Dec 2022 - Milling and Grain magazine

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millingandgrain.com ISSN No: 2058-5101

Reflecting on what really matters

This is our last edition for the year - December 2022 has come quickly upon us in our busy schedule lives and I’m sure it’s the same for everyone in the milling sector.

The end of year should reflect the past and look forward to a new beginning in a new year of busy and productive times for all of us involved in food production.

During 2022 we have had to cope with the transition from a restricted lock-down scenario to a more unrestricted and normal lifestyle with the challenge of complex travel arrangements and meeting with people, that prior to the pandemic we took so much for granted.

Some of us quickly lost our natural ability to engage with family, friends and strangers as circumstances isolated us while others were desperate to get back into circulation with the view that the virus posed little if any risk to them.

This combination of extremes has gradually moderated over the past 12 months until now, with the end of the year in sight, we feel more equipped to face the challenges of 2023 that includes among other things coping with high energy prices, disrupted logistics, the impact of a war that is shocking supplies of raw materials and an increased requirement to address global climatic changes that threaten many societies if left unchecked.

We have learnt that we should not take anything for granted.

Do we want to work as hard as we did prior to the pandemic? Some do not and would rather not return to the jobs they were doing. Many have sought a change of lifestyle or ‘retirement’ or simply are less motivated than before.

Life is not like it was and it might not return to the ‘normality’ we once knew and trusted and perceived in 2019.

But our industry’s products are still in great demand – flour and the products it produces will never go out of fashion and demand continues to climb.

However, for many on this planet food is not a fashionable item at all and nor is it seen to entertain or be an enjoyable thing to do.

For many it is a necessity where limited income restrict the amount of bread available to feed a community or a family adequately.

It occurred to me on my visit last month to Zanzibar, Tanzania, to attend the 32nd IAOM Middle East-Africa Convention that we have convinced many countries to not only consider wheat flour as a staple in the diets of their populations, but to construct their own flour milling industries. And using all the modern technologies available they have done just that and delivered high-quality, safe and life sustaining food through a wide variety of flour to bakeries at prices that has put this staple at the centre of a country’s meal tables.

It seems poignant that we are now unable to supply wheat to these new country mills, - in a growing number of countries - at prices their ultimate consumer can afford to pay for the breads produced.

In the west we may complain about our fuel and energy prices increasing, but our bread prices are still affordable and still offer us a nutritious staple.

What we must not overlook while enjoying our daily bread is the role and responsibility our industry has in helping to correct the imbalance that has occurred in a way that allows all bread providers, their customers and their family members, to continue to receive what they have come to depend upon.

This is why, in many countries, governments have taken a direct interest in the functioning of our milling industries.

We have already seen in Africa, Middle East and other regions millers who have gone to extraordinary lengths to provide flour to consumers. Long may we hold dear the idea that we support the production of safe, high-quality and affordable foodstuffs that is available to all.

As we are entering the season of goodwill we should expect our industry to be among the first to assist when mills need wheat and food is needed.

In this edition

From the comments I’ve received from meeting millers and suppliers to the trade events around the world, 2021 was a successful business year for most however 2022 did not live up to expectations.

We’ve covered many of the reasons in this edition and previously. While we close the year with a full and diverse edition of Milling and Grain we want to wish all our advertisers, supporters, writers and readers a most enjoyable festive season when it comes and we look forward to serving you in 2023. From our base in the UK we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Roger Gilbert

The Commercial Director of OMAS of Italy, Pietro Barbalarga, was interviewed by Roger Gilbert, the publisher of Milling and Grain magazine as part of the review of the exhibition area associated with this year’s 32nd International Association of Operative Millers for Middle East and Africa (IAOM MEA) 2022 in Zanzibar, Tanzania in late October.

There were some 150 companies and 80 exhibition stands in the heat of this coastal city on the island of Zanzibar where temperatures were in the low to mid 30s. That did not stop companies such as OMAS promoting its ‘second version’ Leonardo milling unit to an audience that was receptive to newer technologies entering the East African market in particular.

The interface for the machine, for example, is being evaluated by an independent international committee of software technology as it demonstrates several advanced features that are not just applicable for the milling industry but for all software development. Not only saving on energy but also gaining more that 15kg of yield from wheat processed through a scrubbing process that removes the ‘raincoat’ protecting grains.

Listen to the full interview on our website at MAGTV or via our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@ MillingandGrain

Welcome to the December edition of Milling and Grain magazine, along with the twelfth and final edition of the Global Miller column for the year! I hope that all of you readers are happy and well prepared for the New Year and entering 2023.

Temperatures are dropping in the Northern hemisphere and costs are rising in the UK, so people here are having to choose between whether they want a fancier Christmas or a warmer house this season. For me, as long as I can stay warm with a nice cup of tea, I’ll be as happy as ever this holiday season.

This is also the season for farmers in the colder regions to begin preparing and reassessing their plans for the year. Checking for equipment repairs and maintenance, soil management, ensuring the livestock is prepared for the cold temperatures and more. Plans for farming in 2023 will be well underway, so the use of crop covers and ploughing in preparation will be the key activities for farmers for the next few weeks.

The Southern hemisphere will be heading right into summer though, unlike us Brits. They’ll be working hard to cover any of the shortfalls created in the grain industry caused by the Northern hemisphere due to the seasonal changes.

Back in the UK though, we have officially fallen into a recession due to higher energy prices, the conflict in Ukraine, Brexit, and inflation. The mini budget set up by former PM Liz Truss did not help the country much, so now it is the autumn statement's turn to rescue Britons from the financial crisis. At least we don’t have to worry about the Christmas presents because Santa Claus provides them for us – oh wait…

As for a sneak peek into the news around the world though, COP27 was held in Egypt last month which we’ll cover more on, along with New Zealand’s lamb farming carbon footprint and two Malaysian millers being recognised for their outstanding results in the UK Flour Millers course, earning them both medals for their work. All of this exciting news and more can be found in our news section of this magazine or on our website.

Discussing the world a little more, this month there aren’t many events to report on with people preferring to spend the holidays with their families. This doesn’t stop Milling and Grain though, as we have a report ready to read from our team who attended IAOM 2022 in Zanzibar, Tanzania. We have also prepared some information about the events in January next year, so now you can rest assured that you’ll be starting the year off well informed.

With the New Year coming in and resolutions being made, why not start something new and get your company’s name and products in our magazine. Your company could be shared around the world and in multiple languages, both online and in print. We offer amazing flexibility and value with our packages, plus free editorial, so don’t be afraid to get in touch.

If you have any interest, email editorial@perendale.co.uk

Mühlenchemie improves baking with composite flour

Flour treatment specialist Mühlenchemie has developed a new series of enzyme-based products that improve baking results with composite flours. These solutions allow replacement of up to 20 percent of the wheat with alternative raw materials, without losses in quality. This enables the use of locally available grains and reduces dependence on global raw materials markets. The 'Compozym' toolbox is available for numerous applications and flours and is being extended for further uses.

Rising grain prices and varying market availability have hit the milling and baking industry hard. In particular, import of the wheat used for many baked goods increases the cost pressure on companies. So mills are looking for ways to make their raw materials sourcing less dependent on the global wheat market. One way to achieve this is to use composite flours made of wheat and other crops, such as maize, cassava or sorghum, which are grown and available locally in many parts of the world. With Compozym from Mühlenchemie, these crops can replace up to 20 percent of the wheat without impairing quality. The use of regionally grown grains or other crops makes it possible to efficiently manage raw materials fluctuations and shorten supply chains. Reverting to local suppliers not only supplements wheat imports, but also opens up the possibility of marketing innovative and more sustainable products made of composite flour.

Solutions for optimum baking results with composite flour

Reducing the proportion of wheat flour and adding other flours changes the properties of the flour, dough and final baked goods. This can result in reduced volume, lower stability and shorter fresh keeping, as well as differences in the colour and/or surface structure of the final products. With the Compozym enzyme series, bakers can compensate for these effects and get the same results as

with pure wheat flour. The toolbox consists of intelligent, state-of-the-art product solutions, including complete solutions for tin loaves like sandwich bread, freestanding breads like baguettes and fino, and flatbreads like parotha and chapati. The toolbox also offers products to address the special requirements of composite flour, regardless of the application. Among these are solutions that provide better water absorption during dough production, improved stability during fermentation, and longer freshness and softness. All the solutions can be used in a variety of composite flours.

The new Compozym product line was developed based on extensive analyses in Rheology and subsequently in the baking laboratory and has been tested and refined with a wide variety of flours and applications. “Our development work continues, and we have further MC product solutions in the pipeline,” says Mühlenchemie Product Manager Greta Reers. “We're expanding the Compozym line to address additional applications and are continually adapting it to market conditions."

Long experience, innovation and local knowledge

Mühlenchemie is in close dialogue with over 2000 mills in more than 150 countries. In recent years Mühlenchemie has steadily expanded its capacities for applications research in local markets. Today, experts in Germany, Mexico, Singapore, India, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Kenya and Nigeria assist mills locally with their own laboratories. Thus, Mühlenchemie technicians are familiar with the latest requirements of the mills, what raw materials are on the market, and how to process them for which results. This knowledge is bundled at the central 'Futuremaker' Stern-Technology Center in Ahrensburg, Germany, where over 100 scientists and applications technologists work on tailormade solutions to meet the requirements of the worldwide milling industry.

Global animal agriculture faces a ‘barrage’ of crises

The global agricultural industry faces “a barrage of multinational crises,” says EuroTier Chief Executive, Dr Lothar Hövelmann

Speaking at an opening press conference on the eve of the opening day. He expressed the view that events such as EuroTier were essential now that the pandemic is receding, saying there is no substitute for direct-dialogue and meeting face-to-face.

Dr Hövelmann’s ‘barrage of crises,’ includes international trade challenges, feed price increases, the outcome of the pandemic and the interruption to supply chains all directly impacting global livestock production. But he remaines positive that energy prices for example and animal feed prices will return to more normal levels in the medium term.

He also added that changes to climatic conditions is adversely impacting the industry, in addition to world agriculture being “overshadowed by the war in Ukraine.”

The issue of climate change is ongoing, and Dr Hövelmann states it “has to be managed through international agreements” although the need for an international platform, such as Eurotier, to provide a key catalyst for tackling these issues is essential.

In food production, animal husbandry is an integral part of agriculture and these two areas cannot be separated from each other. Meat, milk and eggs are fundamental, and will remain so for a very long time, he added. He went on to say that animal agriculture needed to transform itself as it struggles to find solutions to current challenges.

African Swine Fever and Avian Influenza present familiar

problems, and the industry needs to find solutions to minimise their impact, he says.

Innovation has always been a key aspect of the EuroTier event and in preparation for this year’s event, it carried out a survey of 2000 industry experts from farmers to equipment suppliers to consultants to identify trends in agriculture.

In Dairy farming for example, the survey revealed trends towards greater automation in the provision of feeds, milking equipment and floor cleaning in addition to the use of sensors to monitor herd management, animal welfare and health. Monitoring individual animal behaviour can no longer be done by farmers using their eyes only, he says.

In Pig farming, the survey shows that trends pointed to improvements in biosecurity and hygiene, pigsty conditions, climate, welfare and data management which is important in supporting decision making. The issue of reducing the use of antibiotics was also noted, as there is a growing importance to look at ways of reducing their use.

The survey also showed a clear trend in labour shortages on farms globally.

While farmers have experienced their businesses under pressure, the majority are still willing to make future investments to improve in areas such as buildings and renewable energy.

In summary, Dr Hövelmann says the key points arising from the survey show that: diary farmers want to adopt more digital solutions; pig farmers are more focused on equipment, welfare and hygiene and the poultry industry is currently looking to build and adopt more renewable energy sources.

£1.5M crop research centre opens at University of Warwick

Afacility using gene-editing technology to improve quality, resilience and sustainability of vegetable crops has opened at the University of Warwick.

The Elizabeth Creak Horticultural Technology Centre (ECHTC), which also contains The Jim Brewster Laboratory, is a UK£1.5 million facility which will use cutting edge techniques such as gene-editing to improve vegetable crops. Addressing issues relating to disease resistance, crop yield, adaptability to climate change and nutritional value in horticultural plants, the research will help with the key global challenges of climate change and feeding the world's growing population.

The new Centre, funded by philanthropic donations from the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust and the estate of Jim Brewster, who was a research scientist at the former National Vegetable Research Station in Wellesbourne, adds to Warwick's world leading expertise in crops and plant breeding.

The ECHTC is part of a suite of facilities for research and technology in horticulture at the University of Warwick. Warwick already has responsibility for conserving genetic

diversity of vegetable crops through world-leading collections of carrot, lettuce and onion seed, and joint responsibility for brassica collections hosted by the UK Vegetable Gene Bank (UKVGB) at the University's Wellesbourne Campus. The creation of the ECHTC will help further plant scientists' understanding of a range of questions about plant growth and continue to harness the rich resources of the UKVGB.

The Centre will also train future research scientists in vegetable tissue culture and gene editing techniques, with Jim Brewster Scholarships awarded to PhD students working in the area of crop science.

Murray Grant, the Elizabeth Creak Chair in Food Security at the University of Warwick, comments, “With food one of the top issues on a global agenda, and in the year that the Genetic Technology Bill is going through the UK Parliament and opening up our ability to use gene editing technology, we have a pressing need to grow and harness skills and expertise to help us improve food systems, adapt to changing environments and help solve growing global problems.

“Researchers at the Elizabeth Creak Horticultural Technology Centre will be applying precision genetic editing approaches to key UK horticulture crops to improve disease resistance, enhance nutritional value and increase resilience to climate change. Aside from increased yields, there are significant environmental benefits to be gained by growing crops with reduced needs for pesticides and water.”

Miriam Gifford, Head of the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick, adds, “We are delighted that these generous gifts have been used to establish a new research centre and student scholarships here at Warwick.

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The impact of the Elizabeth Creak Horticultural Technology Centre will be far reaching. It will accelerate the translation of mankind's understanding of plant productivity and responses to stress into resilient and more sustainable crop varieties. The Jim Brewster Scholarships will provide a PhD student with a muchneeded annual top up award that will help fund expenses such as travel to conferences.”

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Paul May, a trustee for the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust and Elizabeth Creak's nephew, says, 'Innovations in farming and horticulture were so important to Elizabeth, who was Warwickshire's first female High Sheriff and ran a 2000 acre dairy farm in the county. I'm proud the centre established in her name will continue her legacy and address the important global challenge of food security.'

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Research confirms the carbon footprint of New Zealand beef and lamb is amongst the lowest in the world

The comprehensive study by AgResearch has found that a kilo of New Zealand sheepmeat has a carbon footprint of just under 15 kilograms (kgs) of CO2 equivalent emissions per kilo.

Meanwhile, the carbon footprint of New Zealand beef is just under 22kgs– making the country's red meat among the most efficient in the world.

The researchers, which compared New Zealand's on-farm emissions to a range of countries' footprints across the globe, concluded that when New Zealand beef or sheepmeat is exported, the total carbon footprint is lower or very similar to domestically produced red meat in those nations. This is because New Zealand is so efficient at the farm level, which represents about 90-95 percent of the total carbon footprint. New Zealand's on-farm footprint was about half the average of the other countries compared in the study.

Based on the research, an analysis by B+LNZ and MIA shows eating red meat 2-3 times a week over the course of an entire year is just under the carbon footprint of a single passenger's return flight from Auckland to Christchurch.

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study was commissioned by Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA). As the world's second biggest exporter of lamb and one of the largest beef exporters, sustainable farming is a critical part of the country's red meat sector strategy. The LCA was calculated using the standard GWP100 approach for converting methane to carbon dioxide equivalent to enable valid international comparisons.

AgResearch scientists also measured the carbon footprint of New Zealand beef and sheepmeat using an emerging approach known as GWP, which determines a carbon footprint based on a product's actual contribution to the warming of the planet over a period of time rather than total emissions.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found that the traditional GWP100 method overstates the impact of methane when this gas is not increasing, as is the case in New Zealand. The calculation using GWP for the period 1998 to 2018 showed that when taking into account sequestration-trees and other vegetation on farms absorbing emissions-New Zealand's sheep meat is arguably 'climate neutral' and New Zealand beef is also well on the way towards that.

That means over the last 20 years, New Zealand sheep meat has not added any additional warming. Absolute greenhouse emissions from New Zealand sheep and beef farming have decreased by 30 percent since 1990.

Infarm successfully demonstrates the potential of indoor-grown wheat

Leading vertical farming company Infarm and co-host of the Food Systems Pavilion at COP 27 has successfully produced wheat in an indoor farm, using no soil, no chemical pesticides and much less water compared to open field farming. Infarm is the first vertical farming company to tackle staple crop production in a controlled environment. The first trials demonstrated exceptional results, allowing a projection of 11.7 Kg per m2 yield per year. Further projected at scale, this is the equivalent of 117 tonnes per hectare per year - 26 times that of open-field farming yields. This production is independent of external climatic conditions and is thus genuinely climate resilient. This is an important milestone, as climate impacts worsen, in providing staple food in a controlled environment.

Guy Galonska, CTO and co-founder of Infarm says, “To continue to feed the world's growing population, we need to achieve higher crop yields which we have now proven to be possible for wheat through indoor, controlled environment agriculture. Our results are significant when compared to the average yield of outdoor wheat production, which is about 4.5 tonnes per hectare per year and heavily dependent on weather and seasons. We are confident that wheat can be grown successfully at scale indoors as a climateresilient alternative. Our record yield could potentially be increased by a further 50 percent in the coming years using a combination of improved genetics, hardware, and optimised growth environments.”

