Indian soymeal demand in international market surges

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Volume 7 | Issue 3
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Publisher & Editor
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EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Managing Editor
Dr. T.K. Walli
Former Head,
Dairy Cattle Nutrition, NDRI
Many a time certain media reports project the Indian
Poultry and livestock industry as the major source of
spreading AMR (Antimicrobial Resistance) in human
beings which is largely based on assumptions rather than
scientific facts. India anyway lacks scientific data to prove
such claims. In this issue, we covered different industry
experts to understand the ground realities and how the
industry is preparing to combat the issue. A clear
message that came out of conversation was about
consumer awareness. Please read the cover story on pg 8
to understand expert views.
Last year poultry industry suffered huge losses due to
COVID-19 and its rumors. The industry hardly started to
recover from the losses that bird flu hit the sector. But this
time experts are directly trying to educate the consumer
about the safety of eggs and chicken. Prof. G Devegowda,
well renowned Indian Poultry Expert proactively made an
awareness video that has made rounds on social media
and got 1000+ views in less than 48 hours only on Think
Grain Think Feed pages, and even translated version is
getting played on various organized and unorganized
chicken corners in South India. Another video by Mr.
JagbirDhull, Skylark Hatcheries is also getting spread on
social media. The most interesting act was by Mr. Arun
Madhav of Lotus Farms who put his image with his
daughters eating chicken to give the right message to the
consumers. Then many other players and associations like
IB Group, Venky's, Nandu's chicken, Zorbian Chicken, PFI,
etc. also posted on social media and interacted with
general media to present the real picture. Read pg 27 for
recent information released by Govt. of India.
We hope you enjoy the issue and wish you all a happy
new year!
Prachi Arora
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Consumer awareness
is the key
Dr. Dinesh T. Bhosale
Former Chairman, CLFMA of India
Dr. S.P. Vinil
Poultry Expert
Mr. Amit Sachdev
Indian Representative, US Grain Council
Dr. P.E. Vijay Anand
US Soybean Export Council
Dr. Suhas Amrutkar
Subject Matter Specialist, Animal Nutrition,
MAFSU, Parbhani
Dr. SN Mohanty
Former Principal Scientist, CIFA
Dr. Meeta Punjabi Mehta
Agricultural Economist
Raghavan Sampath Kumar
Commodity Expert
Dr. Swamy Haladi
Feed Additive Expert
Dr. R Gnana Sekar
Lead Consultant, GS Dairy Farm Consulting
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Assistant Professor, Dept. of ILFC,
SKUAST-J, Jammu
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Think Grain Think Feed is a monthly magazine published by BENISON Media at its office in Karnal. Editorial
policy is independent. Views expressed by authors are not necessarily those held by the editors. The
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R&D
05
COVER STORY
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 3 | Jan 2021
Monthly Magazine for Feed Technology
ARTICLE
INDUSTRY NEWS
Novus partners with biotech innovator
Agrivida to bring innovative technology
to the market
Indian soymeal demand in
international market
06
08
13
14
MARKET PROJECTION
Expert views on Antimicrobial
Resistance (AMR)
Lower world ending
stocks for Corn
Benefits of feeding Urea Molasses Mineral Block as a
feed supplement to ruminants and the precautions
to be taken in its use.
Nutritional Intervention to Address
Antimicrobial Resistance in Poultry Birds
18
26
28
Joint efforts of farmers and private investors can
change the fate of Indian Agriculture – Learning
from Indian Poultry industry
India's Maize Exports at
Six-Year High

05
R&D
Novus International, Inc., a
global leader in nutrition and
health solutions for the
animal agriculture industry,
announced plans to redefine
its business through an
enhanced focus on gut health
and innovation. The Missouri-
based company is making
good on its strategy with a
new partnership.
“Novus and its Board of
Directors are very excited to
announce the partnership
with Agrivida,” said Novus
CEO and President Dan
Meagher. “Agrivida's novel
and innovative technology
allows for the delivery of feed
additives in a completely
unique and very sustainable
way – directly inside of the
grain. It is technology like this
that will further show Novus's
commitment to our
customers: to help them
produce wholesome,
affordable food in an efficient
and sustainable way.”
Agrivida, a privately held
biotechnology company
based in Massachusetts, was
founded in 2003 by scientists
from MIT who discovered a
way to incorporate feed
additives directly into corn
grown for production animals.
By having the additive inside
of the grain, the molecules
are more efficiently absorbed,
and producers can improve
both animal performance
and their bottom line.
The partnership combines
Novus's nearly 30 years of
research, sales and
marketing experience with
Agrivida's unique
technology, allowing both
companies to grow the
customer base as well as
explore new innovative
products and solutions
through R&D collaboration.
Rajiv Singh, CEO of Agrivida,
echoed Meagher's
enthusiasm about the
partnership: “The Agrivida
team has been undertaking
ground breaking work in
biotechnology innovations to
express functional proteins in
grain. That work has led to
the development of a
sustainable production
platform with application
potential for many types of
feed additives, and we are
thrilled to partner with
Novus, an organization that
shares our commitment to
improving the world of
animal health and nutrition
through new technologies.”
Meagher adds, “We believe
our customers value
innovative, sustainable
solutions to their challenges
that also improve their cost
position, and they will be
eager to integrate a novel
technology that delivers
these advantages. We look
forward to bringing this
technology to customers and
having them join us on the
journey to continue
transforming our industry.”
Novus is making Agrivida
products available to its
customers in the U.S.
immediately while
registration is underway to
expand to other countries.
Source: Novus
Novus partners with
biotech innovator Agrivida
to bring innovative technology
to the market

