December 15, 2008

The US should focus feed milling education efforts in the Middle East to benefit both US producers and Middle Eastern livestock sectors, according to Chris Corry, senior director of international operations for Rest of the World in the US Grains Council (USGC).

The absence of an up-to-date commercial feed industry in Iraq has limited the growth of its poultry industry, said Corry.

Previous Council programmes in the Middle East have also sparked interest in end-users in learning more on the reconstruction of commercial feed mill facilities, latest feed manufacturing technologies, as well as management techniques.

Plant visits in Jordan showed an industry where feed millers have developed their handling practices based on hearsay and intuition, said USGS Consultant Dr. Carl Reed, who travelled to Amman, Jordan recently to conduct on-site consultations and seminar. The seminar was intended to encourage end-users to invest wisely to maximise productivity and profitability.

Reed said a lack of basic information relative to temperature monitoring, fumigation and other issues led to the use of inefficient practices in Jordan's plants. 

The USGC conducts seminars worldwide to educate end-users on ways to become more efficient, in order to increase the production of meat, milk and eggs, which in turn would create higher demand for feed grains.