Erez Galonska, CEO and co-founder of Infarm says, “Being able to grow wheat indoors is a milestone for Infarm and of significant importance for global food security, as wheat is a calorie-dense but resource-intense crop that is a core component of diets worldwide. We started Infarm to find new ways of producing food to feed the world's growing population and the results show that we are a big step closer to achieving this goal.”

Wheat provides much of the global population with its daily energy requirements and is a significant source of protein, accounting for almost 40 percent of daily protein intake in some regions. Wheat is grown over a larger area than any other crop and due to a destabilised environment, the yield per hectare is expected to decline. To continue to feed the world's growing population it is necessary that we need to increase wheat yields which is now possible through indoor, controlled environment agriculture.

Double medal success for Malaysian students in UKFM distance learning course

Two Malaysian millers have been recognised for their outstanding results after completing the worldwide distance learning programme run by UK Flour Millers. Senior production engineers Yasmin Sholikhin, 29, and 28-year-old Cheang Jia Man were awarded silver and bronze medals respectively.

The pair, who work at the Malayan Flour Mills (MFM) plant in Johor State, successfully completed all seven modules over the course of five years and were presented with their medals by the firm's managing director Teh Wee Chye earlier this month. And both said the programme – which covers all aspects of the milling industry – will stand them in good stead for long and successful careers.

“Even though we are thousands of miles away, UK Flour Millers' distance learning programme has allowed us to learn about sectors of the industry we don't come across in our current roles,”says Ms Sholikhin, who has been with MFM for seven years.

And Mr Jia Man says, “It is hard work, but the programme is very informative and tutors are very helpful. I am planning to travel to work in our plants in Indonesia and Vietnam, and this will help me a great deal.”

MFM is regarded as a pioneer in the flour milling industry in Malaysia. When the Perak plant was opened in 1966, the country's prime minister described it as the 'pride of the nation'. Designed and fitted by English company Henry Simon Ltd, the plant is located on a natural deepwater harbour, allowing deliveries of wheat from all over the world.

Plant manager Jimmy Okristian says, “We are all extremely proud of what Yasmin and Cheang have achieved through their hard work. They are a wonderful advertisement for the flour milling industry in Malaysia.”

UK Flour Millers' courses are studied by hundreds of students around the world and lead to the Advanced Certificate in Flour Milling. The modules cover every aspect of flour milling, and students are not required to have any previous qualifications.

For each module, students are allocated a tutor experienced in the operation and management of flour mills, providing them with expert assistance in their training. They also have access to the Virtual Mill, an online resource which enables students to engage with scenarios in 'virtual' milling environments.

UK Flour Millers director Alex Waugh says, “Yasmin and Cheang are to be congratulated on their achievements, and for their hard work in successfully completing the course.Their success is an indication of the reach and effectiveness of the distance learning course, and I hope they prove to be an inspiration for all of our students, wherever they happen to be in the world.”

Milling journals of the past at The Mills Archive

by Mildred Cookson, Mills Archive Trust, UK

Aprevious article in “The Milling World” formed the basis for a description in “The Miller” of 1 August 1881 of the Deseronto roller mills, and I thought it of sufficient interest to summarise here.

The mill was in the then littleknown village of Mill Point in Ontario on the site of a comparatively small sawmill. The sawmill, originally erected and operated by H B Rathburn and his son, had grown significantly, supplemented by machine shops, planning mills, cedar mills, and stave mills. Shipyards, extensive warehouses, substantially constructed docks, lines of sailing and steam vessels were also necessary for the expanding business which father and son were developing.

The flour mill, rebuilt and remodelled in 1880 by Mr Rathburn, was supplied with Manitoban wheat by an iron screw conveyor which passed into the mill on the third floor. About 65 feet west of the mill was a bran and flour warehouse, 40ft x 60ft, and 45ft high. The upper portion was used for the storage of bran, and had a capacity of 400 tons, whilst the lower portion was intended for a flour warehouse, with a capacity of 1,800 - 2,000 barrels.

The mill was a substantial stone structure 45ft by 70ft., four storeys in height, each ranging from 12 to 16 ft high. The engine house, also of stone, was 40ft x 40ft and situated at the north end

of the building. To the south or rear of the mill, on the waterfront, was the elevator entirely sheeted with iron 50 x 60ft and 45ft high. This was surmounted by a cupola 22 ft high.

On the first floor, which was level with the dock, a large room featured immense timbers supporting the heavy machinery above, and the main line shaft. This ran from the engine room with counter shafts extending and driving the twelve sets of corrugated and smooth rollers on the second floor as well as other machinery There were two smut machines and two flour packers, the packing chest extended from the first to the fourth floor having a capacity of 120 barrels.

In the grinding room an elevated platform held twelve sets of rolls and three pairs of stones. Eight sets of rolls were of the ‘Stevens’ corrugated type, the remainder were smooth rolls. The first three sets of rolls had little wire scalping reels for removing what little flour was produced during these three breaks. These effected a perfect splitting of the berry lengthwise, through the crease. This liberated the germ whilst not cutting the bran; the second break reduced these halved portions of the berry in size, producing little flour but a considerable quantity of middlings. This product, like the first passed to a scalping reel, and the tailings passed on for further reduction to the third roller mill, the product of which was also scalped. The products from this were wholly bran, which was sent to the bran rolls where every particle of flour was loosened and could be readily bolted or scalped out. The middlings produced by the first three reductions

by Mildred Cookson, The Mills Archive, UK

The Deseronto Flour Mills, Canada

Engraving showing the front view of the mill

after purification went to the two pair of 4ft millstones for final reduction. A third run used a 3ft Munson mill for grinding corn. The mill at the time of the article had the capacity for turning out 250 barrels of flour every 24 hours.

A series of elevators passed up through various parts of the building and the main drive belt, 13 inches wide, enclosed in a neat box on each floor, extended through the various floors to a

counter shaft on the fourth and drove three lines of shafting which ran the whole length of the mill.

On the third floor there were three bolting chests running from the third up through the fourth floor. The three chests contained 24 reels. On this floor were also two large middling purifiers. The wheat was received into bins on this floor by means of an iron conveyor from the elevator. On the fourth floor were four

Section of the mill

Detail of the Stevens patent

illhead from Munson Bros, manufacturers of portable mills

middlings purifiers, the bolting chests and two Sturtevant fans. The fans blew the fine and coarse bran through a five-inch iron pipe into the bran house. On the top of the mill was a dust room 33ft x16ft. into which the dust from the mill was gathered, brought back into the reels and the flour separated from the bran. The walls throughout the whole mill were plastered and calcimined. (a wash of white or pale blue suitable for walls and ceilings). All spouts and woodwork were painted a pure white

with blue relief lines, whist all the iron work was well painted or polished.

As everything depended upon the reliability of the motive power, the engine room was well described. Its polished and burnished fittings and clean appearance indicated that the person in charge had a pride in his work and surroundings. The steam was generated in two steel boilers, 14ft long by 5ft diameter. The engine was of the ordinary slide valve type, with an 18 x 30 inches cylinder, and could develop 175 horse power. The fly wheel was 12ft diameter, making 96 revolutions per minute and transmitted its motion to an 8ft wheel on the main shaft by means of a 24inch belt. Steadiness of motion was essential for a uniform product and the main shaft was fitted with a motion indicator which at once notified the engineer if an increase or decrease in speed was needed.

Direct communication by rail with the outer world was assured by means of a 3-mile branch line, which made direct connection with the operators of the Grand Trunk Railway. The article credited Messrs. Jno. T. Noye & Sons and Mr. Ira Westcott, their superintending millwright for this successful mill using the Stevens system. John Stevens was born in Wales in 1840 before moving to Canada at an early age. In 1859 he began work in flour mills. In 1874 he developed the roller mill process on which his patent was issued in 1880.

www.millsarchive.org

The Stevens Roller Mill

Anthony F. Raimondo, Chairman Emeritus, Behlen Mfg. Co, passes away

Anthony F. Raimondo, 83, of Columbus, Nebraska, and Lakewood Ranch, Florida, died Wednesday, November 9, in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.

Anthony F. Raimondo 'TR' was born on July 24, 1939, in Buffalo, New York, as an only child to Carmela (Turchiarelli) and Felix 'Phil' Raimondo. TR graduated from South Park High School in 1957, where he met the love of his life, Jeanne English. TR and Jeanne dated until their wedding on August 27, 1960.

TR attended Michigan Technology University, receiving his BSME in 1962, while Jeanne worked as an AT&T switchboard operator. After completing college, TR took a job with General Motors and moved back to Buffalo, New York. In 1969, TR left GM and started at Moog, an aerospace company. TR received his MBA degree from the University of Rochester in 1972.

In 1976, the Raimondo family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, when TR took a job with the Sperry Corporation as General Manager of Vickers. They eventually found their way to Behlen Mfg. Co. in Columbus, Nebraska in 1982, when TR started as a General Manager for Wickes Corporation. In 1984 TR led a management buyout with Richard Casey, Stephen McGill, and Bob Theilen, as Behlen experienced major losses due to market changes, and Wickes emerged from Chapter 11. TR went on to lead a successful turnaround of the company. Behlen currently has six manufacturing facilities across the United States and more than 1080 Partners in Progress (employees). Today, the Raimondo family owns Behlen Mfg. Co., and they are committed to growing the company and supporting the Columbus community.

TR and Jeanne had four wonderful children: Philip, Tony Jr., Linda, and Diana. TR and his family are proponents of lifelong learning as all four children, and TR hold Master's degrees, and Jeanne even earned a Bachelor's degree at age 60! TR had uncompromising core values, extraordinary leadership skills, a strong spiritual foundation, and enjoyed travelling around the globe

for business and fun. Family, faith, and love were of utmost importance to TR and Jeanne.

TR was the beloved husband to the late Jeanne for nearly 59 years; devoted father of the late Philip M. Raimondo (Mary), Anthony F. Raimondo, Jr. (Sharon), and Linda C. Bock (Tom), all of Columbus; and Diana J. Raimondo of Chicago, Illinois; loving grandfather of Rachel Hays (Brandon), Matthew Raimondo (Kayla), Nicholas Raimondo (Katy), Patrick Raimondo (Kayla), Natalie Raimondo, Kellen Raimondo, Leo Raimondo, Cody Myers (Robyn), Paxton Myers, Tanner Bock (Lily), Tayler Bock (Amanda), Nahom 'Enzo' Montalto, as well as the late Luca and late Santino Luca Montalto. TR was the proud great-grandfather of Henry, Emma, Colin, Emersyn, Madeline, Sophia, Lennon, Lyla, Tucker and Turner.

TR joins his wife, Marion 'Jeanne' English, his mother, Carmela Turchiarelli, his father, Felix 'Phil' Raimondo, as well as his eldest son, Philip Raimondo, in heaven.

TR's Legacy

During TR's tenure at Behlen Mfg. Co., retiring as Chairman Emeritus in 2019, TR held Government, National, State, and Community Board positions, earning several distinguished awards. Not to mention competing on the national circuit in his favorite sport, handball - winning his last doubles tournament at the age of 81, with his handball partner, Lyle Burbach.

Of TR's many accomplishments and awards, notable Awards include National winner of the Inc. Magazine, Turnaround Entrepreneur of the Year (1994), Nebraska Business Hall of Fame (1999), Nebraska Workforce Development, Distinguished Leadership Award (2001), Top 100 Training Award - Behlen Ranked #74 in Training Magazine (2002), Aksarben Court of Honor – Business and Industry (2003), Grand Marshal Aksarben River City Roundup (2009), Hall of Fame – Harvard Cup Football, City of Buffalo (2011), Columbus Region Business Hall of Fame (2012).

TR's numerous Board Positions included: Chairman – Nebraska Advanced Manufacturing Coalition,

NAMC (2006-2022), Steering Committee – Blueprint Nebraska (2018-2020), Director NAM (National Association of Manufacturers) (19982018 | Chairman Small Medium Manufacturers 2003), Trustee of the Manufacturing Institute (20062019), Director Nebraska Chamber of Commerce (past Chairman) (19902019), Director Federal Reserve Board, Omaha Branch, Kansas City District (past Chairman) (1997 –2004), Board of Policy for Peter Kiewit Institute (PKI) (1996-2015), Director MBMA – Metal Building Manufacturers Association, Chairman (1996) -- Member UNMC Board of Counsellors (2006-2012), Teammates State Advisory Board (1996-2003) TR held several Political Appointments, including a run for U.S. Senate in 2008. In 2004, under President Bush, TR was selected as first ever Manufacturing Czar –Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services (but withdrew due to Presidential politics).

Governor Appointments included: NE Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Advisory (1996-2006), Department of Labor Worker Training Board (1996-2006), Chairman Nebraska Economic Development Commission (1994-2003), Director, Nebraska Industrial Competitive Alliance (1996-2003)

Besides Handball, TR enjoyed golfing with friends, business partners, and Jeanne, watching Yankees baseball, travelling, and having a glass of wine by the pool watching the sun set in Florida with friends.

TR's favourite quote was as follows: "People do not care what you know, until they know that you care!' He made each and every one of us better. And for that, we are grateful.

Ukraine Agri export crosses quarter of a billion tonnes

Ukraine has exported more than 26 million tonnes of agricultural products since the beginning of the war. These are cereals, legumes and oil crops. Of these, over 5.5 million tonnes of wheat, over 10 million tonnes of corn, 2.4 million tonnes of rapeseed, two million tonnes each of oil and sunflower seeds.

How farmers finish this season and what support programs for agricultural producers is implemented by the Government – says the First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine on the air of the informational marathon on UA First.

According to him, during the eight months of the war, it was possible to achieve good export figures.

“The least number of exports occurred in the first months of the war, then exports gradually increased. But during this period, the potential of approximately 15 million tonnes was lost. That is, during this period in peacetime, we could export about 40 million tonnes in total,” says Taras Vysotskyi.

Despite all the difficulties, farmers continue to work on their front. To support them, a number of programs have been introduced that allow agricultural producers to work,

at least covering the cost of work.

“This is the 5-7-9 affordable lending program, which has been extended for another year. These are loans in hryvnia, almost at zero percent, when the cost of the loan is compensated by the state. A program is also being implemented to pay the smallest agricultural producers per hectare of cultivated land. Within the framework of grant support, 900 million hryvnias have already been paid to farmers who cultivate up to 120 hectares or keep up to 100 cows. Grants for the development of horticulture and greenhouse farming have also been launched – 70 percent of the funds are covered by the state. So far, 50 applications for gardens and four for greenhouses have been approved. In total, more than UAH 250 million have been allocated for this,” says the Deputy Minister.

The problem of grain storage is also being solved, including thanks to humanitarian aid from FAO and other international partners. Thanks to this assistance, six million tonnes of bags for temporary grain storage were purchased.

“Now these sleeves are actively distributed, 30 percent of farmers have already received the means. The situation with grain storage is not critical, there is no shortage of containers for storing the crop,” Mr Vysotsky emphasises.

Precise weighing and clean filling of valve bags – up to 2000 bags/h each 25 kg.

Contact: Phone: +49 251 9796 252 E-mail: sales@behnbates.com www.behnbates.com

Windmills of Finland

by Nathanael Hodge, Rex Wailes Collection, Mills Archive, UK

Rex Wailes’ love of windmills led him to travel extensively through many countries, recording the varieties of mill he found. His journeys across Finland led to him amassing over 1200 photographs of Finnish windmills. The main types of windmills common in Finland were similar to those in other countries but with a few variations.

Varvasmylly – ‘toe mill’

The varvasmylly or ‘toe mill’ is the Finnish name for what in England was called the ‘post mill’. This is the oldest form of windmill in Europe and was very common in Finland. It consists of a mill body containing the mill stones, which rotates around an upright wooden post to face the wind. A tailpole is used to turn the mill. Finnish ‘toe mills’ were characterised by vertical timber panels with four equal sides and usually contained two pairs of heavy millstones.

Harakkamylly – ‘magpie mill’

The harakkamylly or ‘magpie mill’ was similar to the ‘toe mill’, but with a hollow central post through which the power of the sails was transmitted into the base. This meant that the machinery and stones could be housed in the base instead of in the upper part that was turned to the wind. A long tailpole which could be moved into a horizontal or sloping position was thought to resemble the tail of a magpie, hence the name. A variant in South Bothnia was named after the kanahaukka, the northern goshawk.

Mamsellimylly – ‘mademoiselle mill’

The mamsellimylly is the type of mill known in English as a ‘smock mill’ from its resemblance to someone wearing a smock – the Finnish mamselli is from French mademoiselle, indicating a resemblance to a woman in a dress. This mill has a fixed body almost exclusively constructed of weather-boarded timber, and a moveable cap. The caps came in many shapes and sizes but usually had a manual tailpole to turn it to the wind.

Shingle mills

Shingle mills drove saws or other woodworking machinery and were in widespread use in the 19th century when roofs were made from thin chips of wood. They could be powered by wind or water, and shingle machines could be attached to mills with millstones. Commonly they were skeleton mills, constructed without any weather-boarding on the framework.