06
INDUSTRY NEWS
Indian soya bean meal
exports have touched
around 6-7 lakh tonne until
December 2020 and is
likely to cross around 12-14
lakh tonne in the 2020-21
(October-September)
season, senior industry
officials said. DN Pathak,
SOPA executive director,
pointed out that there had
been a robust demand for
Indian soya bean meal.
Soybean meal export prices
are attractive at around
$520 per tonne and Rs
36,300 per tonne, industry
officials said. Typically,
price of the Indian soya
meal variety is higher than
the international ones, but
this year India has an
advantage in exporting
more as the recent global
rally in soybean prices has
made Indian soya meal
competitive. In November,
India's soya meal exports
surged 144% on year to
200,000 tonne due to a
revival in demand, led by
opening up of economies
across the globe, observed
SOPA.
The United States
Department of Agriculture
(USDA) has reduced India's
crop estimate to 90 lakh
tonne versus earlier
estimate of 114 lakh tonne.
Lowering of India's soya
bean production estimate
by nearly 20% had added
fuel to the bullish
sentiments and a bullish
year for soya bean is
expected during the
greater part of 2021,
industry experts said.
Significantly, the US has
turned out to be India's
biggest soya meal buyer.
Soya meal exports to the
US increased 19.5% in the
first half of the current
fiscal year to 1.31 lakh
tonne against 1.10 lakh
tonne during the year-ago
period. Overall, oil meal
exports to the US recorded
highest growth among
importing nations.
Among other countries,
Taiwan and Vietnam
registered 15.17 % and
14.26 % increase,
respectively, in Indian
oilmeal imports during the
period. Soya meal export
growth was a meagre 0.11
% or 11,000 tonne in the
first half of the fiscal year
compared to 6% growth in
overall oilmeal shipments.
According to BV Mehta,
executive director, Solvent
Extractors' Association of
India (SEA), Indian soya
meal is given priority in the
US since it needs non-GM
soybean.
“Barely 5% of the soya
bean crop in the US is non-
GM and those who want
non-GM soy products there
have to pay a premium.
That's the reason way the
Indian soya meal is
competitive,” he said. SOPA
chairman Davish Jain had
earlier stated that US had
emerged as the biggest
buyer of such specialised
soya meal and its demand
was growing.
Source: financialexpress
Indian soymeal demand in
international market
Image
Source:
investing

COVER STORY
08
Many a time certain media reports project the Indian Poultry and livestock industry as the
major source of spreading AMR in human beings which is largely based on assumptions
rather than scientific facts. Such claims may be based on inaccurate estimates or
inappropriate methods or extrapolating a narrow database whereas ground realities is quite
different. Still, as a responsible industry, we are working towards the AMR-NAP intervention
plan 2017-21 to combat this issue. Think Grain Think Feed virtually interacted with various
experts to know their opinion on the subject. Please read the excerpts below:
Dr. V. Ramasubramanian, Infectious Disease Expert, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai quoted Dr
Stuart B. Levy (Pioneer on Antibiotic Resistance), “Antibiotic resistance is inevitable”. When
you start using antibiotics it is just a matter of time when antibiotic resistance starts
emerging.
A bug that is resistant to one antibiotic is likely to develop resistance to others. When
antibiotics is used on one person, the entire community gets affected as it changes the gut
microbiome and the resistant bacteria is transmitted one to another through plasmids and
Expert views on Antimicrobial
Resistance (AMR)
Dr. V. Ramasubramanian
Image
Source:
biomerieux

can get into the community.
“Till now it was believed that
antibiotic is connected only
to human use while recently
it is found that 75% of the
usage of global antibiotic is
in the non-human arena i.e.,
poultry, sericulture, fish,
meat, pork producing farms
where maximum usage of
antibiotic is observed,” said
the human expert with more
than three decades of
experience.
Antimicrobial resistance is
one of the major health
challenges of the current
century. We lack sufficient
data on the use of antibiotics
in Indian food animals.
“A massive awareness drive
should be conducted among
addresses the important
policy and regulatory issues
in relation to antibiotic use.
Though there are many
challenges AMR being a very
complex issue with the
involvement of many
stakeholders, there has been
a continued effort across the
sectors to create awareness
and to rationalize the use of
antibiotics.
“Govt of India has
implemented a few stringent
regulations to minimize the
use of antibiotics including
enforcement of Schedule H1
categorization for all-
important antibiotics,
restriction on animal use of
critically important antibiotic
Colistin etc. There have been
on-going efforts from
organizations like ICMR,
ICAR on disease surveillance
and to create a
comprehensive database on
the prevalence of AMR
infections,” said Dr Arun
Atrey, INFAH.
Further mentioning on the
role of INFAH, he said the
association has been
supporting the 'One Health
approach' and actively
participating with scientists,
institutes, and organizations
like IVRI, FAO, DAHD, FSSAI,
IAAVR to create awareness
for Judicious use of
Antibiotics.
“With the increased
awareness within the
concerned departments and
consistent pursuance of
INFAH, a separate veterinary
division was established at
CDSCO in 2018 for the
regulation of veterinary
drugs & biologicals. INFAH is
closely working with the
authorities for formulating
specific regulatory processes
& guidelines applicable to
animal healthcare products,”
he added.
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal
Husbandry & Dairying is the
competent authority that
outlines the standards &
guidelines of feed additives.
Currently, FSSAI is also in the
process of framing out
policies & guidelines for the
regulation of Animal Feed &
Feed Additives. INFAH is
closely working with FSSAI
for the formulation of the
new regulations.
“The NAP is based on one
health approach, which is the
need of the hour. Priority
should be given to regular
vaccinations of meat and
Dr. Ani Bency Jacob
Dr Arun Atrey
the poultry, dairy and swine
farmers along with
veterinarians on the issue,”
said Dr Ani Bency Jacob,
Animal Nutritionist, Ministry
of Fisheries, Animal
Husbandry and Dairying,
Government of India.
The Indian NAP for AMR is a
well-designed
comprehensive plan that
National Action Plan
FSSAI is also in the process of
framing out policies &
guidelines for the regulation
of Animal Feed & Feed Additives
“
09

