[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17), held May 21–24 in Lexington, Kentucky, is certain to inspire and motivate producers and agribusiness leaders, but more importantly, it will prepare them for the future. The three-day conference will bring together industry experts from across the globe to share insights and solutions to today’s most pressing issues within agriculture.

To provide an opportunity for every corner of production agriculture to engage in disruption, ONE17 will include various tracks, including a focus session specifically dedicated to dairy farmers. From working through government regulations to discussing the dairy operation of the future, ONE17 will give farmers real-life solutions.

“We believe it’s important for everyone involved in agriculture to be inspired to harness disruption,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “The dairy production focus session will drive dairy farmers to discover practical and profitable approaches that ensure the future of their farm.”

ONE17 dairy focus session

• The Kerrygold Story: Disrupting a commodity, making it taste different and involving the farmer: How has its status as an industry disruptor enabled Kerrygold to become a leader in butter commodities?

• The Internet of Things and the Nespresso Model: Building a Unique Service for the Dairy Farm: Could your operation benefit from communicating real-time data information to a team of nutritionists? What about meeting the daily nutrition needs of your herd via a special pod for your mixer?

• A Door-to-Door Story: What can the dairy industry learn from the success of the Pennsylvania Amish?

• The Dairy Disruptor: A case study featuring how new needs prompted ingenuity in Saudi Arabia.

• The Dairy Farm of the Future: Are robotics the disruptors of the dairy industry?

• Disruption in Washington: What can we expect from the new leadership landscape? How could the food chain and global trade be disrupted?

For more information on the ONE17 dairy focus session, visit: one.alltech.com/dairy.

Register before April 1 to save $300 on your passport to innovative ideas at ONE17.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #ONE17.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – The outlook for aquaculture, the fastest-growing sector in the feed industry, is strong. Yet, challenges loom as aquaculture producers find themselves dealing with pressures on all sides. They face a limited supply of fish oil from overfished oceans. Meanwhile, increasing consumer demand for more sustainable seafood is causing ripples in the supply chain.

It is at this pivotal tipping point where a new collaboration is seeking to provide sustainable aquaculture nutrition solutions.

Coppens International, an innovative Dutch aquatic feed and nutrition company that joined Alltech in 2016, will be collaborating with Guabi, a leading fish feed producer in Brazil. Guabi, a 43-year veteran in the animal feed business, entered into a strategic partnership with Alltech earlier this year, and now Alltech is linking the two leading aquaculture feed producers from opposite sides of the ocean together to accelerate solutions for the aquaculture industry.

“The opportunities between Coppens, Guabi and Alltech are exciting,” said Paulo Rigolin, strategic director for Alltech. “You have leaders in two different regions — Latin America and Europe — combining technology and expertise from more than 20 years of working in aquaculture. This strength is underpinned by Alltech, a leader in numerous agricultural sectors, including aquaculture.”

Guabi and Coppens have already begun discussing new opportunities, and it is expected that algae technology will be a significant focus.

“It’s a great opportunity to further apply new technologies to maximize performance for aquaculture species, but more importantly to bring profitability to producers and the highest quality products to consumers,” said Rigolin.

Guabi has a particular expertise in extruded feeds and unique solutions for a wide variety of aquaculture species, from shrimp to native South America freshwater fish. In addition to a range of feeds incorporating Alltech’s sustainable alternatives to fish oil and inorganic trace minerals, Coppens specializes in nutrition for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and recently announced a major $1 million expansion of their research center in the Netherlands.

“The new Coppens Research Centre will enable us to do more relevant studies and, more importantly, work with more species than previously whilst also providing a training centre for our staff around the world and customers alike,” said Anno Galema, managing director for Coppens.

Coppens and Guabi will share information on formulations, manufacturing techniques, and raw material and ingredient utilization.

“These are two leading companies in aquaculture feeds, each with unique local expertise,” said Patrick Charlton, CEO of Coppens. “We are very optimistic about what we might deliver to our customers through a collaborative approach to the pressing issues aquaculture faces.”

According to the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey, the aquaculture industry experienced a 12 percent increase in feed production in 2016, reaching 39.9 million metric tons.

“We have seen aquaculture as key to our global growth for many years now, and the work with Coppens and Guabi allows us to be able to provide our customers with feeds incorporating the Alltech technologies that we believe are most critical to improving health and performance,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “Through these relationships and our shared commitment to innovative research, we believe we are well-equipped to provide our customers with a level of support and expertise that is unrivaled in our industry.”

