Alltech released its 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook today, highlighting global feed production survey data. Despite significant macroeconomic challenges that affected the entire supply chain, global feed production remained steady in 2022 at 1.266 billion metric tons (BMT) in 2022, a decrease of less than one-half of one percent (0.42%) from 2021’s estimates. The annual survey, now in its 12^th year, includes data from 142 countries and more than 28,000 feed mills.

Europe bore the brunt of the impact, including significant disease challenges, severe weather and the impacts of the invasion of Ukraine. The global COVID-19 pandemic has had major impacts on the agri-food sector, contributing to supply chain challenges and accelerating the adoption of new technology and environmental sustainability practices.

The top 10 feed-producing countries over the past year were China (260.739 million metric tons [MMT]), the U.S. (240.403 MMT), Brazil (81.948 MMT), India (43.360 MMT), Mexico (40.138 MMT), Russia (34.147 MMT), Spain (31.234 MMT), Vietnam (26.720 MMT), Argentina (25.736 MMT) and Germany (24.396 MMT). Together, the top 10 countries produced 64% of the world’s feed production, and half of the world’s global feed consumption is concentrated in four countries: China, the U.S., Brazil and India. Vietnam experienced a great recovery in terms of its feed tonnage in 2022, entering the top 10 ahead of Argentina and Germany and crowding out Turkey, which reported reduced feed tonnage. Russia overtook Spain, where there was a significant reduction in feed production.

Key observations from the survey:

• Feed production increased in several regions, including Latin America (1.6%), North America (0.88%) and Oceania (0.32%), while Europe decreased by 4.67%, Africa by 3.86% and the Asia-Pacific region also dropped 0.51%.
   
• Globally, increases in feed tonnage were reported in the aquaculture, broiler, layer and pet food sectors, while decreases were reported in the beef, dairy and pig sectors.
   
• Although it experienced a narrow reduction in feed production, China remains the largest feed-producing country in the world, followed by the United States and Brazil.

Notable species results:

• The poultry sector experienced increases in both layer and broiler feed production.
  • Avian influenza, other diseases and the high costs of raw materials affected the layer sector in many markets, especially in Asia, Europe and Africa. On the other hand, growth in the sector was boosted due to bigger challenges in other sectors that led to increased demand for eggs. Overall, layer-sector feed production increased by 0.31%.
     
• • While the overall tonnage in the broiler sector increased by 1.27%, there were significant differences from country to country. Overall, feed production growth in the broiler sector was reported mainly from the Middle East, North America and Latin America.
     
• Pig feed production was down globally in 2022 by almost 3%. ASF and high feed prices depressed pig production in many countries. However, in Vietnam, China, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico, better pork prices and other market conditions led to growth in the sector.
   
• Dairy feed tonnage decreased by 1.32%, mainly due to the high cost of feed combined with low milk prices, which caused farmers to reduce their numbers of cows and/or rely more on non-commercial feed sources. Some exceptions included Ireland, where drought caused farmers to rely more on commercial feeds, and New Zealand, where milk prices were higher.
   
• Beef feed production decreased slightly by 0.34% globally. The downward trend continued in Europe, but increases were seen in almost all other regions. In Australia, the reduction in feed tonnage was a result of plentiful grass and not a reflection of any changes in the demand for beef.
   
• The aquaculture sector experienced a total global feed production growth of 2.7%. The Top 5 aquaculture feed countries are China, Vietnam, India, Norway and Indonesia. Significant increases were reported in China, Brazil, Ecuador, the Philippines and the U.S. Aquaculture feed production was one of a few sectors that saw growth in Europe.
   
• Pet feed production had the highest increase among the sectors, with a global average 7.25% rise in production. This significant increase is largely due to the rise in pet ownership amid the COVID-19 pandemic. North America and Europe continue to be the top pet feed-producing regions.

Notable regional results:

• North America reported an increase of 0.88% (2.272 MMT) and the U.S. remained the second-largest feed-producing country globally, behind China. Growth was reported in the broiler, beef and pet food sectors.
   
• Latin America experienced growth of 1.6% (3.006 MMT), and Brazil remained the leader in feed production for the region and ranked third overall globally. Most of the growth was reported by Mexico, Brazil and Chile.
   
• Europe saw the largest decrease in feed production of 4.67% (-12.882 MMT) in its feed production due to issues that include the invasion in Ukraine and the spread of animal diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF) and avian Influenza (AI).
   
• Asia-Pacific remained flat as decreases reported in China, Pakistan, Thailand and Malaysia were offset by increases in Vietnam, the Philippines, Mongolia and South Korea. The region is home to several of the top 10 feed-producing countries, including China, India and Vietnam.
   
• Africa experienced a decrease of 3.86% in feed tonnage (-1.718 MMT), mainly because of reductions reported in Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Nigeria. South Africa, on the other hand, saw an increase of more than 2%, and Namibia also reported higher feed tonnage in 2022
   
• The Middle East region is up significantly at 24.7% (6.301 MMT), as a result of more accurate reporting and efforts by the Saudi Arabian government to increase broiler production as part of its Vision 2030 plan.
   
• Oceania was flat, with a small reduction reported by Australia that was offset by a slight increase reported by New Zealand.

Alltech works together with feed mills and industry and government entities around the world to compile data and insights to provide an assessment of feed production each year. Compound feed production and prices were collected by Alltech’s global sales team and in partnership with local feed associations in the last quarter of 2022. These figures are estimates and are intended to serve as an information resource for industry stakeholders.

To access more data and insights from the 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook, including an interactive global map, visit alltech.com/agri-food-outlook.

