March 6, 2025
 

Alltech's Dr Sayed Aman: Establishing sustainability in Indian and South Asian agriculture

In a rapidly evolving agricultural landscape, the role of innovative technologies and sustainable practices has never been more critical, especially in India and South Asia.

 

That is especially true, as the cost of agricultural inputs — like grains and animal feed — rises due to trade disruption, economic turmoil, and climate change. This price trend remains "a significant burden on feed producers, whether it's for aquaculture, poultry, or dairy," says Dr. Sayed Aman, Alltech's Managing Director for India and Regional Director for South Asia.

 

With over two decades of experience in the feed industry, Dr. Aman, a native of the Indian state of Goa, has a deep understanding of the challenges facing the livestock and feed production industries in India and South Asia. He also recognises how Alltech's solutions align with and address these critical issues.

He points out the diversion of corn to ethanol production in India, which has resulted in corn prices more than doubling in a span of three years.

 

"This has put immense pressure on feed costs since corn forms a major component of (livestock) diets, particularly in poultry, aquaculture, and dairy production," he notes.

 

"Unseasonal monsoons and erratic rainfall in recent years have only added to the challenges faced by grain crop farmers," Dr. Amann adds. "Under such conditions, mycotoxin and mold contamination in grain has reached unprecedented levels. In my 25 years of experience, I have never seen such severe mycotoxin challenges in India as I have in 2024."

The growing incorporation of distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) into the grain supply chain has further exacerbated the issue, as DDGS can be a potential source of mycotoxins.

"Unfortunately, this will introduce significant mycotoxin risk into the supply chain," Dr. Aman cautions.

 

These challenges are part of a broader struggle in India and South Asia to achieve sustainability. The region, Dr. Aman notes, "struggles to balance sustainability with food security in traditional livestock and meat production."

 

Tackling India's sustainability through digitalisation

Nevertheless, the Indian government is actively addressing the nation's sustainability challenges by focusing on "improving feed efficiencies and reducing environmental impact." A key aspect of this effort is its initiative in digital agriculture, which has been "particularly notable," Dr. Aman observes.

"Digitalisation was once the least popular element in agriculture, but it's encouraging to see how farmers across India are now embracing digital technologies - whether for livestock management, feed formulations, or other applications," he adds. "Alltech has taken steps to support these digital initiatives."

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Indian agriculture is gaining momentum, particularly on the poultry industry. According to Dr. Aman, "Many poultry producers have embraced AI to enhance flock management."

 

"In the poultry sector, AI-driven algorithms are already being used to monitor flock health," he explains. "These technologies enable early detection of illnesses or diseases, allowing producers to take timely measures to control the spread and minimise losses.

 

Digitalisation is also advancing in India's dairy sector, where innovative technologies are transforming herd management. "Various technologies can now detect when an animal is coming into heat," Dr. Aman explains. "Farmers receive this information directly on their mobile phones, enabling more efficient breeding management."

 

He adds that dairy cooperatives are playing a vital role in introducing and implementing these technologies, helping to drive their adoption among farmers."

 

Additionally, cattle breeding centres are leveraging AI to "identify the best sires and bulls to enhance traits such as disease resistance, growth rates, and milk production."

 

Dr. Aman also highlights feed optimisation as "another area where AI is making a significant impact," helping to improve efficiency and sustainability in livestock production.

 

As digitalisation takes root in India's agriculture sector, Dr. Aman believes the nation "is on the path to becoming one of the most advanced countries in livestock production."

 

"While India may not yet be recognised among global leaders, the long-term and short-term initiatives driven by the government, with support from Alltech, will undoubtedly position the country at the forefront in the years to come," he says.

 

Alltech as a solution provider in Indian agriculture

Alltech's focus on India's livestock and feed sectors, is centered on "improving feed efficiency through innovative technologies, particularly enzymes," Dr. Aman states.

 

"Our team of nutritionists and technical experts works closely with producers, farmers, and feed manufacturers to reformulate diets," he explains. "This approach not only helps mitigate the impact of rising raw material costs but also maximises nutrient extraction from feed, thereby minimising cost increases."

 

Currently, Alltech is engaged in several projects across India, including initiatives aimed at predicting greenhouse gas emissions through its advanced technologies and research efforts.

 

"We have introduced technologies like proteases, such as Allzyme® Vegpro, and NSP (non-starch polysaccharide) enzymes Allzyme® Spectrum," Dr. Aman says. "Recently, we launched a combination of proteases and NSP enzymes under the brand name Allzyme® Prime, which has significantly reduced feed costs for poultry feed producers."

 

He explains: "While the enzyme market is well established in the poultry sector, we are now working to introduce the enzyme concept in dairy. By incorporating specific enzymes into dairy feed, we are helping producers reduce feed costs while improving efficiency."

 

Dr. Aman also shares that in the area of aquaculture, Alltech is employing "similar strategies to those used in poultry, focusing on reducing feed costs through advanced enzyme solutions".

 

Additionally, Alltech offers innovative technologies to mitigate the risks posed by mycotoxins, including Mycosorb® A+, Mycosorb®, Mycosorb® LR, and Mycosorb® FS. These products are specifically designed "to address varying levels of mycotoxin risk, whether low, moderate, or high."

Dr. Aman says: "Through tools like Alltech® RAPIREAD™, a cloud-based system, customers can detect mycotoxins in real-time, assess the level of risk, and make informed decisions about the application of mycotoxin binders."

To help reduce carbon emissions in farming, Dr. Aman highlights two approaches: Alltech Optigen®, which helps cut greenhouse gas emissions per kilogramme in dairy cattle by controlling the inclusion of soybean meal - a component that "can be easily replaced."

He also points to Alltech ECO2, a leading global provider of carbon trust-aggregated environmental assessments, which "gathers data from across the entire farm and provides a customised report outlining the level of emissions from each source, along with the total carbon footprint."

On the ground, Alltech actively helps train farmers to adopt sustainability practices through workshops, initiatives, and partnerships. Dr. Aman describes this effort as "a continuous process" that Alltech is committed to implementing.

Alltech as a partner in Indian agriculture

Dr. Aman sayas that Alltech's sustainability efforts "are part of a continuous process — it's not something that can be achieved overnight."

He adds: "Our efforts are ongoing, as lowering feed costs remains a perpetual challenge for feed producers."

 

"Although it's too early for me to share specific details, we are continuously assessing the local needs of our customers and factoring those into the development of new technologies. You can expect these innovations to be rolled out soon."

 

Dr. Aman emphasises that working with industry players is a crucial part of Alltech's operations in India and South Asia.

 

"What I'd like to highlight is our collaboration with partners, even with competitors," he says. "It's incredible to see how the industry has evolved over the last two decades. What was once seen as competition has now transformed into a partnership. This shift is happening across the industry, and I see it within Alltech as well.

 

"We embrace these partnerships with open arms, building synergies that create win-win situations for both our partners and Alltech.

 

"This vision drives us every day to ensure that there is enough nutritious food for all and that the world's resources are responsibly managed for future generations," Dr. Aman concludes.

 

"People, animals, and plants should thrive upon those resources."

 

- Nicholas Yong, eFeedLink