This expertise is reinforced through a series of research alliances with several universities and a research institute, all of which have focused on examining the impact of Alltech’s algae solutions in a variety of species:

Alltech-Kochi University Research Alliance (Japan) in Japanese yellowtail

Alltech-Ocean University of China Research Alliance (China) in turbot and shrimp

Alltech-Federal University of Santa Catarina Research Alliance (Brazil) in tilapia

Alltech-Kentucky State University Research Alliance (U.S.) in largemouth bass and shrimp

Alltech-Nofima Research Alliance (Norway) in Atlantic salmon

The research alliances’ findings to date have observed that Alltech’s All-G Rich™ could replace fish oil in the diets of marine, freshwater and salmonid species while maintaining performance and DHA levels in the fillet.

According to Dr. Lyons, the aquaculture industry should expect a long-term commitment from Alltech.

“We are already looking to add one or two more complementary partners to our aquaculture program,” said Dr. Lyons.

For information on Alltech’s innovative and sustainable solutions for aquaculture nutrition, visit www.alltech.com/aquaculture.

[WASHINGTON D.C.] – An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, has today presented Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) prestigious ‘St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal’ to Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech, and Prof. Adrian E. Raftery, professor of statistics and sociology at the University of Washington, for their significant contribution to academia and industry.

Now in its fourth year, the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal recognises the outstanding contributions of Dr. Pearse Lyons and Prof. Adrian Raftery in their respective fields, as well as their role in developing the research ecosystem in Ireland. The Medal is awarded annually to a distinguished Irish scientist, engineer or technology leader living and working in the USA.

Congratulating the recipients at an award event held in the United States Institute of Peace in Washington D.C., An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, said: “I am delighted to present the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal on behalf of Science Foundation Ireland, to these two exceptional leaders. Dr. Lyons and Prof. Raftery have both had a huge impact in their own areas of expertise and played pivotal roles in the development of researchers in Ireland.”

“They have demonstrated how academic and industry-based scientific research can create jobs, tackle global problems and impact positively on people and society. These distinguished Medal recipients are driving globally significant innovation in the areas of agriculture, food production, health, and population and weather forecasting, to name just a few.”

Dundalk-born biochemist and entrepreneur, Dr. Pearse Lyons, is the first Irish scientist to have created a global business based on scientific research. With the aim of creating the next ‘green revolution’ to improve the health and performance of people, animals and plants, Dr. Lyons founded Alltech, in 1980 with just $10,000 in capital.

He has subsequently led the company to now trade in over 120 countries worldwide with more than 5,000 team members. Dr. Lyons and his team at Alltech remain committed to innovation and development, with three Alltech biosciences centres dedicated to research and education - two located in the U.S. and one in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland.

Dublin-born Prof. Adrian E. Raftery has been described by his peers as one of the most eminent statisticians in the world. His work has resulted in the development of new statistical methods, focusing particularly on the social, environmental and health sciences. Prof. Raftery’s work to quantify statistical uncertainty in demographic projections has fundamentally changed approaches to population forecasting. This was demonstrated by the United Nations recently publishing a recalculation of world population projections, which directly incorporated Prof. Raftery’s work.

Prof. Raftery has been a leader in developing new Bayesian statistical methods for model selection and model averaging, as well as model-based clustering. He has also worked on studies that have fundamentally changed the understanding of whaling populations, the prevalence of HIV/Aids and weather forecasting.

At the event in Washington, D.C., Dr. Lyons said:

“I am so proud to accept the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Medal from Science Foundation Ireland. While my business is global, my passion for biochemistry and entrepreneurship started at home in Ireland. As a company, we still have very close links to Ireland with one of our three biosciences research centres based in Dunboyne, Co. Meath. Science and technology play a very important part in my company’s success and all of the Alltech team work to innovate every day. We strive to put scientific research at the core of our business and to use that research to drive our success at home and abroad.”

“Almost 100 students have graduated with their Masters and Ph.D.s from our Alltech facilities in Ireland, in cooperation with virtually every Irish university, providing a platform that was once described by the European Commissioner of Food and Safety as a ‘Primacy in Science’.”