To accelerate innovation and keep Alltech at the leading edge of smarter, more sustainable solutions for agriculture, the company has formed a new Innovation Department, appointing Dr. Kyle McKinney as vice president of innovation and Dr. Rebecca Delles as innovation & analytics manager.  The team will be responsible for horizon scanning to meet the needs of tomorrow’s customers, rigorously challenging ideas before investment and bringing new technologies to market.

“Our new Innovation Department will serve as an important hub of connection, collaborating with our global sales team and customers to identify opportunities, piloting new innovations with our operations and sales teams and successfully launching new innovations into the market with the support of teams throughout our organization,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “This is an exciting development in our effort to exploit more of Alltech’s capabilities and ultimately deliver on our ambitions for Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™.”

Since 2018, Dr. McKinney has served as the Global Director of Alltech’s Enzyme Management platform. Prior to that role, he spent three years in Costa Rica focused on leveraging Alltech Crop Science technologies to control disease and reduce chemical applications. While there, he helped establish a fermentation lab to evaluate microbial solutions for disease control. He also worked in Alltech’s applications research program for more than a decade, playing an instrumental role in the design of Alltech True Check™, an in vitro digestion system that evaluates diets and the impacts of feed technology in monogastric animals. Dr. McKinney received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural biotechnology from the University of Kentucky, his master’s degree in brewing and distilling fermentation technology from Heriot-Watt University and his Ph.D. in agricultural biotechnology from Harper Adams University.

Dr. Delles has supported Alltech as a research scientist since 2013. Her focus has been on the impact of nutritional strategies on the oxidative stability of fresh meat products and the role of nutrition on inflammaging (the impact of inflammation on the aging process) in companion animals. She received her bachelor’s degree in medical technology at the State University of New York at Fredonia and her master’s, Ph.D. and MBA from the University of Kentucky.

For more information, visit alltech.com.

Alltech is proud to continue to partner in the Women in Food & Agriculture (WFA) Mentorship Program. Applications are now open for new mentors of any gender and for female mentees from across the global food and agriculture sector. Now in its third year, the free-to-join program matches applicants based on their preferences, which can include gender of mentor, areas of expertise, language and industry sector, and offers opportunities for women in food and agriculture to develop meaningful industry connections.

“Over the past few years, all of us have come to more deeply value the power of human connection,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “A commitment to the growth and development of another person unleashes energy, inspires ideas and empowers both individuals to have a greater impact. We view our involvement in the Women in Food & Agriculture mentorship program as an investment not only in the lives of women but in the future of agriculture as the industry most integral to the nourishment and vitality of our planet.”

Findings from the annual WFA survey and ongoing feedback from all levels of the food and agriculture sector consistently suggest that a hurdle to greater success for women in the global agri-food industry is a lack of mentorship opportunities. To tackle this issue, WFA launched its Mentorship Program. In partnership with Alltech in 2022, the initiative grew with 320 industry representatives matched across two cohorts. Now in 2023, the program will be open for applicants year-round with two matching sessions taking place to help even more women in food and agriculture progress their careers. The initiative has supported a variety of people around the world from CEOs of agribusinesses to small-scale farmers, from academics to ag-tech professionals, with sector representatives paired with mentors that complement their professional objectives.

“We are very pleased to again have Alltech supporting the 2023 WFA Mentorship Program,” said Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, global chair of WFA. “Mentorship is vital in supporting women across food and agriculture in developing their careers, we’ve had very positive feedback from both mentors and mentees. Many of our mentors joined the initiative as a selfless act of support for equality in our sector, but realized they got as much out of the experience as the mentees. This is such an exciting opportunity to learn about yourself, develop your skills and support an important initiative that is working to improve diversity, equality and inclusion in the food and agriculture industry.”

For those interested in taking part in the 2023 Mentorship Program, WFA is looking for mentors of any gender who have at least one year of experience in the food and ag sector. During matching, WFA will ensure all mentors have more work experience than mentees, so this should not be a barrier to mentors applying. Potential mentees should be women working in the food and ag industry who would benefit from help, guidance and support from a senior sector representative.

Alltech believes that inclusion cultivates creativity, drives innovation and is essential to the company’s purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty^TM. In 2019, Alltech selected Gender Equality as one of the nine United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to which the company committed to advancing.

Applications are open now for the Women in Food & Agriculture (WFA) Mentorship Program, supported by Alltech. For more information and to apply to be a mentor or mentee, visit https://wfa-initiative.com/mentorship-program/.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – Alltech is transforming its annual Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) in 2023 into a series of international events that will invite collaboration on the greatest challenges facing the agri-food industry. Instead of welcoming the world to Alltech’s home in Lexington, Kentucky, as it has for the past 38 years, the Alltech ONE World Tour will bring the ideas and inspiration of the ONE Conference to communities throughout the world.

Stops are planned in Brazil, Canada, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, the Middle East the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, the United States and Vietnam, providing the opportunity for more people than ever to experience the power of ONE and to hear from experts on trending topics in the agriculture industry. Additional stops are expected to be announced in 2023.

“As our customers and partners continue to face many challenges and uncertainties, we determined that 2023 would be dedicated to meeting them in their market,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO. “This special edition of the ONE will endeavor to deliver global expertise to locally relevant issues. In the midst of economic and political uncertainties that fuel regionalization, this ONE reflects the responsibility we have as a global company to be a connector of people and ideas, ever advancing our purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty.”

While Alltech looks forward to bringing the international conference home to Kentucky in 2024, the 2023 ONE World Tour is a unique opportunity to discuss the future of agriculture with stakeholders all over the world, offering both a global and local perspective for attendees. It will unite changemakers and thought leaders in unique forums to discuss the future, examining regional and local market trends in agriculture, business, health and nutrition.

