healthy heart. HGCA, a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has created a special range of recipes in support of National Heart Month that aims to inspire consumers to include more wholegrain, oats and rapeseed oil as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
HGCA’s consumer marketing campaigns, Wholegrain Goodness, All About Oats and Rapeseed Oil Benefits, aim to raise awareness of the culinary and nutritional benefits of these cerea HGCA’s Wholegrain Goodness campaign recently encouraged consumers to take part in a wholegrain challenge, which generated nearly 500 discussion posts on the social site Mumsnet.com. 14/02/14: Randox Food Diagnostics break into mycotoxins market.
International diagnostics company Randox Food Diagnostics, UK is breaking into a new market announcing the release of its first mycotoxins screening product.
The company already has an extensive range of drug residue screening solutions both on traditional ELISA and its ground-breaking BioChip multiplexing platforms, supplying some of the world’s largest processors. With a myriad of mycotoxins posing risk to consumers, Randox Food Diagnostics selected a niche product for market entry. 14/02/14: VNU signs MoU with FAVA; new pest poses risk to sorghum; innovative student accomodation. The MoU commits the two organisations to share knowledge and expertise relating to the livestock and aquaculture industry.
Full news available here. 11/02/14: Australian food production in trouble; China to improve nutrition; EU divided on GM maize approval. The head of the Australian Milling Group - one of the country's biggest grain milling companies - recently suggested that recent droughts are not only posing a risk to farming families, but to Australia's ability to supply its customers.
"Domestic prices continue to firm which is compromising export margins so it's an extremely tough environment," commented Peter Wilson, chief executive officer. Full news available here. In a notice issued yesterday, China's central government said it will establish systems to guarantee the supply of quality food, and a system aimed at helping people improve their nutrition. The guideline said that although the production capacity of food has been strengthened and people's diet and health has improved, China's food production cannot meet high nutritional demands. 10/02/14: Nanotechnology to protect grain stores; Obama signs food bill; livestock health firm appoints new president. Researchers from the University of Adelaide, South Australia are using a combination of nanotechnology and algae fossils to develop a chemical-free way to protect stored grain from insects. The non-toxic material, which uses the unique properties of single-cell algae, causes insects to dehydrate.
Due to the technology behind the solution, insects are unable to develop resistance. Full news available here. US president Barack Obama recently signed into law an agriculture spending bill that will spread benefits to farmers throughout the country as well as trimming the food stamp program that inspired a two-year battle over the legislation. The bill expands federal crop insurance and ends direct government payments that farmers receive whether they produce anything or not.
Full news available here. Dr. Full news available here. Kepler Weber. Satake. University AgCenter holds clinics for rice farmers - News - Mobile Adv. 1 image. 13/01/14: Events: AFIA/KSU announce two upcoming feed manufacturing short courses. News courtesy of the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) The American Feed Industry Association, in partnership with the International Grains Program of the Department of Grain Science and Industry at Kansas State University will host two education programs - the 'AFIA/KSU Advanced Pelleting Course' and 'Establishing a HACCP Program for the Feed industry' - in February and April this year.
The courses will be held in Manhattan, Kansas, USA. AFIA/KSU Advanced Pelleting Course (10 - 13 February) The course will look at the important concepts necessary for an optimal and efficient pelleting operation system in a feed manufacturing business. The interactive program is ideal for feed mill operators, managers, supervisors, merchandisers, equipment manufacturers, maintenance personnel and managers of livestock, swine and poultry facilities. Establishing a HACCP Program for the Feed Industry (14-17 April) 13/01/14: Guttridge Ltd named one of ‘East Midlands Top 200’ The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the UK's premier business lobbying organisation, has named Guttridge Ltd, a leading UK supplier of bulk materials handling solutions, as one of the ‘East Midlands Top 200’ in a new report commissioned to take the temperature of businesses in the region.
‘East Midlands Top 200: The top 200 fastest growing companies in the East Midlands’ is based on an assessment of data for thousands of companies and provides a unique snapshot of the economic performance of the region, five years on from the financial crisis of 2008. 67 of the top 200 are, like Guttridge, manufacturing companies.