milch animals, which would
reduce the frequency of
incidence of diseases and
thereby use of antibiotics,”
said Dr Ani.
Medicated feed additives
play a very important role in
controlling many infectious
diseases in animals and also
to produce safe food for
humans. Animals require an
appropriate method of
providing the desired AGPs
for their better growth so
that they can help improve
productivity & provide the
best quality of food, milk,
and other secondary
products. The Animal Health
industry is currently focusing
on biosecurity solutions,
vaccinations, and the use of
suitable alternatives like
Probiotics, organic acid, etc.
to reduce the use of
antibiotics in farm animals to
the extent possible.
“It is worth noting that the
total withdrawal of these
effective representatives of
feed additives may lead to
the enhanced use of
prescribed antimicrobial
drugs for treatment which
might raise complexities with
possible loss of production
as well as economic returns
for the farmer, as
experienced in many
countries,” said Dr Atrey.
INFAH stated many scientific
reviews have concluded that
antibiotics used in humans is
one of the major driving
forces behind the antibiotic
resistance problems
encountered in human
drugs. The practice of
feeding low levels of
antibiotics to food-
producing animals poses no
immediate or imminent
threat to human health.
Many Antibiotics used in
animal feed are not critically
important antibiotics and
some of them are exclusive
for veterinary use.
In addressing issues such as
AMR, it must recognize that
the drivers for this complex
issue lie across domains
encompassing human health,
animal health, environment,
fisheries, and water
sanitation, hence can only be
resolved through
intersectoral Action Plans,
which are the cornerstone
for action by the State. Such
Action Plans are the starting
point for the implementation
of control strategies and
these action plans have to
identify all the relevant
stakeholders followed by the
mapping of available
infrastructure and
capabilities of these
stakeholders to arrive at a
tangible One Health Action
Kerala – first state to
address the issue
Plan.
In India although health is a
state subject and individual
states can formulate
decisively actions only very
few states have developed a
Strategic Action Plan based
on National Action Plan
against this silent pandemic.
Kerala was the first state in
the country to have ramped
up efforts to control AMR,
and this plan was guided by
WHO and was launched by
the Chief Minister of Kerala
in October 2018. The state
plan is called Kerala AMR
Strategic Action Plan
(KARSAP) and has been
operationalized through a
One Health response which
was formulated under the
leadership of the Health
Minister Ms K K Shylaja.
“In the first year of
implementation of KSRSAP
the focus was on improving
Awareness & Understanding
AMR and start some AMR
surveillance systems. The
extension & training wing of
the Livestock Management
Training Centres (LMTCs)
located across various
districts of Kerala. Each of
these centres trains around
10
COVER STORY
these action plans have to
identify all the relevant stakeholders
followed by the mapping of
available infrastructure and
capabilities of these stakeholders
to arrive at a tangible
One Health Action Plan.
“

G. Devegowda
11
200 farmers every month.
The Kerala State Veterinary
Council the statutory
registration body controlling
veterinary practice is now
conducting the Continuing
Veterinary Education (CVE)
program for Veterinarians on
AMR. The Veterinary
University has AMR included
in its curriculum with an aim
to improve the
understanding of AMR and
promote prudent use of
antibiotics,” said Dr. Robin
Paul, Public Health, State
Veterinary Department,
Kerala.
“Regarding Surveillance, the
Veterinary Department has
completed staff training to
the lab personnel of
microbiology divisions on
WHO-NET, an Information
System for Monitoring
Antimicrobial Resistance.
These labs are now doing
AMR surveillance in Animals
and Foods with an aim to
develop baseline data on
AMR in Kerala, based on this
baseline information further
AMR control strategies are to
be developed,” he added.
“Although some work on
tackling AMR has started,
but still, Kerala has a lot of
work to do like the lack of
details of Antimicrobial
Usage (AMU) and molecular
epidemiological data on the
full spectrum of Antibiotic-
Resistant Genes (ARGs) will
impact the ability to interpret
prevalence/surveillance data
on AMR when they are
available. The absence of
regulatory compliance on
the existing weak regulations
for feed safety and poor
stakeholder awareness
further complicates the
issue,” he further added.
During a virtual interaction,
Prof. G Devegowda,
Updating medical
professional
Dr. Robin Paul
renowned Poultry expert for
more than 4 decades and
President of Veterinarians of
Poultry industry based in
Bangalore also updated Dr
Ramasubramanian about the
present scenario of the
Indian Poultry Industry which
is quite different from
previous decade or so.
“Nearly 30-40% of the
producers are not using
antibiotics but using
alternatives to antibiotics –
like organic acids, probiotics,
enzymes, etc. Two years
back, when FSSAI lied down
guidance for antibiotic usage
in all animals including
poultry, it clearly mentioned
permitted and non-
permitted antibiotics and
also laid down the maximum
residual limit of antibiotics if
at all it is to be used in case
of disease outbreak.
Whenever there is a disease
outbreak, we use antibiotic
but we withdraw at a certain
period under the guidance of
qualified veterinarian,” said
Dr Devegowda.
“Due to good quality of
produced products, India is
able to export egg powder
to Japan some European
countries like Germany,” he
added.
“Even many Quick Service
Restaurants in India like KFC,
McDonald, Dominos, etc.
specify their requirement of
antibiotic-free eggs and
chicken. Nearly 80% of
poultry production under the
organized sector providing
sanitized water, sterilized feed
“Every gram of broiler or layer
feed produced in India is designed
under supervision of qualified
nutritionist

12
along with good biosecurity
measures due to which
bacterial load drastically come
down,” he added.
The poultry expert agreed
that 20 years ago antibiotics
was used in poultry as growth
promoters but now due to
better awareness among
producers and consumers for
antibiotic-free chicken and
eggs, the scenario is
completely different now.
Hence it is assured that egg
and chicken produced in India
is antibiotic-residue-free
though not antibiotic-free.
Mr. OP Singh, Poultry
entrepreneur with more than
3 decades of experience also
participated in the virtual
meeting to present scientific
facts among the human
expert. When he asked
various authorities like ICMR
and FSSAI about the residue
that one can accumulate from
per capita consumption of 5
kg chicken per annum,
nobody could answer.
“Every gram of broiler or layer
feed produced in India is
designed under supervision
of qualified nutritionist.
Chances of error in chicken
industry is very rare. The
quality of feed fed to chicken
is far better in quality
nutrition and balance than
human food. Biosecurity
plans implemented at various
levels in breeding farm is far
better than living standards of
villages etc. where most of
population is living in,” he said
while assuring about safe
chicken and egg production
in India.
Moreover, as per CDSCO data,
48% of antibiotic are freely
sold from medical stores
without prescription. Then
how it is justified to focus on
industry which is farmer
oriented. Risk is much more in
case of human as it is highly
unorganized in terms of
consumption of antibiotics,
hygiene and sanitization,
conductance of the antibiotic
delivery mechanism.
Mr. Singh added commodities
like water, food crop (grains,
pulses) etc. are also not
regulated. Even hospital born
disease resistance issues data
is also not available with
government of India.
“I believe western world is
trying to target Indian poultry
industry which is growing by
leaps and bounces and
threatening their existence on
cost of production. We are
surely going to compete in
global trade with our scale of
production and existence,” he
added.
Mr. Singh opined that all
scientist should work on
National Action Plan which is
comprehensive in countering
the challenge instead
targeting an industry which is
already practicing sizeable
ethical production process.
After listening to both Poultry
experts, Dr Ramasubramanian
shared the concern is the
impact that is faced on a
regular basis when several
patients lose their life due to
AMR issues.
“India has various laws but
the problem is the
enforcement of the laws. It is
the question of hygiene and
sanitation. Use of over-the-
counter antibiotics. Human is
also a huge contributor to it.
We are not looking at
antibiotic residues which end
up in human plate but at
antibiotic-resistant bacteria
which may be found in fish,
chicken or even vegetables
consumed by human and
then change their
microbiome. Legislation and
enforcement of rules is the
only way to minimize or
control this issue,” he added.
He concluded while saying
that it is the responsibility of
every citizen of India to use
antibiotic appropriately.
Dr Devegowda suggested
having more regular
interaction with medical
professionals to avoid such
confusion about poultry,
dairy, and other livestock
products. This would help us
to send the right message to
the general public and also
mass media.
Legislation is the only way
COVER STORY
“Nearly 30-
40% of the
producers are not
using antibiotics
but using
alternatives
OP Singh

