Think Grain Think Feed March issue

Volume 3 | Issue 5
March-2017
RNI No.: HARENG/2014/61357Price: 75/- Postal No. PKL-212/2015-2017

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Monthly Magazine for Feed Technology
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info@thinkgrainthinkfeed.co.in
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Business Head
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Dr. Dinesh T. Bhosale
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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
Dr. Swamy Haladi
Feed Additive Expert
Dr. R Gnana Sekar
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Dr. Suraj Amrutkar
Assistant Professor, Dept. of ILFC,
SKUAST-J, Jammu
www.thinkgrainthinkfeed.co.in
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Managing Editor
Dr. T.K. Walli
Former Head,
Dairy Cattle Nutrition, NDRI
EDITORIAL
fter two years of slowdown in production,
India is heading for a near-record wheat
Aharvest this summer. The Ministry of
Agriculture's estimate pegged 2017 wheat
production at a record 96.6 million tonnes. Wheat use for feed
consumption and residual is forecast higher at 4.8 million tonnes on
steady demand from the dairy feed sector. Poultry & Aquaculture
industry which uses corn, oil meals, and other coarse grains including
smaller quantities of inferior quality wheat. There is very limited use of
wheat by the organised feed sector, as the dairy industry is highly
unorganised. With the average dairy herd size estimated around 2 to 3
animals per farm, feed use is typically restricted to lactating animals and
includes some oil cakes, household food waste, and other grain mixes.
High yielding crossbred cows and “murrah” breed buffaloes in states like
Punjab and Haryana need proper nutrition and hence the demand for
commercial dairy feed has increased by about 12% - 15% per annum,
supporting higher wheat usage in the dairy feed sector. However, the
feed manufacturers have to be vigilant to see that the spoiled and
inferior quality wheat is not diverted towards the manufacture of cattle
feed, which may be infested with moulds and aflatoxins, and negatively
impact the productivity.
Climate Change and Livestock production:
Livestock occupies centre stage as far as global warming is
concerned. It is partly its cause and it has also to bear the brunt of its
effect. The first part is the emission of green house gases (GHG) through
ruminal and enteric fermentation from bovines and other ruminants,
which is responsible for global warming. By changing the feeding
strategies, we may be able to reduce the emission of methane from
ruminants to the tune of 10- 15, mainly by reducing the quantities of
fibrous feeds and increasing the proportion of concentrate in the diet,
and making the whole feed a balanced ration. The climate change
affects livestock, both directly as well as indirectly. The direct effect
comes straight from heat stress on animals, which causes reduction in
milk production, meat production, reduced reproductive efficiency and
animal health. While the heat stress causes severe damage to physiology
and metabolism of the animals, the indirect effect increases the aridity in
the tropical regions, which will have repercussions on the availability of
water for irrigation and consequently, on the availability of green fodder
for animals, which shall lead to reduced performance of the animals.
Reforestation of the areas can help to some extent in slowing down the
aridity.
2nd edition of Feed Tech Expo along with one day conference
conducted successfully
This is to share with our readers that the 2nd edition of Feed Tech
Expo, a three-day event along with the one day conference on
“Innovations for sustainable feed Industry” was successfully concluded in
the last month. The glimpses of the event along with the
recommendations of the conference have been included in this edition
of the magazine.
TK Walli
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017
Inclusion of wheat
as an ingredient in
cattle feed:

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Monthly Magazine for Feed & Feed Technology
Vollume 1 | Issue 10 | August 2015
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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
05
INTERVIEW
MARKET SURVEY
20
ARTICLE
EVENT CALENDAR - 30
MycoKey: to develop solutions for reducing
mycotoxins in food and feed chains
06
10
Future Trend in
Feed Raw Material Market
Key issues in aquatic
feed plant design
12
INDUSTRY THOUGHT
16 Union Budget 2017
Takeaways for Agriculture Industry
MARKET PROJECTION
14 Higher US grain exports remains
under pressure
Survey Report: Benefits & Challenges in
Phytogenic Feed Additives
EVENT COVERAGE
Feed Tech Expo 2017 (FTE17):
Business platform for Feed Industry
22
UPCOMING EVENTS
26-29 April
2017
10-12 April
2017
Present and Future trends for Indian Feed
Industry by Dr. Vijay Anand

Mycotoxins, produced by fungal mold,
currently contaminates a quarter of the
world's agriculture produce, making it a
potential growing threat to people and
animals, according to the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO). Mycotoxins ranks the third
most important threat after bacteria and
pesticides, which is why maximum
tolerance levels permitted in food and
feedstuff are becoming crucial for food and
feed producers. Meeting these
requirements is possible with the right
processes in place. Academic studies within
the European project MycoKey and
practical experience confirm that an
effective means to significantly reduce
mycotoxin levels is via cleaning and optical
sortingprocesses.
A recent United Nations (UN) report
confirmed the impact of climate change on
food safety and security, it is evident that
extreme environmental conditions such as
drought and rising temperatures have
triggered an upsurge in toxic
crops.Previously more prevalent in tropical
and sub-tropical regions, mycotoxin
contamination is now on the rise in
temperate regions — meaning it will
increasingly become a food safety issue for
R&D
05
MycoKey to develop solutions
for reducing mycotoxins in
food and feed chains
Europe even if global temperatures may be limited to an
increase of only 2-degrees Celsius, which UNEP deems
unlikely. Climate change is increasing the prevalence of
aflatoxin,oneofthemostpoisonousmycotoxins.
Mycotoxin levels in grain are a frequent reason to reject raw
material for food and feed processing. Scarcity of raw
materials, on the other hand, requires the industry to look for
newsolutionsalongthevaluechain.
According to Bühler, knowing that just a few highly
mycotoxin-contaminated kernels may make an entire grain
lot unsafe for further use, it's essential to implement post-
harvest measures that reduce mycotoxin levels to ensure
safe products, while ensuring economical yields and
reducing losses. The experts from the European
Horizon2020 project, MycoKey, which was initiated in mid-
2016 aims. The 6.4-million-euro project has partners from
32 organizations from a total of 14 countries in Europe, Asia
and Africa. MycoKey, has run multiple, large-scale field tests
to collect valuable data on the performance of grain
cleaningsolutions.
The case for reducing levels of mycotoxins of any kind is
clear considering the implications on consumer and animal
health as well as to the commercial success of milling
companies. Bühler said it is focused on to achieve
commercially viable yields — regardless of incoming
product quality. For example, in a specific case the company
has helped an Italian corn producer to recover 70% to 80%
of contaminated maize and boost it from biomass to feed
gradequality.
Source: Buhler
Imagesource:stablemanagement

