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Regional Business Manager - Southern England

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Every change our customers make on their farms needs to pay back. A change to the KEENAN diet feeding system empowers our customers to make the best decisions with proven performance in ration consistency, improved health and yield.

The successful candidate will work with our customers to help them optimise the performance of their herd and put them in control of the changes that can impact on the success of their farm and help them reach new standards.

As farming continues to change, we will continue to help our customers meet these changes head on.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, passionate and professional Regional Business Manager, who can support our existing and new customers with their purchase decision and after-sales requirements. Proficient in selling to progressive, technology-driven farmers, the successful candidate will join our exciting team and become an advocate for the KEENAN brand.

<>Responsibilities

This is a rewarding and lucrative role that can offer flexibility and autonomy as well as the opportunity to work for a business with long term strategic goals and progression opportunities.

Delivering first-class customer service to maximise the customer journey
Contributing to a productive and achievement-oriented team environment
Adapting quickly to changes in business needs, creating short-term and long-term solutions and strategies to sell
Producing monthly and quarterly plans to deliver revenue targets for new and approved-used machine sales
Continually reviewing and improving performance through analysis of performance and risks
Following correct processes and procedures to ensure machine specifications meet the exacting requirements of the customer
Making use of CRM tools for tracking activity, pipeline and revenue metrics
Building meaningful relationships with accredited service centres and dealers to ensure delivery of key brand values and promises to maximise after-sales and service opportunities
Engaging with commercial, marketing and after-sales teams to ensure operational plans are in place to deliver key strategic initiatives
Supporting colleagues with regional and national events and business improvement and innovation projects

<>Requirements

Proven sales record and demonstrable business development experience in the agricultural or other comparable sector
Experience in cultivating and curating meaningful relationships with a range of stakeholders
An understanding of livestock production systems, an interest in technology and innovation within the sector and an awareness of the issues affecting the UK agriculture sector would be advantageous especially when communicating our value proposition to prospects and customers
Strong business acumen and some familiarity in the application of commercial finance solutions
Experience in effectively managing the sales cycle across target accounts, opportunity identification, qualification, negotiation and closing
A self-starter who is motivated and driven by success and has an ability to consistently meet targets by identifying, qualifying, and closing new business, to execute on the business’s long-term goals
A confident communicator with strong presentation and forecasting skills
Task driven focus with solid organisational skills
An ability to work under pressure, prioritise and manage time effectively
Proficient in the use of CRM systems, Microsoft Office 365 and other collaboration platforms (SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams)
Full UK driving licence

This is a field-based role and as such, will require extensive travel within the territory and some nights away from home.

The package:

In addition to the resources and tools that are necessary for undertaking the role, on offer to the successful candidate will be a package including:

Competitive basic salary reflecting the skills and experience of the post holder plus commission
Company car
Pension plan
Employee assistance programme

<>Contact Info

For further information and an informal discussion, or to apply for this role, please email:

Robbie Morton
KEENAN UK Sales Development Manager
rmorton@alltech.com

Applications for this role should be made via email. Please attach your CV and a covering letter outlining your skills and experience.

Closing date: 22nd October 2021

KEENAN is an equal opportunities employer.

Curbing milk production during COVID-19 supply chain disruption: Adversity or opportunity?

April 8, 2020

Author : Brent Corrigan

With the current restaurant shutdowns and the planned discarding of some Ontario milk, it’s easy for dairy farmers to panic and make knee-jerk herd management decisions that may impact their future production and herd health.

In working with successful dairy operations in the agribusiness sector for the past 29 years, there are several solid herd management decisions I have seen implemented successfully during such supply chain disruptions. I’ve outlined some of them below.

Get informed about your herd’s diet. Now is a great time to enhance your relationship with your nutritionist and get to know the details of your herd’s diet. With social distancing in place, your nutritionist should be open to justifying ration costs and explaining what additives are included in your diet and why. As a result of the poor 2019 growing season, additives such as live yeast, rumen modifiers and mycotoxin solutions may be built into your diet to safeguard animal health and performance. Your nutritionist should be able to confidently explain how these additives work and their return on investment within the diet. If rations decisions are made only on the upfront cost per cow, removing these important technology solutions could have a detrimental long-term effect on herd health.