07
13
A demand driven rally and
supply issues with South
American/Black Sea origin
took corn market higher.
Rally was also brought out
by the WASDE report, as
corn yield was lowered to
10.794 MT/Hac, corn
production down at 360.25
MMT. Overall US corn ending
stocks are expected at 39.4
MMT, lowest in many years
and lower than 2015/16.
Production in Argentina and
Brazil cut by 2.5 MMT in all.
Overall global crop was
reduced by 9.6 MMT, which
added fuel to fire. Overall
world ending stocks were
lowered by 5.2 MMT. China
export increased by another
1 MMT to 17.5 MMT.
US corn on exchange moved
up by $14/MT against last
week. As on 15 Jan 2020, US
corn for Mar closed at
$209.2/MT; May $210.46/MT
and Jul $209.43/MT. FOB
prices moved up as well,
likewise. FOB prices at US
Gulf indicated at $254-
248/MT and PNW at $272-
265/MT for the period Feb-
Apr 2021. Brazilian corn was
indicated at $277/MT, up
$10/MT against last week,
and also Black Sea origin
corn up $10/MT at $257/MT.
The export limits set by
Argentina; Russia putting
export tax on Barley and corn
at Euro 15 and Euro 25.MT
respectively from 15 Mar
2021 also aided the upward
market movement. Ukraine
too has asked the
government to limit exports
to 22 MMT, to avoid shortage
for animal feed.
Sorghum continues to find a
market in China and exports
are expected to be 7.36 MMT.
Sorghum production in US is
increased to 9.475 MMT.
Sorghum price on FOB basis
(Texas) was up by $16/MT at
$332/MT. Australian Barley
prices were reported p by
$5/MT at $230/MT on FOB
basis and Russian Barley up
$21/MT at $241/MT.
US DDGS prices remain
higher as production remains
low. Prices on FOB basis (US
Gulf) indicated at $320-
318/MT, up $18/MT; prices at
PNW on FOB basis indicated
up $12/MT at $313-311/MT.
Protein for animal feed is
expensive and countries
continue to import as there is
a need. CNF prices to Vietnam
were up $20/MT at $354-
357/MT. The demand for
CGM is up, leading to
increased prices, which
reached a peak of $770/MT
(FOB), added $84/MT to last
week’s prices. CGF prices also
were up by $45/MT at
$275/MT.
Internal freight rates as well
and international container
freight rates remain high,
leading to higher delivered
prices.
Lower world ending
stocks for Corn
Amit Sachdeva, U.S. Grains Council
MARKET PROJECTION

14
Introduction
The production of livestock is an integral part of farming systems. The principal forages used
in India for feeding livestock are crop residues and dry grasses. These crop residues are low
ARTICLE
Benefits of feeding Urea
Molasses Mineral Block as a
feed supplement to ruminants
and the precautions to be taken
in its use.
Amir Amin Sheikh
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu

in nitrogen, minerals,
vitamins, high in fiber and
lignin, low in digestibility and
thereby,limiting its intake by
the animals. Feeding of such
lowgrade feeds as the major
part of ruminant diet result
in low nutrient intake and
thus, in the low productivity
in animals.The performance
of the animals on such diets
results often in sub-optimal
performance, which is
reflected in sluggish growth,
delayed maturation, longer
inter-calving periods and
poor milk yield. Strategic
nutrient supplementation is
essential in this scenario to
improve the use of these
poorquality roughages.
Considering the availability
and price of concentrate
mixture, poor farmers can
hardly afford them. To
overcome this limitation,
animal nutritionists across
the world have shown that
the nutritional value of crop
residues can be enhanced if
it is complemented by
deficient nutrients (Makkar,
2002).
The Urea Molasses Mineral
Block (UMMB) was
developed at NDDB (1983)
and has been further
enhanced at IVRI (Garg et al.,
1998). Supplementation of
Urea Molasses Mineral Block
(UMMB) can show promising
effects on improving the use
of nutrients and also the
productivity of animals
(Prasad et al., 2001). UMMB
supplementation can
increase feed digestibility by
up to 20 percent, increase
the nutrients received by
animals, and increase feed
intake by 25 to 30 percent
(ESGPIP, 2007). It can be fed
throughout the year, but
during the dry season or
when the animals graze low-
quality fodder, they are more
beneficial. Liquid
supplements based on
molasses with added
nitrogen, minerals and
vitamins have recently been
shown to improve growth
rate and reproductive
performance in cattle as
another approach to increase
nutrient utilization. The
benefits for feeding UMMB
are:
a) Safe and uniform
micronutrient delivery
vehicle
b) Safe delivery Vehicle for
NPN
c) Increase NPN utilization
d) Vehicle for delivery of
molasses or fermentable
rumen carbohydrates to
rumen microbes
e) Reduce dustiness of
concentrate feed
f) Reduce feed sorting
g) Increase the feed intake
as a whole and
enhanced palatability
Urea-molasses-mineral block
(UMMB) is a strategic feed
supplement for ruminants
that promote the growth of
rumen microbes throughout
the day with a constant
source of fermentable
nitrogen. UMMB
supplementation
significantly increases feed
intake, milk yield, and growth
rate and is, therefore, a cost-
effective approach in
maximizing the use of locally
available feed resources for
increased productivity.
UMMB provides fermentable
nitrogen, energy, and
minerals intermittently
through licking, which is
necessary for optimum
microbial growth. Microbial
protein can add 30-40 % of
an animal's crude protein
requirement. UMMB
supplementation in the
ration is quite beneficial,
especially when fed crop-
residue-based diets, as
ruminants, can produce
microbial protein from non-
protein nitrogen.
15