ARTICLE
06
It is an accepted belief that human
beings began their journey as a hunter-
gatherer, in order to feed and sustain
themselves. As observed by the
American Association for the
Advancement of Science, stone tools
for butchering meat and animal bones
with corresponding cutmarks first
appear in the fossil study of records
going back to 2.5 million years.
With the advent and advancement of
river bank civilizations and settled
agricultural practices, the significance
of animal rearing was further
recognized, wherein evidence suggests
that animal husbandry as an auxiliary
agricultural practice began at least
about 10,000 years ago.
ANIMAL FEED
Napoleon Bonaparte is believed to
once famously said, “An army marches
on its stomach,” referring to the
importance of food provisioning in a
war. However, this comment has a
broader reference for animal
husbandry, as the quality and quantity
of animal-based products are directly
correlated with the quality of feed, which in turn, is
directly dependent on the quality of feed raw materials
so utilized.
INDIA IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL FEED
PRODUCTION
As per Alltech's global feed survey 2016, the global
commercial feed production reached almost a billion
tons, with China (180 million tons), USA the U.S. (174
million tons), Brazil (69 million tons), India (32 million
tons), and Mexico (31 million tons) occupying the top 5
spots.
The analytical observation made here focuses on two
points; the share of India in overall global feed
production and its relative performance among the top
5 providers. Regarding the former, India has a mere
3.2% share of global feed production, and incorporating
the latter, stands around a sixth of 18.1% share of China
and 17.5% share of the USA.
Within India, some key trends are driving the
consumption of animal sourced products, which has an
impact on animal feed market, and in turn, the animal
feed raw material market. As reported in the lower
house of country's parliament in March 2017, India
currently leads the global milk production with 155
million tons of production. Similarly, the production of
eggs and meat has also increased by over 6 and 8
percent respectively in the first half of 2016.
Future Trend in
Feed Raw Material Market
Syed H. Rizvi & Lalit Fulara, Marketsandmarkets
Imagesource:TheEconomist

07
In terms of feed raw material
production, agricultural commodities
like maize, soybean, rapeseed, and
groundnut are witnessing an upward
trend, driven not just by their use in
human consumption, but the
application in the feed industry.
INDIA: TOWARDS A GLOBAL FEED
RAW MATERIALS SUPPLIER
Owing to rising disposable income
levels in the emerging economies and
increase in health and environmental
concerns in developed economies,
there is a growing demand for organic
based animal sourced products.
Developed economies, specifically, are
facing a supply side shortage, and this
is precisely where India has a potential
to satisfy the global demand. In the
United States, for instance, the demand
for organic certified animal sourced
products has multiplied manifold in the
past few years, with organic certified
broiler demand growing about 20
times, layer demand about 9 times and
turkey demand about 100 times during
the years 2000 and 2014.
ORGANIC FEED RAW MATERIAL
As per the agricultural experts with
MarketsandMarkets, India, as a supplier,
has huge opportunities in tapping the
organic feed raw material export
market. This insight is based on the fact
that though India currently ranks 15th
in terms of global organic agricultural
land, given the state backing through
the National Programme for Organic
Production which targets bringing half
a million acres of land area under
organic farming in three years with
allocation support of over INR 400
crores, major developments are on the
verge of happening. At the same time,
looking at the in-house potential, the
domestic organic food market itself is
forecasted to cross USD one billion.
In terms of global trade, the country
exported over 165,000 tons of organic
products during the year 2012-13, with
feed grade soybean accounting for
over 40 percent of total volume.
NON-GMO FEED RAW MATERIAL
As far as food and feed is concerned,
India has stayed away from the use of
genetically modified crops and
currently, only cotton production is based on GMO
seeds to obtain fiber. An interesting observation here is
the rising global demand for non-GMO labelled feed,
with poultry sector being the major driver.
With the potential already in place, the requirement is
of a shift in production pattern towards adherence to
global sanitary and phyto-sanitary requirements. Also
required is a mechanism to analyze, grade and label the
feed products produced utilizing the non-GMO food
crops.
PRECISION NUTRITION FEED MATERIAL
REQUIREMENTS
Precision nutrition is based on the identification and
satisfaction of specific requirements of individual
livestock, rather than using the same technique and
material for the entire batch. This practice is aimed at
optimal nutrient composition, improved nutrient
efficiency, cost optimization and real time monitoring
and analysis on the back of technology. Apart from this,
FAO highlights the sustainable aspect of this practice, as
strategic supplementation of nutrients enhances rumen
fermentation digestibility, which stimulates the feed
intake, and ensures sustainable production through the
reduction of methane and nitrogen excretion.
This technique also incorporates the traceability of feed,
in terms of its source and other production dynamics.
Specifically given the growing trend for organic and
non-GMO, India has a lot to gain in terms of being the
required raw materials provider.
COMMERCIAL SEAWEEDS
Given over 7,500 kilometers of country's coastline and
decreasing area under the cultivation of food crops, it is
apparent that we need to tap upon and rely on marine
options in the near future; backed also on its
environment-friendly aspect.
Seaweeds are plant-like organisms attached to rocks or
other hard substrata in the coastal regions and are used
in agriculture for crop quality enhancement, in animal
feed to produce feed additives, as well as in human
consumption.
MarketsandMarkets projects this market to reach
around USD 18 billion by the year 2021, growing at a
rate of over 9%. Similarly, its usage in animal feed is also
expected to reach half a billion dollars by the same year.
FUTURE OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE
Given the current state of agricultural sector in the
country, in terms of land holding dynamics and lack of
mechanization and farm level investment, there is some
expected internal restructuring in the times to come.
Contract farming is already an adopted practice in the
country, with global brands venturing to occupy a share
in processed and non-processed food market, through
a backward supply chain integration towards farms.
With state nod to 100% FDI in multi-brand processed

ARTICLE
08
food retailing, this practice is going to
be a major trend in medium to long
term. However, a challenge that
remains is the marginal nature of
landholding structure, which prevents
the buyers from entering into multiple
purchase agreements, owing to its
adverse cost aspect.
As per MarketsandMarkets agricultural
research head, Indian agriculture is on
the verge of a phenomenal shift, as the
future demand dynamics will promote
cooperative model in crop production,
like that witnessed in milk production,
and will enable the integration of
farmers on production level to promote
better produce and adherence to the
global phyto-sanitary requirements.
Apart from this, given the liberal nature
of policies in the past few years, a
consolidation is on the cards within the
industry, with major players leaning
backwards towards the farm level
production. This entails bringing a large
number of scattered land pieces into a
consolidated one, for the purpose of
planning and production, and will
enable the increased mechanization
and rise in farm level investment.
These trends, going hand in hand, will give a customer
orientation to the industry, and the focus will be on
providing customized solutions, rather than as-is
production, which is the trend currently. Apart from this,
the already evolving regulatory framework will witness
changes towards further liberalization of this sector, to
the benefit of both the consumer and producer's
surplus.
THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE, IS TO
CREATE IT: ABRAHAM LINCOLN
India, today, is a verge on becoming a force to reckon
with, in terms of its supply side potential for the animal
feed industry. Given the potential in satisfying the
demand for organic feed, non-GMO based feed,
commercial seaweeds and also precision nutrition feed
requirements, the country has a lot to gain out of global
demand-supply mismatches.
To conclude, this potential in satisfying the global feed
raw material demand will require an overhaul of the
supply side of feed raw materials in the country.
Cooperative models, industry integration, liberalization
of investment, and dilution and even removal of archaic
colonial era laws to create a countrywide market for
agricultural products is not just the need of the hour,
but the inherent pattern that will be witnessed in the
times to come.

