Think Grain Think Feed September issue 19

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Volume 5 | Issue 11
September-2019

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Designing
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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
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Managing Editor
Dr. T.K. Walli
Former Head,
Dairy Cattle Nutrition, NDRI
EDITORIAL
Home to the largest cattle and buffalo
population, with 186 million cattle and 95 million
buffaloes, India has the largest bovine population
in the world. Of course, then it is not surprising that India also happens to
be the largest producer of milk in the world. However,a large percentage
of our non- descript breeds of cattle are very low yielders. The poor
farmers, who cannot support the general maintenance and feeding of
non performing cattle, let loose their animals to the mercy of being fed
on garbage and road side grasses. Thestray-cattlewhich is roaming on
the busy streets and roads in India is unmistakably a common sight now.
In fact, this problem of stray cattle in India isassuming an alarming
situation, posing threat to life and property through road accidents.Not
only that, when these hungry cattle herds enter any cropped field in the
rural and semi urban areas, nothing is left therein the field. So, the
problemis twofold, for both people living in cities and for the farmers
cultivating cash crops as well fodder crops in rural areas. In fact, farmers
have been the biggest sufferers of the stray cattle menace as they
destroy the freshly sproutedwheat crop, which is sweet in taste. In may
be noteworthy to think that stray buffaloes are a rare sight. This is just
because, once the buffaloes become unproductive, they find their way to
flourishing meat industry. In fact, there is a huge market for buffalo meat
in the Middle East, and the Indian meat industry is fast growing on a fast
tract.
However, there exists a racket being operated by some gangs, who
pose themselves as stray cattle catchers, under the grab of cow vigilante
groups. They strike a deal with the villagers bycharging them heavy
sums, for taking away their cattle from the fields and with a promise to
putting them in gaushalas. However, it is said that cattle given to
gaushalas are not looked after well there. This is because these
Gaushalas are not properly equipped to handle such a large flux of stray
cattle, due to shortage of space, nor do they possess proper technical
expertise to improve the productive performance of these cattle through
better management and feeding. So, some of these cattle are allowed to
leave the Gaushalas and finally they find their way on footpaths and
dividers of the roads in crowded cities.
So, the most important step for the govt is to allocate morefunds
tomodernize the existing Gaushalas, with proper space, housing,
nutrition of the animals, and appointing veterinarians and other live
stock experts to make these animals productive. Better nutrition could
make a difference in the performance of these animals. Apart from
that,while the cow dung could be used to generate electricity for the
gaushala, the dung could be used to make vermi compost and products
like pots, agarbattis, soaps etc., using improved manufacturing
technologies for these products.
TK Walli
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 5 | Issue 11 | September 2019
Circulation & Subscription Head
Ramesh Kumar
Stray Cattle in India:
A growing menace which
demands immediate
attention
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Prachi Arora |
Monthly Magazine for Feed & Feed Technology
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Think Grain Think Feed is a monthly magazine published by BENISON Media at its office in Karnal. Editorial
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R&D
ARTICLE
05
EVENT COVERAGE
INDUSTRY NEWS
New live feed in India may reduce
import from USA & China
Parameters Influencing Egg
Shell Quality
08
Report to succeed in Aqua Feed by Rabobank
MilkLane forays into cattle feed
business in Tamil Nadu
06
12
13
14
20
21Quality Silage Making: Specific
reference to Maize Silage
Anmol Feeds expansion in India
Vice President calls for expansion
of aquaculture sector
NIAP price forecast for crops launch in two
years will highlight India on global map
22
23
24
25
26
Trade deal to send more U.S. grain to Japan
ADM funds Feed Technology Center to facilitate
research in pet nutrition and animal agriculture
UK retail giant – Tesco moves to source salmon
fed on alternative feed ingredients
Fall armyworm reported in maize crop of Bihar
Canada approves insect-based
feed companies
28 CLFMA Symposium deliberates “Indian
Livestock Farming: Prospects & Role of
Government Policies” for the benefit of
Livestock Industry
20-21 Sept
2019
07-09 Feb
2020
UPCOMING
EVENTS
FeedTechExpo 2020Animal Feed Technology
PFI – Annual
General Body
Meeting (AGM)

R&D
05
In a major breakthrough, Rajiv Gandhi
Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA) has
indigenously developed a live feed,
which can help reduce India's
dependence on imports from USA and
China.
Artemia, the most important live feed
in shrimp and fish hatcheries, has been
brought out by RGCA, the research
wing of the Marine Products Export
Development Agency (MPEDA), under
the brand name 'Pearl'.
The live feed, developed under the
Make in India programme, was formally
launched by Vice President M. Venkaiah
Naidu at the just concluded fifth edition
of MPEDA's Aqua Aquaria India (AAI) in
Hyderabad.
“India currently imports around 300
tonnes of Artemia in dried cyst form
worth Rs. 300 crore annually, mainly
from USA and China. It is an important
consumable in shrimp and fish
hatcheries for the larvae of farmed
aquatic organisms,” MPEDA Chairman
M K S Srinivas said.
“Artemia appears only in waters of high
salinity. There is a huge potential for
artemia live feed in the country and its
operations can be expanded on a large
scale in states like Maharashtra and
Gujarat,” he added.
India is looking to double its seafood exports from the
present $ 7 billion to $ 15 billion by 2024 through
introduction of new varieties, and expansion of
aquaculture cultivation to new areas.
“Our indigenous Pearl brand of artemia is a big step in
realising this ambitious target,” Mr. Srinivas said
Describing the breakthrough as one of the most
successful stories in the country's aquaculture sector, Dr. S.
Kandan, project director, MPEDA-RGCA, said,
“The University of Kent in Belgium, an authority to test
artemia, has certified our product as the best of its kind in
the world.
“The price of imported brands of artemia costs around Rs
5,300 for 450 grams in India, whereas the Pearl brand
artemia developed indigenously is priced much lower at
Rs 3,500 for 450 grams. “The cost can be brought down
further once the production increases,” he pointed out.
At present, Artemia is being produced in the facilities of
MPEDA-RGCA at Tuticorin and Ramanathapuram in Tamil
Nadu NSE -1.67 %, with a total capacity of 500 kg per year.
At present, MPEDA-RGCA produces Artemia in 18
hectares. However, the country has a potential area of
12,000 hectares that could be utilized for its production.
“Towards this, assistance from various state governments
and more entrepreneurship is needed,” he said.
RGCA will also supply artemia to hatcheries of marine fin
fish and ornamental fishes.
Source: economictimes
New live feed in India may reduce
import from USA & China