On accepting his SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal, Professor Raftery said:

“I developed my passion for statistics during my time at St. Conleth’s College in Dublin and at Trinity College Dublin. Statistics is vital to science, including the social sciences, and it is progressing rapidly with the current growth in big data and data science. I'm proud to have contributed to the development of statistics at University College Dublin in recent years. Statistics in Ireland has been developing fast and this will provide a competitive advantage for Irish science and industry. I'm grateful to SFI for supporting my visit to Ireland in 2013-14 as a SFI Walton Fellow, which galvanised several successful collaborations with UCD, TCD and the Central Bank of Ireland. The continued support for this and other research programmes, even during the economic crisis, shows that there is a broad consensus in Ireland for supporting scientific research, which bodes well for the future of the country. I am very honoured to receive the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal.”

Congratulating the recipients, Prof. Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, said:

“The Irish scientific and technology diaspora are outstanding representatives for Irish science abroad and play a huge role in promoting Ireland internationally. The research undertaken by these two Irish leaders has had a profound and diverse impact across the globe. As a nation, we should be immensely proud of the influence that Dr. Lyons and Prof. Raftery have had in their respective fields and indeed, across the globe. In presenting them both with the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal, Science Foundation Ireland recognises the significant value and impact of their work.”

About Science Foundation Ireland:

Science Foundation Ireland funds oriented basic and applied research in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) which promotes and assists the development and competitiveness of industry, enterprise and employment in Ireland. The Foundation also promotes and supports the study of, and engagement with STEM and promotes an awareness and understanding of the value of STEM to society and in particular to the growth of the economy.  See www.ScienceFoundationIreland.ie.

Science Foundation Ireland has launched the #BelieveInScience campaign to promote the potential that science and discovery offer Ireland, today and in tomorrow’s world. The #BelieveInScience campaign will see Science Foundation Ireland work in partnership with the Irish research community to share a mutual passion for science with the public; to promote an understanding of the ability of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) to create positive change in the world and to drive a sustainable economy in Ireland.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — George Blankenship, former executive at Tesla Motors, Apple Computer and GAP Inc., uses uniquely innovative processes to transform status quo organizations into forward-thinking and dynamic players of the future. And now, Blankenship will use his experience to provide the audience at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference with unmatched insight into building and creating brand loyalty and awareness, competitive positioning in the market and what it takes to deliver superior customer care.

Jack Bobo, senior vice president and chief communications officer for Intrexon, is constantly assessing the relationship between science and agriculture. Bobo, who was named one of the 100 most influential people in biotechnology by Scientific American, will offer his unique perspective on global trends in agriculture, consumer perceptions and science communication.

International pioneer in innovation and New York Times best-selling author Dr. Peter Diamandis will share his insight and strategies for making big impacts on the future. Diamandis, founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation and co-founder and vice-chairman of Human Longevity Inc., was named one of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” by Fortune magazine.

“This year’s audience should prepare for truly disruptive ideas when they hear from these influential leaders,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech’s founder and president. “From changing the car-buying experience to serving as the architect of Apple’s brand-building retail methodology, George Blankenship has disrupted the status quo in several industries. Peter Diamandis taught us how to go big, create wealth and impact the world through his book ‘Abundance.’ And Jack Bobo is a name synonymous with biotechnology and consumer perceptions.”

Dr. Lyons will deliver an inspiring message on “Realizing Your Dreams Through Disruption.” Through personal stories of perseverance and ambition, he will encourage business leaders to explore goals and define a roadmap to success.

Nothing will feed your hunger for making a difference more than pursuing your dreams,” said Dr. Lyons.

Other headliners for ONE17 include Lisa Bodell, founder and CEO of futurethink, and Damien McLoughlin, Anthony C. Cunningham professor of marketing and associate dean at the University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in Ireland. In her “Why Simple Wins” discussion, Bodell — whose time-management skills border on an art form — will help agribusiness leaders escape complexity traps and focus on the work that matters. McLoughlin will share what can be expected from the new leadership landscape in Washington, D.C., and how the food chain and global trade could be disrupted in the future, as he discusses “Disruption in Washington.”

Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from Aidan Connolly, Alltech’s chief innovation officer, and Dr. Mark Lyons, global vice president and head of Greater China for Alltech. Connolly will focus on how organizations and individuals can maintain lasting disruption, and Dr. Mark Lyons will discuss the changing consumer landscape and meeting the demands of the “rising billion.”

Contributing to the uniqueness and “real-life solutions” approach of ONE17, this year’s conference will include various track sessions. Breakouts on crop science, beef, dairy, swine, poultry and aquaculture — as well as topical sessions on finance, food issues and emerging markets — provide an opportunity for every corner of production agriculture to engage disruption at the ONE17 conference.