ARTICLE
Key issues in aquatic
feed plant design
10
The aquaculture industry continues to
grow-and with good reason. This trend
pulls with it increased demand for high
quality feed and feed manufacturing
technology. It also calls for more feed
plant design flexibility in terms of raw
material choice.
Understanding customer and market
requirements lays the foundation for a
successful plant design. It is therefore
vital to define accurately the scope of the
project before proceeding to process
flow design, specification of equipment
and the general layout of a feed plant.
Few important key issues to be
considered during the development and
design of an aquatic feed plant are as
follows:
Shaping the feed remains the
heartbeat of the process
Whether a pellet press or extruder is
used, the choice of technology is vital. A
general mistake in the case of extrusion is
failing to :
» Recognize the difference between
various extrusion technologies.
Extruders in the case of animal feeds
are designed to be used in a very
wide range of applications based on the formulations
(and ingredients) to be extruded
» The expected nutritional outcome (digestibility, feed
conversion ratio, specific growth rates, etc)
» The expected physical outcome (shape, size,
buoyancy, water stability, structure, texture, etc)
Aquatic feeds in general call for single screw extruders of
(single screw) medium shear design. In some applications
(hatchery feeds for example) twin screw extruders might
be the right choice.
The extruder choice and its capabilities to a large extend
determines the up-stream and down-stream plant design.
All design aspects up-stream and downstream from the
extruder or pellet press should enjoy careful
consideration. Some important issues as follows :
Up-Stream issues
1. Raw material storage - developments such as square
silos provide flexibility in terms of batching plant and
loadout design. Apart from a smaller footprint and
better hygiene compared to traditional round silos, it
also encourages aesthetics of the superstructure or
feed mill building itself (figure 3).
2. Size reduction - In general, specification for aquatic
feed ingredient grist size ranges from an average
diameter of 250 micron to 400 micron depending on
the species. A sieve analysis should confirm that 90%
to 95% of the raw ingredients falls within this range.
Until recently this was achieved through a coarse
Imagesource:ottevanger

11
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017
grinding and fine grinding
hammermill or pulveriser (double
grinding). However, the latest
developments in hammermill design
allows for grinding ingredients to
within this specification at grinding
temperatures low enough to prevent
anyingredientdamage.
Down-Stream issues Special care is taken
down-stream of the extruder as we now
work with final product. Important issues
down-stream worth mentioning are:
Liquid Application - The ability of an aquatic feed pellet
to absorb fat or another liquid during coating is mainly a
function of the structure of the pellet (the volume of voids
inside the pellet) and the surface area of the pellet. Adding
enough fat to a sinking or slow sinking pellet for species
or culture conditions where high energy levels are
required, could be challenging. A vacuum coater
overcomes this challenge and helps to “layer” liquids from
the core of the pellet outwards as needed. This way, liquid
with highest palatability can be positioned towards the
outer perimeter and surface of the pellet where it can act
as an attractant.
Conveying and Transitional Equipment - choice of
conveying equipment between down-stream operations
should consider physical effect or damage to product and
minimise chances of cross-contamination between runs
of different formulations and products.
General Issues
In addition the following are always key to good plant
design and how it complies with design codes,
environmental and other regulations :
» Online control of processing conditions such as
moisture and water activity
» Cross-contamination and its effect on producing safe
feed
» Dust Control
» Odor Control
» Noise Control
» The social or visual Impact of the feed mill in the zone
where it is planned. Figure 3 proves that functional
engineering can be artwork as well
» Control over the effect of output on the environment
Operating Variable Low Shear Medium Shear High Shear
Feed Moisture (%) 25 - 30 20 - 35 12 - 25
Maximum Product Temperature (°C) 50 - 80 125 - 175 150 - 200
L/D 5 - 8 10 - 20 4 - 12
D/H 3 - 4,5 5 - 10 7 - 12
Compression Ratio 1 : 1 2 - 3 : 1 3 - 5 : 1
Screw Speed (rpm) 60 - 200 200 - 450 450 - 650
Mechanical Energy Input (kWh/kg) 0,03 - 0,04 0.02 - 0,04 0,10 - 0,14
Heat Transfer through Barrel Jackets (kWh/kg) -0,01 0,0- 0,03 -0,03 - 0,0
Steam Injection into Barrel (kWh/kg) 0,00 0,0 - 0,04 0,0
Net Energy Input to Product (kWh/kg) 0,02 - 0,03 0,02 - 0,11 0,07 - 0,14
Typical Product Types Macaroni RTE Breakfast Gelatinized starch High oil content seeds
Cereal 2nd generation General extruded Dextrinized starch
snacks animal feeds Petfoods Wet by-product
Aquatic feeds Soft moist TVP (Textured
petfoods Soft moist Vegetable Protein)
aquafeed RTE breakfast & TSP (Textured Soy
cerea Protein)
Table 1 illustrates the difference in performance and operating conditions between different extruder types.

