November 20, 2018
A 1920s-era feed mill in Illinois, US, will be replaced by a modern feed technology center - a development made possible by the University of Illinois' recently announced public-private partnership.
The new facility - with its construction expected to start in early 2019 and end in early 2020 - will be located near the university's Urbana campus for the College of Agricultural Consumer & Environmental Sciences (ACES). ACES and the university will honor their commitment to Illinois' livestock sector with a US$6 million contribution to the establishment of the center.
Upon commencing operations, the facility will produce 8,000 tonnes of specialised small-batch research diets annually and would bolster Illinois' reputation as a "nationally recognised innovation hub in animal nutrition, according to the university.
“The new Feed Technology Center will significantly expand our capabilities in the animal nutrition space, which is critical for developing new diets that utilise novel ingredients, improve production efficiency in livestock and poultry, and enhance the health and well-being of animals, including dogs and cats," the head of the university's department of animal sciences, Rodney Johnson, commented.
As a "game-changing asset," the Feed Technology Center could better support research and train "the next generation of experts in feed science and animal nutrition," said ACES dean Kim Kidwell. "This facility, along with increased capacity in precision animal management, will advance our capabilities to perform industry-relevant research designed to support food production while ensuring animal well-being."
The facility will also feature a slew of interdependent capabilities that deliver full system services, including production and storage of grain and forages, storage of specialised diet ingredients, precise diet formulation, milling, and ingredient processing, as well as pre-mixing, mixing, pelleting, extruding, crumbling, bagging and delivery of animal diets for research.
In addition, researchers from the university will use the facility to prepare and test feed ingredients. It would function as a platform that launches projects focused on advancing precision animal agriculture within the industry.
Johnson added that a part of the facility's role would entail the use of collected data on feed ingredients to support diet formulation and real-time decision-making in livestock management.
