Milling News
Women in Agribusiness Summit
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first-of-its-kind event in Europe, the Women in Agribusiness Summit Europe promises to cater to women across the agribusiness value chain with top tier industry content, featuring professional development skills and strategy sessions as well as unparalleled opportunities to network and establish new business relationships. This debut conference will be held in Barcelona, Spain on 10-12 February 2015 at the Hotel Arts. The one-and-a-half day conference builds off the success of the US-based Women in Agribusiness Summit, which has grown more than twofold since its inception in 2012. The 2014 event in New Orleans, Louisiana, hosted almost 450 attendees, with nearly 30 percent of them from senior vice president executive level positions or higher. The European Women in Agribusiness Summit will bring the same intimate gathering atmosphere to the Barcelona event as it offers in the US Summit, and will also provide an interactive platform for women to discuss their unique experiences in the industry and hear from women leaders regarding industry trends and expectations. “We are thrilled to offer this unique agribusiness event that will equip
individuals and companies with the leadership and industry specific tools that are necessary to thrive in the sector,” said Joy O’Shaughnessy, event director at HighQuest Group, the firm that hosts the conference. “Ample opportunities to network with our diverse group of Summit delegates also will be provided during extended breaks and evening receptions.” The Summit content is crafted around three categories of offerings: relevant industry trends, functional area topics and personal skill development. Sessions to be covered at the event include: • From farm to fork: the vital role of women in the agri-food value chain • Creating a sustainable supply chain • The changing food consumer: the role of agribusiness in meeting the demands of today’s end user • Positioning yourself for success • Transforming the workplace: strategies for recruiting and advancing women in agribusiness Those Women in Agribusiness Summit Europe attendees who are looking to expand their content knowledge and networking opportunities are invited to attend the co-located inaugural Oilseed Congress Europe/MENA, 9-10 February 2015, which will address key opportunities and challenges facing the oilseed trade in these regions.
CP Indonesia gets loans worth USD 400m to boost growth
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T Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk, Indonesia’s largest producer of poultry feed, day old chicks and processed chickens, signed a syndicated loans agreement, worth the equivalent of US$ 400 million, with 15 international and local financial institutions in Jakarta recently. The company said it will use the loans to secure funding needed for the company’s business expansion over the next few years as well as to support its working capital needs.
Director Ong Mei Sian said the company expects 10 percent growth in sales to US$ 2.3 billion at the end of this year, while total revenue reached US$ 1.8 billion during the first nine months of the year. The company’s net profits stood at US$ 140.5 million as of September this year, she added. The company is in the process of building a feed factory in Central Java, as well as day-old chick production and food processing facilities in Indonesia.
Protease Enzymes Make Lower-Cost Sorghum Viable in Animal Feed
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ould sorghum be the feed ingredient that helps optimise producers’ bottom-lines? In terms of global cereal grain production, sorghum ranks fifth behind corn, rice, wheat and barley. It is a hardy crop that can be grown in hot, dry climates around the world, especially where corn or wheat cannot be grown. Because of this, it is a grain that is or could be available globally to most producers. However, nutritionists have discounted using sorghum as an alternative ingredient as it contains proteins that are difficult to digest, causing reduced animal performance. All hope isn’t lost though. A fairly simple solution to this digestibility issue is the addition of the proper protease enzymes to sorghum-based diets. These enzymes break down the complex protein structures in sorghum, improving digestibility and amino acid availability of the grain, and as a result making sorghum a more viable feed component. Improving the digestibility of sorghum in animal diets with protease enzymes offers producers another cost-effective alternative protein source. To maximise the positive effects on formulation cost, gut health and dietary anti-nutritional factors, it is important to use a protease with a broad range of activity, which allows more diversity in choosing protein sources. The best protease should work quickly to rapidly hydrolyse indigestible proteins to minimise the flow of protein into the hindgut. Noncoated products offer an advantage because it can take between five and 30 minutes for coated products to dissolve in the intestine, which can add up to nearly one-quarter of the total time the feed is in the animal’s gastrointestinal tract. CibenzA® DP100 is a potent protease enzyme that combines all of these important characteristics; – broadspectrum, heat-stable and noncoated. Protease enzymes improve the digestibility of sorghum over the typical industry averages by as much as 10 percent. That translates into potential feed cost savings, as well as improved bacteria balance and health. January 2015 | 9