Mamsellimylly

Varvasmylly

Shingle mills

Harakkamylly

Buhler-KSU Expert Milling Course

The Buhler-KSU Expert Milling course is set to begin February 27 - March 3, 2023. With in-depth discussions about flow sheet diagrams and milling processes, as well as optimum machine adjustment and mill handling, the course covers a variety of topics.

Other topics include a comparison of special cleaning systems which offer the possibility to improve milling performance further than a regular cleaning section; tempering of wheat (systems, bin designs, possible traps, various tempering philosophies and their application, pre-tempering systems, flow sheet options for optimum sanitation in and around the tempering bins); bacteria count reduction by scouring, peeling, light peeling and pearling; in-depth flow sheet technology (comparison of international flow sheets with milling systems

in the U.S., discussion of differences and possible application of system parts in U.S. milling; practical exercises in the Hal Ross Mill (the perfect break release, optimum purifier set-up, judging sifting performance – finding the ideal area between poor dressing and bare dressing), starch damage (what is it, its effects on water absorption, attrition flour – production and usage; flour quality: general quality control and assurance, flour ageing, etc.); and mill pneumatic systems (in-depth pneumatics with practical measurements and adjustments in the Hal Ross Mill).

The course is aimed at those who have a theoretical milling background (milling school or university, prior advanced milling course - IAOM or Bühler training centre), KSU Milling science graduate with two years practical experience or five years of shift milling experience. Ideally Production managers, head millers, and shift managers, will be attending this course.

The course fees are $1,900 for IAOM members, and $2,100 for nonmembers. The registration deadline is February 1, 2023.

The African milling school (AMS) offers comprehensive and intensive training in the food industry, focusing on theoretical and practical elements, which is aimed at expanding the knowledge base from experienced millers to the next generation for millers. The courses they offer inform attendees on technology and equipment used to process grain into high value products and hopes to develop and share food-processing knowledge to a range of industry workers, such as maintenance staff, quality control and operation management.

The Head Millers program is located in Nairobi, Kenya, and would require in-person attendance. The dual milling

credential program is an apprenticeship that spans two years, with three modules each year. Each module is four weeks and contains regular examinations. The modules contain practical work in a flour mill and theoretical schooling at the AMS.

The requirements for those attending state they must be a current employee of a flour milling company, be aged 20+, have a basic education and good knowledge in English, and have at least one year of milling experience. The current employer of the trainee will bear all costs and expenses of the course, and during the program, trainees will be placed with a mentor.

The course requires trainees to gain work experience in all plant sections, including intake and storage, cleaning, milling, finished product section, packing and quality control.

After completing the two-year apprenticeship, successful candidates will become a miller’s graduate. The AMS apprenticeship is a well-recognised professional development and will enhance the skills and status of those attending in a challenging and highly developed industry.

FOCUS Product December 2022

In every edition of Milling and Grain magazine, we dedicate this page to taking a look at the products that will save you both time and money in the food and feed milling process. Should you have a new product or service that you would like to feature on this page in a future edition of our magazine, be sure to contact us at editorial@ perendale.co.uk

VIB-CHECKPOINT© by Vibronet

VIB-CHECKPOINT© is a precise continuous control system for hectolitre weight (specific weight/ test weight/ volume weight/ bulk density), temperature, moisture and protein (option) of all free flowing granulated materials such as cereals, pellets, etc. at raw material intake and for blending in the production process. The system works fully automated and guarantees laboratory results at online operating conditions.

Sensors measure the temperature and initial moisture content of the product. The hectolitre weight is measured batchwise within a fixed time interval.

SmartFil M1by GEA

The GEA SmartFil M1 features configurable product metering options, including vertical auger and horizontal vibratory feeder, that can be selected based on the product to be packed. An optional deaeration probe may be added for improved consolidation of the product if required. The sealed filling head is designed to prevent product contamination whilst ensuring the safety of the machine operator. A bag preparation station enables the operator to safely close the top of the bag before presenting to the closing system. Closing is configurable dependent on packaging type. Continuous heat sealing with glue reactivation or with sewing is available for open-mouth bags, whilst impulse sealing is offered for hermetic sealing of plastic packaging. A simple operator interface is easily configured to adjust the key filling parameters and closing functions. The stainlesssteel design is durable and low maintenance.

OptoSelector OS t901 roeber by Petkus

The OptoSelector 901 is a full colour sorter for achieving products of the highest quality level. The advanced software processes individual kernel images and includes size and shape recognition technology as a standard feature. Defects having the same colour as the good material can now be removed by recognising different shape characteristics. Similarly, broken or deformed pieces of otherwise good material can also be rejected. A new individually available option serves to inspect seeds based on translucent effects. High power LEDs which are additionally focused are combined with excellent optical components with high light transmission. They allow for detection of defects in the inner part of translucent seeds which are not visible from the outside. Examples of this are the detection of red rice vs. rice or durum vs. wheat.

Soya Extruder by Yemtar

There is a conditioner, feeding spiral and vertical spiral on the extruder. Broken soybean, which is taken into the conditioner with the feeding spiral, is heated by feeding steam. It is sent into the shell by pressure through a vertical spiral. Soy is cooked by producing heat by friction inside the hive. Extruder capacity 6-8 t / h (steam) is driven by 250 Kw main engine, the sleeve and helix groups are made of alloy steel and hardened by heat treatment. 160°C temperature is reached at the barrel exit, and the extruder can be made in different sizes. It has a high cooking rate in a short amount of time and eliminates the negative effects of antibacterial factors.

The microprocessor determines the current hectolitre value, as well as its average accumulated value based on this measurement and on the data from the temperature and moisture sensors. The system consists of a control panel with colour touch screen with easy menu guidance, as well as a stainless steel measuring section. www.yemtar.com

Roller Mill Device 4500 by Bastak

This device is a laboratory type double passaged mill. It is used to determine the quality of the wheat which will be used for flour production. The Roller Mill Device is used for both dampened and undampened wheat grinding. It is the mixing laboratory mill that enables necessary modifications and amendments by predetermining the values of the flour to be ground in the factory.

The device consists of two parts: crushing and liso. The wheat is milled and divided into three parts as flour, bran(sharp) and semolina by passing through three fluted rollers at the crushing section. Flour and semolina are collected into different drawers by two 160 µ and 800 µ sieves and bran(sharp) taken from the front side of the device. The company gets informed about the capacity of semolina of wheat right after crushing. Semolina which passes through between two flat rollers gets divided as flour and bran by 160 µ sieve.

Pegasus® Vacuum Coating The vacuum coating revolution

Vacuum coating is a processing technique that can be used to add value to your product. It allows producers in the feed, aqua feed and petfood industry to drastically improve the quality and characteristics of their products. Dennissen process technology has been involved with vacuum coating technology for many years. The Pegasus Vacuum Coater enabled feed producers to apply liquid additives to and into pellets and extruded products, by creating a vacuum environment within the production process.

For the first time, feed producers were able to improve the quality and characteristics of their products drastically, without influencing the main processes, by adding functional additives like enzymes, vitamins, and drugs, end of line. By using vacuum coating technology, the additives penetrated homogeneously into the entire pellet. This resulted in better, more nutritious feed and food, healthier animals, and less emissions. The process starts with creating a vacuum inside the vacuum coater, where after multiple layers of additives can be applied to the product. The Pegasus Vacuum Coater gently suspends ingredients homogeneously in the air while the vacuum unit creates a vacuum environment. The spraying functionality makes it possible to spray a precisely predetermined quantity of liquid onto the powders, pellets or granules. When air is then allowed to enter the mixing unit, the liquids are evenly distributed deeply into each particle. The ingredients being sucked deep into the particles through the vacuum, also has the effect of protecting them against crumbling. After this step, additional layers of top coatings or aromas are applied to each particle, which results in a highquality extruded product. Often a thin layer of fat is applied to the granular feed material. This extra protective layer makes the material more elastic so that it breaks or crumbs less quickly. All this is done very fast, the entire batch process takes just a couple of minutes. The process starts with creating a vacuum inside the vacuum coater, were after multiple layers of additives can be applied to the product. The Pegasus Vacuum Coater gently

suspends ingredients homogeneously in the air while the vacuum unit creates a vacuum environment. The spraying functionality makes it possible to spray a precisely predetermined quantity of liquid onto the powders, pellets or granules. When air is then allowed to enter the mixing unit, the liquids are evenly distributed deeply into each particle. The ingredients being sucked deep into the particles through the vacuum, also has the effect of protecting them against crumbling. After this step, additional layers of top coatings or aromas are applied to each particle, which results in a high-quality extruded product. Often a thin layer of fat is applied to the granular feed material. This extra protective layer makes the material more elastic so that it breaks or crumbs less quickly. All this is done very fast, the entire batch process takes just a couple of minutes.

Vacuum coaters are used primarily for adding essential ingredients such as aromas, oils, vitamins, minerals and enzymes to granules and extruded products. The Pegasus Vacuum Coater makes it possible to add precisely the right amount of powder or liquid to each granule, after which the additive penetrates deeply into the granule. With the same technology, batches of solid as well as liquid ingredients can be mixed quickly and very homogeneously. The Pegasus Vacuum Coater is capable of adding much larger quantities of additives to powders, granules and granulates, than traditional production methods. Additionally, it’s possible to quickly add several coatings (one after another) on granules and extruded products and to vary the effect of the vacuum process. For example, switching the vacuum on and off controls the depth to which the liquid additives penetrate into the granule. The sophisticated control program makes it easy for producers to vary the vacuum settings and with it the injection of powders and liquids. As a result, the vacuum coater is suitable for producing a wide range of products on a single production line. Varying with ingredients and switching between recipes is fast and convenient. This also applies to the production of small quantities.

The Ocrim Milling Hub

“Not just a mill”

Constructing and operating a flour mill is an unusual, although not unique development for a flour milling equipment company to make.

Named the Milling Hub, Ocrim SpA of Cremona, Italy commissioned its new joint-venture mill with the publicly listed Italian company BF SpA in the second year of the pandemic in July 2021.

And its a revolutionary concept for a milling company to adopt says Alberto Antolini the CEO of Ocrim, at the time of the opening of the mill.

“The industrial part of the mill is currently and solely aimed at sub-supplying. This revolutionary project was created to bring together the agricultural side of the industry - represented by the BF driver - and the industrial side, represented by Ocrim. The current module is the first of 10 for the Milling Hub project with a view to shortening the procedures of the supply chain.”

The project - the Milling Hub SpA, is a start-up with 51 percent owned by BF, a listed company, and 49 percent owned by Ocrim, a privately-owned company with 100 percent owned by the Antolini family – has come to fruition and lending more value to Italian-made products by combining the know-how, technology,

innovation and research of the two companies.

The strength lies in the pooling skills. Ocrim has an international track record in the production of milling plants while BF SpA is the first Italian agro-industrial group to focuses on managing the entire production cycle.

The new complex represents a unique and exclusive opportunity which, as Sergio Antolini, the chairman of Ocrim points out, “allows the customer to use his own grain in a mill of his own design. It will not involve any investment, staff, maintenance or operating costs and will ensure total safety and traceability of the final product.“

BF SpA’s CEO Federico Vecchioni adds “It’s not just a mill, it’s also a competitive and winning way of promoting the value of food products on the international market … it is a new way to forge future alliances.

“The partnership with Ocrim is not just a corporate one, it is also a partnership of skills, vertical integration, monitoring of every step of the supply chain and very high specialisation,” said Mr Vecchioni.

“No single player will be able to be sufficiently competitive in the coming years.

“Platforms, strategic alliances and size are required to win. And it is within this perspective that Ocrim and BF have agreed that their roles complement one another.”

Location

The large Milling Hub is strategically located in Cremona near the Agricultural Consortium, the main grain storage centre in the area, next to the factories of Ocrim and near the railway network and canal port.

The building is designed for two durum wheat milling lines with a capacity of 150 tonnes in a 24-hour period per line.

The project is one of a kind, created with the most advanced technologies to ensure the highest standards of quality, efficiency and food hygiene.

It is a fully automated system, capable of self-regulating with a series of sensors that constantly communicate with the control management system. 4.0 technologies are used to also control and track the progress of each batch of product.

Mr Marco Galli, Director of the Ocrim’s Technology Department, says that with this evolution in mill management, “The figure of the miller will have to adapt and collaborate in the development of these technologies, offering his experience to help improve the flow of information. There will always be a need for the miller to

operate the mill and create the products.”

Other significant changes were made in the name of saving energy and sustainability, the guiding values of the project and principles on which the corporate culture of Ocrim and BF is based.

The mill is equipped with an innovative air handling unit capable of regulating the temperature and humidity inside the building, maximising the yield and quality of the final product. The air handling unit also recirculates the hot air produced by the mill itself through special filters, thereby allowing considerable energy savings.

In the interview, Mr Alberto Antolini also mentioned a number of important projects that Milling Hub has in the pipeline, such as offering the possibility of further dividing the quantity of the processed product to also serve market niches. Or the logistics relating to the receipt, transport and storage of materials, which the new complex will be able to carry out by rail, road and water thanks to its structure and geographical location.

Deadlines and the pandemic

It was not easy to meet the deadlines for delivery of the first mill.

The restrictions due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic required significant reorganisation of the work to ensure distancing between the various companies operating on site at the same time.

To speed up the work and reduce set-up times, the machines were assembled even before construction of the building was completed. This bold choice required a new organisational plan to ensure the safety of the personnel and machinery.

The work was successfully completed with the full cooperation of all the companies involved. The new complex will be put at the service of the Ghigi pasta factory. The pasta factory in Emilia Romagna will be one of few in Italy to have full control of its entire supply chain.

Visitors from the Ocrim 'Open Days 2022' visit the Hub

The power of additives in feed cutting emissions and boosting business

by Virginie Blanvillain Rivera, Global Services Manager, AB Vista, UK

Pressure on farmers to reduce emissions is growing at a time when they already face a host of other challenges. It’s become a daily battle to survive in an industry threatened by economic uncertainty, changing consumer habits and geopolitical and environmental concerns.

The fight against emissions begins before the animals have even left the farm gate. Research shows that animal feed highly contributes to carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) of meat, milk and egg. Indeed, animal feed contributes to more than 50 percent of carbon emissions of processors and retailers. Hence the pressing need for the industry as a whole to reduce its carbon footprint.

Depending on the region, there has been a 50-100 percent increase in diet cost globally since 2020. With the price volatility and high emissions of animal feed, farmers might think they are facing a losing battle. But, as the saying goes, knowledge is power.

Data might not seem like an obvious friend of the farmer but bringing decades of AB Vista scientific research and experience to the farm table has proven not only to cut emissions but to increase productivity, the outcome being getting more from less. Technologists from our Emissions Reporting Service identify, quantify and mitigate feed-related emissions, searching for the right formula to free up farmers to concentrate on their business. We help them achieve the right balance between cost, productivity and performance, while reducing emissions.

Improving performance

Whatever the animal – ruminant, swine or poultry – the ingredients that go into feed, and their quantity, can have a significant impact on cost and emissions. So, the first step in our feed strategy is to define a list of ingredients, taking into account cost, location and availability. Sourcing alternative ingredients and making the best use of them without compromising on performance, comes back to costs of production – with price remaining the primary driving force for farmers.

Ingredients are the main contributor to emissions when it comes to feed, usually accounting for more than 70 percent of the carbon footprint at farm gate. Other elements of feed production –transportation, fuel, energy and water use from manufacturing –are responsible for a comparatively minor level of emissions.

Revisiting formulations and assessing feed additive combinations both help farmers maintain performance and remain competitive. By looking at feed additives and the different roles they can play, carbon footprint can be reduced by ensuring the best use of nutrient utilisation, thereby reducing waste and excretion.

As well as providing a nutritional value to feed formulation, the great advantage of enzymes is that, at specific target levels, they can improve general animal health, resilience, and welfare, therefore improving sustainability and overall herd performance consistency.

For example, in recent years the rising cost of non-organic phosphorous has reinforced the need to use a phytase feed additive to break down the phytate found in ingredients such as soybean meal, corn and wheat, making more phosphorus available to the animal. Additionally, high levels of phytase are being widely adopted to optimise feed formulation to a greater

extent by maximising amino acids and energy utilisation, therefore reducing CO2 emissions and N2O excretion in the environment.

The science bit

Let us invite you into our offices and laboratories for a moment, where our teams of experts work to build a picture of a farm’s individual emissions and how to reduce them.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach; we do the groundwork, analysing and benchmarking data to identify areas within the

live animal production system with a high emissions rate, to tailor specific solutions aligned with the medium- to long-term farmer objectives – thus enabling the farmer to apply sustainable solutions while running their business efficiently and profitably.

Our Emissions Reporting Service (ERS) allows farmers to calculate the carbon footprint, and the nitrogen and phosphorus excretion at farm gate. Our experts then recommend mitigation strategies in line with farmer objectives. These recommendations are based on ‘what-if’ scenarios which explore the benefits technologies and management strategies can deliver to an individual farm.

For instance, a reduction in carbon emissions may be quantified when formulating diets with additives, such as our VistaPre-T fermentation extract, which increases fibre degradation. A report is then delivered in person to the farm, arming the farmer with the knowledge they need to boost productivity and, ultimately, their bottom line.

Through the emissions service, created in partnership with our sister company Intellync, customers can gain robust insight into their carbon emissions, enabling more responsible decisions and reduction in their impact. It can be applied to swine, broiler chickens, laying hens, dairy cows, beef and lamb.