12
action is required to address “Raw
material” security with reference to soy
meal which is a dependable, consistent
source of protein for the feed and
human food industries. (Note the two
figures for example 8.17/8.33 are for
2015-16 and 2016/17 respectively.
Because India has a better crop in
2016-17 it is important to have current
updated comparisons).
Relying on 10-15 years forward
data/forecast is not a good business
strategy – it's good to keep that data as
a guide and a motivator but it's good to
use a shorter window to assess
opportunities that will allow one to get
into action. The Indian market scenario
is rapidly changing, no matter what
subject one picks on. Opportunities are
on the rise and so is demand for
efficiencies and the desire for cost
savings. Talking on the subject of
“Nutritional security” – this is not new
to us; a whole arena of problems and
opportunities exist. Among the young
in India, it's a popular saying that every
3-4 years there is an evident generation
gap. This in a way indicates speed at
which India is transforming. I think we
would run out of stock of soy meal v/s
growing demand in 3-4 years or cost
effectiveness will trigger users to ask for
soy meal that suit their changing
business models.
Here is an analysis for the past four
years (shorter window). Soy meal
consumption change for the period
2012-13 to 2015-16 is positive by 1180
TMT; soy meal production change is
negative by 4000 TMT i.e. it is positive
by 33% and negative by 46%
respectively. With the current year's
production in a much better state, we
would expect the negativity to cut
down to some extent. Prices are better
at this moment and if this continues till
the next crop, soy meal usage in animal
feeds will increase further, adding to
consumption growth.
Times are changing. A few years back
India had surplus meal on hand but due
to growing demand (as seen from the
data), the surplus is gradually
dwindling. We have seen that the
animal feed industry is consistently
using 300,000 – 400,000 MT as
incremental soy meal volume each year.
The main drivers for this volume comes
from usage by commercial broiler,
commercial broiler breeder, commercial
layer, fish feed and the shrimp feed
industries. USDA has estimated Indian
soy meal consumption at 4.70 million
tons in 2015-16 and forecast that it
would be 5.20 million tons in 2016-17.
Viewing the region as a whole (2012/13
to 2016-17) - demand is growing very
rapidly in the Asian Subcontinent
(South Asia) which is forecasted to be
47.3% higher in India, 192.7% higher in
Pakistan and 99.4% higher in
Bangladesh. Overall demand in the
Asian Subcontinent is forecasted to be
72.6% greater in 2016/17 that in
2012/13, the greatest percentage
demand of any region compared to
other world markets for meal. I think
Present and Future trends
for Indian Feed Industry
by Dr. P E Vijay Anand,
Deputy Regional Lead,
USSEC Asia subcontinent -
an expert who
knows tricks of the trade
quite well. Below are the
excepts from the
interview:
Dr. P E Vijay Anand
Please give us some idea about the
soybean and soy meal
consumption in India and also in
the Asian Sub-continent over the
last decade. What changes do you
expect 10 years down the line?
Based on USDA's long term (16/17
years) data on Indian soybean, soy
meal production and Indian soy meal
consumption, the following can be
deduced - Average production of
soybeans for 16/17 years was
8.17/8.33 MMT; low of 4 MMT and a
peak of 12.2 MMT. The peak of 12
MMT which was the highest ever
produced was achieved only once.
Average production of soy meal for
16 years was 5.52 MMT with a low of
2.69 MMT and a high of 7.72 MMT.
Domestic consumption soy meal
grew 3.66/4.00 times in this period
while soybean and soy meal
production grew only 1.65/2.22 and
1.38/2.00 times respectively. If this is
the trend line evident to our
industry/nation, then an urgent

13
this is something everyone stakeholder
in the feed industry should be aware of.
In 2015-16 a total of 7.76 million tons
of meal has been consumed in the Asia
Subcontinent (Bangladesh 1.169; India
4.710; Pakistan 1.486; Sri Lanka 0.215;
and Nepal 0.180 million tons). To
produce this volume of soy meal, about
9.4 million tons of soybeans would have
been processed.
Consumers for farmed freshwater fish
exist in North and East India therefore
this is a potential market for
aquaculture products. Fish is also
considered as a global “protein food”.
Water is better supplied from the major
North Indian rivers as an essential input
for Aquaculture. The sector has not
picked up much in North India given
the potential/factors mentioned above.
Probably there is lack of knowledge on
this sector or lack of entrepreneurship.
Putting in efforts to improve this gap
will improve the industry in North
India. Based on what I discussed
about chicken, one of the facts
(protein for convenience) is probably
not being met with fish because of
inter-muscular bones in the flesh of
fish (particularly carps). This is a
deterrent for most of the Indian
consumers. To overcome this
constraint - India has to make reforms
to help entrepreneurs produce new
species, high value fish or fish with no
intramuscular bones. Added to this
What scope do you find in
Aquaculture market in India and its
growth in North India?
processing and presenting fish protein
in a customer friendly manner will knit
together all opportunities for North
India and India in general. Everyone
knows fish protein is healthy and to
make this more acceptable – hygienic
post harvest handling, product
availability and knowledge on fish
products are educational
opportunities that will help improve
this industry. Note that India has a
world hallmark of being the second
largest country in the world (after
China) for farmed fish production as
per FAO.
I agree with Indian exports at the
estimated 1.8 million tons this year.
Indian soy meal is priced favorably
because of a good crop in 2016-17 in .
As per the Solvent Extractors
Association of India - 7,33,527 MT of
soy meal has been shipped to off-
shore destinations. It is estimated that
about 500,000 MT has been exported
to India's neighbors, mainly to
Bangladesh. Considering these trend
lines the forecasted exports can be
achieved.
I would think Soy meal still rules the
protein meal market. This is quite
evident from USDA's assessment that
global soy meal consumption in
2016/17 (225. 071 million tons) which is
estimated at 47.396 MMT greater than
in 2012/13 (177.675 million tons). That
would be an increase of 26.7% which is
amazing. This is because soy meal is
time tested and has performed on
multiple animal species across the
globe. Other raw material will no
doubt take positions and demonstrate
With better production of soybean,
India is expected to export 1.8 MT
of non-GMO soybean meal to
Japan, Western Europe and France.
Your thoughts on India's soybean
export.
There has been lot of research going
on Alternative feed raw materials like
DDGS, Sorghum, canola meal and
many more. What is the predictive
future of these alternative feed
ingredients for usage in poultry and
livestock industry?
proportional increases in usage. The
key to higher usage will be determined
by unchanged and or improved animal
performances/ efficiencies and
consistent supply and quality of such
ingredients to support the growing
feed industry. Asia Subcontinent's feed
industry has produced 43 million tons
of feed in 2016 as per Alletch's 2016
Global Feed Survey and this is bound to
grow further, calling for raw material
need/security.
We have spoken about increasing
efficiencies and cutting down costs as
two major factors that will definitely
come into play. These go hand-in-hand
when the feed industry makes
improvements. Consolidation is for
improving efficiencies and profitability
at all stages of the value chain. When
we say efficiencies - it pertains to raw
material sourcing, raw material
performances, analytical methods, feed
mill machinery, processes, animal
production, marketing, value addition
and the kind. Any business model
thrives on these basics to try and get
the best on their balance sheets.
Imagine if one could save fines
produced in a feed mill and calculate
power, labor, feed throughput loss, re-
cycling cost etc on a large mill for a
period of one year, it could be pretty
significant. Similarly if one could use
power saving equipment in a feed mill
these savings would show up on
profitability or serve as a resource to
pay other petty bills. If one were to
adopt good logistic mechanisms and
cut down process, this would translate
to savings. If we are able to produce
more feed in fewer mills, this will
increase the amount of feed produced
and cut down costs. If more animal
products could be produced using less
land or water - the industry stands to
benefit from efficiencies. Based on the
few instances quoted, I would think
consolidation is the way forward.
Consolidation of industry is
considered as a huge unknown that
can drastically change the scenario of
worldwide feed industry; please
share your observations for
consolidation of Indian industry?

