Many new feed products and partnerships

New firm to help farmers reduce antibiotics

The newly launched UK company Applied Bacterial Control (ABC), an initiative of one the largest dedicated poultry practices in the UK, will work with farmers to help reduce antibiotic usage across all livestock sectors. Initially launched for poultry, and later pigs, ABC now will also help cattle farmers to reduce antibiotic usage. The company does this via a programme involving husbandry protocols and products in biosecurity, hygiene, water sanitation, probiotics and essential oils.

Wisium launches new NIR service

Wisium, the international brand of premix producer Neovia will be launching a real-time NIR service for their customers around the world. The service will allow NIRS (Near InfraRed Spectroscopy) analyses to be carried out directly in the field. The real-time NIR is a device connected to a smartphone application via Bluetooth that allows to directly scan the product to be analysed. The results are displayed directly on the screen. This service is currently being tested in eight countries and is already supported by a database of 3,000 samples. It is expected to become available for customers as of September 2017.

New algae manufacturing plant in Nebraska

Evonik and Royal DSM will locate the commercial-scale production facility for their omega-3 fatty acids from natural marine algae for animal nutrition in Blair, Nebraska. Both companies plan to invest around US$200 million in the facility (US$100 million by each party over circa two years). The initial annual production capacity will meet roughly 15% of the current total annual demand for EPA and DHA by the salmon aquaculture industry. The facility is expected to come on stream in 2019. The establishment of the joint venture, to be named Veramaris® and headquartered in the Netherlands, will be finalised subject to regulatory approvals.

ADM and Anco form strategic collaboration

Archer Daniels Midlands Company has entered into a strategic collaboration with Austria-based Anco Animal Nutrition Competence GmbH. ADM has made an equity investment in Anco, and as part of the collaboration, is offering its customers a range of Anco specialty feed products, including the Anco FIT product line. Currently, ADM is offering Anco products to customers in the US, Canada and Mexico, with more geographies to be introduced in the future. At the same time, Anco also launched a subsidiary in Brazil. The subsidiary in Sao Paulo will be operational in 2017 and headed by Marcelo Blumer.

Applifarm: Creating big data for ruminant sector

Neovia and Innoval (a partnership between Evolution, BCEL Ouest and GDS Bretagne) have combined their expertise with Eilyps, Cogedis, and Adisseo to create the start-up company Applifarm. This platform will use various sources of data (management, feed, dairy operations, livestock advice, breeding, performance tracking, sanitary advice, etc.) in order to help companies in the ruminant sector to create new services for livestock breeders. The data platform will be totally open and the founding partners hope that this will help in better benchmarking of performance and more customised daily management regarding feeding and breeding amongst others. A proof of concept in the West region of France will now be developed.

Nutriad develops mycotoxin prediction model

Using a compilation of data from past weather patterns, combined with regional mycotoxin levels of past six years, feed additives producer Nutriad has created a model to generate predictive information on future mycotoxin challenges. This model can help the industry to act rather than react. This model will be made available in the US, where Nutriad is co-operating with renowned meteorologist Thomas Novak of Novak Weather Consultants. Over the next six months Nutriad will monitor weather conditions across the US and later in the summer the company will launch a threat matrix measure for mycotoxin challenges in the 2017 small grains and corn crops. The threat warning will define levels as low, medium or high. The first of each month Nutriad will provide weather data that projects conditions forward for 30 days.