The aquafeed industry needs to “think
out of the box to find growth,”
according to a new report, How to
Succeed in Aqua Feed, which has been
published by Rabobank.
As the report notes: “After years of
growth, the aqua feed industry is
experiencing a deceleration, with
increasing overcapacity in nearly all key
markets globally. The causes vary and
are often region-specific, but what is
clear is that the aqua feed industry will
need to think out of the box to find
growth.”
The most promising avenues for
growth, according to the report, include
“combining feed with a range of
complementary inputs, such as
genetics, animal health products, data
analysis solutions, hardware, and farm
management software, in order to
extract previously unobtainable
synergies.”
How aquafeed players can become
innovation drivers in the aquaculture
industry
Context is provided by a sector-by-
sector breakdown which details the
trends in each of the salmon, shrimp
and tilapia and pangasius industries.
The report notes that opportunities in
the salmon feed sector are being
limited by the slowdown in salmon
production in Norway and Chile, and by
an increasing trend for salmon
producers to mill their own feeds.
Indeed, as the report points out, Mowi
and Bakkafrost becoming self-sufficient
in feeds in Norway, Scotland, Ireland
and the Faroe Islands, essentially
reduces the European aquafeed market
by 20 percent. While, the authors add,
“it cannot be ruled out that some of the
larger players in Chile or in other
regions will at some point vertically
integrate into feed”.
Meanwhile, the shrimp feed sector, they
note, is characterised by overcapacity,
not least in India and Thailand, which
"will take years of growth to fill,
especially since expected growth of shrimp aquaculture
has decreased to be more in line with demand growth”.
Finally, for tilapia and pangasius, the authors note that the
impact of factors such as the US-China trade war has and
anti-dumping measures in the US have led to “declining
exports and a freshwater aquaculture industry with
considerable oversupply, falling prices, and a lower profit
pool for the entire global value chain, including feed
production. Combined with the fact that tilapia and
pangasius feed has relatively low barriers to entry, this has
become an intensely competitive sector, and it is now one
of the lowest-margin products among all aquatic feeds.”
Despite these challenges facing the sector the authors
suggest four key ways in which feed producers can not
only adapt to the changing environment but also help to
drive the evolution of the aquaculture industry as a whole.
The first involves “accelerating the adoption of
technologies” through partnerships for joint R&D and
investment in promising companies. “Ultimately, the
combination of feed, data, and aquaculture farming
technology can be one of the key drivers of growth and
efficiency improvement for the industry” the report
explains.
The second suggestion is for feed producers to start
selling genetics and animal health products as “a powerful
way to create value for farmers and improve the
profitability of input suppliers”, while the third involves
developing novel feed ingredients.
The fourth and final suggestion is for feed producers to
become more involved as investors and technology
partners in state-of-the-art production systems such as
RAS and offshore. “In many cases – especially since RAS
requires specialised feed – this will require the
participation of the feed industry, at least as a technical
partner,” the authors explain.
“The feed companies have to do something, the feed
market is slowing down and contracting in the commodity
end, while in the more innovative end there is so much
opportunity,” explained Gorjan Nikolik - senior animal
protein analyst at Rabobank.
Latest report by Rabobank
to succeed in Aqua Feed
06
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 5 | Issue 11 | September 2019INDUSTRY NEWS

08
ARTICLE Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 5 | Issue 11 | September 2019
Introduction
Indian poultry industry produces
about 90 billion eggs annually with
an estimated yearly sectoral growth
of 6%. The per capita egg
consumption annually in India is
around 70 eggs. However, the
National Nutrition Institute
recommends 180 eggs per person
per year. Eggs are healthy food for
human consumption. The egg
quality standards are of utmost
important. The major egg quality
parameters are cleanliness,
soundness, texture and shape of
shell; relative viscosity and freedom
from foreign materials in albumen;
shape, firmness and freedom of
defects in yolk. Egg shell plays a
crucial role in protecting the
contents of egg from microbial and
physical contamination, and in
controlling the exchange of moisture and gases with
the external environment. In commercial layer and
breeder operations, the shell quality parameters like
shell thickness and breakage strength helps in
increased saleable or hatching eggs, resulting in high
number of viable day-old chick production. Defects in
shell quality can cause substantial losses to a
commercial egg producer.
Factors Affecting Egg Shell Quality
Role of Nutrients
Balancing the calcium and phosphorus in layer feed
formulation is of utmost importance to maintain a
better egg production and shell quality. A normal
poultry egg contains almost two grams of calcium in
their egg shell. To maintain a better egg shell quality,
a daily dietary intake of four grams of calcium
through the diet is essential. In general, 50-60% of
dietary calcium is used for the egg shell formation. A
normal layer ration containing 3.56 % or higher
calcium level would ensure maintenance of 20-
30mg/dl of calcium levels in their blood. When layer
birds are fed with a calcium deficient diet (<2%
Parameters Influencing
Egg Shell Quality
S R Prabakar, Kemin Industries South Asia Pvt. Ltd.

09
dietary levels), the layer birds utilize
30-40% of its calcium from the bone
for its normal egg shell formation.
Phosphorus absorption is optimal at
a pH range of 5.5-6.0. The
absorption of phosphorus decreases
when pH is higher than 6.5. A high
dietary calcium level increases the
pH in gut leading to a reduced
phosphorus absorption along with
zinc and manganese.
Correspondingly, a high plasma
phosphorus level has a negative
influence on the calcium absorption
and mobilization. An increase free
fatty acid levels in diet, decreases
the pH and interferes with calcium
and phosphorus absorption.
Mycotoxins
Aflatoxin B1 and cyclopiazonic acid
are the most common mycotoxins
implicated in egg shell quality.
Aflatoxins were found to reduce the
calcium content in egg shell of
laying hens. Whereas, cyclopiazonic
acid produces a marked
deterioration in egg shell quality in
laying hens. T2 toxin and
deoxynivalenol elicit oral lesions
leading to lower feed intake and resulting in reduced
egg production and poor shell quality.
Age of Birds
Calcium and phosphorus level must be maintained in
feed of laying hens as per the age. Normal egg
contains about 2g of calcium regardless of the laying
hen's age and egg weight. As the hen's age advances,
eggs will become larger with thinner shell. The
absorption of calcium from intestine will also be
reduced. As age advances, calcium level in feed
should be increased. In phase-1 (0.5% hen day
production to 40 weeks of age), 4.2g/day calcium and
0.44g/day available phosphorus must be provided. In
phase-2 (above 41 weeks of age), 4.35g/day calcium
and 0.42g/day available phosphorus must be
provided.
Physiological Changes
In early stage of laying period, the young layer birds
commonly produce soft shelled eggs. This will be
reduced with the maturity of reproductive system.
Sometimes, stress or fright could also lead to the
eggs laid without shell.
Disease Condition
Diseases like infectious bronchitis (IB), new castle
disease (ND) and avian influenza (AI) affects the egg
shell quality. In IB, occurrence of misshapen eggs
with thin, soft, rough and pale shells were observed.
While in ND, occurrence of misshapen eggs, rough or
thin shelled eggs and reduced egg production could
be observed. Mycoplasma gallisepticum affects the
bird's respiratory tract, responsible for salpingitis,
reduced egg production and poor egg quality.
Whereas, Mycoplasma synoviae affects the oviduct of
layers resulting in egg production with shell
abnormalities like roughened shell surface, shell
thinning and increased translucency on apical side
leaving a clear demarcation zone. The proportion of
affected eggs can be as high as 25% with
susceptibility to breakage and cracking of eggs
resulting in economic losses.
Environmental Changes
Disturbance in the plasmatic acid-base balance
results in soft shelled egg production. During
exposure to warm environmental temperatures, hens
reacts by increasing its rate of breathing to help cool
itself. This physiological occurrence causes the
lowering of CO2 in blood and produces a condition
termed "respiratory alkalosis”. The pH of blood
becomes alkaline reducing the availability of Ca++
needed for the formation of egg shell. This causes an
increase in the production of soft-shelled eggs. Thus,
egg shell quality is somewhat compromised during
warm summer months.
! After forced moulting, the egg specific gravity,
shell weight and shell thickness tend to improve
or maintain same as prior to the forced moulting.