Alltech will release more details about its international tour stops and event dates in the coming weeks. Visit one.alltech.com for more information and to subscribe to notifications on tour updates.

[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Similar to 2021, widespread drought throughout Europe during the 2022 growing season has directly impacted the presence of moulds and mycotoxins in new crop grains and forages. Mycotoxins are produced by certain species of moulds and are a concern for livestock producers as they can influence feed quality and subsequent animal health and performance. The Alltech 2022 European Harvest Analysis uncovers the true threat mycotoxins pose to animals and producers. To determine the most accurate representation of mycotoxin risk across Europe, Alltech has again collaborated with SGS, a global leader in mycotoxin testing and certification. Data for this programme has been collected for key feed ingredients on a regional level, and analysis indicates moderate to high levels of mycotoxin risk.

The results of the 2022 analysis are based on over 1,000 samples of the most common grains and forages produced and used in the European livestock industry. Samples have been collected from farms or animal feed production sites in 20 different countries, offering a representative picture of the contamination risk in all regions, with an overall moderate to high risk.

''Generally, the current results look very similar to the analysis we performed in 2021, with the aflatoxin issue in Central and Southeastern Europe dominating the headlines and creating the greatest challenge for feed and livestock producers to manage,” said Dr. Radka Borutova, European technical support manager with the Alltech Mycotoxin Management team. “Although this analysis gives a robust assessment of the mycotoxin risk in Europe this year until you actually test the ingredients that you are using in your business, it can be difficult to implement an effective control plan.’’

Key results from the Alltech 2022 European Harvest Analysis include:

• 100% of samples contained mycotoxins, with 79% containing 2 or more
• On average, each sample contained 4.5 mycotoxins
• Aflatoxins, type B trichothecenes, fumonisins and emerging mycotoxins are the most dominant groups detected
• 67 corn samples exceeded aflatoxin regulatory limits for feed usage (>20 ppb)

The aflatoxin challenge in corn

For the second year running, aflatoxin contamination of corn in Central and Southeastern Europe is a dominant issue for feed and livestock producers to consider as they begin to purchase and use ingredients during the coming feeding season. Aflatoxin is a warm-weather toxin, and the widespread extreme heat conditions during the main growing season are likely to have contributed to the levels appearing in corn samples.

Wheat and barley

Mycotoxin levels in wheat and barley are less than those contained in corn. While the average number of mycotoxins detected in many corn samples is above 5, in small grains, it is typically closer to 3 This variance is reflected in the risk equivalent quantity (REQ) and the risk of feeding these ingredients to specific species and animal groups. For instance, in sows and gilts, this year’s corn samples represent moderate to higher risk of mycotoxins, but when small grains are fed to the same animals, the mycotoxin risk is deemed to be lower.

Straw

Although widely used in ruminant diets and swine bedding, contamination of straw with mycotoxins is often overlooked. However, as testing in Denmark continues to reveal, straw samples primarily contain higher levels of mycotoxins. DON is the leading mycotoxin of concern and is likely resulting from a combination of pre- and post-harvest contamination. The problem can be exacerbated when straw is left in the field for a prolonged period, exposed to rain and dampness.

Forages

In all regions of Europe, grass and corn silage samples contained levels of mycotoxins that would be deemed higher risk for use in dairy production. The presence of elevated levels of Penicillium toxins are seen as the main contributor to this risk.

Risk to specific animal groups

• Pig producers should be aware that the corn risk level based on the average REQ for breeding sows and young piglets is deemed to be moderate to high, while the risk coming from small grains (wheat and barley) is low, with certain pockets of moderate to high risk.
• When the mycotoxin corn contamination levels are applied to poultry, the mycotoxin risk for breeding birds, broilers and layers is moderate, while the risk coming from small grains (wheat and barley) is low.
• In ruminants, the results from the corn and forage samples analysed so far indicate a moderate to high risk in dairy cows.

Alltech will host a webinar with Dr. Radka Borutova and other members of Alltech’s Mycotoxin Management team on December 7, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. GMT to review the results of the Alltech 2022 European Harvest Analysis. Register for the webinar via this link and for more information about Alltech Mycotoxin Management solutions, visit knowmycotoxins.com.

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, Nov. 18-24, seeks unified action to reduce drug-resistant pathogens

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security and development today, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In 2019, nearly 5 million human deaths worldwide were associated with bacterial AMR, of which 1.3 million human deaths were directly attributable to bacterial AMR.

Each year, the FAO dedicates the week of Nov. 18-24 to raising awareness of the deadly consequences of AMR. The theme of this year’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is “Preventing microbial resistance together.”

“AMR is a threat to humans, animals, plants and the environment. It affects us all,” the FAO says on its website. “That is why this year's theme calls for cross-sectoral collaboration to preserve the effectiveness of these important medicines.”

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to the antimicrobial agents used against them. As a result, antibiotics and other antimicrobials become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

Antimicrobials and antibiotics have been used for both disease prevention and treatment in humans and in animals, and for improving growth rates in food-producing animals. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials are accelerating the development and spread of AMR worldwide.

The agri-food sector is severely affected by antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, which can lead to economic losses, a decline in livestock production, poverty, hunger and malnutrition across the globe, the FAO said. There has been a global movement in recent years to reduce antimicrobial use in livestock production, in which antimicrobials are used extensively to address gut health issues.

Dr. Richard Murphy, research director at Alltech's European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, Ireland, said AMR is a persistent problem challenging the industry. He spoke about AMR during a recent Ag Future podcast with Tom Martin.

