FEEDGRAIN buyers in The Philippines and Thailand learned the compelling benefits of using Australian feedgrains for swine following two well-attended AEGIC webinars this week.

The webinars, presented in conjunction with Austrade, featured experienced Australian feed nutrition expert Tony Edwards as keynote speaker.

The Philippines event attracted 150 representatives of the grain and animal feed industry, while more than 70 industry delegates took part in the Thailand webinar.

Mr Edwards gave a persuasive case for incorporating alternative Australian grains into pig-feed diets.

AEGIC barley markets manager Mary Raynes led the webinars and presented the latest updates on the Australian grains industry, and the production and availability of Australian feedgrains.

Mr Edwards then explored the advantages of using these grains for pig feed, including the technical aspects of feed formulations and nutrition.

A panel discussion in each webinar featured conversations guided by feed experts from the Philippines and Thailand, including:

• Philippine Society of Animal Nutritionists (PHILSAN) president Dr Rommel C. Sulabo;
• Philippine Association of Feed Millers president Stephanie Nicole Garcia;
• CPF (Thailand) Public Company Limited Feed Technology Office senior vice president Dr Pairat Srichana.

AEGIC CEO Richard Simonaitis chaired the panel discussion sessions, and said there was great interest in the potential of Australian grains for swine feed.

“The key message for our friends in The Philippines and Thailand is that there are no prescriptive ingredients in pig diets,” Mr Simonaitis said.

“Pigs are very adaptable and can use a variety of feedgrains, and a great option is to use high-quality Australian grains such as barley, wheat and sorghum.

“This information was really well received by the webinar attendees and there were some great discussions about the practical aspects of incorporating Australian feed grains into swine diets.”

Mr Simonaitis said the webinars were a continuation of AEGIC’s push to stimulate demand for Australian feedgrains in South-East Asia.

“Over the past several years, we’ve been engaging with feedgrain buyers in a number of South-East Asian countries to help them understand the advantages of Australian grains for feed.

“We will continue to follow up with attendees and ensure they get further support and information about how to use Australian grains.”

Source: AEGIC