ARTICLE
10
Egg shell breaking strength is
also improved in all strains of
layer birds after forced
moulting.
! Low dietary cationic-anionic
balance, presence of non-starch
polysaccharides (NSP) and
mycotoxins results in poor egg
shell quality.
! Old layer cages with rough
edges and handling of eggs
leads to egg breakage.
Steps to Improve Egg Shell
Quality
Trace Minerals
Trace minerals are essential in the
biochemical processes necessary for
growth and development, including
bone and egg shell formation. Zinc
plays a vital role in deposition of
albumen and egg shell membranes
production respectively in magnum
and isthmus respectively. The
carbonic anhydrase, a zinc
dependent enzyme, stimulates
calcium carbonate deposition for
egg shell formation. Manganese is
essential for egg shell formation and
positively affect egg shell quality.
Copper, an integral part of lysyl-
oxidase enzyme is important in
collagen formation present in egg
shell membrane. In poultry nutrition,
either inorganic or organic forms of
trace minerals are commonly added
as feed additives to diets in
improving hen's performance,
production and quality of eggs.
Compared to inorganic sources,
organic mineral sources are
reported to have several advantages
including protection from undesired
chemical reactions in
gastrointestinal tract, easy passage
intact through intestine wall and,
possibly different absorption,
metabolic pathway and mechanism.
Calcium, Phosphorus and Vitamin-
D3
Crystalline layer of egg shell
consists of more than 90% calcium
in the form of calcium carbonate.
The dietary calcium (3.8- 4.2%)
uptake, deposition and excretion are
regulated by Vitamin D3 and its
metabolites. Vitamin-D3 is absorbed
from intestine in association with fats and it requires
the presence of bile salts for absorption.
Sodium Bicarbonate
Addition of sodium bicarbonate maintains the dietary
electrolyte balance, thus positively influencing the
egg shell quality through better calcium absorption.
During summer, sodium bicarbonate must be added
at the rate of 1kg per ton of feed to improve egg
shell quality.
Chromium and Vitamin-C
Chromium improves the productive performance in
poultry due to its important functions in metabolism,
growth and reduction of lipid and protein
peroxidation. Glucose tolerance factor (GTF), the
biologically active form of chromium potentiates the
action of insulin and thereby regulating the
carbohydrate metabolism. Under heat stress
conditions, chromium plays a crucial role in poultry
nutrition, production, health and enhances the
quality of eggs. Ascorbic acid improves the poultry
performance during stress conditions by lowering of
plasma corticosterone level and adrenocorticotropic
hormone. When ascorbic acid was used at 100mg/kg
of feed or less for commercial layers, an improvement
in egg production, egg shell quality and livability was
observed. Thus, a combination of chromium and
vitamin-C will be more beneficial to combat the heat
stress with an improvement in production and shell
quality.
Management
! Analyze the raw materials for multi-toxins before
the usage.
! In old layers, increase in egg size leads to
thinning of egg shell. Hence, feed formulation
should be optimized to maintain standard egg
size and avoid egg breakage.
! A proper vaccination for infectious bronchitis and
new castle diseases must be followed to sustain
egg shell quality.
! Mycoplasma prevention program should be
followed in chicks, growers and layers.
! A practice of minimum two or more egg
collection schedules daily should be followed to
avoid piling of eggs and egg breakage.
Conclusion
Proper nutritional management by providing calcium
and phosphorus as per the age of birds with optimal
dosage of organic trace minerals in addition to Vitamin
D3, is important to improve the egg shell quality. A
better health management of birds with regular
vaccination schedules and good farm management
practices are vital to avoid egg shell quality related
diseases problems. The improvement in egg shell
quality parameters will avoid egg breakage losses
ensuring a better return to the farmers.

MilkLane, a Bengaluru-based dairy
start-up incubated by Pioneering
Ventures, has forayed into the cattle
feed business with the launch of a new
brand with two variants, Aayush Max
and Aayush Rich. The decision comes
as the company aims to improve health
of the cattle, quality and productivity of
the milk through high-quality cattle
feed.
The high-quality feed, with a balanced
source of essential nutrients, benefits
both farmers and end consumers. The
product improves animal health and
milk production ensuring enhanced
income for the farmers, while driving
corrective interventions for safe and
toxin-free milk for the consumers.
During a pilot phase for six months, the
product was given to 500 farmers in
Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, and
administered to 1,000 cows to improve
their health conditions and to increase
milk productivity as well as the quality.
Post the pilot, the company has
proceeded with the commercial launch
in the open market in Tamil Nadu,
which will be followed by other states
in Southern India.
“Our entry into the cattle feed business
has come up at the right time when the
government is committed towards the
dairy-sector. In the recent Union
Budget, it has been proposed to create
infrastructure for cattle feed
management and milk procurement,
thereby facilitating private players to support farmers,”
said Gaurav Haran, chief executive officer, Milklane.
“Having said that, we are also exploring other
opportunities to strengthen our farm-to-fork value chain
and further build on our current strong association with
the farmers,” he added.
“Indian farmers need to be trained about the nutrition-
deficiency in cattle feed which is affecting the economics
of dairy farms badly. Also, the presence of toxins in feed
can end up in milk as well,” Haran said.
“Hence, we go a step further by educating farmers on best
dairy practices and provides them with a holistic extension
service, which includes veterinary services, nutrition and
preventive care, facilitating finance and insurance
services,” he added.
Dr Ashok Modgil, head, operations, MilkLane, said, “The
lack of hygienic fodder can lead to Aflatoxicosis, a
condition caused by prolonged feeding of mould infested
fodder. This can cause liver disease, slower weight gain
and impaired lactation cycle in dairy cattle, ultimately
impacting the quality of milk.”
“Hence, we have rolled out a high-quality nutrition-
balanced cattle feed, which is free from toxins, to mitigate
the risks arising out of poor-quality feeding,” he added.
MilkLane launches the hygienic cattle feed in an effort to
continuously safeguard cattle and human health. It
contains required protein, minerals, and nutrition which
ensures increased milk yield.
Additionally, it improves the density and quality of milk,
which further produces more butter and fat content in the
milk. It is manufactured using a scientifically-developed
recipe, formulated by a proper mix of quality cereals,
grains, oilseed cakes and minerals, providing suitable
nutrition solutions to the farmers.
Source: newsvoir
MilkLane forays into cattle feed
business in Tamil Nadu
INDUSTRY NEWS
12
ImageSource:nutritechfeeds

13
Having just recently inaugurated a new
poultry feed plant in Jammu and
Kashmir, Anmol Feeds has announced
plans for two new facilities for the
production of feeds for aquaculture
species as it expands across India and
beyond to neighboring countries -
Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
With a total investment of INR 550
million (US$8 million), Anmol Feeds has
announced its intentions to set up a
new plant producing shrimp feed in
Kolkata, and a facility for floating fish
feeds near the border between Bihar
and Uttar Pradesh, reports Economic
Times.
Both of the new production units are
expected to be completed within two
to three years. Once operational, they
will increase the firm's total daily
output from 1300 metric tons (mt) to
1500 mt, according to the firm's
managing director, Amit Saraogi.
In June, Anmol Feeds inaugurated a
new feed mill at Samba in the northern
state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K),
reported Kashmir Reader. Its annual
Anmol Feeds expansion in India
capacity is 70,000 mt, most of which will be poultry
feed.
“By opening our new facility in Jammu, we will be closer
to our consumers in the J&K region and can better
adapt our products to their needs and preferences,” said
Saraogi. At the inauguration, the firm announced its
new logo, and launched its Nouriture brand, which aims
to propel its future feed businesses for the aquaculture
and cattle sector, as well as to consolidate its poultry
nutrition business.
At present, Anmol Feeds has eight state-of-the-art
manufacturing plants across six states- Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and
Haryana. With a cumulative production capacity of 1300
tonnes per day, the company, has been catering to the
livestock feed requirements of 19 states across India.