Intellync also developed the world’s first on-farm carbon footprint assessment tool, delivering data insights to inform improvement strategies. We have completed thousands of farm-level carbon footprints and currently support a range of retailers and food processors in their efforts to reduce scope three emissions.

In addition, our comprehensive NIR Service, built on decades of expertise in NIR spectroscopy, can provide the farm with accurate predictions of the nutritional components of feed ingredients and forages to help optimise feed formulation.

The service can evaluate the energy uplift possible from forage when pre-treated with VistaPre-T and calculate the potential reduction in costs of feed, while our portable NIR technology allows for manure composition to be measured on farm to validate the effectiveness of feeding strategies.

Combining our NIR solutions with the emissions services means we are well equipped to support our customers in doing more from less in a sustainable way.

Poultry and swine

The challenge of rising ingredient prices and pressure to reduce environmental impact while optimising production costs can be mitigated by using a higher dose of phytase and non-starch polysaccharide degrading enzymes (NSPases), using a full amino acid and energy matrix.

Our enzyme expertise and research and development capabilities have enabled us to work with farmers to create the optimum combination of feed ingredients for their specific needs.

Our Maximum Matrix Nutrition (MMN) approach has been developed based on AB Vista’s knowledge of substrates and their nutritional impact, while our feed intelligence approach gives nutritionists confidence that they can achieve the necessary nutrient release to maintain performance.

Adopting an MMN strategy to save feed costs without affecting animal performance has been proven in seven trials across both grower/finisher pigs and broilers. Looking at today’s market

prices and carbon footprint calculation of feed formulations in different regions, we have seen:

• a 4 percent cost saving in broilers and 9 percent kgCO2e saving/tonne of feed when using Quantum Blue 1,500 FTU/kg full matrix + Econase XT 16,000 BXU/kg

• a 4 percent feed cost saving in laying hens and 9.5 percent kgCO2e saving/tonne of feed when using Quantum Blue 1,200 FTU/kg + Econase XT 12,000 BXU/kg

• for swine, a 3 percent reduction in costs and a 14.6 percent kgCO2e saving/tonne of feed when using Quantum Blue (2,000 FTU/kg) + Econase XT (16,000 BXU/kg).

Ruminants

Approximately 40 percent of cow carbon emissions are associated with the production of feed. This means that changes to feed formulation can have a large impact on producers’ carbon footprint.

Methane inhibitors are a potential way of reducing enteric methane emissions from ruminants and could play a large role in reducing the climate change impact, since methane is responsible for 44 percent of livestock-related carbon emissions. But such inhibitors are not yet widely used, and so there may be future opportunities to develop this solution.

A fermentation extract from trichoderma reesei, a revolutionary feed technology that directly impacts fibre usage, is the first of its kind to enter the ruminant market. It’s a pre-treatment that can be formulated into the total ration to get more energy from home grown forage.

VistaPre-T improves fibre use, improving digestion and providing a rumen-friendly source of energy to help increase overall animal productivity. It helps maximise forage and reduces the need for using expensive concentrates, resulting in lower feed-costs, improved performance, reduced emissions and ultimately profitability. This means less pressure on the pocket –and less pressure on the environment too.

A 44-day trial in 2021 of adding VistaPre-T to dairy diets, taking an energy matrix approach, resulted in a significant 15 percent reduction in methane emissions; and a 65-day trial of VistaPre-T in beef led to a 4 percent reduction in carbon emissions per kg of carcass.

Conclusion

Sustainability is about being economically profitable, as well as socially and environmentally responsible. There is a clear and pressing need for the livestock sector to reduce its environmental footprint, given its impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Together with the right management strategy, the use of feed additives to improve nutrient utilisation efficiency offers a way for farmers to cut their emissions.

Through the Emissions Reporting Service and our holistic approach, we can support farmers on their sustainability journey by capturing and analysing data and applying our relevant products and services to cut greenhouse gas emissions at farm gate, as well as improving general farm management while remaining competitive.

We are proud to bring to farmers our technical and nutritional expertise alongside innovative solutions which allow them to measure the sustainability of their production system, while also raising awareness among the public of the responsible initiatives being adopted by livestock producers in climate change stewardship.

Selecting Performance Analysers to Reduce Waste and Streamline Product Development SURVIVE & ADVANCE

by Charlie Kauffman, Senior Product Specialist for Ingredient Performance, Food Quality & Safety, PerkinElmer, Inc., and Wes Shadow, Global Market Manager, Grain & Processed Foods, PerkinElmer, Inc.

Unsurprisingly, the modern grain industry - from producers to manufacturers - is under constant pressure from the private and public sectors to meet demands for quality, quantity, price, and sustainability.

Evolving consumer tastes raise the stakes more, creating demand for less common ingredients – further challenging supply chains already under pressure from climate change and world events. Modern ingredient performance analysis helps producers and manufacturers stay ahead of the curve, however, by streamlining quality control, reformulation, and new product development.

Rheology is the study of how matter flows. And performancebased testing in the food industry is often rheological testing. It can detect serious quality issues, such as sprout-damaged grain, when high-throughput compositional testing does not. Tools like rapid viscometers with programmable temperature ramping

drastically improve the quality and quantity of performance data available. This data is essential to quality control and R&D for milling, extruded foods, malting and brewing, and the growing gluten-free and animal-free food markets.

With rheology technologies and data, processors can continuously check whether an ingredient is performing as expected, compensate for ingredient variability, and streamline new product development and reformulation. They can also quantify the effects of process inputs like heat, shear, and pH, as well as reproducibly synchronize testing across their supply chain.

Choosing a measurement system can be tricky, however. Here are some tips and general best practices to consider when selecting a performance analyser.

Beware the One-Trick Pony

Simply put, different ingredients do what they do under different conditions. So, the ability of a technology to support customized tests to suit a wide variety of applications is

important. Adaptability leads to better descriptive power, versatility, and value.

The ability to quantify ingredient performance means knowing exactly how abnormal an abnormal product is and making an educated and timely choice about what to do with it. Should it be rejected, or re-worked? If it’s re-worked, how aggressively can it be blended with the normal product stream and still yield a normal product in the end? How will a substituted or added ingredient affect the performance of a dry mix? Visualizing the performance impacts of re-work or substitutions reduces waste and guesswork.

Descriptive power and flexibility of the technology is also particularly helpful during new product development. Growing market and customer demands for novel products using ontrend, sustainable ingredients – like sorghum, ancient grains, and plant-based proteins – provide opportunities for growth and differentiation in a crowded playing field. If an animal-free food start-up encounters delays in scale-up because of rigid technology or unreliable performance data, it could mean the cash dries up and the lights go out.

During product development or re-formulation, the goal is to conduct rapid, small-scale performance testing and use the data to inform processing conditions during piloting and scale-up. This streamlines the product development process, reducing the challenges and wasted food typical of moving production from bench to pilot to process.

Remember the Three R’s: Repeatability, Reproducibility, and Rapidity

A performance analyser can provide detailed, descriptive results, but if the test isn’t fast enough to act on those results, why bother? Likewise, if the test conditions aren’t repeatable within each device, and reproducible across all devices of that type, then the results are effectively meaningless.

Fundamentally, repeatability and reproducibility (R&R, for short) allow users to trust the results from a given device. Reducing operator input in sample preparation and data analysis improves R&R even further. Optimizing the throughput of a test makes the information actionable and allows for continuous, high-throughput quality control, and aggressive waste reduction.

It Shouldn’t Be Rocket Science

Testing equipment should be intuitive to operate and offer straightforward data readouts –reducing the need for in-depth expertise and training. Turnover among laboratory staff is a common problem and difficult-to-use instruments with difficultto-interpret data can threaten the continuity of responsible quality control. Descriptive power and R&R are paramount, but easier is always better when it comes to the user experience.

To meet government and internal audit requirements for traceability and data archiving, any software that governs a device should also have robust, easy-to-use backup, and data management features.

Well-Built and Well-Supported

Investing in lab equipment is a consequential decision. Months or even years of carefully justified capital expenditure requests can be squandered if the device isn’t robust enough to run smoothly for years on end. Lab equipment should be ruggedly built and be maintained by a responsive, competent, and affordable service department from the manufacturer familiar with the industry’s needs.

An instrument that lasts a long time becomes part of the internal professional culture of its users. Being able to rely on a device’s versatility, descriptive power, repeatability, reproducibility, speed, ease of use, and robustness allows users to make confident, informed choices that improve quality control, new product development, and research.

The food industry is changing rapidly. And agile, trustworthy performance measurement solutions will help producers and manufacturers better navigate the changes.

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE

Pioneering in Postbiotics

by Philippe TACON, Director Business Development Animal Health, Adare Biome, France

Over the last decade, new technologies have facilitated large-scale analysis of the genetic and metabolic profile of microbial communities, increasing our knowledge and enabling a deeper understanding of the role of the microbiome in health and disease.

It is now well recognized that microorganism populations, be it in the digestive tract, on the skin, or in the oral cavity, can be modulated using “biotics”. The most popular “biotic” substances are prebiotics, which specifically feed beneficial bacteria, and probiotics, live organisms that have a beneficial effect on the host. A new category has now emerged since the 2021 consensus paper by the International Scientific Association of Pre- and Probiotics (ISAPP), the so-called “postbiotics”, which are defined as intact or fragmented non-living (“inanimate”) micro-organisms with a benefit effect on the host.

Several terms have been used to describe such compounds, although ‘postbiotic’ has been used most often during the past decade. The concept is related to this family of terms and is emerging as an important microorganism-derived tool to promote health, but the term 'postbiotic' has been used inconsistently in scientific literature, and often referred to individual microbial metabolites, such as butyric acid until the 2021 ISAPP Consensus provided a clear definition. ISAPP defined a postbiotic as ‘a preparation of inanimate micro-organisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the target host’. It can contain intact inanimate microbial cells and/or microbial cell fragments/structures, with or without metabolites/end products.

Postbiotics over Pre- and Probiotics

Postbiotics offer several advantages over pre- and probiotics. Prebiotics first need to selectively stimulate growth of beneficial bacteria, while probiotics need to become active in the digestive

tract and start producing active components. In both cases, this requires a certain amount of time. In contrast, postbiotics already contain their active components in large amounts, since these are produced in large numbers during the fermentation process. Therefore, they can act immediately on the microbiota and intestinal epithelial cells. There are examples of postbiotics that have been developed from probiotics. An additional benefit of postbiotics is that, in some cases, heat treatment of the microorganism actually enhances its immunomodulation effect, probably owing to the variety of compounds they release. Other advantages of postbiotics compared to live probiotics are that it is nearly impossible for them to transfer genes related to antibiotic resistance or to proliferate in extra-intestinal tissues in case of gut barrier failure. Inactivation also means that postbiotics are highly stable.

The higher stability of postbiotics is also especially relevant in the animal production industry where the rising temperature and mechanical constraints during feed production, and challenging storage conditions are putting more pressure on the use and viability of living microorganisms.

Beyond substrates and living microorganisms, non-living microorganisms, microbial cell components, (including pili, cell wall components or other structures), and some microbial metabolites have demonstrated beneficial effects in controlled clinical studies in gastro-intestinal diseases and associated diarrhea, by modulating the resident microbiota, enhancing epithelial barrier functions, and regulating immune responses. They can also influence animal health beyond the gastrointestinal tract, by modulating systemic immune- and metabolic responses, and by signaling via the nervous system.

Lactobasillus LB; “pioneer is postbiotics”

This new category of postbiotic, with a proven influence on the gut microbiome is well illustrated by Lactobacillus LB. This strain was first isolated from a healthy human in 1907. Originally categorized as Lactobacillus Boucard after its discovery, Dr.

Pierre Boucard, it has since been defined as being a mixture of two unique strains of two different species: Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus delbrueckii. Following several steps of controlled fermentation, the bacteria are inactivated by heat treatment and dried with their metabolites and culture medium. Lactobacillus LB can then be defined, following 100 years of research and decades of published research, as a “pioneer in postbiotics”.

Some documented modes of action of Lactobacillus LB which have been identified include: The ability to bind to intestinal epithelial cells, inhibition of epithelial cell association with and invasion by several strains of enteropathogenic bacteria including E.coli and Salmonella, reduction of viable Salmonella cells in mouse intestines, and prevention of damage to brush borderassociated structural and functional proteins in Caco-2/TC7 cells

exposed to E.coli C1845. Lactobacillus LB can also influence animal health beyond the gastrointestinal tract, by modulating systemic immune- and metabolic responses, and by affecting signalling via the nervous system. It has been extensively studied using in vitro techniques, murine models, and in numerous human clinical studies.

Very recent studies have shown that Lactobacillus LB can influence the composition of gut microbiota in mice while reducing stress. It can also orientate the microbiome towards a majority of Bifidobacterium in fecal samples. Such an effect has also been shown in post weaning piglets challenged with Escherichia coli (strain F18+). Piglets supplemented with Lactobacillus LB in their diet from weaning had an improved diversity of jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota, increasing the relative abundance of Lactobacillus while reducing Helicobacter

Lactobacillus LB induces the microbiome towards a more beneficial flora (Warda et al 2021)

compared to the untreated challenged group. Markers of gut health were also positively correlated to improved feed intake and growth rate. This apparent strengthening of key parameters of gut health may have contributed to a mitigation of a breakdown in digestive health and loss of performance following exposure to pathogenic F4+ E. coli In these experiments, it was shown that the benefits of the postbiotic were similar or even better than pharmaceutical levels of Zinc Oxide In fact, adding Lactobacillus LB on top of ZnO proved to enhance the effect of the treatment compared to ZnO alone. Similar results were shown in commercial trials with post -weaning piglets indicating a better growth efficiency compared to positive controls such as ZnO or antibiotics. The improvement of the digestive environment can also be seen during aflatoxin contamination. While this study was done in broilers, of which the growth in presence of the mycotoxin was rescued by Lactobacillus LB, it nevertheless illustrates its potential. In ruminants, Lactobacillus LB has also been proved to improve the efficacy of antibiotic treatment in recurrent E. coli-induced diarrhea in buffalo calves.

Lactobacillus LB helps reducing the intensity and reduction of diarrhea in weaned pigs to the same extent as Zinc Oxide in a commercial setting. Pigs were fed for 42 days with a dose of 20g/T. (Eckhardt et al 2022).

Lactobacillus LB improves the growth and feed intake of broiler chicks exposed to aflatoxin as efficiently as a standard solution (Atla et al 2013).

Conclusion

The postbiotic Lactobacillus LB has been shown to positively impact several measures of gut integrity in vitro, in murine and human models, and now in production animals. The documented

modes of action of LB, including binding to epithelial cells, blocking of epithelial binding of pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella, and maintaining the integrity of gut epithelia, are consistent with the recent results in livestock. Collectively these data suggest that LB has potential to help maintain normal gut health through stressful periods while being easily included in the harsh process of animal feed production.

EXTRUSION

Effect of protein, starch, fat and fiber in extrusion

by Ali Koyuncu, R&D Engineer, Yemmak, Turkey

In extrusion process, component ratios and diversity of the raw materials used are as important as the selection of the right extruder for the targeted process and for the correct end product. In this article, effects of protein, starch, fat and fiber amounts in raw materials such as wheat, rice, corn, soybean, barley and oats on extrusion will be examined.

Protein

To quickly summarize the effect of protein in the extrusion process:

• As the amount of protein in the content increases - expansion in the product decreases.

• As the amount of protein in the content increases - texture or hardness increases.

• As the amount of protein in the content increases - brittleness increases.

We can understand whether protein content is functional in terms of water solubility during extrusion, by putting the content into a glass of warm water and mixing it. If the sample sinks quickly and results in a semi-clear solution, it is not very soluble and will be likely to remain inert during the extrusion process. Another method is a PDI (Protein Dispersibility Index) test. On the scale of this test, 0 (zero) means ‘No Functionality – No Solubility in Water’ and 100 (hundred) means ‘Total Solubility in Water’. It is also possible to understand this functionality by looking at color. Darker colors mean less soluble, and lighter

colors mean more soluble. Functional proteins in terms of water solubility are plant and vegetable-based proteins (soybean, corn gluten, wheat gluten, legume, etc.). Milk proteins, gelatin, some blood and plasma proteins are also included in this list according to their processing methods and steps. Non-functional proteins are usually animal proteins.

In extrusion process, proteins begin to lose their functionality after 55-65°C. Water solubility, durability, and expansion contribution properties of proteins decrease. On the other hand, proteins preserve their nutritional value up to 130°C. At higher temperatures, protein in the contents begin to be damaged by heat and their nutritional value decreases.

Briefly, as temperature increases, the amount of protein damaged by heat increases, while the amount of soluble protein decreases. The optimal point of this inverse ratio is ~150°C (Chart 1).

Starch

The contribution of starch to the product in terms of adhesion (bonding) and durability is very high. Starch granules begin to swell by absorbing water at 60-75°C (gelatinization temperature). As heating continues, this swelling becomes irreversible, the natural crystalline structure becomes dispersed, and the starch becomes more soluble (functional). If a light-density product is desired, increasing the amount of starch will increase swelling (expansion). For a strong and durable product, increasing the amount of starch will increase adhesion.

In Image 1, effects of different extrusion conditions on expansion can be seen for millet, which has high levels of starch.

Corn, wheat, rice, oats, barley, millet, potato, sweet potato, yam, tapioca (cassava) and many legumes can be given as common starch sources.

