November 20, 2018

 

"Resounding success" at BIOMIN's mycotoxin academy in Myanmar

 

Over 150 professionals from leading companies in the feed and livestock sector participated in BIOMIN's Mycotoxin Academy held across three major cities in Myanmar - Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi - from October 30 to November 1.

Building on the success of the Mycotoxin Academy series that recently concluded in India, BIOMIN expanded the geographical reach of the series to Myanmar, and welcomed more than 150 delegates at this much-anticipated multi-city conference held across three days.

The academy kicked off in Yangon, capital of the Yangon Region of Myanmar, on October 30. The next stop was Mandalay, the second-largest city of Myanmar, where Dr. Kyaw Htin, chairman of Mandalay's Livestock Development Committee, opened the conference on October 31. The event concluded successfully on November 1 in Taunggyi, the capital and largest city of Shan State in the country.

True to the spirit of the Mycotoxin Academy, which is conceived to facilitate knowledge transfer between BIOMIN experts and professionals from the feed and livestock industry, the series continued its focus on raising the awareness of mycotoxins, and innovative ways on mycotoxin risk management.

"We believe in the vast opportunities in Myanmar as the country opens up its economy. According to The International Monetary Fund (IMF), Myanmar's GDP is estimated to be 6.7%, on the back of the country's booming agriculture sector," said Edward Manchester, BIOMIN's Asia-Pacific regional director.

"This is a significant jump compared to the 5.9% recorded in the previous year. In addition, the country is also experiencing an increasing demand for animal protein such as meat and eggs, amid growing affluence. The positive response we have received from the Mycotoxin Academy is a very encouraging sign."

Dr. Justin Tan, BIOMIN's Asia-Pacific regional sales and marketing director, agreed.

"Growing incomes provide opportunities for the feed and livestock industry, but animal production must be safe, affordable and sustainable," Dr. Tan said. 

"BIOMIN is at the forefront of driving the animal protein economy, evident in the themes of the Asia Nutrition Forum and World Nutrition Forum. We are excited to bring our innovation and science-backed expertise in mycotoxin risk management and gut performance management to Myanmar."

During his presentation at the Mycotoxin Academy, Dr. Tan delivered the latest BIOMIN Global Mycotoxin Survey results, which highlighted the prevalence of mycotoxins in raw materials and finished feed. 

Next, he explained the effects and impact of mycotoxin contamination in animal production. Due to the complexity of modern day animal production and the nature of mycotoxins, an effective way to counteract the risks associated with mycotoxins is to adopt a three-pronged strategy. This move is built on the concepts of adsorption, biotransformation and bioprotection.

In particular, the Mycofix® Plus product line has been proven to irreversibly bind and deactivate different types of field and storage mycotoxins, while protecting against liver damage and boosting the immune system of the animal.

Dr. Gangga Widyanugraha, BIOMIN's Asia-Pacific regional technical sales manager and poultry expert, took to the stage to showcase actual cases of mycotoxicoses collected from field post-mortem analyses that he personally conducted in Myanmar. Delegates were intrigued by the findings, said BIOMIN, as the threat of mycotoxin was made more obvious.

The Mycotoxin Academy concluded with a group dinner at each stop, which allowed attendees to gain expert advice and network with industry peers.

According to BIOMIN, it looks forward to growing its presence in Myanmar, and continue delivering innovative solutions to producers.

 

The company will be present at the upcoming Agrilivestock Myanmar, which will be held on December 6-8.

 

- BIOMIN