ARTICLE Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 5 | Issue 11 | September 2019
14
Quality Silage Making: Specific
reference to Maize Silage
Dr Marius Bogdan and Dr Suyash Vardhan - Trouw Nutrition
Maize silage is often used in dairy cow
feeding and represents 50% or more of
the total content in Total Mixed Ration
(TMR) in Europe, North America,
Australia and Asia. Maize or corn is a
very versatile plant with high growth
rate, resistant and one of the most
high-yielding forage crops (Roth et al.,
2001). Globally, maize is a leading
cereal grown – in EU-28 maize was
grown on 14.7 million hectares and
maize silage acreage was 5.9 million
hectares. In India, maize is the third
largest crop after wheat and rice. It is
being used for human consumption,
fodder, and industrial applications like
starch, oil, beverages, sweeteners,
pharmaceutical applications, cosmetics,
gums, packaging and paper industry.
Because of high palatability, sufficient
starch level, digestible NDF and protein,
corn silage is the most valuable forage
for ruminant livestock. Nevertheless, in
order to obtain a very high-quality corn silage, few
critical points have to be considered.
Harvesting: Harvesting time is essential in order to
achieve not only the best nutritional value, but also to
reduce mould contamination risk on the field.
! Optimal cutting stage: dry matter between 30 and
35% DM. It is very important to know that dry down
rate is 0.5-0.75 % per day, even higher in hot
climate.
! Optimum milk-line stage: ½ to ¾ (figure 1). High
milk ratio means low starch content, whereas low
milk ratio (dry kernel) means dry silage and
therefore poor compression in
Silage pit:
! Length of particle: 10-15 mm or 19-22 mm if mixing
wagon has a silage cutter.
! Kernels should be broken into multiple pieces and
cobs should be broken into thumbnail-sized pieces
or less (Roth et al., 2001).
! More than 90% of kernels have to be crushed. Corn
starch is the most important fermentation substrate
ImageSource:Cuttoclamp

15
for lactic acid bacteria. If corn
kernels are not crushed, starch is
not available for lactic acid
bacteria, hence the fermentation
will be poor, pH will not decrease
enough and the consequence is
mould proliferation. Also, most of
uncrushed kernels will not be
digested by cow and it will be
eliminated in manure (figure 2).
Milk line Wax/Starch Milk
Compression:
It is the most important point at
ensiling, because it:
i) Minimizes aerobic activity
ii) Maximizes anaerobic activity
! Layers for compression: max 30 cm.
! Use heavy tractors/tools that can
apply uniform and heavy pressure
(figure 3), in order to eliminate as
much Oxygen as possible.
! Cover the silage every night.
! When continuing work on the
second day, it is recommended to
not compress the pile created the
day before because this will
eliminate CO₂ produced during
the night. Compressing should
start only after fresh corn is loaded
on top of the pile.
! After last layer, continue to
compress another 2-3 hours.
Preparation of Silage Pit and its
Sealing: After Oxygen has been
removed from silage it is very
important to keep the air outside, so it
is recommendable to use two plastic
folia:
! One very thin folia, maximum 40ì thick which is in
direct contact with silage and contours the forage,
filling any gaps left during the packing
! Top of the silage has to be covered with a 150-200ì
plastic folia for protection against water, rodents
and birds.
Figure 1. Determination of milk line,
to judge the correct harvesting time
for maize fodder.
Milk Line
Wax/Starch
Milk
Figure 2. Uncrushed kernels in corn silage are eliminated
undigested in the manure
Figure 3. Compacting silage, 2 MT pressing weight behind heavy
tractor for better compaction.
Figure 4: Preparation of Silage Bunker.
Fermentation: Upon silage pit sealing, a chain of
reactions starts, the most important ones being
anaerobic fermentation:
! Phase I (1-2 days) – in this phase the plants
continue their respiration and, as a result of this
activity CO₂ is being produced. Inside the silage
mass the temperature starts to rise above 20°C and
the pH is around 6-6.5.
! Phase II (1-3 days) – anaerobic fermentation starts;
acetic acid, lactic acid and ethanol are produced
and temperature reaches 30-32°C. The pH
decreases to 5 and lactic acid bacteria start
flourishing. This is also known as hetero-
fermentative phase. At times, if natural occurring

ARTICLE
16
bacteria is more than 10,000
CFU/g, it may limit the growth of
lactic acid bacteria, especially of
bacterial inoculants.
! Phase III (3-5 days) – now the
fermentation is almost exclusively
lactic, pH drops to 4 and, by the
end of this phase silage mass starts
to cool down. This is also known as
homo-fermentative phase. Under
tropical climate, it is important to
achieve pH 4-5 early in order to
prevent hot fermentation in silage,
which makes it favourable for
mould and yeast to grow within
silage.
! Phase IV (15-21 days) – all kind of
fermentations are almost shut
down, pH is stabilized at around 4
and the temperature inside the
silage mass should be more or less
the same as the environment
temperature (maximum 10-15°C
above environment temperature)
extreme mould contamination, or high level of
ammonia.
Lactic acid is an important organic acid for good silage
because it is a strong acid, with low dissociation
constant (pKa=3.86). High level of lactic acid means that
good fermentation occurred and the silage is stable,
while low lactic acid content is a result of high dry
matter content or Clostridia fermentation. Lactic acid is
the most efficient preservative of corn silage.
Regardless of what additives we are using (e.g. silage
inoculants or mixture of organic acids), the outcome is
the same: pH starts to drop, lactic acid bacteria prevail
as pH decreases, so at the end of the day lactic acid
becomes the most prevalent acid in the silage pit.
Experts recommend a mixture of organic acids
containing Lactic acid, Sorbic acid, Propionic acid and its
stable salts exactly for this reason. High levels of acetic
acid can be encountered in very wet silages (below 25%
dry matter), in silages that were slow compressed or bad
covered or in silages treated with ammonia, which raises
pH and this can lead to dry matter intake limitations.
High level of butyric acid, over 0.5% in dry matter shows
that Clostridia fermentation has undergone. This
situation might occur when soil is mixed with crop
during harvest.
Silage with high butyric acid level will have low nutritive
value and high ADF and NDF. Usually, propionic acid
concentration in corn silage is less the 1%, but when dry
matter is around 35-40%, this organic acid is almost
undetectable. Because propionic acid is a good silage
stababilizer and energy source, a low propionic acid
silage can be treated with Propionic acid or its salt
based organic acid additives or biological additives such
Figure 5: Dr Marius sharing Silage preservation technique
with dairy farm advisors
After 45 days the silage pit may be
opened, however it may be opened at
around 30 days, if silage stabilizers have
been used. It is extremely important
that when opening the silage pit to
analyze the silage quality. Few
parameters, if correctly interpreted,
reflect not only the fermentation
quality, but also the nutritive values of
the silage (table 1).
Nutrient values show the nutritive
quality of the silage, whereas organic
acids levels and pH reflect quality of
fermentation and silage mass stability.
A low pH indicates that the silage is
stable and moulds cannot further
develop. High pH, over 4.5 can be a
result of a dry silage (over 50% dry
matter), Clostridia fermentation,
Table 1. Corn silage parameters
Parameters Minim Maxim
Dry Matter, % 27 37
Crude Protein, % DM 7 -
NPN, % DM < 5
Starch, % DM 25 -
ME, MJ/kg DM > 8
NEL, MJ/kg DM > 6
Ash, % DM 3 5
ADF, % DM 20 26
NDF, % DM 40 45
Sugar, % DM 2 4
Fat, % DM 3 5
Lactic Acid, % DM 3 7
Acetic Acid, % DM < 2
Butyric Acid, % DM < 0,1
Propionic Acid, % DM < 1
Ethanol, % DM 1 3
pH 3,8 4,5