The factors affecting the expansion of starch are listed below:

• Increasing extruder barrel temperature will increase expansion of extruded starches.

• Increasing the percentage of amylose (up to about 50 percent) will increase expansion.

• Screw speed can influence expansion.

Chart 1: Soluble and heat-damaged proteins versus process temperatures

• Changing screw configuration to increase friction and shear will result in greater expansion.

• Lower moisture tends to increase friction and shear forces in the extruder barrel and results in increased expansion.

While the product with a moisture content of less than 20 percent causes wear on screws and barrels, the amount of dextrin (formed as a result of the hydrolysis of starch) increases.

Starch ratios in pet foods were at the level of 20-50 percent (preferably percent) in recent years. Today, this ratio varies between 0-65 percent. For example, reducing diets are low in fat and protein, and high in fiber and starch. Low carbohydrate or “no carbohydrate” diets have little starch or none at all. Therefore, the durability problem can be solved with functional proteins, up to a certain level.

The use of minimum 20 percent starch in floating aquatic feeds ensures adequate expansion and low densities. In sinking aquatic feeds, starch is only found around 10 percent where it mainly serves as a binding agent.

Snacks, cereals and other extruded foods usually have a substantial amount of starch and occasionally a recipe containing 100 percent starch is extruded to create a cold-water soluble product.

The granule size of starch sources and the amount of required gelatinization energy for each source are different (Table 1).

Rice starch has very small granules that are tightly packed together and which hydrate slowly. However, once the hydration has progressed and gelatinization occurs, rice starch can become very sticky. Long and medium grain rice varieties become less sticky during the hydration steps. Rice starch has significant digestibility even when it contains small amounts of gelatinization values.

Image

Corn starch is a good binder and when it is 40 percent or more in the recipe, extruded product can also become very sticky.

Wheat grain contains a significant amount of starch, as well as functional gluten protein, which is a very good binder.

Potato and tapioca (cassava) starches are very good binders, even at levels as low as 5 percent. These starch sources often result in a smoother surface on the extruded product.

When the starch ratio in the recipe increases, the product expands more, and the bulk density decreases. Binding and durability increase. Above 65 percent, the product may become very sticky and extrusion problems may occur. As the starch ratio increases, coating ability (oil, etc.) of the extruded product also increases. Moisture content should be at least 30 percent for maximum gelatinization in starch (Table 2).

Small starch granules are tightly packed together resulting in a very hard grain that hydrates slowly and is difficult to cook during the extrusion process. Soft grains hydrate more quickly and they are easier to cook (less energy is spent).

Fat

Fat is added to provide additional calories, to improve palatability, to provide nutrients such as fatty acids, to carry fatsoluble vitamins and to control dust. It reduces friction between products in the recipe and between the recipe and the internal components of the extruder (by acting as a lubricant). As friction decreases, the mechanical energy required decreases as well. Less expansion takes place. In other words, an increase in the fat amount of the content causes an increase in the bulk density of the product (Table 3).

Fat also has a negative effect on product durability:

• At inclusion rates of less than 7 percent, there is usually a

minimal effect on product characteristics.

• When addition levels reach the 7–12 percent range, the product density begins to increase.

• When fat addition levels are 12–17 percent, product may have little or no expansion, but will retain some durability.

• At levels exceeding 17 percent, durability may be significantly impaired.

Most common fat or oil sources are vegetable oils and animal/poultry fats. Marine oils are also used in some desired situations.

Table 2 - Moisture amounts for maximum gelatinization in different starch sources

Starch Source Moisture Amount for Maximum Gelatinization (%)

Wheat 31 Corn 31 Waxy corn 28 High amylose corn 34

Table 3 – The relationship between the fat amount of the content and the bulk density of the product

Added Fat to Extruder Extrudate Bulk Density %0 fat 253 g/l %5 fat 308 g/l

%10 fat 408 g/l

%15 fat 528 g/l

Some other effects of increasing the amount of fat in the recipe include:

• As fats levels are increased in a recipe during extrusion, a larger cell structure will result in the final product. The cells will also have thicker walls. This has the impact of slowing hydration.

• Thicker cell walls also reduce uptake during the (oil) coating process.

• Products containing more internal fat also appear to be more difficult to dry.

The following methods can be applied to increase the fat content

Fiber sources can be divided into two groups based on their solubility and fermentability:

Soluble Fibers: Beta-glucans from oats and barley (Image 3), fruit pectins, psyllium seed, inulin, root vegetables, legumes and some gums are soluble fibers. These are also very fermentable. Soluble and fermentable fibers improve expansion and binding of extrudates.

Insoluble Fibers: Whole grain bran, some vegetables such as celery and zucchini, fruit skins, vegetable peelings and resistant starches are insoluble fibers. They are not very fermentable, and they don’t contribute to expansion and binding.

Conclusion

In the search to make feed production more sustainable, extrusion process is a technology that cannot be ignored. Accurate analysis and continuous optimization of extruded product components and raw material ingredients will remain an active field of research and development in the future, as the main goal of extrusion is to increase nutrient availability and digestibility, i.e. to improve animal productivity

Image 3: Extruded Barley

ROBOTS

Can agricultural robots reverse the trends of water resource shortage and climate change?

by IDTechEx, Cambridge, UK

As an important natural resource, water plays an irreplaceable role in people's daily life. Nowadays, water consumption in many regions is under 'high stress'. Many countries are already experiencing water scarcity, and it is expected that more countries will face a reduced availability of surface water resources by 2050. While water scarcity is becoming more and more severe, the overuse of chemicals in the agriculture industry also exacerbates the pollution of water resources, thereby leading to the decline of biodiversity, along with a series of social and environmental problems such as greenhouse gas emissions and eutrophication. As outlined in IDTechEx's recent research 'Agricultural Robots and Drones 2022-2032: Technologies, Markets & Players', agricultural robots can be a potential solution.

Precision agriculture and its automation via robots

As one of the main users of water resources and chemicals/ fertilisers, the agricultural industry has been using more and more pesticides during the past three decades to meet the increasing demand for food. However, as people become more aware of the environmental impacts of pesticides, the regulations around

pesticides are getting harsher. To reduce the excessive use of chemicals and their subsequent negative impacts, precision agriculture has become more and more trendy.

With improving technology, farming is gradually moving away from the indiscriminate constant rate approach that historically dominated agriculture towards using a variable rate technology approach, where a field is divided into a series of patches, and each patch is treated differently according to what farm analytics dictates. To achieve precision agriculture, the technology used is required to deliver exactly what is needed to individual crops/ regions of growing space rather than applying the same input to the entire area. Meanwhile, with the disruption of the supply chain, chemicals and fertilisers have become increasingly pricy, encouraging farmers to maximise their resource use and avoid the overuse of chemicals, for example, through mechanical weeding or precise control of the chemical use of each individual plant.

Because precision agriculture technology needs a large amount of data collected from plants and crops, it is almost impossible for human beings to collect manually. Meanwhile, the accurate application of chemicals or mechanical weeding also needs precise control, which makes it an ideal use case for automation. Therefore, in order to apply precision agriculture, the use of automation via robots becomes a feasible solution.

Weed control is one of the most common applications for agricultural robots. Weed removal is a key agricultural task critical for obtaining high yields. In its most basic form, weeding involves a labourer manually eliminating weeds with a hoe or sprayer. Large-scale spraying of herbicides in a constant rate approach is currently the dominant model. The area of the field often determines the rate of spraying, and therefore agrochemicals are often over-applied, leading to unnecessary costs for farmers and accelerating the growth of herbicide resistance.

A precision agriculture approach can help overcome these challenges. The first step towards this is a variable rate approach that uses geolocation and farm mapping alongside GPS-enabled variable-rate sprayers to vary the spraying rate/volume according to the needs of a patch/crop. This approach has begun gaining traction in recent years, particularly as technology such as aerial Market size of agricultural drones and weeding robots. Source: IDTechEx

Product Spotlight - The Insectomat 5k Insect detection device for grains

If you are responsible for the running and maintenance of a busy grain store, you probably dread the idea of having to deal with a pest infestation, and take a great deal of care to avoid it. Time and money is spent making sure a store is clean before the grain is delivered, and controls and measures are taken to create an environment that makes it hard for insects and pests to successfully thrive and wreak havoc. It's normally worth the extra expense, because it costs less than cleaning a large amount of infested grain, but in reality is that really enough?

Made in Britain, Trusted Worldwide.

Prevention is better than cure

Experience suggests a grain store will test for insects when a bulk delivery arrives, by sieving a relatively small sample of between 500g to 1kg, and assessing the screenings by eye. But realistically, how reliable is this method? It greatly depends on the size of the sample, and the number of insects present in the load...

Only a ten percent chance of that sample containing an insect

If you extract a 5kg bulk sample from the load, and screen only a 500g sub sample for the presence of insects, you would only have a one in ten chance of that sample containing an insect, because you are only testing a small representation of the entire load!

If that 500g sub sample is the one with a single insect, you then have to rely on the operators actually spotting it (providing they have sieved sufficiently to shake the insects from the grain). If they don't notice it, or have tested a sample without an insect, they would in effect have just accepted a delivery full of insects!

Major insect infestations are expensive to treat in stored grains

This is a situation which is becoming all too common and can easily occur if a large enough sample of the bulk load is not tested before the point of intake…

Not only would it to be incredibly lengthy and expensive to clean the infested grain and fumigate the storage area, but it would mean you also wasted the money spent taking precautions to avoid it in the first place, and may be unable to achieve the best price for the stored grain in a timely manner

No one wants to hand sieve 5kg of grain, it would take too long and would be tiring for the operator, and of course “time is money!” But, put simply the more you test, the better representation you have of the entire load and consequently, the risk of infestation is reduced.

There is one simple and inexpensive solution to this time consuming mass testing need. Tekpro have solved this problem with the Insectomat 5k, which can complete the task in around 2 minutes...

To access further free information on the Insectomat 5k including a video of it in action, or to find out how you could join the ever growing number of companies already trusting Insectomat equipment to check their bulk grains for insects, scan the following QR code:

We are

drones and variable rate sprayers become more accessible. Agricultural robotics further enable a precision agriculture approach, using computer vision and weed detection algorithms to identify weeds and remove them either mechanically or chemically. IDTechEx's research shows that the market size of weeding robots was around US$22 million in 2021, and it is expected to have an 11-fold increase in the upcoming five years.

Spraying with drones (UAVs or ground vehicles) is one of the most popular approaches for precise weed control. Autonomous spraying uses machine vision and deep learning. The cameras (usually mounted on the spraying systems) can detect and accurately locate weeds and precisely control the spray amount. Robotic spraying can significantly increase efficiency. Some researchers claim that when using drones, crop spraying can be completed up to five times faster than traditional methods (due to the high autonomous mobility mentioned in the previous section) while also reducing human risk from chemicals, improving precision through variable usage of chemicals throughout a field,

and reducing chemical penetration into groundwater sources.

Conclusion

Nevertheless, despite these benefits, agricultural drones also have a series of limitations, including the associated regulations. For instance, in the UK, spraying with drones is prevented from being widely used, as the spraying products are not licensed to be applied in the air. However, this does not indicate that the technology will disappear, as agricultural drones can be used for many other tasks (for example watering, inspection, terrain mapping). Thanks to their capabilities for managing difficult terrain, IDTechEx believes that agricultural drones will have a fast increase in sales and that weeding with drones is one of the fastest-growing applications, and we conclude that there is a fast increase in sales, with the demand increasing 8-fold over the next ten years. More details of regulations and drivers of agricultural drones are introduced in IDTechEx's report, 'Agricultural Robots and Drones 2022-2032: Technologies, Markets & Players'.

POSTHARVEST GRAIN HANDLING

How careful & efficient processing can help you to maximise profitability

by Andrew Wilkinson, Milling & Grain magazine

When grain is first harvested, in addition to the various items of dry matter that you’d expect to find amongst the freshly gathered yield, you’re likely to find unwelcome levels of water too.

Whilst water is necessary for plant growth and grain production, excess moisture after grain maturity can lead to a variety of storage related problems – with quality degradation through mould being just one potential ‘gathering storm.’

Grain moisture content and temperature play a key role in determining safe storage life and is typically expressed as a percent of the grain weight, so 100 pounds of 13 percent moisture content grain contains 13 pounds of water and 87 pounds of dry matter rice.

As a general rule, dryer grain and cooler temperatures increase the length of time that the grain can be stored safely for, with wetter grain and warmer temperatures vastly increasing the potential for pests, insects, mould and fungi - which will in turn have a negative influence on both the quality and market value of your grain.

Therefore, the primary objective of grain drying and storage should always be to manage the temperature and moisture of the air around the grain, with a view to minimising losses from the previously listed factors, whilst affording us the opportunity to hold grain for longer whilst we wait for the most profitable time to sell.

Grain drying aproaches

The various grain drying strategies found throughout the world often depend on uncontrollable conditions including the volatility of the local climate and the availability of labour. These approaches include field drying, natural air drying, low

temp drying, high temperature drying or ‘dryeration’ – with allowing grain to dry in the field still the most widely used method.

In many cases, partial field drying is often used in conjunction with postharvest drying to reach target storage moisture content. The combination and dryeration techniques are done by partially drying grain with high temperature dryers, and then the remainder of the drying process is done with low temperature air and fans. Although these techniques are typically faster, they do consume huge amounts of energy compared to the more natural alternatives.

Field drying

Regardless of the chosen technique, grain drying always begins in the field just after the grain is fully mature, as a layer of tissue is formed between the seed and the plant which blocks additional moisture and nutrient inputs from the plant.

At this point the maximum potential grain quality and yield are set and once the grain matures and the layer of tissue is formed between the seed and the plant, the sun and air can remove moisture and dry grain at a rate of 0.5 to one percent per day.

Most producers field dry grain to a certain moisture content and then harvest

and dry further or market the grain at harvest.

The disadvantage with this method is the reduced control of the drying process and potential exposure to weather and pests which causes damage.

Low temperature drying

This terminology is used to describe the process that sees grain bins filled or partially filled with grain and then air, that has been slightly heated, is pushed through the grain with fans. This process typically takes place in bins with a perforated floor or ducts.

Low temperature drying always has potential for drying grain within the accepted moisture contents associated with long term storage. This is contrasted with natural air drying, where outside air conditions may not allow further drying as the transfer of moisture continues until the grain and air are the same.

Perhaps the greatest risk associated with low temperature drying is the unpredictable variability of weather, so the same drying strategy may not be used every year.

High temperature drying

This technique is also carried out in either a grain bin or in a dryer. There are four

approaches to high temperature drying which are:

- In bin batch.

- Recirculating bin.

- Continuous flow bin.

- Pass.

Drying time is greatly reduced with high temperature drying. However, grain near the floor often becomes excessively dried while the top layer of grain often stays moist. Stirring devices provide more uniform drying and should be considered in conjunction with this method.

More efficient drying following a wet harvest

With showery summers predicted to become more common, to help deal with any extreme seasons to come, the best time to appraise our grain-drying facilities and reinvest where necessary is now.

David Perry, managing director of Devon grain-drying equipment specialist Perry of Oakley told Farmers Weekly recently that although some pieces of equipment may be perfectly serviceable, they would benefit from an automation system and/or more efficient burners and is currently refurbishing three or four each year.

He also states that although most older systems are run manually from hard-wired control panels and require an attentive operator to take grain moisture readings at intake and outlet and adjust accordingly.

A system like Perry of Oakley’s PLC Drier Control uses a number of sensors to monitor dryer performance, then automatically adjusts throughput to hit a pre-set target grain moisture content.

Pieces of equipment such as this not only reduce labour costs, they also improve a dryer’s operational efficiency and prevent overdrying, which can have a devastating effect on drying costs.

When reducing wet wheat to 14%, if you overdry to 13%, it increases drying costs by 30% through increased energy use and weight loss. Furthermore, as grain is moving through the dryer unnecessarily slowly, dryer capacity also falls by 16%. Where overdried to 12%, costs increase by a massive 50%.

Many older units work on the crossflow principle, where a series of chains move a layer of grain through the dryer, forcing warm air through as it goes. Whereas the latest systems offered by companies such as Allmet and Perry of Oakley work on the continuous-mix-flow principle. This system works by constantly agitating the grain throughout the process with the warm drawn rather than driven through.

Winter ‘ground-stored heat’ drying

Although electricity powered grain drying can be energy

intensive, some corn is dried in storage bins equipped with drying floors during a short period in the fall using large volumes of air that is heated only several degrees by the heat from fan operation.

Natural air drying can be done for less cost and energy use if grain depth is not excessive and drying can continue through the winter at temperatures below freezing, but precautions should be taken when air temperatures are extremely cold to keep frost formation on exhaust ventilation openings in the bin from restricting or stopping airflow.

It may also be necessary to stop the drying fan at temperatures near zero, whilst there are a number of other reasons that it might be advantageous to interrupt the drying process by operating the fan only within certain parameters.

As previously stated in this article, since the shelf life of corn is inversely proportional to temperature and starting corn moisture content, operating the fan when ambient temperatures are too high would unnecessarily shorten the allowable period for drying the corn, although operating the fan at night if needed to keep grain cooler might still make sense.

Under any of these circumstances exercising control with devices such as thermostats or humidistats would offer some advantage. These devices can automatically control when to shut the drying fan off and switch it back on again.