Molasses is noted for its
sugar content and sugars
usually contribute 60-65% of
the solids in sugarcane
molasses. Increasing the rate
of carbohydrate
fermentation could result in
more effective capture of
rumen degradable protein
and improved supply of
metabolizable protein to the
dairy animals. Urea is a non-
protein nitrogen compound;
the nitrogen portion of urea
is used as the building block
for the production of protein
by rumen microbes. Most
urea contains about 46%
nitrogen and protein
contains 16% nitrogen.
Therefore, when urea is
converted to protein, the
crude protein equivalent
value of urea is about 281%.
Urea contains no other
useful feed component such
as energy, minerals, or
vitamins. Ruminant, through
rumen microbial agency
convert urea to the protein
via ammonia and carbon
dioxide obtained from the
degradation of soluble
carbohydrates. The
excessammonia released
from urea is transported to
liver, where it is reconverted
to urea to get it detoxified
and then excreted out
through urine.
Composition of UMMB
UMMB is made from various
ingredients, each of which in
the mixture has its own
contribution. In general, it
consists of Molasses, Urea,
Mineral mixture, Salt, Calcite
Powder, Bentonite,
Cottonseed meal, Deoiled
mahua seed cake, Wheat
bran, and crushed maize. The
composition of the Urea
Molasses Mineral Block is
given below. The
composition may vary
according to the availability
of feed ingredients.
Precautions while
supplementing UMMB
·
Feed to ruminants only
(sheep, goats, and
cattle).
·
Do not feed to
monogastric animals i.e.,
horses, donkeys, or pigs.
·
Do not feed to young
ruminants less than six
months of age (kids,
lambs).
·
Blocks should be used
as a supplement and not
as the basic ration.
· A minimum of coarse
forage in the rumen is
essential.
· Never give blocks to
an emaciated animal
with an empty stomach.
There is a risk of
poisoning due to
excessive consumption.
· The quantity of blocks
fed to sheep and goats
should be limited to 100
grams/day while for
cattle it should be
limited to 500-700
grams/day.
· The blocks should
never be supplied in
ground form or
dissolved in water as this
can result in over
consumption
· Supply sufficient
amount of water ad-lib.
References are available upon request
ARTICLE
Ingredients Example I Example II
Molasses 45 % 40 %
Urea 15 % 5 %
Mineral mixture 15 % 3 %
Salt 8 % 2 %
Calcite powder 4 % -
Bentonite 3 % -
Cotton seed meal 10 % -
Deoiled mahua seed cake - 10 %
Wheat bran - 20 %
Crushed maize - 20 %
16

ARTICLE
18
Antimicrobial products used in animal food production helps to treat infectious causes, and
as well as for growth of promotional purposes. It increases the exposure of bacteria to
antibiotics and increases the chances of developing antimicrobial resistance over time.
Resistance to antimicrobials is a serious global health issue. European Union banned the
usage of antibiotics as growth promoters from 2006, and a few Asian countries followed such
a ban. A great awareness started building up amongst the public on this front. So, the food
animal producers in countries like the US voluntarily started withdrawing the usage of
Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGPs) while using manage mental measures and alternative
products to AGPs.
The objectives of antibiotic-free (ABF) chicken production ensure the consumers that the
chicken is free from antibiotic residues & antibiotic resistance and addresses chicken &
human health awareness. The measures that are recommended by Kemin in ABF chicken
production include – hatchery hygiene, biosecurity, cleaning and disinfection of farms,
sanitized water, feed mill hygiene, and nutritional measures that include the usage of
alternatives to AGPs.
Nutritional Measures to Reduce Anti-microbial Resistance
Dr Partha Das
Head-Technical, Kemin Industries South Asia Pvt. Ltd.
Nutritional Intervention
to Address Antimicrobial
Resistance in Poultry Birds
Nutritional Intervention
to Address Antimicrobial
Resistance in Poultry Birds
Image
Source:
WIRED

19
There are several principles
and school of thoughts that
can control anti-microbial
resistance (AMR) in chicken.
Some of the important areas
to consider under nutritional
perspective are as below.
A) Ensure a stable and
healthy gut ecosystem
in chicken
B) Effective immune status
of birds
C) Reduction of systemic
infections or challenges
D) Control of oxidative
status in birds
physiological system
E) Maintain a well-
balanced
neuroendocrine system
F) Optimal digestion and
absorption in gut
G) Secure strong intestinal
barrier to reduce
bacterial challenges
Maintaining all the above
factors will support ABF
chicken production and
eliminate AMR development
without ill effects on animal
productivity.
Nutritional Programs to
Successfully Address AMR
in Chicken
1. Raw material Quality
Control:
Manufacturing poultry feed
without antibiotics may
harness several diseases, and
this may aggravate if we
compromise with safety and
quality of raw materials in
terms of pathogen load and
nutrient levels. The raw
materials presumably should
be of vegetable origin to
avoid unnecessary risk due
to bacterial contamination,
like E. coli, Salmonella,
Clostridium, etc. Mold and
toxin levels of microbes,
mold & pesticides should be
below standard or within
accepted levels. Regular raw
material checking for rodent
or insect infestation as well
as physical appearance
eventually control its safety
and nutrient levels, and it
should comply with standard
permissible limits.
Adulteration level and anti-
nutritional factors of raw
materials should be within
the standard limits. Itavoids
large variation in nutrient
levels and ensures the health
safety of birds. Rancidity
parameters of raw materials
like oils, rice polish, etc.,
should be regularly
assessed since rancidity has
a direct correlation with
nutrient loss and gut health.
All raw materials should be
routinely screened to check
the nutrient variation, and
procurement should be
followed for raw materials
with minimum variation.
Proper storage of raw
materials and finished feed
avoids higher nutrient loss,
rancidity, pathogen, insect,
mold, or mycotoxin
contamination. The quality
inspection orthe quality
audit must be routinely
followed for all raw
materials and finished feed
to comply with standard
guidelines.
2. Raw Material Selection:
Gut viscosity and digesta
flow are two important
criteria that regulate the
development of the
intestine, gut motility, rate
of nutrient absorption as
well as maintain healthy
microbiota in the intestine.
High digesta viscosity may
have a negative role on the
above physiological
conditions. Addition of a
high level of non-starch
polysaccharides (NSPs') to
chicken diets through higher
inclusion of raw materials