18
ARTICLE
as silage inoculants. Inoculants can be
used following its specific composition,
environmental and climatic condition
and inoculant's specificity of the crop
and manufacturers storage and usage
specifications.
Under conditions when extremely wet
or dry silages are prepared, or when
compressing is poor and when silage
pit coverage is improper, the yeast or
mould activity restarts and second
fermentation of silage occurs. Visible
indications of such asilage damage are
high pH, increasing silage mass
temperature, high ethanol level, high
butyric acid level, odour and colour
modifications. Usually silage becomes
yellowish because of Maillard reaction,
but also can have dark brown, black or
red spots because mould activity and
bad, acidic odour can be detected.
Though there are different opinions for
the usage of the silage additives for
effective preservation of silage, few
important aspects needs to be taken
under consideration:
Dry matter content and crop type:
Many inoculants are crop specific and
require effective storage specification,
from refrigeration to cool and dry
storage specifications. Choice of
bacterial strain and its adaptability in
specific crop should be considered
Climatic condition at the time of
ensiling: As in tropical climate
temperature remains high, it is
important to choose additive
considering the hot and humid
condition. It is important to bring pH
down to 4-5 to prevent hot
fermentation and provide anaerobic
condition to ensiled material.
Wet Silage: When harvested under
high moisture condition or rainy
season, needs adequate precaution, as
it is prone to low aerobic stability and
less compaction.
Dilution of silage: Additive needs to
be such that it leads to high Aw activity
in ensiled material, resulting in water
pockets in ensiled material.
Conventional methods: like
incorporation of salt, urea, molasses
needs to be reviewed by silage experts,
as it is quite specific to the ensiled
material with clear objective of the
preservation requirements. Incorporation of high amount
of Salt and Ammonia, may not allow pH to drop down to
desirable level and as Molasses quality varies a lot, it may
not be fit for silage.
Addition of enzymes: as silage preservative is usually
targeted towards mobilization of sugar content from
starch, but needs to be evaluated, on the basis of its
requirement and its choice as per the crop type.
Aerobic fermentation inhibitors (FI): like Selko TMR,
under hot and humid climate works well provided its
incorporation and composition fills in the requirement of
silage preservation. FI, with blend of organic acid, rich in
lactic acid, propionic acid, sorbic acid and propionate salts
helps in reducing pH quickly, control water activity in
ensiled material and aerobic stability of the fodder kept
under preservation, without specificity of the Crop type.
It is advised that use of silage additives can improve shelf
life of the silage in bunkers and bales. Main emphasis
needs to be given on the quality of silage manufacturing
which includes all management aspects starting from -
sowing in the right season, harvesting at the right DM,
proper wilting and filling in the Bunkers and Bales, right
pressing and compaction, proper packing and face
management while opening for feeding. Use of Silage
additives does not ensure better preservation quality if
silage making management is poor. One of the most
common reasons of second fermentation is silage face
management since exposure to air is huge and constant in
this area (figure 6).
Figure 6. Silage mold spoilage because of
second fermentation
In order to avoid mould in the silage, there are few actions
that have to be taken, both before and after ensiling.
Before ensiling:
! Start harvesting at right corn maturity (milk line at ½
- ¾)
! Check the whole plant moisture: 63 – 73%
! Chop corn silage at 10-15 mm
! Perform a very good compression of silage mass
! Close silage pit as soon as possible and seal it with
two layers of plastic folia
! For better fermentation, treat silage with silage
inoculants (mixture of homo- or hetero- fermentative
lactic bacteria). However, these bacteria, even though

19
can be effective in regulating lactic
fermentation, they do not survive
in highly acidic silage (Jones et al.,
2004)
! For better fermentation and silage
stabilization, treat silage with
fermentation inhibitors. These
products are mixtures of organic
acids, usually propionic acid, sorbic
acid, benzoic acid. Organic acids
lower silage pH and therefore are
very effective in inhibiting molds
and yeasts growth
After ensiling:
! Ensure a contact area with the air
as low as possible after silage
removal for feeding
! Ensure a feeding speed of 1.5
m/week. If this speed cannot be
managed, the contact surface can
be treated with silage stabilizers
that contain organic acids (i.e.
propionic, sorbic or benzoic acid).
! Regardless how good the silo is
managed, open surface is exposed
to Oxygen (figure 7), so and
desirable fermentation can start at
any time, especially under hot
climate circumstances
effect on animal health through their toxins,
producing important disorders at different levels:
rumen (Fumonisin, Patulin), respiratory tract
(Ochratoxin), digestive system (T-2, DON) or in
reproduction (Zearalenone). In India, major presence
of Aflatoxin B1 has been detected in majority of raw
material as well- finished feed samples in lab analysis.
! Human health – some mycotoxins can be transferred
from silage to cow and further in milk, threatening
human health. One of the most important toxins is
aflatoxin, which is quite a common mycotoxin
produced by Aspergillus spp. especially in corn silage
under hot climate environment. There is an important
transfer rate of aflatoxin metabolites in milk (Aflatoxin
M1 and M2), ranging between 1% and 6% (Diaz et al.,
2004).
It is therefore very important to produce a high-quality
silage, because a bad maize silage represents a limiting
factor for dry matter intake. However, even if moulds are
not spoiling organoleptic characteristics of the TMR, the
insidious mycotoxins will impede cow metabolism or,
worst; will be consumed by people via animal products.
References available on request.
For further details, please contact the authors at
customercareindia@trouwnutrition.com
Figure 7. Exposed surface of the
silage leads to second fermentation.
Second fermentation after silage pit
opening is very dangerous, as
mycotoxin production can occur, toxins
being the mould's response against
stressful situations. Mycotoxin's harmful
potential is reflected in three
components:
! TMR organoleptic qualities – some
moulds damage silage content,
reducing feed intake and this leads
to low milk production (Penicillium
spp., Mucor spp., Rhizopus spp.
etc.)
! Animal health – some have direct

20
INDUSTRY NEWS Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 5 | Issue 11 | September 2019
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu
called for expansion of India's
aquaculture sector through
diversification, value addition and
penetration in the hinterland and non-
coastal states.
He said that the seafood industry needs
renewed impetus to make its
stupendous growth sustainable, gain
competitive edge in international
markets, provide nutritional security
and generate employment, especially in
rural areas.
In his address at the fifth edition of
Aqua Aquaria India (AAI), a biennial
showpiece event in Asia's marine
products sector organized by the
Marine Products Export Development
Authority (MPEDA), Naidu said: "Most
of the Asian countries are focusing on
advanced technology for increasing fish
production and productivity. In China
and Israel, production of marine
products is 10 to 15 metric tonnes per
hectare. India also needs to
substantially increase its production for
exports and domestic requirements."
Around 5,000 delegates from India and
abroad participated in the three-day
mega event being held with the focal
theme being 'Taking blue revolution to
India's hinterland'.
Describing aquaculture as the "best
alternative for reinforcing the fish
sector", the Vice President said there is
immense scope for both horizontal and
vertical expansion and importance has to be given to
environment-friendly aquaculture in rural areas. Besides,
branding and export-oriented aquaculture practices have
to be adopted.
"Sustainability and productivity have to be the twin
mantra for India's aquaculture sector," he said, adding that
the country holds immense potential in developing inland
aquaculture that can significantly boost exports.
He underlined the need to increase investments in the
fields of aquaculture, especially in shrimp farming. "India is
the fourth largest exporter of fish and the fisheries sector
gives employment to more than 40.5 million people. Of
the five per cent GDP contributed by the agriculture
sector, one per cent came from the fisheries. But it has to
be increased substantially," he said.
Telangana's Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries
Talasani Srinivas Yadav said that the state government was
giving priority to the fisheries sector by allocating sops to
the farmers in the form of 100 per cent grant and 80 per
cent subsidy for Integrated Fisheries Development
Programme.
The Vice President also presented awards to 10
aquaculture farmers who made remarkable success in the
field. The awardees included Hormis Tharakan, former
DGP of Kerala and ex-chief of RAW, for successfully
cultivating Black Tiger shrimp using the high health
disease free seed from the multispecies aquaculture
complex of MPEDA.
He noted that during 2018-19, India exported 14,37,445
tonnes of seafood worth $6.8 billion. The United States is
the major market followed by the European Union,
Southeast Asia, China and Japan.
The coastal shrimp aquaculture production has risen from
76,000 tonnes a decade ago to 6,83,472 to tonnes during
2018-19. he targeted production of shrimp from
aquaculture is 11,00,000 tonnes by 2021-22.
Source: DD News
Vice President calls for expansion
of aquaculture sector