“The agriculture industry has made great strides in moving toward reductions in antibiotic usage, restricting their usage even further. But when you look at the year-on-year data, even though the usage of antimicrobials and antibiotics has decreased, we tend not to see a similar decrease in the prevalence of resistance among pathogens that would have human resonance — E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter,” Dr. Murphy said.

As steps are taken to move toward antibiotic-free systems, producers are faced with the dilemma of controlling pathogens and AMR at the same time.

“Rather than focusing solely on antimicrobial resistance, we need to focus on the pathogens, because of the high-level prevalence of antimicrobial resistance that's present in those pathogens,” Dr. Murphy said.

Alltech’s researchers are focused on trying to understand the link between pathogen control and the control of antimicrobial resistance, he said. They are also focused on how to utilize the gut microflora to control pathogens.

“If you can expand the richness and the diversity of the gut microflora, that enables the GI tract to self-police. You tend to get what's known as colonization resistance,” he said. “You get greater resistance to pathogen colonization of the GI tract. We found in multiple studies across multiple species that we can effect changes. We can bring about increases in species richness (and) in gut microflora diversity with the use of mannan-based prebiotics — mannan-rich fraction, for instance.”

A path toward antibiotic-free production

The use of alternative products designed to regulate and support the gut environment and its microflora will assist the move to antibiotic-free production, said Dr. Jules Taylor-Pickard, director of the Alltech® Gut Health Management platform. Among those products are feed enzymes, organic minerals, yeast-cell wall derivatives such as mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) and mannose-rich fractions (MRF), functional nutrients and probiotics.

Alltech’s Gut Health Management offers a path to antibiotic-free production that begins with its Seed, Feed, Weed program.

“Seed, Feed, Weed is just that: It’s seeding the gut with favorable organisms, it’s feeding those favorable organisms and it’s weeding out the unfavorable or the bad organisms,” Dr. Taylor-Pickard explained.

The second step is the antibiotic reduction program, through which a team of experts helps develop an action plan to assist producers with reducing antibiotic use on-farm. The goal is to significantly reduce or even make prophylactic (preventative) and metaphylaxis antibiotic use (treating an entire group without evidence of disease) redundant.

The third step helps producers with the transition to operating without antibiotics by improving gut health and utilizing holistic nutrition and management practices across all stages of production.

There is no “silver bullet” solution for reducing AMR, Dr. Murphy said. It can be quite difficult to develop programs whereby you remove antibiotics and replace them with a single compound or a single nutritional additive.

“When we think about replacement of antibiotics, we will need to take into consideration multiple factors or dimensions, such as animal management and facility hygiene; diet certainly is going to be absolutely critical, and nutritional components play a huge role in transitioning away from antibiotic use and in transitioning toward antibiotic-free production systems,” he said.

Building a more resilient agri-food system

As part of WAAW, the FAO issued calls to action for farmers, food chain workers and consumers, policymakers, animal health and agriculture professionals and others.

“The challenges of AMR are complex and multifaceted, but they are not insurmountable,” the organization said.

Among its key calls to action during WAAW, the FAO is asking agri-food systems to:

• Implement prevention measures (biosecurity, sanitation, hygiene, etc.) to reduce the need for antimicrobials in animals and antimicrobial pesticides in plants.

• Use diagnostic tests to assist surveillance efforts and design successful interventions to reduce AMR.

• Use science-based evidence to identify, manage and mitigate AMR risks.

• Improve access to expert advice, prescriptions, appropriate antimicrobials to reduce production and productivity losses, and build more resilient agri-food systems.

• Provide a system-wide approach to keeping crops healthy, resorting to chemical pesticides only as a last resort.

The FAO is challenging policymakers to commit resources to tackle AMR and meet national AMR action plan targets. It is also asking agriculture professionals to share information on best practices for reducing the use of antimicrobials.

Alltech, a global leader in the agriculture industry for more than 40 years, is proud to introduce Egalis^®, a new range of high-quality silage inoculants that maximize nutrient quality, increase forage stability and reduce dry matter loss to help maintain optimal animal performance. Egalis drives proper fermentation and assists epiphytic bacteria to control the fermentation through the use of specific bacteria.

“The Egalis range of products brings together decades of expertise in fermentation, utilizing bacteria strains specifically selected by Alltech scientists to maximize nutrient and dry matter protection,” said Matthew Smith, vice president at Alltech. “Together with our on-farm support teams and range of services, Alltech helps to improve fermentation to produce superior-quality silage, enabling producers to hold onto more of what they grow, from field to feed passage.”

For more information on Egalis, contact your local Alltech sales representative or visit Alltech.com/Egalis.

[Dong Nai, Vietnam] – Alltech, a global leader in the agriculture industry, opened its newest Bioplex^®plant today, the first organic mineral production facility in Vietnam. The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant is Alltech’s eighth mineral production facility worldwide. The plant’s production capacity is 7,000 metric tons per year, and it has the potential to create 100 new jobs, while being conveniently located to serve local customers and support import/export activity.

Alltech is one of the world’s largest producers of organic minerals for animal nutrition. The company has committed significant resources into organic trace mineral production, quality control and research, as trace mineral nutrition is essential to animal health.

Alltech’s Bioplex^® range of minerals are supported by more than 21 years of research and offer higher bioavailability to animals than inorganic minerals. The minerals are readily absorbed, stored and utilized by the animal, supporting overall health, immune status and reproductive function. Furthermore, because Alltech’s organic minerals are better utilized by animals, producers are able to achieve more with less. Mineral excretion from animals through manure is also reduced, resulting in less environmental impact.

