Emerging Technologies: From the Feed to the Cloud

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Swine

The farms of the future will likely use Cloud computing and real-time data to monitor livestock production. These emerging technologies present a huge opportunity in places like the Asia Pacific region, where everything is growing and pig production is booming, according to Art Frio, independent pig production and nutrition consultant.

“There will be hesitation, as always. New things come at a price,” said Frio, who presented at ONE 18: The Alltech Ideas Conference. “But then again, if you look at what they want, they really want information. They really want it quick. Nowadays we have what we call the microwave generation, where nobody can wait for 10 seconds anymore. So, I guess the modern farmers, the new generation of farmers that I’m working with – even maybe outside of Asia Pacific – could be wanting all of this information as quick as possible.”

Frio said much of the information recorded on today’s farms does not get used because it’s not processed in a timely fashion. In a place like the Asia Pacific region where pork production and consumption is growing very quickly, he believes farmers will be left behind if they don’t embrace technology that will allow them to use the Cloud to gather, store and process data in real time.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Art here: Interview with Art Frio, Independent Consultant

ONE 18: The Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Animal Ag Bites 6/4

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  • The National Pork Producers called for a swift resolution of the United States-China trade dispute, paving the way for increased U.S. pork exports to the world’s largest pork-consuming nation. According to Iowa State University Economist Dermot Hayes, U.S. pork producers have lost $2.2 billion on an annualized basis due to events leading up to and following China’s 25 percent punitive tariffs in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel.
  • There’s still time to register for the 2018 World Pork Expo! It’s the 30th year and registration is free to journalists covering the event. Request your official media badge and parking pass now.
  • This June, in honor of National Dairy Month, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy is partnering with nearly 40,000 family farms, processors and dairy brands to spotlight the many people who are devoted to dairy. The month-long celebration will kick off year two of the Undeniably Dairy campaign and will rally communities from coast to coast to salute people’s passion for dairy. Since launching one year ago, the multi-year Undeniably Dairy campaign has sought to reignite consumers’ love for dairy while helping to bring them closer to the farm and to the people behind their favorite dairy foods.
  • The USPOULTRY Foundation research advisory committee met in Atlanta earlier this spring to review the next round of research pre-proposals. At the meeting, three new members were elected to serve on the committee, including Lynn Bagley, Pitman Family Farms; Dr. Roy Brister, Tyson Foods, Inc.; and Dave Townsend, Pilgrim’s Corp. Leaving the committee were Dr. Don McIntyre, Diamond V, and Dr. Tom Frost, DSM Nutritional Products.

Alltech Focused on Fish Nutrition, Sustainability

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Alltech, Aquaculture, Audio, Nutrition

Scientists in the field of aquaculture are working to produce a premium product sustainably, and nutrition is a key part of that goal.

At ONE 18: The Alltech Ideas Conference, Dr. Philip Lyons shared some challenges and successes of the aquaculture industry with participants.

“I think the biggest challenge is that at the moment a vast majority of feeds for carnivorous fish are made up of raw materials that are derived from the wild environment,” said Lyons, research scientist at Coppens International, an Alltech company. “From wild fish stocks, fish meal still makes up a large proportion of aqua feeds. And we really need to think of innovative ways to replace these because it’s not environmentally sustainable to take fish from the sea and put it into formulated diets for farmed fish and it doesn’t make sense to do that.”

Lyons said Alltech has already had some success with removing the fish oil component and replacing that with micro algae to get the same level of performance. But the protein side is still a challenge that the whole industry has to overcome. The company is actively looking at alternatives and conducting trials to see the digestibility of those alternatives in fish. Replacements with potential include insect meal and high protein bacterial meal.

Lyons said the company is also fine tuning mineral nutrition, as mineral requirements published for fish are old and outdated. Phosphorous retention is another focus to be sure there is no excretion of excess phosphorous into the environment. He is also excited about a new project researching gut health in fish.

Listen to Jamie’s interview here: Interview with Dr. Philip Lyons, Coppens International

2018 ONE 18: The Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Poultry Researchers Tackle Woody Breast Syndrome

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Meat, Poultry

A growing problem for the poultry industry is woody breast syndrome, a muscle myopathy that affects the most popular cut of poultry.

While it doesn’t pose any harm to the consumer or the bird, it results in a product that is not palatable. In 2017, woody breast syndrome cost the U.S. poultry industry an estimated $200 million. Due to changes in government regulations, that number could grow to $500 million in losses in 2018. The problem is even more prevalent in European countries and in Brazil. Researchers are still trying to identify a cause.

“We need to look at this issue from a multi-faceted approach,” said Dr. Rebecca Delles, an Alltech research scientist who presented at ONE 18: The Alltech Ideas Conference. “I think everybody has been hoping for this silver bullet to solve every single issue, but we’re not going to see it. It’s probably not going to happen. We need geneticists to work with us, we need the managers of these poultry farms to work with us, and ultimately, we also need to reexamine the nutrition and what we’re feeding these birds and how we’re raising them to solve this issue.”