Cull open and low-production cows. For dairy farms that are under filling their quota, milking an open cow that is producing in excess of the ration and fixed costs is justified. For those in excess of their quota, it makes perfect sense to cull this cow from the herd as quickly as possible, provided she is fit to market. This is a great opportunity to stretch precious forage stocks while improving overall herd averages. There have been countless studies illustrating the heritability of low production and how removing low-end producers can improve herd performance and profitability.

High-SCC and chronic-mastitis cows. One valuable report that is available through Lactanet is the tank report (see example below).

If dairy farms have no more open cows to cull, this is a great place to check for eligible candidates. The report ranks the cows that are contributing the most to the SCC average. It also shows the linear score on the current test and the number of previous milk tests in which the linear score for that individual cows was > 4, or 200,000 cells/ml. The report also shows the cumulative economic loss. High SCC counts and multiple high linear scores could help pinpoint the chronic high-infection cows that could spread contagious mastitis, like Staph aureus, to the rest of the herd.

Scrutinize the data carefully. Do you or your nutritionist analyze milk production by sorting herd lists from highest to lowest production? If so, you may be missing an opportunity to identify “average” or “broken” cows. It’s easy — and a lot more fun — to look at the high-production cows, but it’s really the bottom-end individuals that we should be scrutinizing. Low-production cows who are not normally low-production cows helps pinpoint the “pinch points” in your nutrition and herd management.

Dry off cows early. If a dairy farm is shipping over quota and has exhausted their list of cull cows, drying off cows one to two weeks early could help reduce total volume. Making this decision requires the dairy manager to work closely with their nutritionist to ensure that the energy profile of the dry cow ration does not cause excessive weight gain. Over-conditioned cows are at risk of several metabolic transition cow diseases that could jeopardize the success of the next lactation. The potential results include in+C35creased veterinary expenses, along with lost production. Balancing the diet to include a balanced amino acid profile, along with using additives that aid in preserving normal liver function, is a strategy worth considering.

Identify future forage quality risks. One big reason dairy farmers don’t like to cull cows is that, when they do, they sometimes experience forage feed changes and a production drop. As a result, they regret culling those open and low-production cows. Dairy owners and herdspersons should be working with nutrition companies that can recommend forage specialists who can provide infrared camera imaging of bunker silos and ag bags. Identifying potential spoilage “hot spots” can serve as a warning for wild yeast or mold growth. These storage molds can be stressed and create mycotoxins, which are invisible to the human eye. The growth of storage molds can also affect rumen function, leading to reduced fiber fermentation, reproduction challenges and production losses.

Knee-jerk reactions are never good. Working closely with your herd nutritionist or a reputable feed solutions company that provides on-farm support is a great way to help make the best management decisions for the future.

Brent Corrigan provides on-farm technical support for Alltech Canada in eastern and central Ontario, as well as the Huron Bay district. His dairy farm support services include rumen function assessments, bunk and TMR audits, and technical analytic data support.

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COVID-19

Dr. Frank Mitloehner - Livestock's Environmental Impact: Misinformation about greenhouse gases

As more and more companies promote anti-meat products, many consumers have been left with misconceptions about the relationship between livestock and climate change. Dr. Frank Mitloehner, professor in the department of animal science at the University of California, Davis, joins us to discuss the myths about livestock’s impact on the environment and why agriculture is not to blame for climate change, but how it is key for a more sustainable future.

The following is an edited transcript of the Ag Future podcast episode with Dr. Frank Mitloehner hosted by Tom Martin.

Click below to hear the full audio.

Tom:

Welcome to Ag Future, presented by Alltech. Join us as we explore the challenges and opportunities facing the global food supply chain and speak with experts working to support a Planet of PlentyTM.

As the scale and impacts of climate change become increasingly alarming, meat is a popular target for action. Many climate activists urge the public to eat less meat to save the environment, and some have called for taxing meat to reduce consumption. Their key claim is that, globally, meat production generates more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation sector. However, this claim is demonstrably wrong, and its persistence has misled people about the links between meat and climate change. These words begin an article by Dr. Frank Mitloehner, a professor in the department of animal science at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Mitloehner specializes in the measurement and mitigation of airborne pollutants from livestock production, including greenhouse gases, such as the methane produced by cattle. Thanks for joining us, Dr. Mitloehner.

Dr. Mitloehner:

Well, thanks for having me.