However, a further and much more sustainable solution lies in ground heat, which is also known as ground-stored solar energy. Ground heat is relatively inexpensive to access and is the reason that ground source heat pump systems are so efficient.

In the Autumn, soil temperatures in the northern hemisphere drop slower and reach minimum values later than air temperatures. The difference between cold winter air temperatures and warmer soil temperatures can be used to heat air for low- temperature grain drying, even without using a heat pump, which is the most expensive part of a ground- source heat pump heating system.

The shift in the proposed drying system from most of the cost being for purchased energy inputs to most of the cost being for capital cost, such as the employment of local rather than national contractors.

Whether for one or all of the above reasons, drying corn in the manner proposed should lead to a more sustainable and profitable agriculture and less impact on the environment.

Maintaining grain quality requires drying the grain to safe moisture content levels after harvest followed by lowering and maintaining the grain temperature within a few degrees of ambient air temperatures.

Therefore, in addition to more control of harvest timing, there are potential economic advantages to on farm drying and storage.

Grain market report – October 2022

At 2256 million tonnes, the outlook for 2022/23 world total grains is maintained as a month-on-month (m/m) reduction for maize is balanced by an upgraded barley estimate when compared with the September report, says the International grain council’s (IGC) October report.

Global consumption is placed three million tonnes which has decreased since September, including reductions for feed, food and industrial uses.

Taking smaller than previously estimated opening inventories into account, the figure for world carryover stocks (aggregate of respective local marketing years) is three million tonnes lower from the previous report, at 584 million. The outlook for trade (July/June) is cut slightly, to 408 million tonnes owing to smaller import figures for maize (primarily in Asia), wheat (including for Egypt and China) and sorghum (China).

With reduced outlooks for the US and India outweighing an uprated figure for Brazil, 2022/23 global soyabean output is pegged marginally lower compared to September, at 386 million tonnes, up by nine percent year-on-year (yr/ yr). Due to an increased opening stocks estimate, total supplies are placed marginally higher than before and, with consumption unchanged m/m, the International Grain Council’s (IGC) expectations for global reserves are uprated by one million tonnes, to 54 million (46m). World import demand is projected at about 166 million tonnes (plus seven percent), one million higher m/m.

Chiefly stemming from a downgraded figure for Indian production, global rice output in 2022/23 is trimmed by three million tonnes, to 505 million (minus two percent y/y). Also featuring smaller carry-ins, the net drop in supplies is channelled to reduced outlooks for consumption and stocks, the latter scaled back by a further four million tonnes, to 169 million, almost nine million down y/y. Trade in 2023 is predicted near-unchanged from September, at 49 million tonnes (down five percent).

The IGC Grains and Oilseeds Index (GOI) was little changed compared to a month earlier, but still 11 percent higher y/y.

Global consumption and world trade projected to decline

Global total grains output is placed at 2256 million tonnes in 2022/23, one percent lower compared to the previous year, but still the second largest on record.

Much of the fall stems from a relatively steep drop in maize, with sizeable losses expected in Ukraine, the EU and the US. In contrast, world production of wheat, barley and oats is seen larger y/y. Including unusual declines in both feed and industrial uptake, overall consumption is projected to recede by one percent, to a still much larger than average 2271 million tonnes. With supplies falling faster than use, ending stocks are set to tighten for a sixth year in a row, pegged three percent lower, at 584 million tonnes. World trade (July/June) is projected to contract by four percent y/y, to 408m, including declines in maize (-8m), wheat (-4m) and sorghum (-3m).

Near-entirely stemming from bigger harvests in South America, world soyabean output in 2022/23 is predicted to expand by nine percent y/y, to a new peak. In addition to a sizeable increase in total use, record supplies

“Chiefly stemming from a downgraded figure for Indian production, global rice output in 2022/23 is trimmed by three million tonnes, to 505 million (minus two percent y/y). "

will enable some stock-building, albeit with gains in the major exporters’ category set to be a curtailed by a tighter US balance sheet. World trade is projected to expand by around 10m t y/y, albeit remaining short of the 2019/20 record.

With smaller harvests anticipated in key Asian producers, global rice output in 2022/23 is projected to drop by two percent y/y, to 505 million tonnes. Including reductions in India and China, world use is seen falling slightly y/y, while stocks are set to tighten, including smaller carry-outs in South Asian exporters.

After totalling a high in the prior year, trade is predicted to contract by five percent in 2023 as softer demand from Asian

buyers outweighs a potential uptick in buying interest from African importers. Despite a steady global production outlook, and prospects for significant y/y output increases in Russia and Canada, end-season inventories of rye may retreat in 22/23, on a decline in Ukraine’s stocks.

The IGC’s latest assessment of global pulses markets foresees a record chickpeas outturn in 2022/23 on an exceptional Indian crop. World trade in chickpeas (pulses) in 2023 (January/ December) is tentatively anticipated to expand on strong demand from South Asian buyers. Despite a smaller outturn, dispatches by Australia are predicted to be steady y/y. Consumption is predicted

to grow, while stocks could accumulate significantly, led by gains in India. Trade is tentatively anticipated to expand to 1.9m tonnes (+4% y/y) on firmer Asian demand.

Market summary

With offsetting movements across the core components, the IGC GOI was overall little-changed compared to late-September. The IGC GOI wheat sub-Index held broadly steady over the past month, as declines in North America and the EU were balanced by gains in the Black Sea and the southern hemisphere exporters.

Buoyed primarily by strong advances in the US, where Gulf prices spiked on river transportation woes, the IGC GOI maize sub-Index gained by a net four percent.

Largely reflecting a much improved outturn in Canada, global

stocks of oats are projected to expand in 2022/23, albeit with potential gains pared by a solid rebound in world consumption, including heavier uptake from the feed sector.

The IGC GOI rice sub-Index eased slightly amid currency movements and the impending arrival of new crop supplies in several exporters.

With pressure from a seasonal rise in US supplies, coupled with spill over from outside markets, the IGC GOI soyabeans subindex retreated slightly, dropping by one percent.

4B Braime Components

Better by design

Founded in the UK in 1971, 4B Braime Components, Ltd. has been an industry leader in developing high quality, innovative, and dependable material handling components for the agricultural and industrial sector. 4B has the world’s largest range of bucket elevator components, leading the field in elevator bucket and elevator bolt design and manufacturing the highest quality forged conveyor chains and elevator belting, suitable for the toughest applications.

Their electronics division specializes in level controls, intelligent sensors and safety control systems for bucket elevators and conveyors. 4B components prevent costly downtime and minimize the risk of explosions in hazardous areas. With over 130 years of engineering experience in the bulk handling industry and subsidiaries on all continents along with a worldwide network of distributors, 4B can provide practical solutions for any application no matter the location. With an extensive range of ATEX/IECEx/ CSA-approved hazard monitoring systems, misalignment switches, bearing temperature monitors and level indicators, 4B can offer anything from a replacement sensor to a fully integrated hazard monitoring system that can be operated either as a stand-alone system or connected to a PLC or 4B’s cloud-based Hazardmon system.

With subsidiaries on all continents along with a worldwide network of distributors, including USA, UK, France, Deutschland,

Africa, Asia, China, Australia, 4B can provide practical solutions for any application no matter the location.

Ensuring their clients have safe, reliable and efficient products is a 4B priority. Continuous research and development maintain 4B products at the cutting edge of technology. The 4B group is committed to keep up its investment in innovation and looks forward to a bright future.

The 4B Braime Group, a British PLC listed on the London Stock Exchange, has just celebrated its 130th anniversary this year. The company has been a pioneer of the material handling industry, introducing the first pressed seamless steel elevator bucket back in 1909 and since then leading the field in elevator bucket design. Innovation has always been at the heart of the group's ethos, and maintaining their tradition of making better products by Engineering Design, 4B has contributed many innovative products and solutions to the material handling industry, including: the Starco elevator bucket (the world’s first low profile elevator bucket using centrifugal discharge on a parabolic elevator head which revolutionized the way bucket elevators work until today), the Bolt ‘n’ Go chain system (a revolutionary assembly method for drop forged chains using bolton flights instead of welding), the Watchdog Elite bucket elevator monitoring system (the world's first hazard monitoring system that could monitor a complete bucket elevator or conveyor system), and most recently Hazardmon, a cloud-based hard monitoring solution.

The 4B Braime Group has a rich heritage, tracing back its origins to the 19th century, when oilcans made in a small workshop by Thomas Braime quickly gained a reputation for quality. Thomas,

the eldest son of a veterinary surgeon, was apprenticed to McLaren, an engineering company manufacturing steam traction engine, but after losing his thumb in an accident, was inspired to look for effective ways to apply oil to machinery. In 1888, he set up production in Hunslet, Leeds, using the new pressings technology. His younger brother Harry, also a skilled engineer, joined him as partner. The rise of the motor industry increased demand for metal pressings and larger premises were soon needed for the expanding business.

The current Braime buildings, with its attractive red brick and terracotta frontage, was constructed between 1911 and 1914. During the First World War, the company played an important role in armament provision, training women as skilled munition workers. The group’s headquarters remains in its listed buildings on Hunslet Road; the beautiful interiors are often used in film sets. However, today, the group is truly international with subsidiaries in North America, Europe, China, South East Asia, Africa and Australia.

Case Study

Pronatec AG

ASwiss supplier of organic food raw materials and sustainable, 100 percent organic chocolate has commissioned one of Europe’s most advanced cocoa processing plants.

A project that began in the spring of 2022 in Beringen in the canton of Schaffhausen, the plant was officially opened on September 16, 2022.

The fundamental decision to transfer the processing of Pronatec AG’s organic cocoa beans from external contract processors abroad to Switzerland paved the way for the ground-breaking project, which was implemented with equipment from the Bühler Group as a system supplier.

The Bühler cocoa processing plant, which was designed in close collaboration and coordination with the Pronatec team, is one of the most advanced systems installed worldwide.

Its advantages lie in the consistent high quality of the roasting and grinding of the cocoa beans into cocoa mass, as well as its further processing into cocoa powder and butter.

"The efficiency of the plant at the Swiss site, as well as the uncompromising design for 100 percent organic

certification, was a priority for Pronatec from the very beginning," says Joachim Essig, Head of Sales Cocoa & Malt at Bühler.

"Fully integrated automation, small-scale batch production, batch separation, and full traceability were already important topics in the initial discussions in mid-2018, as were gentle handling of the raw materials, food safety, and the highest hygiene standards."

The processes are continuously monitored in the control room, at the heart of the process plant, and the cocoa products produced are also continuously tested for quality in the company's own laboratory.

"On the one hand, this real-time controlling ensures the taste quality of its products, which is crucial for Pronatec, but it also has a major impact on the energy efficiency of the plant," says Stefan Linder, Project Director at Bühler.

"Pronatec had high requirements for the plant in terms of automation and energy efficiency. For us, meeting these requirements was exciting and a learning curve. Ultimately, all our customers benefit from the new insights."

A fair, forward-looking partnership

For more than 45 years, PRONATEC has been distributing fair-trade and sustainably produced products for the global food industry and grocery trade. The product range includes cocoa beans, semi-finished cocoa products, couverture, chocolate, sugar, vanilla as well as numerous spices, all with a variety of organic and fair-trade certifications.

“Pronatec has been providing Swiss chocolate made from organically grown and fair-trade cocoa beans since 1996 and was the first company in the world to offer organic and Fairtrade certified chocolate,” says David Yersin, CEO and owner of Pronatec.

David Yersin adds, "In our plant, we are the first company in Switzerland to produce all three organic cocoa semifinished products – cocoa mass, butter, and powder. It is very important that we can maintain proven flavour profiles that we have developed over the years.

Organic chocolate supplier commissions a highend cocoa processing plant in partnership with Bühler equipment

At the same time, the new roaster also gives us the opportunity to develop new products. The fact that we were able to conduct tests in advance at Bühler’s Application and Training Center was a great help in our decision-making process. The proximity to Bühler was a stroke of luck, especially during the corona pandemic. We were and are glad to have a partner at our side just 30 minutes away."

Swiss quality all along the line

The mandatory requirements for energy efficiency were taken into consideration in the plant design and implementation, for example, in the separation of temperature zones, installed heat recovery, and efficient insulation.

Furthermore, emissions were considered from the very beginning of the planning process in order to be able to meet not only all safety requirements but also the highest demands in terms of environmental compatibility. For example, a stateof-the-art exhaust air after-treatment system has been installed to prevent unpleasant odours.

For David Yersin it was clear from the outset where the plant was to be built and with whom. "We are a Swiss company that will produce in Switzerland, with a Swiss machine builder at our side. As an innovative market leader, after a short evaluation phase, only Bühler came into question for me," says Yersin with conviction.

Two core elements of the plant - the Tornado nib roaster and a Nova mill - will be manufactured by Bühler in Appenzell, which suited PRONATEC's philosophy in terms of quality and locality.

"For us as an SME, the plant was a big investment," says David Yersin. "However, we are already noticing that quality, and the fact that we produce regionally is becoming more and more important to many of our customers. Thus, it is an investment in the future."

Market leadership further expanded

Bühler has been active in the cocoa segment for over 50 years and has been continuously expanding its market leadership in this field ever since.

The Beringen plant is a relatively small facility for Bühler, but this does not make it any less interesting or important. "Especially with smaller plants, the challenge is all the greater. In the case of Pronatec, there is also the fact that the plant is located in Switzerland, which means that maximum efficiency is required of it so that the Beringen production site can be successful," says Daniel Egy, Head of Business Unit Chocolate & Coffee at Bühler.

19-20

IFF Insect Revolution Conference Online www.iff-braunschweig.de

24-26

IPPE 2023 Atlanta, USA www.ippexpo.org

The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) continues to evolve and grow to meet the needs of its attendees and exhibitors. For 2023, the organisers are looking forward to being with you again in-person at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Mark your calendar to join them January 24-26, 2023. IPPE focuses on Innovation - bringing together buyers and sellers of the latest technology of products and services to make your business successful; Education - learning from the experts in free- and fee-based world-class programs on topics that cross industry interests; Global Reach - attracting thousands of International visitors from more than 120 countries; and Networking - meeting new and rekindling old relationships with leaders across the industries.

26-27

Paris Grain Day Paris, France www.argusmedia.com 2023 February 25-28

GEAPS Exchange 2023 Kansas City, Missouri, USA www.geapsexchange.com 2023 March

7

7th Annual Aqua Feed Extrusion conference Bangkok, Thailand https://aquafeed.co.uk/events/7th-annualaquafeed-extrusion-conference

7

Aquatic Asia Bangkok, Thailand https://aquafeed.co.uk/events/aquaticasia-2023/ 7-9

AFIA Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference 2023 Orlando, Florida, USA https://www.afia.org

8-10

VIV Asia 2023 Bangkok, Thailand https://vivasia.nl 10

Build My Feedmill Conference Bangkok, Thailand mymag.info/e/1326 29-30

SOLIDS Dortmund 2023 Dortmund, Germany https://www.solids-dortmund.de 2023 May 1-5

Agrishow 2023 São Paulo, Brazil www.agrishow.com.br 2-6

127th Annual IAOM Conference and Expo Richmond, Virginia, USA https://www.iaom.org/event/126th-annualiaom-conference-expo/ 21-25

Alltech ONE conference Lexington, Kentucky, USA https://one.alltech.com 2023 June 13-14

Cereals 2023 Thoresby Estate, Nottinghamshire, UK www.cerealsevent.co.uk 2023 October 3-5

VICTAM LATAM São Paulo, Brazil https://victamlatam.com

Registration is open for GEAPS Exchange 2023

GEAPS is looking forward to seeing grain industry professionals in the Heart of America February 25-28, 2023, at Kansas City Convention Centre in Kansas City, Missouri.

The conference includes an Expo Hall filled with technology and services to make grain operations safer and more efficient; education on the latest trends and best practices and social events that help reinforce business relationships.

Exchange also is a great place to learn. With four education tracks and more than 45 hours of educational content—it's impossible to leave the show without new ideas and insight

The conference is US$395 for GEAPS members and US$625 for non-members who register by February 2. GEAPS Exchange is the best way to see what is new in the industry and to find new equipment for your plant. The Expo Hall features hundreds of exhibitors, many of whom bring products to the show. Get your hands on the equipment and talk about how it fits in your plant. GEAPS members get free admission to the Expo Hall and lunch

is provided for all attendees and exhibitors.

Sessions inside the Expo Hall include a grain entrapment rescue demo and small-group presentations on maintenance, safety and grain operations.

Beyond the Expo Hall, the Idea Exchange showcases new products in the industry and innovative ideas that facility managers have recently implemented to improve operations. Education continues throughout the event with interactive sessions in the hall and four tracks of educational sessions.

There will be four educational tracks at this year's Exchange— Maintenance, Safety, Grain Operations and Employee Development. GEAPS Exchange Educational Planning Committee (EPC) has also worked to beef up the Innovation Stations by connecting them directly to the four education tracks. Innovation Stations will be a great place to visit, learn and gain ideas Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at GEAPS Exchange.

INDUSTRY EVENTS

IPPE 2023

. Continuing to evolve and grow, IPPE works to meet the needs of their attendees and exhibitors, providing the latest innovations and knowledge the world has. The annual show is the flagship event for the meat, poultry, and feed industries, offering a large variety of education and interactive exhibits.

The B2B event attracts thousands of international visitors from over 120 countries, which offers ample opportunities for networking and building new connections. Especially with over 1000 exhibitors and 100 feature exhibitors, there will be plenty of innovations and companies to familiarise yourself with, learn about and connect with.