Delles said meat scientists are collaborating across the globe to address woody breast syndrome, as poultry is now the number one meat consumed worldwide. They believe genetics play a part, but are not the sole cause of the problem. Other factors may include hatchery conditions, management, and diet.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Dr. Delles here: Interview with Dr. Rebecca Delles, Alltech

ONE 18: The Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Bytes: Tech That Feeds Us

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, KEENAN, Technology

KEENAN CEO Robert Walker explored the future of technology and data as it relates to agriculture and the food chain at ONE 18: The Alltech Ideas Conference.

“Ag tech is shrinking the food chain,” said Walker. “It’s making communication up and down the food chain a lot better, quicker, and ultimately that is going to be to the benefit of every member of that food chain, and especially to the consumer at the very end.”

While KEENAN mixer wagons already feature technologies that help farmers to work with nutritionists as they ensure they are feeding the correct rations for optimum performance from their cattle, Walker said there are more capabilities to come. He said data collection right now is focused at the farm level, and used primarily by the farmer. But Walker believes stakeholders up and down the food chain from feed mills to processors to retailers and even consumers could benefit from data collection and analysis that is already taking place on many farms. It appears digital technologies like blockchain might even further shorten the food chain.

Walker said farmers are passionate about what they do and will collaborate if there is benefit to doing so. He said data sharing needs to happen only with the farmer’s permission, but also pointed out that others might share the in the costs of data collection. He said Alltech companies want to move from a descriptive approach to a predictive approach when it comes to collecting data as they work to better meet the needs of their customers.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Robert Walker here: Interview with Robert Walker, KEENAN

2018 ONE 18: The Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

China’s Impact on U.S. Beef Demand

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Trade

China reopened its borders to United States beef in 2017, but that historic decision sparked both challenges and opportunities for American beef producers, according to Ian Lahiffe, Lead of Operations, Allfex Livestock Intelligence.

Lahiffe said beef consumption has almost doubled in China over the past 10-15 years, but Chinese consumers are accustomed to grass-fed beef primarily from Brazil or Australia that costs 30 percent less than beef from the United States. He said U.S. beef producers will have to reintroduce Chinese consumers to grain-fed beef and carcass quality.

The good news is that the younger generation in China is consuming much more beef than their older counterparts, especially when they eat out. Lahiffe said research shows a clear generational divide between those consumption habits. Additionally, the a younger Chinese generation has more available income and many are chasing the “Chinese Dream” and are willing to pay for what they perceive to be the best product, at whatever cost.

However, Lahiffe warned that current trade wars are having a significant impact.

“This tariff affects confidence,” Lahiffe said. “The fear is when the relationship between the two countries isn’t so good, the Chinese mightn’t ban U.S. beef, but it might be sitting in the port for awhile.”

Lahiffe sees Chinese consumption and demand as an incredible opportunity. He believes those who are willing to invest in the best supply chain, and who can adapt to and understand the needs of Chinese consumers will reap the benefits in the long run.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Ian here: Interview with Ian Lahiffe, Allflex Livestock Intelligence

2018 ONE 18: The Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Animal Ag Bites 5/29

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Animal Bites

  • U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is releasing a video that demonstrates what poultry and egg farms can expect if their farms are inspected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To ensure the information is accurate and beneficial, USPOULTRY collaborated with EPA personnel to develop and produce the video.
  • A new study funded by National Dairy Council (NDC) shows that healthy, pre-menopausal women who consumed low-fat yogurt before meals reduced their risk for inflammation following the meal. The research was conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  • Dave Chamberlin recently joined Vita Plus as the swine technical sales manager for the eastern region swine team. Chamberlin will play a key role in developing the swine team in the eastern region by providing nutritional programming, product development, and brand awareness of Vita Plus products and services.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association applauded the introduction of the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act, saying it would reform federal Hours of Service rules in a way that ensures animal welfare, highway safety, and the well-being of livestock haulers.
  • U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award. The award recognizes exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production. Those eligible for the award include any family-owned poultry grower or egg producer supplying product to a USPOULTRY member or an independent producer who is a USPOULTRY member. Nominations are due Oct. 1.
  • Ambassador Gregg Doud, chief agricultural negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Greg Ibach, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, will address investors of the National Pork Producers Council at World Pork Expo on June 6 and 7. Under Secretary Ibach speaks on June 6; Ambassador Doud speaks on June 7.
  • Brookside Agra has developed an effective, simple protocol for using Advanced Bio Pro Concentrate to compost animal carcasses. A video explaining the process can be viewed online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2_bysyZoXY.

ZimmCast 585 – ONE 18, Alltech Ideas Conference

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, ZimmCast

In this week’s program I’m sharing several interviews from the ONE 18, Alltech Ideas Conference.