ARTICLE
20
rich in NSP, i.e., wheat, rye,
etc., leads to increased gut
viscosity and reduced
nutrient absorption,
particularly saturated fats.
Hence raw materials that
hold good for optimum gut
viscosity will ensure better
digestion and minimum
nutrient wastage. Raw
materials with a high level
of soluble NSPs' and non-
degradable substrates
should have restricted
usage in feed formulations.
Also, the use of broad
spectrum NSPase enzyme
and biosurfactants have
been shown to positively
affect gut viscosity and
improve digestion &
nutrient absorption. Certain
raw materials with a high
level of nutrient variation
like dried distillers grains
with solubles (DDGS), rice
gluten, wheat, deoiled cakes
(DOC) should be carefully
used by considering more
accurate nutrient values.
3. Ensure Healthy Gut
Ecosystem and Prevent
Intestinal Inflammation:
Birds' gut as well as enteric
system subjects to several
challenges and infections
once the birds are under
stress. Factors such as
stress, pathogen, feed
contaminants can loosen
the intercellular tight
junctions of the intestine
leading to a syndrome
called leaky gut. A leaky gut
facilitates the bacterial
pathogens & toxins to pass
in between the epithelial
cells leading to cellular
damage and intestinal
inflammation. Providing
broad-spectrum probiotics
warrant better gut integrity
and a healthy gut
ecosystem. Gut acidifiers
will maintain the required
gut pH and enhanced
enzymatic secretions.
Vitamin C and organic
chromium ensures better
glucose metabolism, reduce
stress, and oxidative
damage to the tissues.
Butyrates increase the
absorptive surface area of
enterocytes and enhances
nutrient absorption.
Prebiotics effectively
stimulate the gut
ecosystem, gut health, and
immune status of birds.
4. Nutrient Level
Optimization of Diets:
Birds need sufficient
nutrient levels to support
maintenance and
production demands and
fulfill requirements during
stress conditions and
immunosuppression.
Formulations need to be
considered based on the
digestible amino acids and
ideal protein concept, rather
than crude protein to
reduce protein wastage,
litter borne disease and
body heat. Excess amino
acids and protein should be
avoided to ensure better
nutrient balance and
uptake. Provision of buffer
nutrients like metabolizable
energy (ME), macro and
micronutrients, and salts
may effectively reduce
stress or
immunosuppression. A
good quality fat level
increases during summer
stress to reduce body heat
increment and benefit the
extra calorific value of oil.
Consider broad-spectrum
enzyme application
covering maximum
substrate (multi NSPase,
carbohydrase,
multiprotease) to ensure
better digestion, absorption,
and bird performance.
5. Maintain Superior
Immune Statusof Birds:
Intensive farming conditions
laid the importance of
maintaining the strong
immunity in birds
throughout the life cycle.
Optimal nutrition plays a
pivotal role in minimizing the
incidence of disease by
enhancing immunity.
Essential amino acids like
arginine, threonine, valine,
and glutamine are known to
have a role in
immunomodulation. Ensure
that these requirements are
fulfilled conditionally.
Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin
D3 aid in developing
immunity. Also, among the
trace minerals, zinc,
manganese, and selenium
have a positive effect on
immunomodulation, wherein
additional supplementation
of 10 to 15 % might be
crucial. Better electrolyte
balance in the body is
important for better osmotic
regulation and transport of

21
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2021
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to participate in an online Indian Feed Survey and
share your opinion on the industry trends and
challenges.
The compiled report will be published in upcoming
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To participate write us at prachi.a@benisonmedia.com
or call at +91 184 4047817.
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essential nutrients, which
eventually support a strong
immune system and
optimum feed intake.
Additives like the
combination of organic
chromium and vitamin C and
beta-glucans help in
facilitating better immunity
levels in birds.
6. Feed Plant Process and
Quality Control:
Maintaining standard
guidelines for feed
processing is vital to
maintain uniform quality
feed and bird productivity.
Factors like proper grinding,
mixing, steam conditioning,
starch gelatinization,
pelleting, optimum pellet
durability index (PDI), and
particle size, etc., play a
pivotal role in ensuring
quality feed and superior
bird performance. Optimum
particle size distribution in
feed has a positive effect on
the gizzard function, nutrient
absorption, sustained digesta
flow, and better bird
productivity.
Summary
Nutritional intervention plays
a critical role in allowing
farmers and veterinarians to
reduce the usage of AGPs.
Alternative products to AGPs
are employed primarily for
promoting growth and
infection prevention, with
fewer options available for
treatment. In addition to the
nutritional measures, we
need to focus on
management strategies
including biosecurity, water
management, vaccination for
prevailing diseases, and
regular disinfection. Further,
complement the effects by
reducing the risk of
pathogens being introduced
and spreading in the herd or
flock.
References will be available on request.