21
NIAP price forecast for crops launch in two
years will highlight India on global map
India's plan to disseminate price
forecast of crops four times in a year to
help farmers plan sowing and selling to
earn better prices may be delayed by a
year or two as the government has
started re-checking price data of last 10
years with physical records maintained
at mandis. The current exercise,
undertaken by the National Institute of
Agricultural Economics and Policy
Research (NIAP), will make India the
first country to officially undertake such
an exercise globally.
“Some private agencies are doing on
their own. But, when the government
will have to do, it needs credibility.
Without data accuracy, it will be
difficult to predict prices based on a
statistical model,” a government source said. The
information related to crop prices and arrival quantities
is maintained on the agmarknet portal and data
entered by the officials at mandi level on real-time
basis. Since, the Centre does not have direct control
over the mandi staff, nor any mechanism to cross check,
some errors have now come to light after the price
forecast project was taken up, sources said.
The government is also open to use of artificial
intelligence (AI) for the price forecast and some of the
top global IT companies have expressed their
willingness to partner with the project, officials said,
declining to name any company in particular. The
committee on Doubling Farmers' Income (DFI), under
Ashok Dalwai, has suggested adopting a 'demand-
driven approach' for efficient monetisation of farm
produce and to synchronise the production activities in
agriculture and allied sectors.

22
Trade deal to send more
U.S. grain to Japan
A new trade agreement between the
United States and Japan announced on
Aug. 25 in France calls for the Japanese
to buy U.S. surplus corn.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the
deal would likely be signed at the
United Nations General Assembly
meeting in September.
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe added
that while some work remains to be
done on the final language of the deal,
“we have successfully reached
consensus with regard to the core
elements related to agricultural and
industrial trade.”
U.S. Trade Representative Robert
Lighthizer said the deal focuses on
agriculture, industrial tariffs and digital
trade. Japan will buy up $7 billion of
U.S. agricultural products, mostly corn,
under the agreement, Reuters reported.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
noted that most of the “potential” corn
purchases would come through the
private sector.
The report is good news for American
farmers, who have seen their
agricultural exports take a hit as the
United States and China engage in a trade war. The deal
was well received by U.S. agricultural groups, including the
U.S. Wheat Associates (USW).
“We are very happy that this agreement will end the
growing competitive cost advantage that Canadian and
Australian wheat imports got under the Comprehensive
and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
agreement,” said Doug Goyings, chairman of USW and a
farmer from Paulding, Ohio.
U.S. wheat farmers in partnership with the USDA's Foreign
Agricultural Service have helped build a strong demand
among Japan's flour millers for several classes of U.S.
wheat grown in the Pacific Northwest to the Northern and
Central Plains.
However, when the CPTPP was implemented Dec. 30,
2018, without the United States, the effective tariffs on
imported Canadian and Australian wheat started to
decline. Locked out of the agreement, U.S. wheat imports
would have become less and less cost competitive to the
point that Japan's flour millers would have no other choice
than to buy the lower cost wheat from the CPTPP member
countries.
The new agreement helps protect U.S. exports that
represents about 50% of the sophisticated and
demanding Japanese wheat market, with average annual
sales of about 3 million tonnes that are currently worth
about $700 million per year.
Source: Sesoland
INDUSTRY NEWS
ImageSource:Reuters

23
The Archer Daniels Midland Company
(ADM) gifted $2.5 million to help fund a
Feed Technology Center for the College
of Agricultural, Consumer and
Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the
University of Illinois, which will facilitate
research in pet nutrition and animal
agriculture.
The new Feed Technology Center will
provide researchers at the College of
ACES with expanded capabilities and
reach, including the ability to produce
various sizes of test batches for
studying both specialized and
traditional animal diets.
Construction officially began in June
2019, with an expected completion
date in fall 2020. The entire project is
projected to cost $20 million, and the
University of Illinois and the College of
ACES have committed $6 million
already. ADM's gift will help alleviate
some of the financial pressure on the
university.
“Thanks to this investment from ADM,
we will continue in our long tradition of leading
innovative, industry-relevant research while training the
next generation of experts in feed science and animal
nutrition,” said Kim Kidwell, dean of the College of ACES.
Rodney Johnson, head of the department of animal
sciences at the University of Illinois, added, “The College
of ACES values collaboration with industry partners. This
investment from ADM extends the long-established
partnership in animal nutrition innovation, professional
preparation, and public engagement.”
Collaboration with other industry partners, academic
professionals and clients will be made easier with the new
facility as well.
“Innovation across the entire ag supply chain is key to
helping the entire industry find new solutions to tackle the
monumental challenge of feeding the world's growing
population,” said Ryan Lane, president of ADM Animal
Nutrition in North America. “ADM is fortunate to have a
strong partnership with the College of ACES and access to
their animal nutrition staff, student talent, and research
capabilities as we work together to develop new products,
services, and solutions. We are proud to help support the
College of ACES and the animal nutrition industry on this
exciting new project.”
ADM funds Feed Technology Center
to facilitate research in
pet nutrition and animal agriculture
ImageSource:PetFoodProcessing

24
INDUSTRY NEWS
UK retail giant Tesco announced it would
be adopting algal-fed salmon as part of
its new salmon standards.
For Veramaris CEO Karim Kurmaly, the
decision signals a sea change in retailer
thinking, and he told Undercurrent News
at the AquaNor 2019 event that he hoped
it would be the first of many such policies
from global retailers.
"I think Tesco have understood that
salmon is a vital category for them, and
they've taken steps to ensure it continues
to be sustainable," Kurmaly said.
"What we see now is that Tesco has
created a momentum that other retailers
will find it difficult to ignore."
Indeed, Veramaris, the Netherlands-based
joint venture of Royal DSM and Evonik
Industries, reportedly has similar
arrangements planned with two unnamed
major retailers in the EU, as well as plans
in the US and Japan -- although it should
be noted that none of these algal oil
sourcing policies would ask specifically for
Veramaris feed.
"The supply chain of salmon is not as
simple as, say, the chicken industry. It's
quite complicated. So, you need the
farmer, the feed miller, the processor, the
distributor, and the retailer to work in
collaboration. That's basically what we're
doing now, and we hope there will be
more news coming out soon," Kurmaly
said.
Growing attention from the top of the
industry
Over the past year, Veramaris has
industrially produced an omega-3 rich
fish oil alternative derived from the algal
strain Schizochytrium. The company's key
selling point, which it claims distinguishes
it from the competition, is that it is the
only firm to offer algal oil containing both
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and
UK retail giant – Tesco moves to
source salmon fed on alternative
feed ingredients
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a highly concentrated form.
Speaking to Undercurrent in July after the opening of its
commercial-sized feed plant in Blair, Nebraska, Kurmaly
claimed the company could satisfy 15% of the salmon
industry's total demand for the two fatty acids.
Earlier this year, Norwegian salmon farmer Lingalaks went
public in its use of Veramaris' alternative algal oil within its
salmon feed.
The Dutch feed venture, which operates a small-scale plant
in Slovakia and two in the US, is also in talks to sell algal
feed to a land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS)
salmon farmer, Kurmaly said.
In the increasingly competitive RAS market, Kurmaly hopes
the use of algal oil feed will be taken by land-based farmers
as a means to set their fish apart with consumers.
"One particular RAS company not only wants to talk about
production sustainability in terms of environmental impact,
etc, but they also want to both enhance their nutritional
impact and reduce the amount of fish oil in their feed. So,
we are collaborating with them," he told Undercurrent at
the AquaNor show.
Although Veramaris' algal oil could potentially be used for
all manner of farmed species, Kurmaly was clear that the
firm's focus in the immediate future was on growing its
client base within typical European farmed fish species.
"We are working with marine fish because the marine fish is
usually exported to Europe, where we already have a very
good tie-in with retailers," the Veramaris CEO said. "So now
we're trying to connect those retailers to those farmers to
ensure that this new technology passes up that value
chain."
However, the world of shrimp remains a more challenging
prospect for the venture, not least because, for the farmers
of the Asia-Pacific region, a small price premium over
traditional fish oils makes a huge difference to the bottom
line.
According to Kurmaly, the company is currently going
through the process of clearing registration requirements in
several Asian countries, after which it intends to enter and
investigate the shrimp supply chain.
"So, we will engage with the shrimp industry and look at
what we can do -- but for the moment the primary focus is
salmon, pet food and marine fish like sea bass and sea
bream," he added.