Tom:

So, we’ve turned to you to talk about confusion among consumers about the climate impact of the methane produced by cattle. And much of the confusion is due to marketing strategies and tactics by corporations such as Burger King, touting that it's adding lemongrass to cows’ diets to try to cut down on methane emissions, or Starbucks’ decision to stop using dairy products. And I like to begin by asking you to tell us about messaging that has resulted in these misperceptions about the relationship between livestock and climate change.

Dr. Mitloehner:

Well, a lot of this originated in a 2006 publication by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and they made the claim that livestock produces more greenhouse gases than transportation. And that is very unfortunate because when such an authority makes such a claim, then it has a lot of credibility. However, I proved to that this assertion was wrong and that they used different methodologies when they looked at the impact of livestock on climate versus those of transportation. And they actually corrected that and said, “Whoops, yeah, we were wrong, and we have gone back to the drawing board, and we now use the same methodology when comparing things.” But the horse had left the barn, and all those critics of animal agriculture glued on to this and gloomed on to this, and damage has been done. And so, now, many corporations are using the climate impact angle to either promote their own products or disparage the use of animal-source foods.

Tom:

Advertising and marketing can be very pervasive and very persuasive. How have these messages been damaging for agriculture?

Dr. Mitloehner:

Well, when you repeat falsehoods over and over again, then, after a while, it becomes truth, at least in the eyes of many of the consumers, and that’s really unfortunate. And one of the reasons, one of the ingredients in this disaster is that agriculture has responded too late or, if so, with some PR (public relations) campaigns as opposed to a real educational effort in infusing truth into this discussion, because it is just propaganda and nothing more than that.

Tom:

Let’s back up just a bit and talk to that consumer, who most likely has heard that cows produce methane, that methane is a significant greenhouse gas, and that beef production contributes to global warming and climate change. And first, if we could ask you, Dr. Mitloehner, to give us a bit of a primer on the chemistry that’s involved here.

Dr. Mitloehner:

Yeah. So, methane is CH4, and it’s a gas that is indeed very potent as a greenhouse gas. However, when looking at methane, we have to think about where does the carbon in the methane that we’re also concerned about — where does it come from, and where is it going?

Where it comes from is atmospheric CO2, atmospheric carbon dioxide, which, during photosynthesis, makes it into plants. The plants suck it in, and then those plants convert some of that carbon from atmospheric CO2 into carbohydrates, such as cellulose or starch. Sooner or later, a bovine comes along and eats, and then a portion of that carbohydrate it ingests will become methane. That methane, however, stays in the atmosphere for a relatively short period of time — 10 years — and is then converted back into CO2, which then goes back into the cycle as plant food and so forth. So, it is a cycle called (the) biogenic carbon cycle, which is very different from fossil carbon, let's say, from fossil fuel extraction and use, which is carbon that was in the ground for a very long time (that) has been extracted, burned and, therefore, is now a new additive to our atmosphere.

So, biogenic carbon from livestock versus fossil carbon from fossil fuel use are very different with respect to how they contribute to actual warming. Just to give you one idea here — because people are exaggerating the impact of livestock — in the United States, all beef production contributes to about 3% of all greenhouse gases (and) all dairy production to about 2% of all greenhouse gases. Okay? So, this is in the United States. Globally, all beef contributes to 6% of all global greenhouse gases and the dairy industry to 3% of all global greenhouse gases, just to give you a general idea. And one last thing: I just told you beef contributes to 3% in the United States. Contrast that to the fossil fuel sector contributing to 80% of all greenhouse gases. I view this campaign against animal agriculture as a smokescreen by those who are really mega-producers of pollution.

Tom:

Okay. Let's dig into some of the discrepancies. You published a white paper; it’s titled, “Livestock's Contributions to Climate Change: Facts and Fiction.” And in this paper, you cite a claim that U.S. livestock greenhouse emissions from cows, pigs, sheep and chickens are comparable to all transportation sources. You found a very different picture. Tell us about that.