For the full list of sessions and topics to be featured at ONE17, visit one.alltech.com. Register before April 1 to save $300.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #ONE17.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – Out of 250 applicants, 21 undergraduate and graduate students stepped into the spotlight at the 12th annual Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition to sing for a chance to win scholarships and prizes that will jumpstart their operatic careers.

“Competitions can bring out the best in us, as well as our visions, and all of these young people here have a vision,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “When we combine these things, we can change lives.”

Overall winners of the 2017 Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition are:

First Place Alltech Graduate Winner: Jessica Bayne, University of Kentucky, Christiansburg, Virginia (currently resides in Lexington, Kentucky)

Second Place Alltech Graduate Winner: HyeonJeong Kim, Wilmore, Kentucky

First Place Alltech Undergraduate Winner: Parker Van Houten, Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville, Kentucky

Second Place Alltech Undergraduate Winner: Catarine Hancock, Lafayette High School, Lexington, Kentucky

Addington & Mills Incoming Undergraduate Award: Bailey Tillery, Lafayette High School, Lexington, Kentucky

Enterprise Fleet Services Third Place Undergraduate Award: Ashley Cissell, Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville, Kentucky

The 21 finalists were scored on voice, technical skill, interpretation, accuracy and appearance by six judges:

Marcus Küchle, the director of artistic operations at the Cincinnati Opera;

Ian Derrer, who recently joined Kentucky Opera as the newly appointed general director;

Dr. Thomas King, who has sung in five world premier operas in the last 20 years;

Corey Crider, alumnus of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center;

Susanne Marsee, one of the New York City Opera’s leading mezzos for over 20 years; and

Amanda Balltrip, director of music education for McNeil Music Center.

“I’m speechless,” said Bayne. “This means that I can continue my education and career — I wouldn’t be able to go to graduate school without Alltech. I’m so grateful for Alltech’s support of this program.”

The competition, held March 5 at the University of Kentucky Singletary Center for the Arts, featured a pool of $500,000 in prizes. Launched in 2006, the annual competition at the University of Kentucky marks a continued partnership between Alltech and the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre department. This partnership has created the largest vocal competition in Kentucky and positioned UK Opera Theatre as a Richard Tucker Music Foundation top recommended opera program. Alltech’s support of this competition also led to Alltech being named one of the top 10 “Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America” by the Americans for the Arts in 2012.

Alltech Vocal Scholars have contributed to Alltech’s philanthropic efforts in Haiti by teaching music to Haitian primary school children. They have also performed at numerous Alltech events, including the Alltech FEI World Equestrian GamesTM in 2010 and 2014, the company’s annual international conference, Ambassador dinners around the world, the annual Celebration of Song and The Gathering Ireland 2013.

Parker Van Houten from the Youth Performing Arts School in Louisville, Kentucky, was the First Place Alltech Undergraduate Winner at the 2017 Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition, where 21 young vocalists competed for more than $500,000 in scholarships and prizes.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – Farmers have a rich history of adapting to changing landscapes and innovating to nourish the world. While dealing with whatever challenges the day (and the weather) might bring, they also look ahead to build a future for their farm by implementing new management practices, technologies and crop management as well as training the next generation.

Alltech Crop Science is calling all farmers, producers and growers to share their stories about how they are ensuring the future of their farm. By creating a one- to two-minute video describing what they are doing for their farm’s future and sharing their farm’s story, farmers have the opportunity to win a trip for two to ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, held in Lexington, Kentucky, May 21–24, 2017.

Videos must be submitted online by April 3, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. EST. To enter a “My Farm. My Future.” video as well as read the full contest details, including rules and regulations, please visit http://go.alltech.com/myfarm-crop. The crop “My Farm. My Future.” contest is only open to U.S. residents.

Alltech Crop Science will select the finalists and post their videos on Alltech’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/AlltechNaturally). Voting will open to the public starting April 3, 2017, at 3:00 p.m. EST and will close April 10, 2017, at 12:00 p.m. EST. The highest number of Facebook likes will determine the winner.

Registration is open now for ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, held in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, from May 21–24. The annual international conference draws more than 3,000 attendees from more than 70 countries to network and discuss world-changing ideas. For more information or to register, visit one.alltech.com. Join the conversation online with #ONE17.

[ATLANTA] – Dr. Mark Lyons, global vice president and head of Greater China for Alltech, presented “Understanding China: How the second-largest poultry market is changing the world,” addressing the Alltech ACE principle of developing solutions that are safe for the Animal, Consumer and Environment, to an audience of 250 people during the Alltech Annual Breakfast Meeting at the International Production & Processing Expo.

