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Staff Correspondent: Innovative and cost-effective feed formulation is essential for ensuring the sustainability and profitability of the livestock industry while providing high-quality animal products. Innovative formulations can enhance the nutritional value of animal products, benefiting consumers. By optimizing nutrient utilization, feed formulations can help reduce the demand for scarce resources like water and land. Innovative formulations can help address food security challenges by finding ways to produce more food with fewer resources. By reducing the environmental impact of livestock production, innovative feed formulations can also help mitigating climate change- speakers made these remarks in a seminar titled “Future of Feed Formulation: Nutrition, Innovation and Sustainability”, held in Dhaka on 7 December, organized by the Feed Industries Association Bangladesh (FIAB) with support from the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), Paragon Feeds Ltd., Nourish Poultry and Hatchery Ltd. and ACI Godrej Agrovet Private Ltd.
While delivering speech as a Chief Guest of the Inaugural Session, Dr. Md. Reajul Huq, Director General, Department of Livestock Services, said Bangladesh is producing good quality animal and aqua feed maintaining feed safety standards and caring the environment. We have to search alternative raw materials to minimize production costs.
Sarah Gilleski, Agricultural Attaché, US Embassy, and Special Guest of the session said that the seminar will help to enhance knowledge of the participants about innovative and sustainable feed formulation practices. She said, the collaboration with the Bangladeshi Feed Industry has been longstanding which will continue in the future. By leveraging cutting age research and technology we can develop innovative feed solution for optimizing animal health and minimizing carbon footprint. Sarah said, sustainability is a critical component of the shared vision for the future. As global population is continued to grow, the demand for animal protein will also increase. By adopting sustainable feed formulation practices, we can meet demand without compromising the health of our planet. This involve sourcing products that are grown sustainably like U.S. Soy, reducing wastage, improving feed efficiency and using renewable resources. Sarah said, by working together we can achieve significant advancement that is beneficial for both the countries.
Moshiur Rahman, President, World’s Poultry Science Association- Bangladesh Branch (WPSA-BB) and Chair of the session said, the feed formulators are engaged in very responsible business from sourcing raw materials to cook feed, maintaining temperature, hygiene, taste and the overall quality of the products. Good formulation doesn’t only refer to FCR. Running after FCR is a bad practice. This is forcing the feed formulators to use antibiotics instead of concentrating on nutritional aspects. Terming the feed formulators ‘Leaders of Feed Industry’, Mr. Moshiur urged all to work for the consumers and for the country. He also requested the Director General of DLS to help identifying those doing malpractices in feed formulation. Mr. Moshiur said, our consumers want good quality, safe and tasty chicken meat & egg and the broiler chicken that is slaughtered after 34-35 days of rearing not after 27 or 28 days.
Khabibur Rahman, Team Lead-Bangladesh, USSEC said that the number of feed mills in Bangladesh are increasing with the growing demand for poultry meat and egg. The feed manufacturing industry is not only meeting the local demand but also exporting feed to the neighboring countries. In order to maintain the international standards, the industry will have to maintain the quality, sustainability and related issues. Sustainability is a key issue globally right now. The USSEC is promoting sustainability and supplying U.S. Soy to the feed industry globally. He said, the consumers are now serious about their rights for food, nutrition and protein; and USSEC is with the people.
Dr. Amit Das, Nutritionist & Consultant, coming from India presented the Keynote paper; while Md. Zahidul Islam, CEO, Bangla-UK Agro Products Ltd. made a presentation on ‘Maximizing Breeder Performance through Precision Nutrition’. Dr. A.B.M. Khaleduzzaman, Director (production), Department of Livestock Services (DLS) discussed on the ‘Regulatory and compliances in Feed Formulation for Safe Production’.
Dr. Susil Silva, Head of Animal Utilization, SAASSA, USSEC, made a virtual presentation titled, ‘Energy and Sustainability as Clear Differentiators of Soybean Meal in Poultry Feed Formulation’; while Dr. Chadrasekar Sankaranarayanan, Head of Aquaculture Utilization, South Asia, USSEC, made another presentation on ‘Sustainable Aqua Feed Formulation’. Dr. Athula Mahagamage, Head of Poultry Sector Modernization, SAASSA, USSEC, attended the Question & Answer session.
Md. Ahsanuzzaman, Senior Vice-president, FIAB, made the closing remarks and handed over certificates to the participants.