Dr. Mitloehner:

Yes. So, the different picture is that those people who painted that picture comparing livestock to transportation used one methodology to look at the impact of livestock on climate and a different methodology to look at the impact of transportation on climate. Let me explain. For livestock, they use what's called a lifecycle assessment, in which you look at all components of producing, let’s say, a pound of beef or a gallon of milk on climate, including the soil where the plants grow. The plants themselves that are then ingested by animals, the animals then produce some greenhouse gases themselves during enteric fermentation, meaning they are belching it out or their manure produces some. And then, sooner or later, the product makes it from the farm to the distribution center, from the distribution center to the processing center, and so on. Eventually, it ends up in a commercial restaurant or in your kitchen at home. A lifecycle assessment looks at the impact all the way from cradle to grave, meaning from the field to the fork. And that's the way it should be done. And the organization that made this comparison did that for livestock and they did it well. But when they compared livestock to transportation, they made a big mistake: namely that, on the transportation side, they didn't do a lifecycle assessment, but they only looked at direct emissions coming out of the tailpipe of vehicles — not the production of cars, trucks, trains, planes, ships, streets, harbors, airports and so forth. By doing so, they truly compared apples to oranges, using one methodology for the one and another methodology for the other. And as I said, they later corrected that comparison.

Tom:

So, when we’re talking about climate change, why is it important to actually avoid comparing livestock emissions with those from other main sources of greenhouse gases?

Dr. Mitloehner:

Well, first of all, I think agriculture appreciates its contribution to a warming climate. We are contributing greenhouse gases, and we are actively involved in reducing those. So, that's just a little prelude. But comparing livestock to, let’s say, transportation, or power production and use, or the cement industry or so on is a dangerous exercise. And the reason is that the main greenhouse gas from livestock is methane, and methane undergoes cyclical conversion into CO2. So, it is atmospheric CO2 going into plants, going into the animal, and then that goes back into the atmosphere as CO2 again. So, this is a relatively short life cycle. As long as you don't increase livestock herds, as long as you keep them constant, you're not adding new additional carbon to the atmosphere. Okay? This is really important. As long as you do not increase livestock herds, you're not adding new additional carbon to the atmosphere.

But every time you use fossil fuel, you extract carbon from the ground in the form of oil, coal and gas. You are burning it, and you're converting that into CO2, and that CO2 has a lifespan of 1,000 years. Meaning every time you use fossil fuel, let's say, by driving a car, you are adding new greenhouse gases to the existing stock that's already there. So, livestock is cyclical and its impact is relatively short-lived versus fossil fuels, (which) are not cyclical. That's a one-way street, from the ground into the air, and its impacts are long-lived.

Tom:

You argue that, in fact, the U.S. livestock sector has shown considerable progress during the last half-century in reducing its environmental footprint. Tell us about that.

Dr. Mitloehner:

Well, yeah. There's no doubt about that. So, for example, on the dairy side, back mid-last century, 1950, we had 25 million dairy cows in the United States. Twenty-five. Today, we have 9 million dairy cows. So, a large reduction of cows. But with this much smaller herd today, we are producing 60% more milk. Sixty. Sixty percent more milk with much fewer cows. And that equates to a two-thirds reduction of greenhouse gases from the dairy sector. On the beef side, we had 100 and — so, in 1970, we had 140 million beef cattle. Today, we have a little over 90. So, much fewer beef cattle. Fifty million fewer. But even though we have 50 million fewer cattle, we're producing the same amount of beef. The progress we have seen in this country is remarkable. We are producing 18% of all beef globally with 8% percent of all cattle. That is remarkable.

Tom:

It is truly a model of efficiency. And is that, indeed, what has brought this about: science-driven efficiency?

Dr. Mitloehner:

Partly. I think there are four main tools that the animal agriculture industries have used. One is research and development in the area of genetics, using better genetic material for both plants and animals. The second one is that we have improved reproductive efficiencies in livestock. The third one is that we have installed a veterinary system that can both prevent and/or treat diseases. And last, but not least, we have developed a feed system, a nutrition system, that optimizes nutrient use for livestock and poultry. And the combination of these four — of genetics, of reproduction efficiencies, and improvements to the veterinary system and the nutrition system — the combination of those four has allowed us to shrink our herds to historic lows (while) producing more than we ever have before.

Tom:

What would you say needs to be improved right now? How can we get accurate and fair emissions assessments so that we're on the right path to solutions?

