Eighteen feed manufacturers from China are attending the Feed Manufacturing Technology course that runs Aug. 18-22 at Northern Crops Institute on the NDSU campus. The China team is the first group to do hands-on training with the institute’s Feed Center’s newly upgraded equipment.
The course is co-sponsored by Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, North Dakota Soybean Council and South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, in conjunction with the U.S. Soybean Export Council.
“China is the largest user of soybeans and the largest manufacturer of animal feed in the world,” said Kim Koch, Feed Center manager and course lead instructor. “Their demand for feed is increasing annually by 10-12 percent. China raises 50 percent of all the pigs in the world, but their poultry production is gaining ground on swine and aquaculture is becoming more important. Chinese domestic production of soybeans and corn has probably peaked, and therefore, they are becoming major importers of soybeans and corn.”
Koch said high-quality soybeans produced in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota result in better animal performance, and he expects regional soybean production will continue to increase during the next five to 10 years.
In addition to providing hands-on demonstrations about size reduction and pelleting at the Feed Center, Koch lectured on efficient use of protein; feed mill efficiency; feed mill design; mixing; particle size reduction; hygienic feed manufacturing; and pelleting.
The course coordinator is John Crabtree, institute assistant director.
The Feed Center equipment upgrade includes the installation of a new mixer, a new automation system, and the facility’s first micro-ingredient system. Funding was a collaborative effort between the North Dakota legislature, the feed equipment industry and regional commodity groups, according to Mark Weber, institute director.
Northern Crops Institute supports regional agriculture and value-added processing by conducting educational and technical programs that expand and maintain domestic and international markets for northern-grown crops. The institute is funded by the states of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota and commodity groups in those states and Montana.