First up is Aidan Connolly, Alltech VP, who talks about technology and what he hopes to convey to attendees this year.

Next up is USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey. Bill talks Farm Bill, RFS and his department, Farm and Foreign Agriculture Service.

Finally, you will hear from @TheFarmBabe, Michelle Miller, who talks about how she became interested in agvocating and is now considered a top social media influencer for agriculture.

There is a lot more you can listen to from ONE 18 by visiting our virtual ag newsroom on AgNewsWire.com.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 585 – ONE 18, Alltech Ideas Conference

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here. Use this url in iTunes or your favorite news reader program/app.

The ZimmCast

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Four Alltech Global Accelerator Internal Startups

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Apps, Audio, Crop Science, Dairy, Livestock, Technology

Eight startup companies have joined The Pearse Lyons Accelerator, including four that are internal to Alltech.

Rebecca Noble works in Alltech’s business development for crop science division. She describes Adentro as a crop pretection brand of the future, using new science and new research. The name of the company translates to “inside” or “within.” Noble and her colleagues are looking inside the plant to make it a better version of itself, using technology that naturally activates bio-immunity in a plant by switching on its defense genes. It’s a different approach than the conventional external plant protection.

Rebecca Noble, Adentro – an Alltech company

Alltech’s North American Brand Manager Brian Lawless is working on a startup called PenPoint, which is tackling Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD). Lawless said BRD represents over 70 percent of animal deaths in feed yards. The company has developed a wearable activity tracker for cows to monitor eating and drinking habits as well as other movement. Lawless said providing producers with more information about the health of their animals helps them make better decisions about animal nutrition.

Brian Lawless, PenPoint – an Alltech company

Focusing on human nutrition, Alltech’s truly brand is taking the guesswork out of supplements. Alltech Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist Nikki Putnam works on the truly brand, which provides online consultation to help consumers identify dietary and supplement needs. The folks at truly then personalize packs of supplements and provide those to the consumer through a monthly subscription service.

Nikki Putnam, truly – an Alltech company

Canada-based Smart Dairy is helping dairy farmers to improve efficiencies on the farm. Alltech’s Stuart McGregor explained the program’s goal is a 20 percent improvement in efficiency based on looking at factors like farm management, labor, herd health, and nutrition management. The program is designed to deploy Alltech’s nutrition and ag-tech breakthroughs to farms via nutritionists.

Stuart McGregor, Smart Dairy – an Alltech company

A clear route to market remains a challenge within the industry, and the Alltech program provides startups with accelerated access to the global market, with a comprehensive package of support to help them navigate the challenge of scaling their operations to service large corporate customers. The program is run in conjunction with Dogpatch Labs, a leading startup organization based in Dublin, Ireland, and culminated at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, where the startups pitched to leading agribusiness leaders, high-profile investors and the press.

ONE 18: The Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Four Alltech Global Accelerator External Startups

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Apps, Audio, Livestock, Technology

In its second year of existence, The Pearse Lyons Accelerator is adding eight new agriculture startups, featured at this year’s ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference. Four internal and four external companies make up this year’s participants.

Israel-based eggXYt provides technology that allows hatcheries and chicken breeders to detect the gender of chicken embryos. The goal is to stop the unnecessary killing of male chicks not needed by the poultry industry each year. Co-Founder and CEO Yehuda Elram said the technology has both ethical and economic implications.

Interview with Yehuda Elram, eggXYt

Another external company in this year’s accelerator is Vence, based in the United States. The virtual fencing idea enables management and monitoring of livestock via smartphones. CEO Frank Wooten said virtual fencing can be an answer when traditional fences present a challenge.

Interview with Frank Wooten, Vence

SmartBow CEO and Founder Wolfgang Auer said his Austria-based company saves livestock farmers money by helping with early detection of sickness in animals, thanks to the SMART eartag sensor. The sensor can detect early signs of sickness based on changes in behavior, appetite, social interactions. This happens up to five days before the animal shows clinical signs of being sick.

Interview with Wolfgang Auer, SmartBow

The final external company is farming three million insects in the heart of London, United Kingdom. Entocycle Chief Commercial Officer James Millar described the first environmentally controlled, fully automated system to produce industrial levels of Black Soldier Fly protein. These flies don’t have a mouth, which means they are non-disease and non-pests. Millar said the life cycle from baby larvae to adult larvae is just six days. The long term goal is to use the protein for human consumption in staple foods like pasta and bread. But in the short term, the company is looking to provide protein to livestock like poultry and cattle.

Interview with James Millar, Entocycle

The Pearse Lyons Accelerator is a unique late-stage, agri-tech accelerator run by Alltech and Dogpatch Labs that aims to address a diverse set of challenges facing agriculture today. Backed by the late Irish entrepreneur Dr. Pearse Lyons, last year’s startups collectively added $50 million in new qualified sales leads across 28 international markets by the end of the accelerator.