The United States has exported an
astonishing amount of grains in recent
months - one-third more than a year
ago - but the expectations are large so
the progress must continue in order to
meet the full-year goal.
Since the corn and soybean marketing
year began on Sept. 1, shipments of the
two crops plus wheat total 73.8 million
tonnes (2.77 billion bushels) through
January. This is by far the largest
volume on record for that period.
With such heavy domestic supplies
coming off last year, some agriculture
market participants wondered just how
much grain and oilseed products U.S.
ports could support all at once, though
these large volumes seem to prove the
country is equipped to handle more
than what may have been assumed.
WHEAT
US has fulfilled 63 percent of USDA's
annual wheat export target through
January - slightly below the usual level
- so the final four months of the
marketing year must be met with
strong shipments.
There are just over 10 million tonnes
(384 million bushels) of wheat left to
ship by May 31 in order to meet USDA's
2016/17 projection of 1.025 billion
bushels.
SOYBEANS
U.S. soybean exporters processed a
monthly record 7.4 million tonnes (273
million bushels) of the oilseed in
January, totaling 40.7 million tonnes
(1.496 billion bushels) since Sept. 1.
The stage appears to be set for USDA's
2.05 billion-bushel outlook to be
reached by Aug. 31, although
historically the highest export volumes
in the second half of the marketing year
- especially at the end - have arisen
only when competitor South America
struggles with its soybean crop. And
things in the Southern Hemisphere are
pretty favorable at this point.
Still, there is no clear indication thus far
that USDA needs to cut back its
forecast going forward, but there is also
Higher US grain exports remains under pressure
not a solid case for a significant
increase to 2016/17 U.S. soybean
exports - which has been the tendency
in recent years.
CORN AND PRODUCTS
In the first five months of the 2016/17
marketing year, the United States has
shipped the eighth largest volume of
corn on record - some 22.7 million
tonnes (894 million bushels). Through
January, the country has fulfilled 40
percent of its annual target, which is
ahead of the pace of recent years.
But similar to wheat, exported volumes
of corn over the next six months need
to be on the top end of what has been
historically observed in order to reach
the 2.225 billion-bushel forecast that
USDA has on the balance sheet.
A lot can happen between now and
Aug. 31, particularly in South America,
whose corn competes on the world
export market toward the end of the
United States' marketing year.
Brazil and Argentina will be harvesting
their corn between now and August,
and could steal some business from the
United States if the relatively benign
weather pattern continues. Both
countries are currently on track to
harvest the largest corn crops in their
histories.
It is also worth noting that the animal
feed byproduct of ethanol production -
distillers' dried grains (DDGs) -
recorded the largest January export
volume on record in 2017 of 937,628
tonnes. This brings the total since
September to 4.8 million tonnes, just
shy of last year's record 4.9 million.
This is significant because China,
traditionally one of the top buyers of
U.S. DDGS, launched an anti-dumping
investigation last year resulting in large
tariffs on the product, which has
considerably slowed purchases by the
East Asian country.
But other customers have been making
larger-than-normal purchases, which is
why 2016/17 DDGs exports are hanging
with last year. Turkey proved to be the
biggest anomaly in January, with
additional support from several Asian
buyers, including Japan, South Korea
and Indonesia.
Production of ethanol - one of the main
uses for corn in the United States - has
remained at record levels in recent
months so there is certainly no
shortage of DDGs in the country,
particularly with the abundance of
other competitor feeds. But amid the
relatively healthy export efforts, the
supply of the feedgrain is perhaps not
piling up as much as feared.
Source: Times of India
Imagesource:Agro2b
MARKET PROJECTION
14

16
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017INDUSTRY THOUGHT
Expert panel to curb high volatility in
the Agri markets
The Union Budget was announced on
February 1 with three major reforms -
there was an indication for initiation of
fiscal expending, followed by merging
of Rail Budget to the main budget in
addition to the elimination of plan and
non-plan expenditures. The
Government is willing to focus on
subjects associated with farmers, rural
infra and employment, youth jobs and
skills, poor strengthening security,
infrastructure, financial sector, digital
economy, public efficiency governance
reforms, fiscal discipline, tax stability.
Risks related to crude oil price
fluctuations, fed policy and global
announcements were highlighted
during the budget session. The Finance
Minister Mr Arun Jaitley said that the
agenda for 2017-18 is transformed,
energise and clean India, i.e. tech India.
The country has moved from a
discretionary based administration to a
policy and system-based
administration.
As per the budget, Agriculture is expected to grow at
4.1 % this fiscal, even the total area sown under current
Rabi season is higher than last year. There has been an
appreciation in Kharif crops like soybean as soy meal
finds a greater use in poultry feed rations. The rise in
production of crops such as Maize and soybean will be
helpful in keeping poultry feed cost relatively cheaper
than the previous year. This would, in turn, enable
domestic consumption to remain better. Also, soy meal
export share can improve significantly compared to last
year. Because of higher production of soybean, offers of
soy meal have gone down and are currently at par with
the global prices. The rise in production will mean
increment in exportable surplus. It is crucial to note that
as per recent USDA report, India's soybean meal exports
is projected to rise to 1.8 MMT in MY2016/17, taking
into account a larger harvest and growing crush leading
to greater exportable supplies.
The government has raised the target for agri credit at
INR 10 lakh crore in 2017-18. Allocation for the rural
sector for FY18 is INR 1,87,223 Cr, which represents an
increase of 24%. Fasal Bima Yojana coverage to be
increased from 30 to 40 percent in 2017-18 and 50% in
2018-19, and present allocation is raised to INR 13,240
crore next fiscal, from INR 5,500 crore now.
The government has shown interest to support
computerization and integration of Primary Agriculture
UNION BUDGET 2017
Imagesource:Agriland

