April 12, 2021

Aviagen Latin America webinar addresses rising grain costs, international market outlook

On April 14, Aviagen Latin America will welcome customers to the second session of its third webinar series since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presented by international poultry economist Dr. Paul Aho, the webinar will focus on the status of the global poultry market, including the rising cost of feed.

"Feed represents the highest cost associated with a poultry business, and increasing grain prices could potentially impact the businesses of poultry producers," explained Aho.

"The good news is that, throughout the years, Aviagen has made significant improvement in feed conversion ratio (FCR), or the rate at which feed is converted to live body weight, reducing the amount of grain needed to grow healthy, robust birds. FCR advancement plays a significant role in offsetting rising feed costs" said Osvaldo Bolinaga, Aviagen's head of technical services in South America.

Aho studied agricultural economics at Cornell University, and earned a Master's degree in agribusiness from Arizona State University and a PhD in poultry economics from Michigan State University.

With more than 30 years of professional experience, he has held academic positions at Cornell University and the University of Georgia, and has worked for two poultry companies.

Aho currently owns consulting firm Poultry Perspective, which advises poultry companies and organisations around the world.

- Aviagen