There has been a great urban shift of 300 million people within the economic power player, resulting in 188 cities in China larger than Chicago. Additionally, China has a rising middle class that is young, urban and globally minded.

“China is different and is not for the faint-hearted,” said Lyons. “They rapidly change and want transparency, and if you’re going to do business in China, then you need to be there, and you need to commit to being Chinese.”

China is going through a period of transition in many areas, including agriculture. Its industry has been very fragmented, but it is evolving toward more integration and segmentation. Results from the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey showed that China continues to be the largest feed-producing country but is producing that feed with fewer and fewer mills. The consolidation has been vast, with a report this year of a nearly 30 percent decline in the country’s number of feed mills.

China is home to 20 percent of the world’s 60 billion poultry birds, including 8.8 billion broilers, 1.2 billion layers/breeders and 4 billion waterfowl. Currently, China produces 26 percent of the world’s poultry meat, and studies show that both consumption and production of poultry will continue to increase in China, and worldwide, over the next 10 years. China is also the world leader in egg production, producing almost six times more than the United States, which is in second place.

Trends in China

• Poultry and egg industry moving toward integration
• Consumer awareness of environmental pollution growing and creating pressure at the farm level
• Antibiotic-free is a growing trend as testing and legislation increase
• Pressure from the cost of feed materials
• Desire for high-quality poultry products

Challenges

• High feed costs; up to two times the cost of international prices
• Flat consumption, as chicken meat is considered an inferior protein to pork, seafood and beef
• Falling exports, as China’s competitiveness is decreasing against Brazil and Thailand to its top export market, Japan
• Disease challenges, with avian influenza outbreaks as a constant reminder to consumers, which harms the image of poultry meat

“We have been talking about the power of the new consumer, which we are calling the prosumer,” said Lyons. “I believe there are more prosumers in China than any other market in the world today.”

Rather than simply consuming products, these prosumers are proactively exhibiting their beliefs, ethics, standards and aspirations through their purchases. Prosumers are product and brand advocates who now significantly affect the success or failure of companies, products and brands through their involvement on social media outlets, and food producers and farmers need to pay attention to their demands.

As consumer awareness of environmental pollution has grown, it has created pressure at the farm level. The Chinese government has put a focus on livestock pollution control regulations, new environmental laws, animal husbandry laws, standardized scale farming, water regulations and animal disease control laws.

Alltech China is hosting an environmental meeting from March 7–9. The event will focus on overcoming environmental challenges and finding opportunities in the new green economy. For more information or to attend the meeting, contact Apple Zhang, marketing manager for Alltech China (azhang@alltech.com).

Fifty-three percent of consumers frequently wonder if the food they buy is safe, according to research conducted for the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance.

Food safety has become a top priority among poultry producers today because of its direct and significant effect on brand reputation. The effects of a food recall are always costly and can severely harm a brand's reputation if consumers lose trust.

For over two decades, the meat and poultry industries have been following the guidelines of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, or HACCP, a management system for food safety put in place to address potential biological, chemical and physical contamination. This allows producers to identify possible hazards in order to take the necessary actions to reduce or eliminate the risk.

There is no silver bullet strategy that has the capability to address every potential threat along the production chain, so producers and plants use a variety of strategies at their critical control points.

Three steps to improve food safety

As stated on the National Chicken Council website, some ways that producers can improve their food safety include:

• The use of feed additives that can reduce the growth of potential microbial hazards.
• Approved rinses to kill any surviving bacteria.
• Metal detectors to make sure physical contaminants are not found in a product.

In addition to food safety systems, producers also need to make sure that their consumers understand proper food handling practices. Consumers should be made aware of the proper way to clean, prepare, cook and chill raw agricultural products in order to further reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses.

West Liberty Foods, a leading supplier of sliced meats in the U.S., understands that the concepts of food safety and consumer trust are crucial to success. The company’s chairman, Paul Hill, explained its strategy in a recent Alltech feature story. Learn more about how a brand like West Liberty Foods approaches food safety by clicking on the link below.

http://stories.alltech.com/west-liberty-foods-our-brand-is-food-safety.html

Five mycotoxin minutes with Randy Asher, Alltech regional sales manager (and overall mycotoxin expert)

As the 2016 crop rolls in, now is the time to get the scoop on this year’s harvest and what that means for your operation. We grabbed Randy Asher, Alltech’s regional sales manager, with a host of consulting experience on mycotoxin issues for beef and dairy operations, for a little Q and A. 