Dr. Mitloehner:

Well, that’s a really important question, and if you ask a scientist what needs to be done, a scientist will tell you, “Listen, you know, there is not enough funding in this field.” And I'm not different. I’ll tell you it is dismally small, what the public sector pays to get information on the impact of our food supply chain. There hardly is any funding, and there's very little funding in the private industry sector as well. And the reason why that matters is because of the lack of funding, most scientists just keep the fingers on their hands off that type of research when, indeed, it's urgently needed and constantly in the media. I would hope that particularly the public sector, federal and state agencies, would support investigation into the true impacts of livestock and into, also, research that further reduces those impacts.

Tom:

Earlier, you mentioned the FAO, the U.N.'s food and agricultural organization. The FAO has formed an international partnership project to develop and adopt a gold standard of lifecycle assessment methodology for each livestock species in the feed sector, and that’s been a few years now. Where does that stand today, and is it, in your opinion, making a difference in the public's understanding of the role of livestock in the production of greenhouse gases?

Dr. Mitloehner:

Yeah. So, this project is referred to as LEAPP, and that stands for Livestock Environmental Assessment Performance Partnership. And this partnership is comprised of three sectors: governments, on the one hand, and then NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and the industry sector. So, that’s all livestock, poultry, feed and so on. And that’s under the auspices of the FAO, and I was actually the first chairman of this committee. And we developed many guidelines on how to do a proper lifecycle assessment for livestock, for feed — not just for greenhouse gases, but also for nutrients, for biodiversity, for water use and so forth. In this context, we have developed, I would say, at least one dozen guidelines that are now considered the global gold standard for LCA, for lifecycle assessment. And I think that, as a result of that, accurate quantification has really taken off.

It's really important that the public understands that nobody is sitting on their hands — that there are active measures (being) taken to find ways to accurately quantify and further mitigate emissions from animal agriculture, from agricultural overall. The agricultural sector is very involved but, unfortunately, (is) oftentimes behind the curve in communicating this.

Tom:

In your white paper, you make note that all regions have unique demands and abilities and, thus, require regional solutions. So, taking the United States as a as a model, as a microcosm of the globe, is U.S. agriculture presently structured in a way that would accommodate a more regional approach, or does this imply the need for a restructuring and better coordination?

Dr. Mitloehner:

Yeah. So, the United States is indeed the most efficient of all agricultural systems in the world. I don't think there's much debate about that, but that's not to say that what we do here and how we produce, for example, animal-source foods in the United States could be a model for all of the rest of the world. We could be a model for much of the developed world, but not for much of the developing world, where efficiencies, first of all, (in) livestock production are much lower, but that's largely a result of a lack in infrastructure. So, for example, I told you already that we have 9 million dairy cows here in the United States. In India, they have 300 million dairy animals, both cows and buffalo. And it is a religious belief that eating bovines is a sin. So, they don't eat cattle, but they have a lot of them. So, we're not proposing or suggesting that they should change their religious belief system, but we are suggesting that if they want to meet their nutritional needs and use cattle to do so — for example, (via) dairy products from cattle — then they could do the same that they do currently with one-quarter of the current cattle population, because having such massive number of animals does have a considerable environmental footprint, one that can be strongly reduced. And we here in the United States — scientists, practitioners and so on — can assist other people throughout the world, other nations throughout the world, (to) become more efficient. For example, we can assist them in building a veterinary system, or we can assist them in building a nutrition sector or a genetics sector that's really called for, and it needs to be done in a very sensitive way, where we work with these different places to develop what's right for their respective region.

Tom:

The challenge, Dr. Mitloehner, of supplying food to a drastically growing human population is foremost on the minds of researchers and organizations concerned with nutrition. A Planet of Plenty, (for) example, is the aspirational goal of Alltech. Do you believe such a goal can be achieved — and, if so, sustained?

Dr. Mitloehner:

Yeah. That is a very important question. You know, I just turned 50. And when I was a little boy, we had about 3 billion people in the world. Three billion. Today, we have 7.6 (billion). By the time I'm an old man, we’ll have 9.5 billion people. In other words, we will triple human population throughout our lifetimes. And at the same time, we don't really triple natural resources to feed those people. In other words, we have to. It is imperative that we do drastically increase production of food for a wildly growing human population, because if we don't, we'll have some big problems on our hands.