22
Mexico to confirm if GM corn
ban applies for livestock feed
Mexico's main agricultural
lobby on Saturday criticized
the government's decision to
ban genetically modified
corn, while organic growers
hailed the move that should
protect smaller farmers.
Mexico will “revoke and
refrain from granting permits
for the release of genetically
modified corn seeds into the
environment,” stated a
decree issued in early
January, which also
mandated the phase out of
GMO corn imports by 2024.
Proponents of GMO corn say
the ban on domestic
cultivation would limit the
options of Mexican farmers,
while phasing out its
importation could imperil
the food chain.
“The lack of access to
production options puts us
at a disadvantage compared
to our competitors, such as
corn farmers in the United
States,” said Laura Tamayo,
spokeswoman for Mexico's
National Farm Council.
“On the other hand, the
import of genetically
modified grain from the U.S.
is essential for many
products in the agrifood
chain,” added Tamayo, also a
regional corporate director
for Bayer, whose
agrochemical unit Monsanto
makes weedkiller Roundup
and the GMO corn designed
to survive application of the
pesticide.
Opponents of GMO crops
say they contaminate age-
old native varieties of corn
and encourage the use of
dangerous pesticides that
endanger public health and
harm biodiversity.
Mexico is largely self-
sufficient in white corn used
to make the country's staple
tortillas, but depends on
imports of mostly GMO
yellow corn from the United
States for livestock feed. It
was unclear whether the
decree will phase out
imported GMO corn for
livestock, or whether the
rules will only apply to corn
grown for human
consumption.
As per USDA data, the
country has been second
largest importer of GM Corn.
The rules mandate a phase
out by 2024 of the use of the
herbicide glyphosate, used in
Roundup, the same year that
Mexican President Andres
Manuel Lopez Obrador
leaves office.
Source: Reuters
Image
Source:
Eat
Local
Grown
INDUSTRY NEWS

23
African swine fever case
in Manipur
Last year, the African swine
fever killed many pigs in
Assam, subsequently the
import of the animal was
prohibited in Manipur.
The contagious African
Swine Fever (ASF) has been
reported in Manipur, said
officials, assuring that the
situation is under control.
Director of state veterinary
and Animal husbandry Dr
Chaoba Singh said that the
disease has been detected in
the Salungpham area in
Thoubal district and
NongmaichingChingkhong
(Wakha) area in Imphal East
district.
“So, the said areas have been
sealed and sanitised. One km
radius of the area has also
been contained to prevent
further spread of the
disease,” Dr Chaoba said.
“The surveillance is going on
within 10 km radius of the
areas too.”
Singh suspected the illegal
import of pigs as the reason
behind the disease. Last year,
the ASF killed many pigs in
Assam, subsequently the
import of the animal was
prohibited in Manipur.
Meanwhile the district
administration of Thoubal in
its order issued on January 2,
under the Prevention and
Control of Infectious
Contagious Diseases in
Animals Act 2009, notified
“controlled areas” for ASF at
Kangyambem, Lokchao,
SalungphamMamangLeikai.
At the same time, Imphal
East District administration
in its order on January 4,
declared a piggery farm as
“infected premises” at
NongmaichingChingkhong
(Wakha) area in the district.
The district administrations
also banned sale of pig,
pork, feed and related items
in these “controlled area”
and “infected zones” apart
from restricting the
movement of pig from the
place where it is kept within
the above area and zone,
the orders said.
“Any person/institution/
organisation found violating
any of those containment
measures shall be deemed
to have committed an
offence punishable under
the Act,” it said.
ASF continues to pose
challenges for the global
pork industry. Research
continues throughout the
world to gain more
knowledge about this
disease and to pursue
vaccine development.
Source: Hindustan Times
Image
Source:
Twitter

24
Another step of Srinivasa Farms
towards sustainability
A 2.4 tonnes per day capacity
compressed biogas project
based on poultry litter has
been set up in Udityal village
near Balanagar here.
Claimed to be the first such
in Telangana, the project of
Solika Energy will supply
compressed biogas, in
cylinders, to an Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC) outlet in
Attapur. Commercial sale at
the outlet is expected to
begin next month.
The CBG plant was formally
opened in the last week of
December by Executive
Director and State Head of
IOC for Telangana and
Andhra Pradesh RSS Rao
along with International Egg
Commission Chairman and
Srinivasa Farms Group
Managing Director Suresh
Chitturi, said in a recent
release.
The CBG project exclusively
uses poultry litter as raw
material and is located next
to a large commercial
poultry farm with over 4.5
lakh birds. All the raw
material from the poultry
sheds will be collected to
generate biogas.
In addition to CBG, the plant
will also generate around 15
tonnes of organic manure as
a by-product daily. Solika
Energy has developed the
project under the
Sustainable Alternative
Towards Affordable
Transportation (SATAT)
scheme of the Union
Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas.
A company backed by
Srinivasa Hatcheries and
XEMX Projects, Solika Energy
is in the process of setting
up a second CBG project in
Telangana. It will come up in
Kandukur, a village on the
way to Srisailam from
Hyderabad, and have a CBG
production capacity of 3
tonnes per day.
Mr. Chitturi said that Solika
has developed a unique
process of ammonia
reduction which results in
sustained reuse of water
making the biogas plant zero
liquid discharge. The process
removes and reduces all
impurities like feathers,
stones, and sand. Solika
plans to provide the organic
manure to the local farming
communities, he said.
Image
Source:
The
Hindu
INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 3 | Jan 2021
26
While farmers in the north
agitating against three agri
reform Bills apprehend that
private players would exploit
them and dominate the
sector, the poultry farming
segment in Maharashtra with
an annual turnover of
? 35,000 crore has flourished,
thanks to the joint efforts of
farmers and private
investors.
One of the agri reform laws
introduced by the
government seeks to create
a new legal framework for
contract farming, which is
being opposed by farmers
from Punjab and Haryana
and Opposition parties
saying that farmers will be at
the receiving end in the
exercise.
However, Maharashtra's
poultry farming industry
depicts a different picture,
according to poultry farmers.
Poultry production has a
long history of backyard
farming, but the picture has
changed in the last few years
in Maharashtra, thanks to
contract poultry farming.
“Poultry farming has
flourished in Maharashtra,
especially in the last 10-15
years, with private investors
joining hands with poultry
farmers. Private investment
has played a major role in
infrastructure development
in poultry farming and
thousands of farmers have
reaped the benefits of the
growing industry,”
Maharashtra Poultry Farmers
and Breeders Association
President Vasant kumar
Shetty told BusinessLine. He
added that it is absolutely
wrong to close the doors on
private investment
apprehending that investors
and entrepreneurs will loot
the farmers.
Private players in
Maharashtra control
commercial production of
layer poultry birds (egg-
laying poultry birds raised
for commercial egg
production) and broiler
poultry (chicken bred and
raised for meat production).
The private enterprises
involve farmers in contract
farming for the broiler
poultry, which is sold under
brand names.
“Our experience shows that
new opportunities arise
when private investments
come in. Infrastructure
development, including
processing plants, are the
result of private investment
in Maharashtra's poultry
farming industry,” said
Shetty.
Infrastructure support from
private players come in the
form of improved poultry
birds, day-old chicks at
subsidised rates, hatchery
units and training sessions.
Agriculture analyst Deepak
Chavan says that
Maharashtra has a new
supply chain of maize
farmers who are directly
supplying their produce to
the poultry industry.
“Maharashtra has been
implementing reforms in
the Model Act since 2003
and private companies
producing cattle feed are
directly purchasing raw
material from farmers,” he
said. As poultries purchase
maize directly from farmers
there is a synergy between
the poultry business and
farmers, which has no place
for the middleman, said
Chavan.
Source: businessline
Joint efforts of farmers and
private investors can change
the fate of Indian
Agriculture – Learning from
Indian Poultry industry