25
Reports of the pest attacking crops
have been reported from a number of
districts in the state, India's third-largest
maize producer
Maize crops are falling prey to the
deadly Fall Armyworm (FAW) in Bihar,
India's third-largest corn producer.
There are officials reports of FAW
attacks on maize crops from the
districts of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali,
Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Saran and
Sheohar, an official of the state
agriculture department said. “But
unconfirmed reports also suggest
presence of FAW in other maize-
growing districts of north Bihar,” he
added.
FAW was first detected by
entomologists C M Kalleshwara Swamy
and Sharanabasappa in maize fields at
the University of Agricultural and
Horticultural Sciences, Shimoga, in
Karnataka last year. It is an invasive and
polyphagous (feeding on many foods)
pest. It can attack cereals and forage
grasses.
The deadly pest has since spread across
many states in the country.
Last year, FAW was detected at a few
places in Bihar, but maize crops were
not infected. This year though, things
are different.
Thousands of maize-growing farmers in
Muzaffarpur and neighbouring districts
are worried about the latest attacks of
FAW.
“We have never faced anything like it in
the past,” Narender Yadav, a marginal
maize-growing farmer from Guaridih
village in Muzaffarpur's Gaighat block,
said.
“This is something new and harmful. I
don't know how to protect my crops,”
Yadav, who lost his crop to FAW last
week, said.
“We have information that FAW has
damaged maize crops on nearly 60
hectares (ha) so far in two panchayats
of Gaighat,” Muzaffarpur District
Agriculture Officer Krishna Kumar
Verma, said.
There were also reports of FAW
damaging maize crops in some villages under the
Bochaha and Minapur block. “I have directed agriculture
officers in these blocks to collect information,” Verma said.
According to him, a team of experts including agriculture
scientists from Patna had visited Gaighat last week after
the pest attack to study the worm and suggest measures
to tackle it.
“Soon after the presence of FAW was reported, we
informed the state agriculture director and issued an
advisory on how to manage the pest,” RN Singh, associate
director of Bihar Agriculture University at Sabour in
Bhagalpur district, said.
“We have already taken measures and advised farmers to
use insecticides on their maize crops,” Adesh Titarmare,
state agriculture director, said.
However, there is no official confirmation of FAW presence
in the Kosi-Seemanchal region of north-eastern Bihar,
which accounts for nearly 65 per cent of its total maize
production. The districts included in the region are Araria,
Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul, Purnea, Kishanganj and
Katihar.
According to official numbers, Bihar has a high maize
productivity of 3,904 kg/ha, which is more than the
national average of 2,889 kg/ha. Bihar has witnessed a
visible growth in maize production in the past decade.
The state produced 1.36 million tonnes of the crop in
2005-06. This increased to 3.85 million tonnes in 2016-17,
as the high-yielding maize of Rabi season has been
replacing winter wheat and paddy in the state.
Fall armyworm reported in
maize crop of Bihar
ImageSource:TheHindu

Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 5 | Issue 11 | September 2019INDUSTRY NEWS
26
CFIA approves Oreka Solutions' black
soldier fly larvae as a protein ingredient
in aquafeed
In May 2019, Oreka Solutions got the
green light from the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA) to sell its
insect products as a protein ingredient
in feed for salmonids, trout, tilapia and
poultry. It's the first company to get
such CFIA approval in Ontario, and the
second in Canada.
“We made our mandate to harness the
power of insects,” said Jon Duschinsky,
CEO and co-founder. “Our initial focus
for the first five years has been the
black soldier fly.“
Founded in 2014, the “ag-tech”
company based in Cambridge, Ontario
creates feed ingredients from insects
that have been shown to significantly
reduce mortality and increase growth
rates in livestock. Comprised of an
international team of entrepreneurs,
scientists and engineers, Oreka breeds
and rears black soldier flies (BSF) using
proprietary methods to maximize their
essential nutrients and healthy fats.
They then “capture this goodness” to
make a natural feed product for fish
and livestock.
“The kind of work that we're doing,
which is focused on really harnessing
the power of the insect rather than just
using it for its protein, has never been
done before,” said Duschinsky, adding
that the black soldier fly has a “huge
slate of naturally occurring
antimicrobial properties, which we are
doing a pretty good job of harnessing
and making available for livestock.”
Oreka began to scale up production in
early 2017 and following successful
trials in Canada and the United States it
raised $1.8 million in funding from
private and public sources to sell its
feed ingredient products to the
aquaculture and poultry markets. The
Canada approves insect-based
feed companies
company is working with a team of globally renowned
scientists and researchers from across North America
who have expressed hope that Oreka's products could
help boost feed efficiency and animal health.
“We have invested five years of R&D to develop what
we believe are the only insect-based feed ingredients
that can help farmers of all livestock improve the health
of their animals,” said Duschinsky. “What's been
observed in the lab is that it helps support gut health of
particularly young fish. Because 85 percent of the
immune system lives in the gut, some of our customers
have seen significant improvements in mortality and
feed conversion ratio and increases in growth phase.”
“Insects are promising feedstuffs for animal feeds, as
they contain not only valuable nutrients but also
particular compounds that seem to be able to modulate
animal microbiota and to optimize animal health,” said
Dr. Grant Vandenberg, professor at L'Université Laval in
Québec City, specializing in animal physiology and
aquaculture. “Aside from the sustainability angle, there
is a growing body of evidence that that addition of
insects to fish diets increased immune response,
reduced oxidative stress and improved survival.”
Source: AquacultureAlliance
ImageSource:GlobalAquacultureAlliance

28
EVENT COVERAGE
CLFMA of India concluded its annual
flagship event, 61st National Symposium
in a grand manner on 22-23 August in
New Delhi. The event focused on the
Theme “Indian Livestock Farming:
Prospects & Role of Government Policies”.
The Chief Guest of the Seminar was Shri
Giriraj Singh, Hon'ble Union Minister of
Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying,
Government of India. Shri. Pawan
Agarwal, CEO, Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI), Government of
India, presented the keynote address and
Shri. Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary,
Department of Animal Husbandry and
Dairying, Government of India gave the
Thematic Address.
The Symposium started with a Special
Session on Aug 22, 2019 for welcoming
Shri Giriraj Singh, the Honourable Minister
launched the book “Nutritional Guidelines
for Animal Feeds by CLFMA”.
The Inaugural Session started with the
welcome address of Mr. Divya Kumar
Gulati, Secretary, CLFMA OF INDIA who
mentioned that the livestock sector is
CLFMA Symposium deliberates
“Indian Livestock Farming:
Prospects & Role of Government
Policies” for the benefit of
Livestock Industry
becoming a sunrise sector and all the stake holders
including the government have to work in close co-
ordination and emphasised the fact that doubling farmers
income can be achieved by focussing more on livestock
farming. He said that the Symposium is being organized to
build that partnership.
Addressing the occasion, Mr. S.V. Bhave, Chairman CLFMA
OF INDIA said that the Government has recognized the
unexposed potential of Livestock Sector and created a
separate dedicated Ministry for Fisheries, Animal
Husbandry and Dairying and since livestock sector has its
own parent ministry now it will be an easy process for all
the stakeholders to resolve the issues and problems.
Shri Giriraj Singh said that the ministry is involved in
making a model for the livestock sector, which will work on
co-existence of all the species including the humans
involved in the food chain, Promote Scientific technologies
and Integrated Farming Systems. He emphasized that QPM
maize, moringa, Bajra and Cassia should be promoted as
animal feed as the protein percentages is more in these
feeds and can be produced by Indian farmers. He also
insisted in starting livelihood incubation centres for
livestock and adopt few practices that will benefit the
farmer viz merino sheep which will be useful for dual
purpose (meat and wool).
Delivering the Thematic Address at the Symposium Shri.
Atul Chaturvedi said that Apart from the Doubling Farmers'