Can it be done? Can we produce more with similar inputs as we do today? The answer, in my mind, is yes. We have shown it, for example, here in the United States over the last 60 years. We have kept the inputs for animal agriculture constant, but we have tripled the outputs. Tripled the outputs. I mean, that is just an unbelievable success story. And, (as) I told you, we cannot transfer the U.S. model to the rest of the world, but we can assist others in drastically improving. For example, a country like China, which produces half of the world's pigs — 1 billion pigs per year — has a pre-weaning mortality (rate) of 40%. They are losing 400 million pigs every year (during) pre-weaning, and that is just a travesty and something that's totally unnecessary. We can help the Chinese. We can help the rest of the world do much better without really sucking up a lot (of) additional resources. We can do more with less, and that's at the core of sustainability.

Tom:

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, professor in the department of animal science at the University of California, Davis. And we thank you so much for joining us.

Dr. Mitloehner:

Well, thank you so much for having me. Appreciate it.

Tom:

This is been Ag Future, presented by Alltech. Thank you for joining us. Be sure to subscribe to Ag Future wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Since 1950, the United States has reduced its dairy cows from 25 million to 9 million, but is now producing 60% more milk.

A winning strategy for calf gut health

Your primary focus as a producer is providing your calves with what they need to grow into healthy adult animals. To do so, gut health is key. Good gut health allows the calf to efficiently utilize the nutrients in the feed, giving them a strong, stable and healthy start.

However, helping a calf meet its true genetic potential is often easier said than done when there’s a battle going on at the microscopic level inside the calf’s gut. Understanding gut health in cows and calves and how to be a more proactive producer regarding your herd’s health will impact the overall efficiency and success of your operation. Understanding gut health in cows and young calves

“An animal’s gastrointestinal tract is made up of billions of bacteria,” said Dr. Shelby Roberts, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Alltech Center for Animal Nutrigenomics and Applied Animal Nutrition. “This bacterial population is comprised of both some pathogenic bacteria and other bacteria that are beneficial to the animal. In a healthy gut, these bacteria keep each other in balance. Gut health problems start when this balance becomes offset and the bad bacteria start to outnumber the good bacteria.” For bad bacteria to cause trouble, they must first attach to the gut, where they start to multiply. Antibiotics kill bad bacteria, but they can also kill good bacteria, so taking a different, more proactive approach when addressing calf gut health can be beneficial. “Maintaining the good gut bacteria, while ridding the system of the bad bugs, is essential to promoting gut health,” Roberts said.

Good gut health benefits cattle in a few ways, including:

The efficient utilization of feed
Healthy weight gain
Immunity
Gut integrity

Taking a proactive approach to gut health

Traditionally, the gut has been thought of as just another part of the digestive system. However, we also know that it is an active component of the immune system. Considering the dual function of the gut, one way to achieve optimum gut health in calves is to use a feed supplement created to promote good bacteria and support natural defenses. This preventative approach to animal health can help reduce the number of sick calves and, in turn, decrease the amount of antibiotic treatments as well. This can save producers valuable time and money during the busy calving season.

Over the last 20 years, Alltech has conducted research trials that have evaluated management practices that utilize nutritional technologies and the effects of those technologies on calf health and performance. Certain high-quality prebiotics, for example, have been proven to positively impact calf gut health. Prebiotics are indigestible food ingredients that selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of microbes in the gut. Establishing strong calf immunity starts with the dam

At birth, calves are born with a naïve immune system due to maternal antibodies being unable to pass through the placenta, which leaves calves susceptible to disease.
Colostrum, the first milk produced at calving, is one of the most important components of calf health. Colostrum is a calf’s initial source of the antibodies that are essential for protecting young calves until their immune systems are fully developed, which takes 1 to 2 months.
Studies of perinatal mortality indicate that 4–12% of calves are born dead or die within 24 hours of birth. Numerous risk factors contribute to higher perinatal mortality rates, including failed antibody transfer from dam to calf, which only reinforces the importance of colostrum and early nutritional management for calves.
There are numerous factors that can affect colostrum quality, including the dam’s age, breed and nutrition. Making sure that the dam’s nutritional requirements are being met prior to calving allows the dam to pass along quality stored colostrum to the calf.

Better health for improved performance Producers spend a lot of time and money trying to improve the genetics of their herds. Calves that have both strong immune system development and a healthy gastrointestinal tract will be better able to utilize nutrients efficiently and reach their genetic potential. “If we can make calves healthier and reduce the energy they spend keeping the bad bacteria in balance, it should result in better performance,” Roberts explained.