“Our organic mineral program reflects our focus on sustainability in all aspects, from the health of the animal and the nutrition of the meat, milk and eggs produced to the economic well-being of the producer and the impact we have on our planet’s land and water,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Our investment in enhancing our mineral production in Asia reflects our confidence in the market’s continued growth and our alignment with our customers’ commitment to better nutrition from farm to market.”

Feed production in Vietnam increased nearly 7% in 2021, according to the Alltech Agri-Food Outlook, the company’s annual global feed production survey. Vietnam’s total feed production in 2021 was 18.5 million metric tons, led by the swine sector with 7.84 million metric tons, an increase of nearly 20% over 2020. Aqua feed production increased 40% in 2021 to 6 million metric tons, broiler feed increased 9% to 2.12 million metric tons, layers feed production increased 11.7% to 2 million metric tons and dairy increased 22% to 520,000 metric tons.

Consistent with Alltech’s purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™, the production facility in Vietnam was engineered to reduce the environmental impact of production:

• The use of CNG versus fuel oil, a common fuel source in Vietnam, is expected to reduce the mineral plant’s nitrogen dioxide emissions by 80% and carbon monoxide emissions by 87.5%.
• The facility uses high-pressure clean-in-place (CIP) pumps for tank cleaning, reducing wastewater by 50%. Its dust collection system is 99% efficient.
• The use of invertor motors saves electricity consumption by 5% by utilizing variable frequency drive (VFD), which also allows for the control of speed and torque to reduce chances of mechanical failures.
• The production system uses fluid bed drying (FBD) technology, which requires 48% less thermal consumption than conventional spray dryers.
• The facility is certified by ISO 22000:2018, which sets out the requirements for a food safety management system.
• Organic trace minerals are more bioavailable to the animal, contributing to improved animal health. Because more of the minerals are taken up by the animal, mineral excretion through manure is reduced, minimizing environmental impact on land and water.

The new facility also utilizes the Alltech Q+ (Quality Plus) Program, a mineral quality control program unique to Bioplex trace minerals that guarantees quality, safety and performance in every batch. Alltech Q+ sets the industry standard, enabling Alltech to offer a global quality guarantee to customers using Bioplex trace minerals around the world. It forms an integral part of the Alltech Quality System (AQS), which was designed to meet or exceed all global market regulatory standards and ensures that proper approvals and analyses are performed for suppliers, raw materials and finished goods.

For more information about Bioplex and the Alltech Mineral Management program, visit alltech.com/mineral-management.

-Ends-

Photo download: https://creative.alltech.com/share/36CF2D1A-3FDC-47B7-98D853CD784A0048/

Photo caption: Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, at the opening of the new Bioplex^® plant today, the first organic mineral production facility in Vietnam.

Photo download: https://creative.alltech.com/share/FAB039AC-F890-485D-AE3D6B4762348D17/

Photo caption: Alltech opens Vietnam’s first organic mineral production facility.

Left to right: Mr. Lai Xuan Sam, Deputy Director, Sonadezi; Dr. Mark Lyons, President and CEO, Alltech; Mr. Duong Tat Thang, General Director of the Livestock Production Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Mr. Jonathan Wilson, President, Alltech Asia Pacific; and Mr. Keith Gribbins, Director of Operations, Alltech Asia Pacific.

On-site ice cream shop helps Chaney’s Dairy connect with the community

It all started in 1940, when Carl Chaney’s father started milking two Jersey dairy cows by hand on his family farm in Bowling Green, Kentucky, establishing the foundation of Chaney’s Dairy. The Chaney family has been embracing innovation and change to ensure the continued success of their operation ever since.

Carl’s family is still milking Jersey cows today, nearly 80 years later., However, Carl’s ancestors might be surprised to see some of the changes, including the thousands of people who flock to the farm now to get a tasty treat at Chaney’s Dairy Barn, which first opened in 2003.

Despite low milk prices in the early 2000s, Carl and his wife, Debra, saw an opportunity for diversification and took a risk by opening the Dairy Barn, an on-site ice cream shop. That risk has been reaping rewards for nearly 20 years, and Chaney’s Dairy Barn currently goes through 1,200 gallons of ice cream a week.

The Chaneys are humbled by the support from the community and the burgeoning interest in what once seemed like a crazy idea — and yet, the popularity of the Dairy Barn is not especially surprising.

“Ice cream makes our world go round,” Carl says.

Tours give visitors a peek at life on the dairy farm

The Chaneys’ farm has more to offer than just ice cream. Visitors can take self-guided tours of the dairy barn, where they can watch and learn about how cows get milked.

“They get to see what real agriculture is all about,” says Carl.

In 2019, 15,000 people walked through Chaneys’ dairy barn. Carl and his family see this as a critical component to educating the average person about the dairy industry and food production in general, as many people no longer have a direct connection to agriculture.

“It is always about education and making the connection,” says Carl. “Connecting with the consumer is what we’re continually trying to do.” The success of the Chaneys’ dairy operation is especially notable when considered in the context of the dairy industry at large. In 2001, Kentucky was home to 2,900 dairy farms — but by February 2022, that number had dwindled to 398. The Chaneys, however, continue to break the mold. In 2016, they installed their first Lely A4 robotic milking system, and they subsequently founded the J.R. Chaney Bottling Co. in 2017. Now, Chaney’s is processing its own milk, which is sold in multiple locations throughout Kentucky.

Reaching the next generation of dairy shoppers

The Chaneys are especially excited about the availability of their milk because there has been a dramatic change in the way people consume dairy in recent years. While the consumption of some dairy products, like cheese and butter, is currently on the rise, the way people drink milk has transformed.