Each exhibitor will showcase their latest innovations and products to visitors, sharing the latest information within the industry with each other. The exhibitors will range in specialities, from food safety, to media, to genetics & breeding. There will

also be several conferences to attend that will be hosted by experts, with a mixture of both free and fee-based options to choose from.

IPPE is keen to protect the health of everybody attending and with the continued outbreaks of African swine flu (ASF) this year, IPPE are asking people to stay away from any contact with pigs and other livestock for a minimum of five days before the event. Additionally, IPPE will be prohibiting the distribution of any bulk or packaged samples of feed ingredients or additives as research has found that the ASF virus can survive in some feed ingredients if contaminated. Biosecurity measures will be used throughout the event, with foot cleaning mats and hand washing dispensers being available and encouraged to be used.

“We are pleased with the excitement displayed by this year’s (2022) attendees and exhibitors and their enthusiasm in reconnecting with their colleagues from around the world. The trade show floor and attendee and exhibitor numbers continue to complement IPPE’s unparalleled education sessions, invaluable networking opportunities and extensive exhibits highlighting the latest innovative technology, equipment, and services for our industries,” remarked the three sponsors of IPPE, American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY). IPPE 2023 is once again sponsored by these three companies.

Milling and Grain magazine will be attending IPPE and are looking forward to meeting everyone there. We will have a stand, number B8203, that you can visit us at, where we will have complimentary magazines available. If anyone would like to schedule a meeting with us then please email tutit@perendale. co.uk.

More information on IPPE can be found here: https://www. ippexpo.org/

The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) 2023 will be held on January 24 – 26 at the Georgia World Congress Centre

IPPE IPPE IPPE IPPE IPPE IPPE

IPPE

IPPE DELIVERS INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

The 2023 IPPE is the only exposition of its kind showcasing the latest solutions for the global animal food and protein industries. With more than 1,200 exhibitors, IPPE will deliver the most innovative technology at this powerhouse of a show in January!

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Strong performance of EuroTier: Pioneering innovations enable transformation of livestock and energy

Our team attended Eurotier 2022 took place recently in Hannover, Germany from November 15 - 18.

A wide selection of industry professionals attended from a variety of countries across the globe. Over 1800 exhibitors came together to showcase from 57 countries, with approximately 106,000 visitors from 141 countries. The four-day show featured over 400 trade events and conferences to attend, providing an exciting and busy atmosphere.

The overall theme of Eurotier 2022 focused on ‘transforming animal farming’, and looked at emerging trends, future developments, and innovations in the sector. Other topics frequently mentioned in the talks and conferences include sustainability, climate change, energy, new solutions, the environment, and animal welfare.

There were several conferences and round tables tackling the recent issues faced by Ukraine and its affects and future outlooks on agriculture and animal farming.

Such a large international crowd invited many networking opportunities for those who attended, each hall displaying a variety of insights into animal production, including equipment, animal feed, veterinary and health products, new innovative designs, and pioneering techniques. The event provided the chance to see all these new developments in the sector and was a great success.

A full detailed report will be published in the January edition of Milling and Grain.

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Agribusiness Conference 2022

At a packed AIC Agribusiness conference, held on 16 November at Holiday Inn West, Peterborough, 68 percent of delegates agreed or mildly agreed that the agri-supply sector was in a strong position to manage the key shocks and disruptions in the supply chain in the coming years.

Given the significant economic and practical shocks that have taken place since the pandemic this outcome was testament to the resilience of businesses across the supply chain.

But there was no doubt that the feeling among delegates is that there is room for significant improvement both in practical policy and political stability.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer, in one of his first addresses to the sector, reiterated Defra’s commitment to rolling out ELMS, emphasising the opportunity that the government believes this transition represented but accepting that change always presents challenge for businesses.

Industry engagement

AIC Chief Executive Robert Sheasby was quick to question the Government's engagement with business.

He suggested the need for an economy wide business task force that would look at the impact on business of proposed legislation and new trade deals and ensure joined up thinking between government departments “we need DIT to get behind agriculture when it comes to competitiveness and to make sure that when entering into trade agreements that UK agriculture and what it can provide is not overlooked.

We should expect our negotiators led by their political leaders to find the opportunities that will assist growth in competitiveness”.

Tom Bradshaw, NFU Deputy President was pleased that the Minister recognised the need for a food strategy but needed to see a plan of how to bring this to life.

Both AIC and the NFU called for clarity on carbon which is going to play such a significant role for productivity, competitiveness and the environment – never mind reputation.

Mr Sheasby announced that AIC have been working on a self-assessment criterion whereby businesses will be able to assess how they are progressing towards the statutory target of net zero.

However, both organisations raised the challenge to the Minister of consistency of metrics for carbon measurement both in the UK and on a global scale.

Mr Bradshaw called upon the development of a carbon border mechanism, with an agreed suite of calculators and net zero embedded in ELMS.

The Minister confirmed that Defra was working on carbon credits, looking at the issue from a UK, EU and global perspective, recognising that any system had to work for global supply chains and must not deliver unintended consequences such as big polluters simply buying up land to plant trees.

Tom Bradshaw delivered a list of issues facing his members in particular the crippling impact of input inflation running at more than 30% in some sectors and the dire consequences for consumers of supply chains failing, as has been seen with egg availability.

Finance availability will consequently become an issue, skilled and unskilled workers remain a huge concern and Mr Bradshaw called upon an immigration policy that was fit for the economy.

He also challenged the farming sector to put the “sex” back in farming, to talk up the opportunities the sector provided and be on the front foot in the sustainability

debate to better inform retailers and indeed consumers.

There is a huge requirement for practical knowledge transfer if the transition of UK agriculture is going to be successful.

Government support

The Minister recognised the crucial role that on farm advice provided in bringing to life best practice, new research and access to the support provided through ELMS.

Allan Wilkinson, Head of Agrifoods, HSBC also questioned the UK governments support of businesses seeking to export.

“Protein demand is still growing at an insatiable rate, along with the global population. But the UK imports £58bn of food and has the third largest food deficit in the world”.

Food chain inflation

There is no easy route forward and he emphasised that it will only be the very best businesses, focussed on customer needs and an understanding of the whole supply chain alongside relentless efficiency that will thrive.

Mr Wilkinson closed his presentation by warning the audience that food chain inflation had another two years to run, so businesses needed to be in good shape to be able to act quickly and repeat.

Judith Evans, Consumer Industries Correspondent for the Financial Times perhaps bluntly spelled out what many in the sector already suspect that agriculture only hits the headlines when something goes wrong.

Surprisingly she also said that in her experience farmers were “click bait”, not always in a positive way but there is a genuine interest from consumers on what they want their food sector to become.

In particular green technology such as vertical farming and regenerative agriculture features high in her feedback.

On closing the conference Chris Guest, AIC Chair was quick to pick up on the need to increase the profile of the sector, not only to be on the front foot with our messaging to build our reputation, but also to show the genuinely interesting and exciting sector agriculture represents, both to retain its workforce and attract new talent and investment.

IAOM MEA, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Millers consider the implication from a host of global challenges

by Roger Gilbert, Publisher, Milling and Grain

The 32nd IAOM MEA Conference and Expo was held in Hotel Verde, Zanzibar from October 25-28, 2022.

The programme was loaded with a massive amount of content that was relevant to millers from the Middle East and Africa and in particular from East Africa.

Discussions centred around the price and supply of wheat to the region and the reasons for it from a number of experts who explored the topic over three daily morning Panel Discussions.

The widely-respected and knowledgeable Dan Basse, president and founder of AgriResources in the USA, moderated these well-attended sessions. Each focused on a different aspect of the challenges facing the milling industry from the geopolitical perspective and what was and might be likely to happen in the Black Sea and the continuation of the Grain Corridor to the buying habits of successful millers under current conditions and concluded with advice from global traders, on the MEA outlook and its demand for wheat.

All suggested advice is subjective of cours, and key points highlighted included the likely impact of the Grain Corridor closing, the emphasis that wheat supplies should be sought closer to ‘home’ and that millers should take

“Wheat caught in Geographic Crosshairs of the Black Sea and World Food Inflation. What is Next?” This was the subject of the first Panel Discussion

Dan Basse, president and founder of AgResources in the USA, moderated each morning’s opening session and held the audience captivated as he articulated the issues the industry faced and drew in his panel to explain their views and experiences

H.E. Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council opened the proceedings and acknowledged the much-valued contribution the IAOM MEA was bringing to the island IAOM MEA recognised the contribution of Mr Osama Daoud Abdellatif, Chairman of the Dal Group in Sudan for his contribution in relieving hunger and providing much needed milled foodstuffs to his national population by awarding him the Regional Leader 2022 Award. Here he and his colleagues are photographed receiving the award from IAOM MEA Regional Director Ali Habaj

security-of-supply into consideration when purchasing.

Comments and advice offered to delegates were in keeping with the specific timing of the Conference and had to be interrupted against other considerations.

However, it was clear that the region was experiencing stress at the end of October 2022 with one commentator pointing out that none of the flourmills he was working with had signed contracts for the month of December. It was also felt that milling industries that had acted promptly and in coordination were better prepared in the current circumstances.

The Expo Centre

30 degrees C. That was the outside temperature along the Zanzibar coastline in late October. The temperature was even more elevated, despite a number of air-conditioners installed, in the Expo Marquee that accommodate some 80 exposition stands. Delegates took the opportunity to visit the stands during coffee breaks and at times that best suited themselves.

It should also be noted that there were 27 Turkish companies exhibiting at this event.

The Conference included Technical Sessions, which covered all aspects of the milling process along with ‘What’s New’ Sessions and a Flour Excellence Session.

Thanks must go to Ali Habaj, IAOM’s Regional Director, and his team for hosting a most impressive programme and attracting over 550 participants to the Island of Zanzibar. We must also pass our thanks to the programme organisers, the sponsors and the exhibiting companies as all contributed to the success of this most exceptional and successful event.

Bühler, Fawema and Sefar sponsored the Welcome Reception at the Zanzibar Serena Hotel in Stone Town

The conference hall remained full throughout the three days, especially during the morning panel discussions that held its audience captivated

Martin Schlauri formerly of Bühler Group meets with Milling and Grain’ Turkish director Mehmet Uğur Gürkaynak at the Welcome Reception of IAOM MEA event in Zanzibar

EXPO IAOM

Mert Yildirim and Mrs Gizem Kaya Yildirim of Necdet Kaya Degirmen, Turkey

Suzan Kizilok Kücük, Aybaker, Turkey

Cedric Mueller of Sefar, Switzersland

Cedric Tchatchouang (left) with colleagues

Ageorge Otieno (middle) and Daniel Ododa Abuya of Said Salim Bakhreses company meet with publisher Roger Gilbert at the IAOM MEA event in Zanzibar

Layth Al Qasas representing Behn and Bates, Germany, at the exhibition

Sefa Yegin (left) and Ali Güktas of Yenar, Turkey

Tony Ghahoud of AGI Frame, USA

Ms Berfu Alici and Ahmet Cagatay Vilmaz, Erkaya Gida, Turkey

Marcel Berendsen of Frigortec, Germany

Mehmet Pars Sezer and Umman Deniz of CSI, Turkey

Domenico Pellizi (left) with Martino Celeghini (right) with colleagues of CESC EPC, Germany

Khalid Abail (left), Alfonso Garrida and Javier Gutiérrez of Symaga Silos, Spain

What is The Market Place

The Market Place is a collaboration between Milling and Grain magazine and our sister titles, The International Milling Directory and The Global Miller.

The Market Place aims to connect the print and the digital world, bringing more content that will be of interest, as well as direct links to the content that you want to see.

Throughout this edition of the magazine you will find QR codes and myMAG links that can link to various content from all three publications.

MAG TV

MAG TV is Milling and Grain magazine’s video channel. Featuring content about new products, interviews with industry professionals, industry event content and much more

Amino acids

Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH +49 618 1596785 www.evonik.com/animal-nutrition PROFILE: mymag.info/e/598 Bagging systems

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

FAWEMA +49 2263 716-0 www.fawema.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1577

Maxtex Trading Group Co. Ltd. +66 29488281 www.maxtex.net PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1173

Statec Binder +43 3112 38 5800 www.statec-binder.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/791

mymag.info/e/37

myMAG links myMAG links are shortened hyperlinks that will take you directly to content when typed into a browser

Brock +1 866 658 4191 www.brockgrain.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/587

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Ozpolat Makina Gida +90 342 337 1217 www.ozpolatmakina.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/635

Silo Construction & Engineering +32 51723128 www.sce.be PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1085

The demand for food is becoming bigger and bigger with an increasing global population, which is why companies will have to produce more efficiently and effectively. SCE wishes to help companies with this, by designing silos that take up little space and are quick to assemble in any production unit.

That is why food and feed producers around the world also count on SCE's know-how. Their engineers have given their fullest attention to all cooperation and have done so for over 30 years. This allowed SCE, since 1988, to collect sufficient experience to successfully complete each and every project.

See full profile at: mymag.info/e/1085

A brand new feed mill in Germany by SCE We’ve got ten more years to bring our food chain under control What if mass flow in silos can make your life easier?

Bruks Siwertell AB +46 4285880 www.bruks-siwertell.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/931

Symaga +34 926640475 www.symaga.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/654

Sukup +1 641 892 4222 www.sukup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/652

The Essmueller +1 800 325 7175 www.essmueller.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/597

TSC Silos +31 543 473979 www.tsc-silos.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/656

Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662

Cereal

Vibrafloor +33 3 85 44 06 78 www.vibrafloor.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/664

vibronet-Gräf GmbH & Co.KG +49 6441 62031 www.vibronet.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/663

Colour sorters

Bühler A G +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Cimbria Srl +39 0542 361423 www.cimbria.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/592

Maxtex Trading Group Co. Ltd. +66 29488281 www.maxtex.net

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1173

Dosing

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662

Elevator buckets

4B Braime +44 113 246 1800 www.go4b.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/418

Tapco Inc +1 314 739 9191 www.tapcoinc.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/658

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Elevator & conveyor components

4B Braime +44 113 246 1800 www.go4b.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/418

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Henry Simon +44 0161 804 2800 www.henrysimonmilling.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/608

Tapco Inc +1 314 739 9191 www.tapcoinc.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/658

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662

Wenger Manufacturing +1 785-284-2133 www.wenger.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/666

Yemmak +90 266 7338363 www.yemmak.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/668

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Feed nutrition

Adisseo + 33 1 46 74 70 00 www.adisseo.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1583

Anpario +44 1909 537 380 www.anpario.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1097

DSM +44 1452 306129 www.dsm.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1584

Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH +49 618 1596785 www.evonik.com/animal-nutrition PROFILE: mymag.info/e/598

Romer Labs Division Holding GmbH +43 2782 803 0 www.romerlabs.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1098

The Anderson Inc +1 419-897-6758 www.andersonsgrain.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1144

Feed milling

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588 milltech +90 332 5021300 www.milltech.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1585

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555 www.dinnissen.nl PROFILE: mymag.info/e/595

Enzymes

ERKAYA +90 312 395 2986 www.erkayagida.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/596

PLP +39 05 23 89 16 29 www.plp-systems.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/700

Extruders

Almex +31 575 572666 www.almex.nl

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/570

Andritz +45 72 160300 www.andritz.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/574

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

FAMSUN +86 85828888 www.famsungroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/600

Ottevanger

Engineers +31 79 593 22 21 www.ottevanger.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/737 PLP +39 05 23 89 16 29 www.plp-systems.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/700

Sangati Berga +55 11 2663 9990 www.sangatiberga.com.br PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1145

Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662

VAV Conveyor Components & Solutions +31 7140 23701 www.vav-nl.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1042

vibronet-Gräf GmbH & Co.KG +49 6441 62031 www.vibronet.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/663

Yemmak +90 266 7338363 www.yemmak.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/668

Zheng Chang +86 2164184200 www.zhengchang.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/672

Golden Grain Group +86 371 68631308 www.g-grain.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1031

Feed Mill Automation

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662

Flour milling

milltech +90 332 5021300 www.milltech.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1585

Grain handling systems

Behlen

+1 402 564 3111 www.behlengrainsystems.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/583

Brock +1 866 658 4191 www.brockgrain.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/587

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Cimbria A/S +45 96 17 90 00 www.cimbria.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/592

Ozpolat Makina Gida +90 342 337 1217 www.ozpolatmakina.com.tr

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/635

Sangati Berga +55 11 2663 9990 www.sangatiberga.com.br

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1145

Sukup Europe +45 75685311 www.sukup-eu.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/652

Symaga +34 91 726 43 04 www.symaga.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/654

Tapco Inc +1 314 739 9191 www.tapcoinc.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/658

The Essmueller +1 800 325 7175 www.essmueller.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/597

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Zaccaria +55 19 3404 5700 www.zaccaria.com.br PROFILE: mymag.info/e/671

Golden Grain Group +86 371 68631308 www.g-grain.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1031

Hammermills

Alapala

+90 212 465 60 40 www.alapala.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/568

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555 www.dinnissen.nl PROFILE: mymag.info/e/595

Ottevanger Milling Engineers +31 79 593 22 21 www.ottevanger.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/737

Selis +90 222 236 12 33 www.selis.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/649

Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662

Yemmak +90 266 7338363 www.yemmak.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/668

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Zheng Chang +86 2164184200 www.zhengchang.com/eng PROFILE: mymag.info/e/672

Laboratory equipment

Bastak +90 312 395 67 87 www.bastak.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/582

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

ERKAYA +90 312 395 2986 www.erkayagida.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/596

Tekpro +44 1692 403403 www.tekpro.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/660

Zaccaria +55 19 3404 5700 www.zaccaria.com.br

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/671

Loading/un-loading equipment

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555 www.dinnissen.nl

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/595

Neuero Industrietechnik +49 5422 95030 www.neuero.de PROFILE: mymag.info/e/627

Van Aarsen International

+31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662

Vigan Engineering +32 67 89 50 41 www.vigan.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/665

Mill design & installation

Alapala +90 212 465 60 40 www.alapala.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/568

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Henry Simon +44 0161 804 2800 www.henrysimonmilling.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/608

IMAS - Milleral +90 332 2390141 www.milleral.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/613

Ocrim +39 0372 4011 www.ocrim.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/632

Ottevanger Milling Engineers +31 79 593 22 21 www.ottevanger.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/737

Sangati Berga +55 11 2663 9990 www.sangatiberga.com.br PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1145

Satake +81 82 420 8560 www.satake-group.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/645

Selis +90 222 236 12 33 www.selis.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/649

Silo Construction & Engineering +32 51723128 www.sce.be PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1085

Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Hydronix

+44 1483 468900 www.hydronix.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/332

Zaccaria +55 19 3404 5700 www.zaccaria.com.br PROFILE: mymag.info/e/671

Golden Grain Group +86 371 68631308 www.g-grain.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1031

Moisture measurement

Bühler AG

+41 71 955 11 11

www.buhlergroup.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Hydronix +44 1483 468900 www.hydronix.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/332

Vibrafloor +33 3 85 44 06 78 www.vibrafloor.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/664

vibronet-Gräf GmbH & Co.KG +49 6441 62031 www.vibronet.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/663

Mycotoxin management

Adisseo + 33 1 46 74 70 00 www.adisseo.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1583

Packaging

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555 www.dinnissen.nl PROFILE: mymag.info/e/595

Dinnissen Process Technology are proud to be known for their expertise, quality products and tailor-made solutions. They are even more proud that their customers and employees know they can count on them. By keeping engineering, production, testing, installation, commissioning and service in-house, they don’t have to rely on others, and that’s why others can rely on Dinnissen.