The principle of improved gut health for improved performance is best applied during periods of stress, such as weaning and feedlot arrival. These stressful times negatively impact animal health and growth due to exposure to new pathogens and periods of decreased feed intake. Improved performance resulting from increased efficiency can mean more money in the producer’s pocket.

This can be achieved through:

Improved animal growth (average daily gains)
Reductions in calf treatments and morbidities

Trials have shown that, without a doubt, enhanced calf health and immunity translate to better growth and gains. “Being proactive with the use of nutritional technologies and establishing a healthy gut could give a producer’s calves the leg up they need to reach their genetic potential,” Roberts said.

Read more about A winning strategy for calf gut health
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Maintaining good gut bacteria is essential to the health of growing calves.

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Dr. Shelby Roberts

GESTIONA: especialistas e líderes da indústria agrícola analisaram as formas de serem agentes de mudança no agronegócio

Nos dias 5 e 6 de outubro, a Alltech reuniu especialistas e empreendedores da América Latina no Gestiona, encontro no qual foram abordados os aspectos que permitem alcançar competitividade nos negócios.

A gestão em qualquer empresa é um procedimento cada vez mais complexo; e os recursos humanos são o principal ativo em qualquer organização. Assim, liderar diferentes grupos de colaboradores, ter a capacidade de conhecer suas preocupações, melhorar o desempenho através da inclusão e reter os melhores talentos representam grandes desafios.

Por isso, nos dias 5 e 6 de outubro, a Alltech reuniu agentes de mudança, especialistas e empreendedores do agronegócio no Gestiona; um espaço virtual no qual se discutiu como as empresas podem superar desafios, alcançar metas e sobreviver em um setor tão desafiador.

Paulo Rigolin, vice-presidente da Alltech para a América Latina, ressaltou que o objetivo do Gestiona é conhecer as estratégias de gestão atuais; que podem ajudar as empresas a serem mais produtivas em um cenário tão dinâmico como o de hoje. Além disso, ele ressaltou que este espaço está alinhado com o compromisso da Alltech com 9 dos 17 Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável da ONU – buscando melhorar as condições de trabalho, promover a inclusão, estimular o crescimento econômico sustentável, entre outros.

Uma das principais palestrantes do Gestiona foi Katia Soares, fundadora da consultoria Agentes da Mudança no Brasil, que perguntou ao público como estão capacitando os trabalhadores de suas organizações. Para Soares, o fundamental é que os líderes desenvolvam uma "escuta ativa" a fim de fortalecer os laços com seus colaboradores, torná-los parte das estratégias da empresa e, para isso, devem fornecer-lhes informações e eliminar a desconfiança; dessa forma as pessoas são motivadas e se tornam agentes de mudança.

Por sua vez, Martín Cuburu, CEO da Cuburu Marketing & Consultoria, destacou que, ao falar sobre mudanças geracionais na América Latina, muitas vezes temos que focar em um contexto familiar; já que as empresas familiares são as que mais movimentam a economia da região. Para Cuburu, a colaboração dentro da família contribui para o crescimento; mas também devem ser estabelecidas responsabilidades, reconhecer contribuições individuais, ser horizontais e aprender com as novas gerações.

María Antonieta Chaverri, diretora da iniciativa Vozes Vitais da Costa Rica, abordou a equidade de gênero, e comentou que no setor do agronegócio da América Latina há interesse em oferecer melhores oportunidades de desenvolvimento às mulheres, uma vez que sua contribuição é comprovada e sabe-se que o crescimento agrícola depende de pequenos produtores – onde mais mulheres são encontradas. Mas ainda há muito a ser feito e é necessário reforçar ações integradas nos níveis público, empresarial e individual.

Finalmente, Dr. Mark Lyons, presidente e CEO da Alltech, mencionou que a América Latina tem grandes oportunidades de expansão; por isso os produtores devem analisar o que podem fazer de diferente. Ele também disse que a sociedade está exigindo um menor impacto ambiental da indústria e que as empresas não podem trabalhar de maneira isolada neste desafio. Ele destacou a iniciativa colaborativa Planet of Plenty™ da Alltech, que representa um convite para trabalharmos juntos por um mundo com alimentos mais nutritivos para todos, ao mesmo tempo em que são produzidos de forma sustentável.