“We are losing ‘long’ milk drinkers because of the change in young children’s habits,” says Elizabeth Lunsford, Carl’s daughter and the fifth generation of her family to work on the dairy farm. “Some of that is based on changes in school milk and quality and the introduction of so many alternative beverages.”

Elizabeth and Carl have both seen children who say they don’t like milk light up at the first taste of milk from Chaney’s Dairy.

“Cow comfort and milk quality are our specialty,” Carl says.

The Chaney family intends to continue introducing quality dairy products to people who visit their farm and, in the process, play a role in building demand for dairy in the next generation of shoppers.

Being successful in the dairy business requires resilience, and the Chaney family’s dairy operation is thriving thanks to their willingness to embrace change. They continue to find new ways to connect people with agriculture, whether that’s by hosting movie nights with films projected on the side of the barn or welcoming thousands of students in school groups every year. When it comes down to it, though, the Chaneys contribute their continued success to the stars of the show: their cows, who they value above all else — and it shows.

“We truly do have some of the happiest cows in the state of Kentucky,” says Carl.

Want to visit Chaney’s Dairy Barn? Check them out here: Home | Chaney's Dairy Barn (chaneysdairybarn.com)

Peter & Paula Hynes are dairy farmers from County Cork, Ireland. In 2020, the couple founded #AgMentalHealthWeek to raise awareness of mental health issues prevalent in agriculture. Peter and Paula join the Ag Future podcast to discuss this year's theme of intentionally disconnecting from our devices and the farm.

The following is an edited transcript of the Ag Future podcast episode with Peter and Paula Hynes hosted by Tom Martin. Click below to hear the full audio or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

Tom:                      I'm Tom Martin with another Ag Future Podcast. And joining us from County Cork, Ireland are Pete and Paula Hynes, full-time dairy farmers and founders of Ag Mental Health Week, set this year for October 10-16. And of course, the mental health of farmers is a year-round concern, but it does help to stop, take a deep breath and focus on taking an honest-to-goodness vacation from it all, including from those devices that we carry around with us. Good to have you back, Pete and Paula. 

Pete:                       Wonderful—

Paula:                     Thanks for having us.

Pete:                       …to chat to you, Tom.

Tom:                      You bet.

Pete:                       Thanks for having us on the podcast. 

Tom:                      You bet. And if you could just a brief bit of background on Ag Health Week, if you would, what inspired you all to establish this special week? 

Pete:                       So, Ag Mental Health Week is a global awareness campaign to bring the ag sector together as one and create awareness around mental health across the agricultural sector through ag companies to farm level, and vet research and beyond – and, I suppose, highlight the support services that are there. We founded it in 2020 after a conversation between myself and Paula. We were having conversation just after Farm Safety Week in Ireland, and the thought occurred us that tragically we lose more farmers to suicide than we do farm accidents, and there's no specific global awareness campaign for mental health. We decided to start Ag Mental Health Week in 2020, and we're into our third year now.

Tom:                      Would you say that the ag community is beginning to kind of come around to recognition that this is a pretty pervasive problem?

Pete:                       Yeah, I think 100%. There's a lot more awareness there. And people are very proactive in, I guess, supporting mental health and mental health awareness and suicide awareness in agriculture. And just taking Ireland into context there, there are two huge research studies going on at the moment. One in UCD Ag and one in DCU in Dublin, and both looking at, I guess, the challenges that face farmers. But also, ultimately, those research studies have to come up with solutions as to how we can improve awareness, how we can ask farmers to seek support, etc.

Tom:                      Well, we'll really look forward to seeing those and talking about them. I know that your focus this year is a really challenging one, and that is disconnecting from social media. To take the time to just relax to, heaven forbid, enjoy the company of others. To take a true vacation. What inspired this theme? 

Paula:                     We were at the stage that even when we were sitting down at the kitchen table having our dinner, me, Pete, and the kids would be on the phones flicking through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. And you know, it actually takes an awful amount of time. And I just felt at home especially that there was no more conversation. We were actually at the stage where I could be in the sunroom and the kids could be in the sitting room and they'd send me a text instead of coming out to have an actual conversation or to ask me the question.

Tom:                      That's so familiar. And you definitely take your work with you. I can hear it in the background. It's really great.

Paula:                     Yeah. Always.

Tom:                      So you guys took a vacation, went to France as I understand it.

Paula:                     We did. It was a very quick short break, a three-day break, but it was, it was better than nothing. 

Tom:                      Well, were you able to unplug?

Paula:                     Not 100% because the kids were at home, so we would have just checked in with them daily. That's it really. We might have Googled if we needed to find a particular spot, we would have put it into Google Maps to find our way, but other than that, we didn't post, you know, we weren't posting much about what we were doing or where we were going. We just kind of decided that it was time for ourselves, just the two of us to spend some quality time together. Because even though we work together, we were constantly passing each other all day on the farm. You know, we wouldn't spend quality time together as much.

Tom:                      I just got back from about a four-day trip away, and we couldn't help noticing as we pass through the airports that just about everybody we saw had their heads bent, focused on that device. It was almost surreal. And this conversation that we're having is kind of an opportunity to stop that for at least a moment and think about what we're doing to ourselves.

                               First, what are the effects, do you think, to mental well-being of being so glued to social media and those devices?

Pete:                       I think ultimately social media can be -- it  can be an amazing place, but it can also be, you know – I guess I've already fast forwarded and in some places a very negative space as well. And when you spend so much time on social media, you forget to actually look at what's happening around you and I guess forget to chat to the people that are around you.  I think it can also cloud your judgment at times. And it's kind of ironic that we're talking about not spending time on social media when we're running a global awareness campaign that is on social media.