INDUSTRY THOUGHT
18
The government had also proposed an expert panel,
which is to be constituted to study and prepare a
framework to integrate spot and derivatives markets for
commodities. The introduction of a draft bill for
integration of Spot and Derivatives markets for
commodities trading is likely to curbing high volatility in
the Agri markets. This will be beneficial for farmers and
traders for hedging purpose. Therefore a stronger
market framework for commodities can provide better
price signals and benefit farmers. The feed industry is
the biggest demand driver for soybean meal and since
soy meal is also traded in future, it will help the feed
industry with lower price volatility risk in near future.
Besides, irrigation corpus increased from INR 20,000
crore to INR 40,000 crore. Focus on irrigation and crop
insurance will contribute in managing the risks
associated with the climate.
The Agricultural credit target for 2017-18 is fixed at INR
10 trillion, an 11% increase from the 2016-17 target of
INR 9 trillion. Budgetary provision for the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MGNREGS) is at INR 48,000 crore, up from the INR
47,499 crore revised estimate for FY17.
The fertiliser subsidy for 2017-18 is at INR 70,000 crore,
similar to 2016-17. According to ICAR, subsidy for P&K
(phosphorous and potash) fertilisers in the nutrient-
based subsidy scheme has been hiked marginally. All in
all, the government has retained subsidy at the current-
year level, despite a reduction in costs necessitating a
lower subsidy requirement for 2017-18. Where previous
years' subsidy dues stand around INR 32,000 crore, this
move shall bring a significant reduction at least, if not
wiped out completely.
Credit Societies (PACS), which act as the
front end for loan disbursements.
Higher credit target for agriculture and
computerization and integration of
Primary Agriculture Credit Societies will
be important in improving the fund
flow in rural areas. The focus will be on
irrigation and crop insurance to help
mitigate climate vagaries.
It is also conveyed that demonetization
will help in a cleaner, healthier GDP.
Digital economy will be beneficial in
removing corruption and fiscal
discipline. The budget proposes
National Agri markets to be expanded
585 markets from current 250 markets,
which will help farmers in selling their
produce to any mandi across India and
get a reasonable price for their
products. This move shall also enable
transporting goods from excess to
regions deficient in the relevant
produce, eventually leading to price
control and benefit the consumers. The
government soon will be launching two
new schemes that will provide
information on crops, government
schemes, weather and other
information directly to the farmers.
Transportation railways is also
proposed to implement end-to-end
connectivity for some commodities
with the help of logistics firms.
KEY ANNOUNCEMENTS/HIGHLIGHTS
Various measures to increase production/productivity
EXPECTED BENEFIT/BENEFITS
1) Cheaper prices of agricultural crops
2) Cheaper inputs for feed rations hence lower cost for the
feed ration processing
3) Rise in Kharif oilseed production like soybean to boost
exports of feed inputs like soy meal
4) Rise in soy meal exports beneficial for enhancing dollar
reserves for India
Introduction of draft bill for integration of Spot and
Derivatives markets for commodities trading
Help the entire soy value chain including the feed industry to
experience lower price volatility risk (for hedging purpose),
in future
Fertiliser subsidy retained at current-year level
Target for agri credit raised
Fasal Bima Yojna allocation raised to Rs 13,240 crore next
fiscal, from Rs 5,500 crore now
National agri markets to be expanded from the current
250 to 585
Hike in budgetary provision for the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MGNREGS)
Important in improving the fund flow in rural areas
Fasal Bima Yojna should be securing farmers against crop
damage in long run
Farmers may sell their produce to any mandi across India
and get a reasonable price for their products
Create employment opportunities and productive assets for
rural area
Result in significant cost reduction
Major highlights of the budget and its subsequent benefits are summarised in table 1:

19
Imagesource:CreativeThinkingVentures
For the first time in years, Zimbabwe is
expected to produce enough grain to
feed itself where harvest time is in April.
This follows good rains in nearly all
parts of the country. After experiencing
consecutive droughts over the years
which was not helped by poor
planning, the country has been
surviving on food imports and
handouts from donors.
Recent statistics released by the
Ministry of Agriculture indicate that at
least 2.2 million tonnes of maize would
be produced at the end of the summer
cropping season from the 1.2 million
hectares of maize planted.
This is assuming there is an
improvement in yields from the
previous year's 0.8 tonnes per hectare
to 1.8 tonnes per hectare. Zimbabwe
requires 2.2 million tonnes of maize
annually for both human and livestock
consumption.
Persistent, and at times, heavy rains
have been received across the country
since the start of the second half of the
Maize output forecasts to triple in Zimbabwe
2016/17 rainfall season in January. This
has resulted in normal to above normal
rainfall for the entire country, a striking
contrast to the drought conditions
experienced during the same period
over the past two seasons.
Although other factors such as the fall
armyworm; the shortage of fertiliser;
water logging and leaching have
militated against the 2016/17 crop in
some parts of the country, agricultural
experts still expect a bumper harvest
across all food crops. Zimbabwe
expects to produce up to 1.8 million
tonnes of the staple maize in 2017 from
512,000 tonnes last year due to good
rains received this season, the Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) said recently.
RBZ governor John Mangudya said the
favorable rains would boost agricultural
productivity and help stimulate
economic growth given that the
country's economy was agriculture
based.
"The good agricultural season that is
anticipated to produce around
1,500,000 - 1,800,000 tonnes of maize
and other cereals from 1,595,000
hectares requires government to
mobilize funding for the Grain
Marketing Board to purchase grain
from farmers," the governor said in the
2017 first-half monetary policy
statement. He said cotton seed output
was also forecast to rise to 100,000
tonnes from 32,000 tonnes last year.
But Zimbabwe Farmers Union
president, Abdul Nyathi, was more
conservative saying they were
estimating 1.750 million tonnes of
maize to be produced because a
quarter of the maize crop was
destroyed by too much water and was
also affected by the fall armyworm.
The 1.750 million tonnes of maize
translates to 75 percent of the country's
annual requirements.
Historically, there is a correlation
between good rains and good harvests
and Zimbabwe will once again bask in
the glory of a bumper harvest.
Source: Financial Gazette (Harare)
INDUSTRY NEWS

MARKET SURVEY Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017
20
Survey Report: Benefits &
Challenges in Phytogenic
Feed Additives
Perceived benefits
Digestibility enhancement is ranked as
the number one reason that the
livestock industry uses phytogenic feed
additives as per recently concluded
survey of more than one thousand
agribusiness professionals.
The antimicrobial effects of phytogenics
ranked second overall—while they
constituted the top motivation for
respondents in the Western hemisphere.
The use of PFAs within an antibiotic
growth promoter (AGP) replacement
strategy and growth promotion ranked
third and fourth place, respectively.
“Research supports the perceived
benefits that professionals report in the
field,” stated Michael Noonan, Global
Product Manager Phytogenics at
BIOMIN. Plant-based compounds
–specifically essential oils, herbs and
extracts– are known to have a range of
biologically active properties that can be
applied to modern animal production. These include
anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and
digestion enhancing effects.
Feed conversion key
When asked about the relative importance of the benefits
of phytogenic feed additives to their business,
respondents overwhelmingly chose enhanced feed
efficiency, or an improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) as
the most important benefit of PFA application.
“Feed efficiency speaks to the core concern of every
livestock and feed producer in a globally competitive
market,” observed Mr Noonan. “At BIOMIN, improving
feed efficiency has been the main thrust of our research
and product development around phytogenics in recent
years.”
Challenges
The survey also explored reasons why respondents do
not use PFAs. They cited a lack of scientific and
commercial trial results along with uncertainty regarding
which product to choose as the top 3 reasons not to use
phytogenics.
“To deliver innovative science-based solutions, we co-
Imagesource:SeedManagementServices