O Gestiona também foi a oportunidade para empreendedores de destaque da região compartilharem temas como responsabilidade social corporativa, valores, empatia e cooperação, que permitem que as empresas se tornem mais eficientes e produtivas. Foram dois dias de troca de experiências e inspiração, em que os participantes descobriram que os desafios que surgem no dia a dia tornam o agronegócio mais competitivo e consolidado.

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A Alltech reuniu especialistas e empreendedores do agronegócio para compartilhar estratégias sobre como se tornarem agentes de mudança em seus próprios negócios e na indústria em geral.

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A Alltech reuniu especialistas e empreendedores do agronegócio para compartilhar estratégias sobre como se tornarem agentes de mudança em seus próprios negócios e na indústria em geral.

Força feminina

Agroindústria está se tornando mais inclusiva e a mulher conquistando espaço

Dados da 2ª edição da pesquisa Mulheres na Alimentação & Agricultura, realizada pela Alltech em parceria com a AgriBriefing e o WFA Summit, apontam que 62% dos homens e mulheres que participaram do levantamento concordam que a indústria está se tornando mais inclusiva, e que há razão para ser otimista.

Segundo a produtora Silvia Suzuki Nishikawa, do Grupo TRI “S”, de São Gotardo (MG), as mulheres conquistaram o seu espaço no agronegócio, mas é preciso compartilhar essas histórias para que mais mulheres sejam encorajadas e se motivem a trabalhar em todos os segmentos do agro. Para contar sobre a sua história e como avalia a participação feminina, a agricultora conversou com a Revista Em Folha.

Como avalia a participação e o protagonismo das mulheres no agronegócio brasileiro atualmente?

A mulher já está inserida no contexto do agronegócio, desde o momento em que ela quebrou paradigmas para disseminar a sua importância, não somente na gestão, bem como no trabalho no campo e em toda a cadeia produtiva e de logística dos negócios.

Que reflexos esse crescimento da participação feminina traz para o setor?

Expande a área de atuação e cria um ecossistema em que a mulher consegue mostrar sua capacidade e liderança em ambientes que eram exclusivamente masculinos, promovendo a credibilidade e a confiabilidade na sua perfomance de atuação.

A mulher entende que o seu protagonismo pode fazer a diferença pela sua capacidade de inovação e empreendedorismo, com um olhar sensível e humano para os negócios

Quais são os projetos e grupos do agronegócio que você participa junto a outras mulheres?

Na cidade, temos Associações de Classe, Instituições, Sindicato dos Produtores Rurais e Cooperativas, em que mulheres participam da gestão dos negócios da família. Participo da Academia de Liderança para Mulheres do Agronegócio, que vai gerando um movimento de efeito multiplicador para empoderar mais mulheres.

Você foi a 1ª mulher a trabalhar no agro na região em que atua. Como foi?

Quando comecei, há 20 anos, o desafio foi muito grande, porque não existiam mulheres à frente do agronegócio. Minha formação é em Contabilidade e Filosofia Pura, portanto, eu não possuía experiência na área, sendo assim, um dos maiores desafios foi realizar algo inovador para aquela época, uma re-engenharia na gestão, tanto na administração como no campo.

Procurei construir esse caminhar baseado em um ideal com metas muito claras de que poderia fazer a diferença e unir mais mulheres nessa jornada.

Mais sobre a pesquisa

Para coletar perspectivas reais do cenário profissional das mulheres no agronegócio, a Alltech apoiou, pelo segundo ano consecutivo, a pesquisa anual Mulheres na Alimentação & Agricultura, em parceria com a AgriBriefing e o WFA Summit. O objetivo da pesquisa foi coletar feedbacks que empoderem a indústria agroalimentícia para criar um ambiente mais igualitário. A pesquisa buscou visões de homens e mulheres. Mais de 3.200 pessoas participaram, representando mais de 80 países e todos os setores de alimentos e agronegócio, para refletir as atuais condições de trabalho, barreiras para o sucesso e o olhar para o futuro. Como 2020 trouxe desafios sem precedentes para o segmento, novas questões foram adicionadas para perceber possíveis desigualdades exacerbadas pela Covid-19.

Deseja conferir outras reportagens especiais? Preencha o formulário abaixo para fazer download das edições mais recentes da Revista Em Folha

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