                               But I think something that myself and Paula really, really learned in the last 12 months is: life is so hectic. And like we were away last in November, 2021. And again, we went away for a brief sun holiday. And again, we were in Paris in April and in late August. And I think we really realized that, you know, when we go away, it's about enjoying time together and not having to share that with the whole world. I think it's about taking space for ourselves. For everyone, life is so busy that it's about just stopping and enjoying the space that you have. 

Tom:                      So, for those of us who do find ourselves constantly checking that smartphone — and again, on that trip that we took, whale watching, in between whales, everybody in the boat went back to their smartphones. And so, I'm just wondering now, in the context of what we're talking about, (if) you have a vacation coming up, you know it's coming the end of the week. How do you start disconnecting or weaning yourself from that device and tell yourself, ‘OK, it's time to unplug’? It takes a lot of discipline, doesn't it?

Paula:                     For me, it's just a very conscious decision that it's something that has to be done. Like, we would have a big following on social media and we use it a lot for promoting things for companies and stuff we'd be working with. But you know, on the run up to or even the day we're going, I'd put out something, say “out of the office” for a few days, because on the other side of it, you know, you have people following andif you do vanish all of a sudden as well, people would be messages going, "God, are you OK?" There is the advantage of it, but you know, so that's why I'd always put up saying “Oh, we’re going out of the office or taking a few days.”

                               But for me, it's just a conscious decision because, for me personally, when I'm at home, I'm constantly watching my clock between doing the cows in the morning (and)one of our daughters never got a bus ticket this year for the school bus, so now, I have to drive her to school and then I have to come back and be organized to get my younger daughter to school.

                               So I'm constantly watching the clock every day all day because then the two girls have to be picked up and then our other daughter has to be dropped and collected from work. So for me, it's so lovely – even if it's only three days – just to go and do nothing and not watch the clock, and have just “me” time. And if I want to sit down and have a coffee for two hours, I can do it, whereas I can't do that at home. And it's nice to just forget about the phone. For me, it's easy to switch off from it.

Pete:                       I think for me, I find at times I have to structure my time ormy week. And just take this week, for example, now like we're busy on the farm all day. We're preparing animals for a big dairy show here in a couple of weeks. Then in the evening, I have a lot of articles to write for the paper. I have a lot of emails to catch up on for Ag Mental Health Week and a few other bits. And I made a conscious decision at the start of the week that I would work Monday evening, Tuesday evening, and Wednesday evening, but I needed to clear my desk because Thursday evening was space for me and space trying to have time with Paula and sit down and watch a movie or whatever.

                               So, it's about just adding a bit of planning on a daily basis there. Like when I go home in the evening, I won't answer the phone unless it's really, really important. And when we sit down to watch a film, I'm not going to check emails or check to see what's happening on Twitter, etc., and try and take space from it. But it does take discipline, I do agree.

Tom:                      Well, we know that owning and managing a farm is a 24/7 laundry list of responsibilities.

                               So how long can you be away from your operation and feel comfortable about that? Would you say one week, even two, or is that just really stretching it?

Paula:                     Definitely for me, one week is enough. After a week, I'd start panicking about my ladies – my cows. I'm comfortable with a week, but after that, then I really do start panicking that things would be going wrong or, you know, if the person that's here didn't pick up the phone and tell me there was something wrong.

Tom:                      And how about that person who's there? How do you make sure the farm is fully managed while you're away so that you can try to truly enjoy the brief respite from all those demands?

Paula:                     When myself and Pete go away together, just the two of us, we're very, very lucky. We have our middle daughter, Becky. She's 15. She's a phenomenal farmer. She can actually run the farm on her own. She's brilliant. She knows everything inside and out, but we just have someone in to give her a hand. When we go away as a family, the person that would be left in charge,I'd have to know them really, really well and they would have had to been here numerous times with me milking in the parlor and getting to know the cows and everything, and the way things are done.

                               I couldn't ring up the Farm Relief Services and say, "Oh, I want someone for the week,” because I wouldn’t be able to relax. So, I'd have to know the person inside out and know that they'd respect the cows the way we respect them. Like the cows are, you know, at the end of the day, they're our work colleagues, so they're family. So that's the biggest challenge.

Tom:                      Well, you mentioned something there I wonder about. Is there actually a service that you can turn to or are we talking here about the possibility of a budding industry of being a farm manager on call?

Paula:                     There is a service available, but it's still extremely difficult to get somebody. Like even relief milkers for the weekends, it's getting harder and harder to get people. I suppose the younger generation doesn't seem to be that many of them wanting to go into ag because of the hours and the seven days a week. You know, I suppose some farmers paint a picture that you have to be there seven days a week, 24 hours a day. But at the end of the day, it's down to the individual and down to management. You know, it's vital that everyone gets time off the farm. So for us, we make it a priority regardless. You take a chance when you do leave a stranger in to run your farm, but like, I mean, it's vital that you do it.

Tom:                      Well, I've read that taking a vacation does increase your mindfulness. It makes you feel more present and stimulated. And how does this act of unplugging help you rest your mind? 

Paula:                     Well, for me, it just totally recharges my batteries. Calving season is extremely busy from the end of January, February, March. We have a lot of cows calving and there's no time for anything. You're just here 24 hours a day. You're on-call at nighttime in case the cows need you. But for me, I'd have to have something to look forward to. Like we'd always take a break in April for our wedding anniversary. You just discipline yourself that you just have to take the time to recharge because you'll wear yourself out and you'll burn yourself out. And I'd get to the stage that I wouldn't be able to sleep and then, sure, I'm no good to anyone if I can't eat and sleep.