29
Income the Hon'ble Prime Minister of
India had the vision of 5 trillion economy
and the sectoral allocations were 3 trillion
to service sector, 1 trillion to
manufacturing and one trillion to
agriculture. Presently, Agriculture
contributes to 270 to 280 billion and to
take it to 1 trillion mark in near future, we
need to focus on Animal Husbandry,
Dairying & Fisheries. He said that
breeding techniques, compound livestock
feed or nutrition of fortified foods,
Control of diseases especially FMD and
Brucellosis play an important role to
increase productivity of animals. He also
emphasized the fact of promoting
processing, marketing and exports of
value-added products.
Shri Pawan Agarwal, CEO, Food Safety
and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI),
Government of India delivered the
Keynote Address. He emphasised the
importance of Food Safety in the Country
and FSSAI will be stringent about food
safety concerns to ensure safe food
availability in the country.
This was followed by the CLFMA Award
Ceremony. The Life Time Achievement
award was presented to Mr. P. S.
Nandakumar, MD, Nanda Feeds Pvt. Ltd.
CLFMA Awards were presented to Dr.
Ashish Motiram Paturkar, Hon'ble Vice-
Chancellor, Maharashtra Animal & Fishery
Sciences University, Nagpur, Dr Ashok
Kumar, ADG - ICAR and Dr. Raghavendra
Bhatta, Director, ICAR-National Institute of
Animal Nutrition and Physiology,
Bengaluru for their marvellous
contribution to the Indian Livestock
Sector.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Mr.
Neeraj Kumar Srivastava, Dy. Chairman,
CLFMA OF INDIA.
The Second day Symposium started with
the Welcome Address by Mr. Naveen
Pasuparthy, Treasurer, CLFMA OF INDIA.
Mr. Balram Singh Yadav, Managing
Director of Godrej Agrovet Ltd moderated
the session “Doubling Farmers' Income:
Government and Industry Partnership”.
Session's Panellists from the Government
of India, were Shri. Tarun Shridhar, IAS
(Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry
and Dairying (AH&D), Shri. Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary,
Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries & Panellist
from the Industry side were, Mr. Daljit Singh, Chairman,
Progressive Dairy Farmer's Association (PDFA), represented
the Dairy Industry, Mr. Ravi Kumar Yelanki, Managing
Director, Vaishaki Bio Resources & Vaishaki Bio Marine,
represented the Fishery Industry & Mr. B. Soundararajan,
Managing Director of Suguna Holdings Pvt. Ltd. and
immediate past chairman of CLFMA, represented the
Poultry Industry. The problems faced by the Fisheries, Dairy
and Poultry Industry, existing Government Schemes were
discussed in detail and recommendations were drawn in
the session.
Mr. Narayanan, Advisor – Food and Beverage moderated
the next session titled as “Value Addition with Special Focus
on Processing”. Session's Panellist from the Government of
India were Shri. J. P. Meena, IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary,
Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI), Dr. Amit
Sharma, Director, Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI), Shri. Tarun Bajaj, General Manager at Ministry
of Commerce (APEDA) & from the Industry side Mr.
Vishwas Chitale, Executive Director, Chitale Agro Industries
Pvt. Ltd. represented Dairy Industry, Mr. Ravi Kumar Yelanki,
Managing Director, Vaishaki Bio Resources & Vaishaki Bio
Marine represented Fishery Industry & Mr. Prashant Vatkar,
CEO of Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd. represented Poultry
Industry. The Session deliberated the importance of Food
processing in doubling farmers income, addressing the
traceability issues, reduction of food wastage and Food
safety Issues, promotion of Export Markets etc. were
discussed.
Next Session on Livestock Industry Interaction with
Government of India was moderated by Mr. Bharat Tandon,
Past Chairman of CLFMA & Managing Director of
Healthline Pvt. Ltd. (Sericare Divison). From the Government
of India, the Panellists were Shri. Dr. O.P. Chaudhary, Joint
Secretary (NLM), Dept. of National Livestock Mission,
Ministry of Fisheries, AH&D, Shri. G. N. Singh, Joint
Secretary – Trade, Department of Fishery, AH&D & Shri.
Keshav Chandra, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce,
Ministry of Commerce and Industry and from CLFMA Team
Mr. S.V. Bhave, Chairman, Mr. Divya Kumar Gulati, Secretary,
Mr. Naveen Pasuparthy, Treasurer and Mr. Suresh Deora,
West Zone President. In this session, the Industry Pain
Points were discussed with the Government.
Valedictory Session was proposed by Shri. Tarun Shridhar,
IAS(Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Animal
Husbandry and Dairying (AH & D), Ministry of Fisheries,
AH&D followed by Felicitation to all Sponsors, Media,
Guests and Invitees.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Mr. Suresh Deora,
President – West Zone.

Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 5 | Issue 11 | September 2019CALENDAR OF EVENTS
30
2019-2020
To list any industry event related to Grain & Feed industry please write us
at info@thinkgrainthinkfeed.co.in
OCTOBER
Dairy Industry Expo
Date: 11-13 October 2019
Venue: ACEC, Pune
Email: dairyindustryexpo@gmail.com
Web: www.dairyindustryexpo.com
Global Outlook for Aquaculture Leadership
(GOAL)
Date: 21-24 October 2019
Venue: Leela Palace, Chennai
Email: sally.krueger@aquaculturealliance.org
Web: www.aquaculturealliance.org
DECEMBER
International PDFA Dairy & Expo
Date: 7-9 December 2019
Venue: Cattle Fair Ground , Jagraon , Distt Ludhiana,
Punjab, India
Email: info@pdfa.org.in
Web: www.pdfa.org.in
th
5 edition
07-08-09 February 2020
GADVASU, Ludhiana, India
INDIA’S ONLY FEED
FOCUSED EXPOSITION
For Participation
M: +91 86074 63377, 86074 63131 | e: feedtechexpo@gmail.com
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SEPTEMBER
EuroTier China Qingdao
Date: 19-21 September 2019
Venue: Qingdao International Expo Center, China
Email: info@eurotierchina.com
Web: www.eurotierchina.com
PFI – Annual General Body Meeting (AGM)
Venue: Hotel Le Meridien, Coimbatore, India
Email: poultryfederation@gmail.com
Globoil India
Venue: Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre
Hotel, India
Email: events@teflas.com
FEBRUARY 2020
Feed Tech Expo
Date: 7-8 February 2020
Venue: GADVASU, Ludhiana, India
Email: feedtechexpo@gmail.com
Web: www.feedtechexpo.com
NOVEMBER
Poultry India
Date: 27-29 November 2019
Venue: HITEX Exhibition Complex, Hyderabad,
Telangana, India
Email: info@poultryindia.co.in
Web: www.poultryindia.co.in

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