Dinnissen believe that continuity is the foundation of all worthwhile success. From a strong, solid base you’re able to act with speed and striking power. And it is from continuity, that creativity and innovation is able to thrive. In a world that is changing faster than ever, they are here to offer continuity to their customers and employees all around the world.

In 1948 Dinnissen created their first machine. Today, billions of people consume products that are touched by their machines, every day. During their 70 years in business, they have become a world leader in process technology in the world of powders, particles and granules. As a system integrator, Dinnissen can handle your entire process including product infeed, conveying, dosing and weighing, mixing, grinding, crushing, sifting and packaging. Dinnissen automates, optimises and innovates your entire production process with customised solutions. They work with you to maximise your performance and efficiency. Are you curious to find out how Dinnissen could add value to your processes? Please feel free to contact one of their specialists without any obligation, See full profile at: mymag.info/e/595 FAWEMA +49 22 63 716 0 www.fawema.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1577

Maxtex Trading Group Co. Ltd. +66 29488281 www.maxtex.net

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1173

Statec Binder +43 3112 38 5800 www.statec-binder.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/791

Yemmak +90 266 7338363 www.yemmak.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/668

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Paddle mixer

IDAH +866 39 902701 www.idah.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1568

Palletisers

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Statec Binder +43 3112 38 5800 www.statec-binder.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/791

Golden Grain Group +86 371 68631308 www.g-grain.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1031

Pellet press

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

IDAH +866 39 902701 www.idah.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1568

Pelleting Technology Netherlands (PTN) +3 73 54 984 72 www.ptn.nl PROFILE: mymag.info/e/639

Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Yemmak +90 266 7338363 www.yemmak.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/668

Pulverisers

Rolls

Plant

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Sangati Berga +55 11 2663 9990 www.sangatiberga.com.br PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1145

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Zheng Chang +86 2164184200 www.zhengchang.com/eng PROFILE: mymag.info/e/672

Process control

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Inteqnion +31 543 49 44 66 www.inteqnion.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/615

Ottevanger Milling Engineers +31 79 593 22 21 www.ottevanger.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/737

Roller mills

Van

International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662

Yemmak +90 266 7338363 www.yemmak.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/668

IDAH +866 39 902701 www.idah.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1568

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Fundiciones Balaguer, S.A. +34 965564075 www.balaguer-rolls.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/605

Statec Binder +43 3112 38 5800 www.statec-binder.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/791

Yenar Dˆk¸m A.S. +90 332 2391073 www.yenar.com.tr

PROFILE: mymag.info/e/670

Alapala +90 212 465 60 40 www.alapala.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/568

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

milltech +90 332 5021300 www.milltech.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1585

IMAS - Milleral +90 332 2390141 www.milleral.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/754

Henry Simon +44 0161 804 2800 www.henrysimonmilling.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/608

Ocrim +39 0372 4011 www.ocrim.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/632

Pelleting Technology Netherlands (PTN) +3 73 54 984 72 www.ptn.nl PROFILE: mymag.info/e/639

Pingle +86 311 88268111 www.plflourmill.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/642

Sangati Berga +55 11 2663 9990 www.sangatiberga.com.br PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1145

Selis +90 222 236 12 33 www.selis.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/649

Yemtar Feed Mill Machines +90 266 733 8550 www.yemtar.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/669

Behlen +1 402 564 3111 www.behlengrainsystems.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/583

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

A/S Cimbria +45 9617 9000 www.cimbria.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/592

CSI +90 322 394 54 60 www.cukurovasilo.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/590

The Essmueller +1 800 325 7175 www.essmueller.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/597

MySilo +90 382 266 22 45 www.mysilo.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/622

Obial +90 382 2662120 www.obial.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/631

Ozpolat Makina Gida +90 342 337 1217 www.ozpolatmakina.com.tr PROFILE: mymag.info/e/635

Silo Construction & Engineering +32 51723128 www.sce.be PROFILE: mymag.info/e/1085

Sukup +1 641 892 4222 www.sukup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/652

Symaga +34 91 726 43 04 www.symaga.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/654

Top Silo Constructions (TSC) +31 543 473 979 www.tsc-silos.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/656

Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/662 Temperature monitoring

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

Inteqnion +31 543 49 44 66 www.inteqnion.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/615

vibronet-Gräf GmbH & Co.KG +49 6441 62031 www.vibronet.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/663 Training

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: mymag.info/e/588

IAOM +1 913 338 3377 www.iaom.info

IFF +495307 92220 www.iff-braunschweig.de

the interview

Ocrim SpA of Cremona, Italy is a company with a difference. While well-known around the world for its advanced flour milling equipment and innovation its the flair for connecting people through reflection of all that is best from Italy – fashion, food and philosophy – that is a more cerebral in its attraction. "Friends, let's set sail, let's challenge the unknown ... cognizance and intellect will accompany us." This, is the mantra that Alberto and Sergio Antolini – who we interview here - adopted when establishing the family business Paglierani, which led to the beginning of their ‘adventure’ for Ocrim, founded in 1945. Here, we reflect their philosophies and views on flour milling from their successful Ocrim ‘open days 2022' which highlighted 'Wheat, Flour and ...' held in mid-September this year.

First, we asked Sergio, “What were key moments that brought about the formation of Ocrim and what are the main tasks each today?”

My bother Engineer Alberto took the lead and today, after countless successes, he still holds that position in the world of work and in the world of Ocrim; leading with integrity and as a central point.

Loving one's work and making one's work loved is a rule for Ocrim, as well being the basis of any democracy.

For Ocrim, taking care of work is the pinnacle because in work there is not only the economic reward but a much more intense reward, which each of us finds in ourselves. Rediscovering our identity and rediscovering our independence.

This reward is the mystery of work, and the foundation is a right and whoever undermines this right violates a sacrilege. The commitment and duty to ensure a business progresses is not limited to the expansion of markets but extends to research, development, safety at work and everything that is applicable to preserve our planet.

We asked Alberto, “When growing up were you both always together and always interested in the milling industry? Did your parents encourage you to enter flour milling or were there alternative options?”

Sergio and I have grown up together since childhood. The milling sector is a niche sector and, precisely for this reason, it is fascinating. It gives you the opportunity to experiment and research in an alternative way. Of course, there would have been other choices for our professional life, but we got on the Paglierani and Ocrim ‘trains’ and we never wondered how it would have gone if we had chosen others.

My brother Sergio and I have always been very close, also thanks to our parents and to an education based on the value of the family and, in general, on loyalty and respect towards others.

Ours is a particular story, because our father was an elementary school teacher before embarking on a successful entrepreneurial career. This ‘versatility’ from a professional point-of-view, has led him to be a more curious and enterprising person than the norm and he transmitted these characteristics to us in full.

Both Sergio and I followed in his footsteps, which led us first to Paglierani and then also to Ocrim. Now the two companies are the world's top players in the packaging and milling sector.

today; an ‘enlightened’ team formed not only by our family, but by a large family of nearly 300 people. Our main tasks today are to direct, guide and protect this great company. Make it grow and enrich with values and knowledge. We are at the helm of both Paglierani (Poggio Torriana, Rimini - Italy) - where my brother Sergio is CEO, while I am a director. The two sister companies share objectives and choices and above all the same modus operandi which is based on a correct and safe working concept in order to offer excellent Italian-made products to our entire audience. My brother and my task, regardless of the roles we play, is to nurture and strengthen this ‘industrial philosophy’ every day, without which we would be a fair copy of others.

How did you both mange throughout the Covid Pandemic in terms of maintaining a working company with many staff to provide the support your global customer-base needed?

In February 2020, suddenly we had to deal with the COVID 19 pandemic. Today, scientifically speaking, we have made great strides around the world, but just over two years ago it loomed a huge suffocating question mark over everyone. And the first city to be deeply affected was Cremona. In Ocrim, however, we wasted no time and, as soon as we learned about the pandemic problem. We set up the Risk Mitigation Committee, made up of some heads of departments, in order to make official decisions shared with the competent bodies outside the company, for the protection of workers and the work itself. Ocrim, in fact, did not stop in those days. We had to reinvent our work for ourselves and for our customers, approaching a new way of working and interacting with the outside world. We have put in place all the safety systems to protect the staff present in the company from any risks and we have provided the necessary means to those who have worked from home.

In that complex period, we also intensified the production of videos - you will remember the ‘Ocrim pills’ - with purely emotional content, designed with the sole aim of bringing us closer humanly to our customers.

Cremona is the home of the famous Antonio Stradivari Violin. Ocrim promotes a strong image of Italian style and artistic design. Is this image making flour milling industry more fashionable both locally and internationally? Will this encourage younger people to join our industry?

About 15 years ago Ocrim found itself in a moment of difficulty; as often happens to many companies. We, with Paglierani, were Ocrim suppliers at the time. Only today can we say that we found ourselves in the right place at the right time. And, here we are. My brother, Sergio, as president and me as CEO.

Before my brother Sergio, our father was the president of Ocrim. We have all worked hard to make Ocrim what it is

Yes, that's right, we are lucky enough to be in the city of the violin. This ‘fortune’ entails a fame and a circle of artists from all over the world which allows a provincial city, such as Cremona, to feel as cosmopolitan as a big city.

Lutherie is an art, as much as we believe milling is. In fact, the expression ‘milling art’ is used. Perhaps this is precisely why we have often made the violin represent us. The violin made in Cremona is known and exported all over the world and is an icon of Italian style, as much as the products of Ocrim. I remind you of our 2020 advertising campaign, the content of which showed a musician playing a violin. And again, our

He also addressed the questions of, “What were the key moments that brought about the formation of the company Ocrim?”

Alberto and Sergio Antolini, Ocrim

latest event "Wheat, flour and ..." was closed with a flourish by a musician who played Antonio Stradivari's ‘Vesuvius’ violin in the auditorium of the Museo del Violino in Cremona. And certainly, more generally, design, art, music or other artistic languages offered by Italian culture, which we at Ocrim know and use for our image, can constitute an appeal towards young people who intend to undertake the milling road. But, in my opinion, there are also some different factors to consider.

In general, in this postmodern era, we perceive the need to return to the old trades, because nowadays they are considered vintage and therefore fascinating, but revised in a modern and innovative way. And for the new generations all this constitutes a challenge.

We believe this is the main reason why more and more young people are approaching the milling reality. Many of them, apply to work with us and I believe that this is due to the fact that Ocrim is part of an ancient and niche sector, but which uses all the most innovative and alternative means to build its products and to disclose its image. All this for them is very ‘cool.’

Sergio, what has the research for your recent book (Argonauta*) highlighted to you about modern diets?

Reconnecting to the ancient model of Hippocrates, the founder of Western medicine, food establishes the human being as omnivorous, identifies with one food culture rather than another, recalls the diet received as a child and together identifies and gives shape to identity.

We are no longer faithful to taste because our brain, our ancient memory, is disoriented as is the kitchen from the table - which has passed on to television. Chefs have become more important than artists, poets, sculptors and musicians.

We no longer cook. Instead, we use frozen dinners,

precooked foods, with the loss of taste hijacking our brain so it can no longer identifies what it likes and what it doesn't.

What do you consider is the main issue the industry must overcome if it is to meet the food needs of a growing world population?

The historical moment we are going through is really very difficult.

Today, more than ever, there is talk of the problems related to climate change, there are serious ongoing conflicts that are upsetting the political and socio-economic balance of the world. And these are just two examples, but nevertheless emblematic.

Some things we could have foreseen in time, probably, but not others. If everyone in his/her small way did everything possible to make daily life more sustainability, a big step forward would be made. A culture based on sustainability would lead to an improvement in the climate, health, raw materials and so on.

We at Ocrim have been doing our best for some time now to improve ourselves and improve our work. We have been applying strategies ranging from energy saving to the use of environmentally sustainable materials. It's nice to have summer weather until November here in Cremona, but unfortunately this is an indication of a change that has a negative impact on everything, starting with the crops.

If we do not start from this principle and from this awareness, if this aspect is not protected in the first place, we have lost from the start. And for this reason, we at Ocrim have been moving forward in this direction for some time.

*Argonauta - originally published as a Italian language book, translated versions have been serialised in Milling and Grain magazine. (See 2022 issues - 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11)

Sergio (left) and Alberto Antolini

Picture taken at Ocrim's new factory looking across the Farmhouse to the new Milling Hub

AGI announces appointment of new Director

Ag Growth International Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Rohit Bhardwaj Director of AGI, co-leading with Paul Householder.

“We are thrilled to have Rohit and Paul join our Board. We are confident they will provide valuable perspectives as we continue to execute our strategy, drive organic growth, and enhance value for AGI shareholders," says Bill Lambert, AGI's Board Chair. “Rohit is a seasoned executive who will contribute significant experience in managing international operations in addition to providing strong financial oversight. These are key board skills that will help enable AGI to deepen the level of integration and optimisation across many of our businesses.”

Mr Bhardwaj is a Certified Management Accountant (U.K.), a fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (U.K.) and a Certified Public Accountant (CGA). He also has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University) and the Schulich School of Business (York University).

Chris Guest has been elected

as new AIC Chair

Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) – the voice of UK agri-supply businesses – has elected Chris Guest as its Chair at a critical time for the industry. As Managing Director of LS Plant Breeding Ltd and active member of the AIC Board, Cambridgeshire-based Mr Guest brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to the role. Mr Guest takes over from Angela Booth, Director of Responsibility at AB Agri, who has completed her two-year term as AIC Board Chair. As the immediate past Chair, she will continue to serve as a Board member for a further year.

Jens Kremer appointed Managing Director of DLG International

The DLG (German Agricultural Society) has announced that Jens Kremer will take over as Managing Director of DLG International, a subsidiary of DLG. Assuming his duties on 1 December 2022, Jens Kremer succeeds Bernd Koch, who will retire.With many years of experience in the global trade fair business, Mr Kremer, a graduate of exhibition and event management, has been responsible for sales and business development at DLG Service GmbH for DLG trade fairs in Germany and abroad since 2013.

In his new role, his future responsibilities will include the operational management of DLG International's subsidiaries in Germany and abroad.

He will play a central role in the development and coordination of international trade fairs and conferences as well as the promotion of cooperation with other countries. In addition, he will be responsible for international sales of DLG events.

Steven Campbell joins The Andersons, Inc board of directors

The Andersons, Inc. have named Steven Campbell to the company's board of directors, effective December 1, 2022.

Mr. Campbell served as Head of North America Grain and Group Executive Vice President at Louis Dreyfus where he retired in 2017. He has held various leadership positions, including as President and CEO of Louis Dreyfus Commodities Grain Merchandising LLC, where he oversaw all grain trading and operations in North America. He also served as a Vice President with Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), and as manager, natural gas trading at American Electric Power (AEP) where helped AEP establish a trading presence in the energy markets.

His involvement in industry organisations include serving as Chairman, Kansas City Board of Trade, First Vice Chairman on the North American Export Grain Association's Board of Directors and holding a position on the Commodity Markets Council Board of Directors. In addition, he is a guest lecturer at Auburn University, speaking on commodity trading. Mr. Campbell received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University.

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