21
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017
authored 20 scientific papers on
phytogenics in 2016 and conducted over
300 commercial trials on PFAs in recent
years,” explained Mr Noonan.
On-farm improvements
Research and education are key to how
BIOMIN engages with the industry on
phytogenics, as part of its ambition to
become market leader in phytogenics by
2020.
“By collecting customers' views, we gain
a greater understanding of where
agribusiness professionals see value in
the use of PFAs and what challenges they
encounter in real life. It's a way for us to
connect science with better outcomes
for clients,” said Mr Noonan.
“These results afford us the opportunity
to enter into genuine dialogue about the
current state of the art in phytogenic
feed additives, and how they can apply to
specific on-farm scenarios,” he added.
BIOMIN deploys a global team of expert
technical sales managers who support
clients through on-site visits, education
and advice.
According to BIOMIN projections, the
PFA market could surpass US$1 billion by
2023.
The importance of PFA benefits: feed and other respondents.
Source: 2017 BIOMIN Phytogenic Feed Additives Survey

22
EVENT COVERAGE
Feed Tech Expo 2017 (FTE17):
Business platform for Feed Industry
Feed professionals from all across the
country participated in 2nd edition of
Feed Tech Expo-only feed event of the
India organized by BENISON Media. The
3-day event was inaugurated by Dr. B.S.
Prakash, ADG (AN & P), ICAR, New Delhi.
The exposition started with one day
conference on the theme, “Innovations for
Sustainable Feed Industry”, at New Grain
Market, Karnal.
"Malnutrition along with nutritional
security and food safety are of prime
concern in India. Over the years, we have
laid greater emphasis on crop based
agricultural production. No doubt, we
have achieved remarkable increase in
food grains production, but the animal
sub sector unfortunately has not been
given proper attention to grow up to its
full potential," said Dr. Prakash said in his
inaugural address.
"It is rather high time that the focus
should now shift to animal agriculture,
and increase its financial outlay as per its
potential," he added.
The theme address of the conference was
presented by Dr. Anup Kalra, CEO,
Ayurvet, who talked about the importance
of innovations for taking animal feed
production to the next level and remain competitive in
producing nutritive food for feeding our huge population.
FTE 17 was organized to bring the latest feed technology
on single platform and share the knowledge about
producing more efficient and complete feed for poultry and
livestock industry. FTE 17 therefore focused on solutions for
the feed industry that are important and relevant to the
development of overall industry.
Dr. T.K. Walli, Chairman of the conference and former
President, Animal Nutrition Society of India, pointed out
that apart from increasing the tonnage of compound feed
manufacture, in order to feed huge population of livestock,
poultry and fish stock in our country, it is time that feed
manufacturers also produce quality and safe feed. The feed
quality standards laid out by BIS, must be truly adhered to,
and agencies involved in quality checks need to become
more pro active to assure that only good quality feed is
marketed in the country. Feed safety will lead us to food
safety.
Focus on Safe feed production in the country:
The first day conference was attended by 127 delegates
consisted of feed millers, integrators, dairy cooperatives,
progressive farmers and other feed professionals. The
presentations by eminent speakers from animal nutrition
research and feed industry during the day- long conference
spread over three technical sessions. Below are the session-
wise recommendations from the conference
Access to raw feed material

23
1. India suffers from feed shortage,
however, the country exports huge
quantities of feed raw material,
especially soybean, while the maize is
imported. The country also imports
certain feed additives, amino acids
and other essentials, it is time we rely
less on imports of these items and
start making in India.
2. Certification of raw materials/finished
products for quality assurance and
regulatory framework is essential.
3. Favourable policies should be framed
to produce newer feed raw material
and also improve the production of
animal feed ingredients.
4. Potentiality of sea weeds/extracts etc.
as animal feed/additives should be
given priority.
5. Since India is number two in fruit and
vegetable production, the use of fruit
and vegetable wastes as animal feed
ingredients accompanied with
simple technology of drying and
silage making, could bridge the gap
between demand and supply of
nutrients for different species of
animals.
Feed Production Technology
1. Standard operating procedures (SOP)
must be followed in feed milling.
2. Balancing of nutrients like energy,
protein, minerals, fibre, Ca :P ratio should be taken care
of in the compound feed.
3. The feed millers have to innovate, adopt new practices
and offer flexibility to meet the demand of mid–sized
farms. Custom mixing, ration balancing, working more
closely with the individual farm will become necessary
for survival.
4. Advancements in newer raw materials may result in
newer feed stock that may require newer feed
formulations.
5. Newer developments in processing technology
should be adopted to increase production efficiency
and environmental sustainability.
6. Equipment advancement and digital age becomes
even further intertwined with information technology,
eventually allowing for a flow of detail throughout the
steps in the food chain where farm, feed mill,
processing plant and consumers are concerned.
7. Ingredients, which are low in carbon footprint should
be given preference for making compound feed.
Feed efficiency and feed safety
1. Antinutritional factors like tannis, phytates, saponons,
protease inhibitors, NSPs etc are intrinsic factors that
have toxic effects on nutrient utilization and feed
efficiency. While mycotixins, pesticide residues, heavy

metals, bacterial toxins extrinsic
factors, reduce feed availability and
nutrient concentration and cause
toxicity in poultry from liberated
toxins.
2. The importance of safety
regulations to produce safe feed,
should be strictly adhered to, by the
feed millers for sustaining feed
efficiency.
3. Although pathogenic bacteria,
molds and yeasts can affect
nutritional quality of feed raw
material (FRM), all these can be safely reduced by
increasing pelleting temperatures combined with heat
resistant organic acids bound to their salts.
4. Pelleting often results in reducing the moisture content
of the feed, which can be compensated by moisture
optimizing management approaches, such as Moisture
Management System (MMS).
5. Feed raw materials need to be properly screened for
aflotoxins, fungus, fungicides/ pesticides, before
buying in bulk.
6. In view of the consumer resistance to the use of
antibiotics as growth enhancers, industry has to
explore newer approaches towards gut modulation,
including the use of prebiotics, probiotics, short chain
fatty acids, enzymes, aromatic plant extracts and
essential oils (Eos).
During 2nd day of the event, an awareness program was
organized by US Soybean Export Council in association
with Poultry Federation of India. The half day event was
well attended by farmers and industry representatives.
Prachi Arora, BENISON Media said that, "the idea to
organize this event was to build a single point business
platform dedicated to the feed industry, and I feel
honored to announce that 90% of exhibitors were
satisfied with their participation and showed their interest
to join us again in the next edition".
The participation area was increased by almost 80%
which proves the well acceptance of the event by the
industry. The 3-day event was attended by 2734 visitors
who participated from various parts of the India and also
from Nepal, Bangladesh and Africa. We hope to bring
another edition of well planned event to you soon.
24
EVENT COVERAGE Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017