What’s made the conditions for mycotoxins particularly unique this year?

The weather was a huge factor this summer. Regionally, weather conditions varied a lot, with Kansas having heavy rainfall and a large crop, whereas other areas, like West Texas and New Mexico, were historically dry and production was down.

The overall amount of stress was pretty high, too, because of the weather. Even the regions that got rain had long dry periods in the middle of the growing season and then lots of rain right before harvest, especially in the Corn Belt. This created an inconsistent environment, with both wet and dry patches in the crop, which, unfortunately, is perfect for mold and mycotoxin growth. Producers should really be on the lookout this year, just as Dr. Max Hawkins described in his Animal AgWired interview.  

What have you heard about the 2016 crop so far? What does it mean for feeding cattle?

DON will be the story this year. DON, also known as vomitoxin or deoxynivalenol, is one of an array of trichothecene mycotoxins produced by Fusarium graminearum and looks to be at much higher levels than normal. Aflatoxin levels also look to be high in this year’s crop. What DON and aflatoxins are known to do is inhibit the synthesis of protein in cattle and alter the immune system. As a result, feed conversion, particularly in lightweight feedlot cattle, is really affected and overall performance goes down. 

To combat this, everyone needs to be diligent in testing their corn and corn silages. Producers should have their feedstuffs and forages tested at laboratories, such as the Alltech 37+^® mycotoxin analytical services laboratory, to determine if any of their silages or hay has a mycotoxin prevalence before feeding. It’s really important to discard any feed ingredients you can tell are already moldy and musty smelling and use a sequestering agent in feed to prevent and/or offset the negative effects of molds and mycotoxins. 

How can producers tell if there’s a high mycotoxin load? Are there any early indication signs?

The big challenge when it comes to mycotoxins is that everything is dosage-dependent. Meaning, both the volume and duration of mycotoxins have a compounding effect over time. As a result, producers might not see any impact at all on day one, but don’t confuse that with thinking there isn’t an issue. It’s easy to blame a drop in performance on management or breed influences when the real problem could be right in the feed itself. 

Testing for mycotoxins is critical, but also let your cattle tell you what’s going on. Visually, there are a few cues: 
•    Rough or dull hair coats
•    Stiff joints and/or lameness 
•    Increases in respiratory-related incidents
•    Gut irritation that causes inconsistent or loose stool samples 

This year in particular is the right time to focus on nutrition to boost the immune system to combat the varied mycotoxin load cattle will face.  

Lastly, what’s the one thing the farming public needs to know about mycotoxins that they might not already know?

For me, I hear lots of producers worrying about aflatoxins and testing for them, which is good, but we know there are as many 1,200 different mycotoxins overall that can potentially be in feedstuffs. What I think farmers need to know is that testing for aflatoxins alone isn’t enough. 

I’ve said it before, but it’s the additive or synergistic effect of mycotoxins that really causes the issue. It takes a comprehensive management strategy, including testing and feed application, to drive the health and performance of cattle. That’s what’s best for cattle and supports profitable production at the end of the day.

To learn more about the Alltech® Mycotoxin Management program, visit www.knowmycotoxins.com.

The countdown to 2017 began for many producers back in 2015 when it was announced that new regulations limiting the use of antibiotics, called the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), would go into effect Jan. 1, 2017. Since then, many questions have been top of mind for producers and feed suppliers: Do I need a VFD for my feed? Is there anything I need to change? How do I get prepared for the new regulations? Dr. Chris Rademacher, senior clinician at Iowa State University, explored these questions and more in the webinar “The VFD. What does it mean for me?”

“One of my jobs in extension is to work with and educate how producers get programs implemented,” said Rademacher when opening the webinar. “This is probably one of the bigger ones we have had from a regulatory standpoint in my 20 years in professional practice…the focus now is to help get producers, veterinarians and feed suppliers ready for these new regulations.”

In the webinar, Rademacher covered the following topics:

• What exactly the Veterinary Feed Directive means
• What changes will have to occur with your feed company
• A list of antibiotics that this new regulation affects
• The necessary actions that producers will need to take as a result of this new regulation

Rademacher emphasized that in order to make sure we get things done right, producers need to be having these conversations with their veterinarians right now. To learn more, click the link below and view the webinar.

http://go.alltech.com/vfd-webinar-signup-pig