27

28
India's maize (corn) exports
have surged to a six-year high
in the first half of the current
fiscal with shipments already
having trebled compared with
the whole of last fiscal. This
fiscal's shipments are the
highest since 2014-15, when
India exported 28.25 lakh
tonnes valued at $66.72 million
(Rs 4,037.51 crore). Since then,
though maize production has
hit record levels of over 28
million tonnes, exports have
lagged.
Statistics from Agricultural and
Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority
(APEDA) show that maize
exports in the first half of the
fiscal were 9.22 lakh tonnes
valued at $184.52 million (Rs
1,376.83 crore) compared with
3.70 lakh tonnes worth
$142.78 million (Rs 1,019.30
crore) the whole of the last
fiscal.
According to APEDA statistics
for April-November, exports of
other cereals, which includes
maize, were 15.04 lakh tonnes
valued at $327 million (Rs
2,389.22 crore).
Drop in shipments after
2012-13 record shipments
Maize exports have nosedived
since record shipments of
47.88 lakh tonnes worth $1.03
billion (Rs 7,096 crore) in 2012-
13, before the change in
fortunes witnessed this fiscal.
In this background, can India
sustain the maize export trend
seen this fiscal? One of the
main reasons for the higher
shipments is Bangladesh,
which has imported a record
67 per cent of the commodity
shipped out of India.
The Bangladesh Factor
Bangladesh imported a record
6.18 lakh tonnes valued at
$122.25 million till September.
Before this, the neighbouring
nation had imported a
maximum of 5.16 lakh tonnes
worth $139.93 million during
the whole of 2012-13.
Stakeholders views on the
trend
The rise in exports comes
within months after domestic
users such as the poultry and
starch industries raised a hue
and cry over maize not being
available in ample quantities
last year. More than the
availability, they complained of
domestic prices being unviable
for the sectors. “Last year,
prices had surged to Rs 26 a
kg and we had to import to
fulfil our requirements,” said
Vangili Subramanian,
president, Tamil Nadu Egg
Poultry Farmers Marketing
Society (TNEPFMS).
Current maize prices ruling
below MSP
India's Maize Exports at
Six-Year High
INDUSTRY NEWS
Image
Source:
The
Economic
Times

Currently, maize is available at
Namakkal in Tamil Nadu, the
hub of the poultry industry, at
Rs 15 a kg. Maize is ruling at
different rates between Rs
1,200 a quintal and Rs 1,400
depending on the quality and
moisture levels, though below
the minimum support price of
Rs 1,850 a quintal fixed for the
current season (July 2020-June
2020) across the country.
Bangladesh has imported
maize from India at prices
between $200 (Rs 14,700) and
$240 (Rs 17,650) a tonne,
much lower than MSP. Globally,
maize prices are quoted
between $232 (Rs 17,000) a
tonne from the US and $243
(Rs 17,750) from Argentina –
all free-on-board. This will now
give more headroom for
increasing offer prices for
exports. Simultaneously,
domestic prices will likely gain.
Higher Kharif production
estimated this year
According to Chennai-based
exporting firm Rajathi Group
director Madan Prakash, maize
exports have gained this year
in view of a good crop this
year during Rabi and Kharif.
According to the Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers'
Welfare, Rabi maize that hit
the markets in April this year
was a record 9.01 million
tonnes. Kharif crop, as per the
Ministry's first advance
estimates of foodgrains for
2020-21, will likely be 19.88
million tonnes against 19.68
million tonnes last Kharif
season.
“Getting material for exports is
not an issue, though we have
been affected by a shortage of
containers. The maize crop will
now begin to arrive from
Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka. Exports can
continue till May,” Prakash said.
“Once Indian domestic prices
touch Rs 1,700 a quintal, we
lose out on export
opportunities,” said an
exporter, without wishing to
identify.
Advantages for Indian maize
in global market
Prakash says Indian maize can
fill in demand as poultry feed
as long as prices can match
Brazil. “Even if our prices are at
par with Brazil, we will gain.
One reason is freight
advantage and shorter
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turnaround time. We can
deliver within 20 days, whereas
Brazil shipments take 45 days.
“Second, we can export in
containers (24 tonnes) and
small bulk vessels of 5,000
tonnes capacity,” he said.
Indian maize exports can
continue around current levels
in the long-term if prices are
competitive for importers and
production can meet domestic
demand. In fact, users project
production to be higher than
the first estimates made by the
Ministry of Agriculture.
Maize production this year has
been boosted by farmers in
Bengal switching over from
jute. “Maize is not as labour-
intensive as jute and last year
prices for the fibre were low,
leading to the switch-over”
said a raw jute industry source.
Bengani, who expects demand
for Indian maize at current
prices, cautions that domestic
users will have to pay prices
closer to the MSP or else they
could face problems in finding
supplies. Rajathi Group's
Prakash said that the Indian
government should allow
maize exports, while also
permitting imports, thus
allowing a free play for market
forces citing last year's
example. When maize prices
zoomed last year, domestic
users imported 3.18 lakh
tonnes, up from about 30,000
tonnes in 2018.
Imports are facilitated by the
Centre annually allowing 5 lakh
tonnes shipments into the
country under the tariff rate
quota (TRQ) regime. This
allows imports of maize at a
lower customs duty of 15 per
cent compared with the
normal 50 per cent. Normal
imports also attract 5 per cent
Integrated goods and services
tax and 10 per cent social
welfare surcharge. “We can
export maize on a long-term
basis if the Union government
doesn't resort to panic reaction
such as banning shipments as
in the case of onions or even
maize some years ago,” said
Prakash.
Source: swarajyamag
INDUSTRY NEWS
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30

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