26
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017INDUSTRY NEWS
By using high-res photos snapped by a
new wave of compact satellites, crop
yield can be estimated from space.
Stanford researchers have developed a
new way to estimate crop yields from
space, using high-resolution photos
snapped by a new wave of compact
satellites. The approach could be used
to estimate agricultural productivity
and test intervention strategies in poor
regions of the world where data are
currently extremely scarce.
“Improving agricultural productivity is
going to be one of the main ways to
reduce hunger and improve livelihoods
in poor parts of the world,” said study-
coauthor Marshall Burke, an assistant
professor of Earth system science at
Stanford's School of Earth, Energy &
Environmental Sciences. “But to
improve agricultural productivity, we
first have to measure it, and
unfortunately this isn't done on most
farms around the world.”
Earth-observing satellites have been around for over 3
decades, but most of the imagery they capture has not
been high-enough resolution to visualise the very small
agricultural fields typical in developing countries.
Recently, however, satellites have shrunk in both size and
cost while simultaneously improving in resolution, and
today there are several companies competing to launch
refrigerator- and shoebox-sized satellites into space that
take high resolution images of Earth.
Accurate predictions
In the new study, researchers set out to test whether the
images from this new wave of satellites are good
enough reliably estimate crop yields. The researchers
focused on an area in Western Kenya where there are a
lot of smallholder farmers that grow maize. The
scientists compared two different methods for
estimating agricultural productivity yields using satellite
imagery. The first approach involved “ground truthing,”
or conducting ground surveys to check the accuracy of
yield estimates calculated using the satellite data.
"We get a lot of great data, but it's incredibly time
consuming and fairly expensive, meaning we can only
survey at most a thousand or so farmers during one
campaign," said Marshall Burke."If you want to scale up
our operation, you don't want to have to recollect
ground survey data everywhere in the world."
For this reason, the team also tested an alternative
"uncalibrated" approach that did not depend on ground
survey data to make predictions. Instead, it uses a
computer model of how crops grow, along with
information on local weather conditions, to help
interpret the satellite imagery and predict yields. The
researchers have plans to scale up their project and test
their approach across more of Africa.
Source: Stanford
Estimating crop yields
from space
Imagesource:StanfordEarthSciencesImagesource:ICTUpdate

INDUSTRY NEWS Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017
28
A non-toxic chemical intervention
induces wheat plants to produce more
starch, shows findings published in
Nature
In a year when India was forced to
import over five million tonnes of
wheat due to a production shortfall at
home, new research by an Indian
scientist offers hope that wheat yields
could be raised significantly by a
chemical intervention in existing
varieties.
A water-soluble white powder—similar
to Trehalose-6-Phosphate (T6P), a
central sugar signal in wheat
plants—can enhance levels of starch
and biomass produced by the plants,
the research shows.
The findings of the collaborative
research project of Oxford University
with Ram Sagar Misra, a chemistry
professor at Shiv Nadar University
(SNU), India, was published in Nature
journal in December 2016. Apart from
Misra, the research team includes
Benjamin Davis, a professor at the
University of Oxford, and Matthew Paul,
a scientist from Rothamsted Research,
Harpenden, UK.
“The technology is completely new
where we use a sugar-based signalling
New research claims to raise
wheat yields by 50%
molecule which leads wheat plants to
produce more starch, thereby leading
to a 50% rise in yields (in lab and field
trials),” Misra said during an interview.
The water-soluble power can either be
used as a nutrient solution to the root
zone of plants or even sprayed, he said,
adding, “The same technology has
potential applications in other starch-
based crops like maize, rice and
potatoes.”
Not just raising yields, the technology
can also offer solutions to counter
effects of moisture stress and drought.
According to the paper published in
Nature, the research shows “that
chemical intervention in a potent sugar
signal increases grain yield, whereas
application to vegetative tissue
improves recovery and resurrection
from drought”.
The technology can be a respite for
India where wheat production took a
hit in 2015 and 2016 due to widespread
drought and imports surged to the
highest seen in a decade. India is likely
to harvest a record 96.6 million tonnes
beginning April this year, but a warmer
winter may shave off some of the gains
of a normal monsoon last year.
The discovery is significant too as
average wheat yield in India is below
that of average yields seen in countries
like China, leaving significant room for
improvement.
“In a country like India with significant
resistance to genetically modified
crops, the technology will be more
acceptable, and also because it is non-
toxic and environment friendly,” Misra
added.
The collaborative research which took
close to a decade to develop could take
some more time before it reaches
farmers. “We are now looking to
collaborate with agriculture companies
to conduct extensive field trails and a
handful of Indian and Israeli companies
have expressed interest,” Misra said.
“This technology can be easily and
widely replicated across other crops as
well—so potential benefits are
enormous,” said A.D.N. Bajpai, Vice-
Chancellor, Himachal Pradesh
University, Shimla.
“It can co-exist and be integrated with
existing crop technologies, without any
ethical or safety issues. The only
question now is how soon can this be
brought to the market,” Bajpai added.
Source: livemint
Imagesource:CountryDetail

Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 3 | Issue 5 | March 2017CALENDAR OF EVENTS
30
2017
To list any industry event related to Grain & Feed industry please write us at
editor@benisonmedia.com
IDMA
Date: 4-7 May 2017
Venue: Istanbul Expo Centre, Turkey
Email: info@idma.com.tr
Web: www.idma.com.tr
First Annual Animal Nutrition Conference of
Canada
Date: 10-11 May 2017
Venue: Quebec City, Canada
Email: info@anacan.org
Web: www.anacan.org
Aqua Aquaria India
Date: 21-23 April 2017
Venue: Andhra Loyola College Campus, Vijayawada,
India
Email: traduciruso@gmail.com
Web: www.aquaaquaria.com
MAY
APRIL
AgraME
Venue: Dubai International Exhibition Centre, Dubai
Email: ciaran.noonan@informa.com
Web: www.agramiddleeast.com
Poultry & Livestock Bangladesh Expo
Venue: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Email: contact@cems-foodagro.com
Web: www.cems-foodagro.com
JULY
AGRENA Middle East
Date: 13-15 July 2017
Venue: Cairo International Exhibition Centre
Email: maarcservices@gmail.com
Web: www.agrena.net
FIAAP Animal Nutrition Conference
Date: 14 July 2017
Venue: Cologne, Germany
Email: maarcservices@gmail.com
Web: www.victam.com
Feed Expo Philippines
Date: 24-26 May 2017
Venue: SMX Convention Center, Pasay City,
Philippines
Email: michael.blancas@ubm.com
Web: www.livestockphilippines.com

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Think Grain Think Feed March issue

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