Tom:                      Well, you know, it seems as though I was mentioning before how as we pass through the airport, everybody seemed to be on their phones. And even in between events, as we did things on vacation, people turn back to their phones. Our devices have become integrated into the vacation experience. We use them to get information about things we wanna see and do, to get directions, make reservations. Did you forego all of those things or did you allow yourself to use them within limits when you were on vacation?

Pete:                       I think we obviously used them within limits. If I wanted to find something interesting to do, I Google it and — we just really found it interesting this year that when you limit yourself to maybe checking in at home or Googling something, then you can post all the photos of places you've been when you come home. And you actually meet really, really interesting people when you take the time away from the phone and have a conversation with somebody that's actually in front of you. We've met some amazing people this year, so it's been fun.

                               I think everyone needs their phone for something, whether it's the alarm clock or just checking where they want to go, or checking what time they have a reservation for something. So it's quite easy to do that. And I think likewise with Ag Mental Health Week this year, we do a lot of live streams on Facebook or we have an amazing panel of guests right through the week and right from across the sector that we'd be chatting to.

                               And even though they're live streamed, those videos will be there after. One of the big things we do in the week is Mile for Mental Well-Being where we encourage people to go out and run or walk a mile, and just get out in the fresh air, get a little bit of exercise. And I think a mile is — it's a nice distance for someone maybe that hasn't gone walking or running before that's quite easily achievable and we can fit it into any time of our day.

                               And you know, I’d actually much rather that somebody would go out and take that 10 minutes and go for a run or do Mile for Mental Well-Being than posting something on social media for Ag Mental Health Week, because they can tell us next week or the week after that they went and did the mile and the difference that it made to their day. And that's fine by me, but I think we really, really need to get the message across to people that we have to prioritize our mental well-being,especially in agriculture. Farming is a time-consuming job. It can be a highly stressful job.

                               And if we prioritize our mental well-being, it puts us in a stronger and a better position job when times are tough and times are busy. And like Paula was saying, when we're calving, it's such a demanding time of the year, in the spring, but we always have something planned for April so that we have something to look forward to and we know there's a break coming and a space for us again. When you can fit that into your life, it gives you something to work towards as opposed to just feeling that it's an endless daunting task of work after work after work.

 Tom:                     I think that is really important to have something anchored out there in the near future that you're pulling yourself toward, . and you know, when you get there, you're going to get a break.  

Pete:                       Going back to Mile for Mental Well-Being, whether you're a tillage farmer or a vet or even working inside in an office or on the road as a sales manager or a sales rep for an ag company, we can all do that mile. And it's possibly something that we should be doing more, doing a few times a week that you can pull up at lunchtime and you might have had a really stressful, stressful morning. And you can walk a lap in the field or find a nice place if you're on the road. Find a nice place just to stop for a quick cup of coffee and go for a quick walk. It just allows us space outside the work environment where we can clear our heads and think a lot fresher and come back with a fresh opinion on something after taking that time for ourselves. 

Tom:                      Well, let's just say that that wonderful week away from it all has now come to an end. It's time to head back home, back to the 24/7. Have you learned to do anything to try to prolong the benefits of that breather even as you plunge back into work? 

Pete:                       I think we realize the importance of having time together in the evenings and where we can at the weekends. We've been to a lot of agricultural shows this year with our daughters because they're showing livestock and Paula has been showing heifers as well, and [it’s] something we really enjoy as a family. And I guess, you know, doing things like that too takes us away from social media, the phones a bit as well, and gives us time to go out and enjoy life with the animals that we work with every day as well. Like myself and Paula go on date night regularly, and it's just the time to step out of the wellies and put on clean clothes, and go out into a different side of the world to what we walk in every day. 

Tom:                      So important. What do you think about that, Paula? 

Paula:                     I love date nights because like as I said earlier, even though we work together and we sleep together, we live together, it's rare that we'd actually have a full conversation. So for me, the date nights are great because I do some of my best thinking inside of the parlor, so I might have an idea for something. I just think when we're out having dinner together, I can kind of — when the phone is put away, it's then I can sit down and have the conversation with Pete. He can either say, "Yeah, we can try that," or "No, that's not a good idea," or whatever. But like at home, I forget about it because I'm always running and racing. For me, that's a great opportunity for us just to sit down and actually have a conversation and make a plan for the coming months.

Tom:                      Well, before I let you two go, I was wondering, are there certain resources that you can point our listeners to that they can go to for tips and pointers on how to navigate their way through some time off, away from those devices?

Pete:                       I think there's a phenomenal amount of resources across the world. Myself and Paula are ambassadors for Tackle Your Feelings. And if anyone Googles Tackle Your Feelings, there's a lot of tips and resources on their website that are, you know, no matter where you are in the world, they're going be relevant to you. During Ag Mental Health Week, we'll be posting mental well-being tips on all the social media platforms on a daily basis. And if anyone just uses the hashtag #AgMentalHealthWeek, they'll find a lot of stuff there on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. 

Tom:                      Yes, I did that. And that's exactly what happened. Pete and Paula Hynes, dairy farmers in County Cork, Ireland, founders of Ag Mental Health Week, set this year for October 10-26. Thank you both.

Paula:                     Thank you.

Pete:                       Thanks for having us on, Tom.

Tom:                     You bet. And for Ag Future, I'm Tom Martin. This has been Ag Future presented by Alltech. Thank you for joining us. Be sure to subscribe to Ag Future wherever you listen to podcasts.