Feed wheat demand in the UK could take a 300,000-mt hit in the wake of the announced closure of the Ensus bioethanol plant, market sources have told Agricensus.

Russian feed production has been increasing for more than two decades, and all forecasts expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future with record-breaking state aid promised to the feed industry by the federal government and many avenues to increase domestic grain production.

As it is practiced today, agriculture is one of the biggest environmental offenders – yet it is necessary for our survival. Agriculture contributes one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, uses 70% of freshwater resources, and harms wildlife through conversion and fragmentation of biodiversity-rich habitats, water diversions, pesticide poisoning and creation of oceanic dead zones.

The yield of many staple crops could be boosted by 40 percent by a new process that adjusts the way they turn sunlight into energy, potentially feeding hundreds of millions of more people, American researchers said on Thursday.

 Japan’s compound and mixed feed production is staying strong, reaching its highest level since 2012-13, as livestock levels hold steady.

South Africa’s livestock industry, recovering from the impact of a recent devastating drought and disease outbreak, is likely to create demand for feed additives thanks to an increasing population, a surge in demand for quality meat products and a spike in consumer spending, especially among the middle class.

 China’s grain output has nearly quintupled over the past 70 years, according to a report from the country’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

This is article that was written by Johan Boshoff-  You can contact him directly to obtain the full report.

Species are going extinct at an unprecedented rate. Wildlife populations have fallen by more than two-thirds over the last 50 years, according to a new report from the World Wildlife Fund.

As consumer demand and regulatory scrutiny further restrict the use of antibiotics in farm animals worldwide, new understanding enabled by gene sequencing-based technologies and a new approach to animal rearing will be crucial.

“The resistance of bacteria against antibiotics is a growing worldwide concern in the field of animal husbandry, and more importantly in human medicine,” observed Dr Mahdi Ghanbari, Scientist at BIOMIN Research Centre.

Industry practitioners face a set of challenges when it comes to maintaining high performing, healthy and profitable animals while using fewer or no antibiotics.

Nutrition and feed additives for prevention
“Nutrition has a crucial function in animal performance as well as in the maintenance of optimal animal health and welfare status. Specialty feed ingredients used in feed and pet food, are pivotal contributors to ensuring adequate nutrition and optimal animal welfare,” noted Joerg Seifert of FEFANA, the EU Association of Specialty Feed Ingredients and their Mixtures.

The effects of novel feed additives such as growth promotion, nutrient quality preservation, mycotoxin mitigation and pathogen prevention, contribute to a preventative approach that reduces the need for antimicrobials.

“A holistic 360-degree approach to antibiotic reduction based on prevention, involves looking at the entire set of factors that can contribute to animal health and performance. This includes management, nutrition, biosecurity, hygiene and health,” explained Nataliya Roth, development scientist at BIOMIN.

“Maintaining animals in optimal health contributes to the prevention of veterinary treatments and connected antibiotic use in livestock production,” added Seifert.

Omics technonew lightlogies to shed 
The rapid advancement of gene sequencing technologies have recently made it possible to investigate a number of related questions regarding antibiotics. This includes the prevalence and transmission of antibiotic resistance, as well as the mode of action of antibiotics and feed additives.

Next generation sequencing (NGS) allows for the analysis of the genome as well as the transcriptome – the expression of all genes – at a given biological moment.

“Novel methods to study antibiotic resistance genes have been developed, enhanced by emerging NGS technologies,” stated Dr Ghanbari.

“It is important to understand the cellular mode of action of AGPs in order to develop suitable alternatives and optimise animal nutrition,” remarked Dr Bertrand Grenier, scientist at BIOMIN Research Centre.

“By using RNA sequencing, we have confirmed that beyond their antimicrobial effect, AGPs interact with the host tissue and modulate the anti-inflammatory response. A more sustainable method of growth promotion would, for example, modulate the same anti-inflammatory response without contributing to antibiotic resistance,” added Dr Grenier.

Recent scientific findings
Several categories of novel feed additives can play a role in an AGP-free or antibiotic-free feeding programme.

“BIOMIN scientists and researchers have evaluated the effects of organic acids-based products, phytogenics and synbiotics on antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes in recent years,” explained Roth.

A minimum criterion for success is that an antibiotic reduction strategy maintains high performance levels and does not contribute to antibiotic resistance (AMR). Fortunately, the latest results suggest that this is achievable.

“Several scientific trials provide the confirmation that replacing antibiotics by novel feed additives provide similar levels of performance while reducing the prevalence of antibiotic resistance,” Roth concluded.

Claas confirms the benefits of feeding bulls with SHREDLAGE ® thanks to scientific research conducted by the Department of Applied Sciences of the University of Osnabrück.

With a growing global population and rising affluence in many regions, the appetite for meat is picking up.

Soybean meal is an excellent protein source for many livestock species and it is currently the most common protein component in compound feed for pigs, poultry and dairy cattle.

Global feed production increased 2.3% in 2021, according to the 11th annual Alltech feed survey, released on Jan. 25.

Agriculture is facing an unprecedented challenge – here are five things we need to change.

There is a big shortfall between the amount of food we produce today and the amount needed to feed everyone in 2050.

Africa’s cattle feed production is a boom-and-bust cycle. Most of the continent’s grazing lands are lush and green in the rainy season, only to wither into dry scrublands in the dry season.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a quarter of the global population “suffer from moderate or severe food insecurity”.

Stronger cattle prices combined with the recent run-up in crop prices aren’t enough to outweigh concerns about the impact high input prices will have on farmers this year and into 2024.