OPPORTUNITIES in a changing landscape for Australia’s poultry and grain-milling sectors will take centre stage at the biennial Poultry Information Exchange (PIX) and Australasian Milling Conference (AMC) 2021.

Originally scheduled for this month, COVID-19 has bumped the event out to 11-13 April next year.

Unchanged are its venue, the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, and its theme Beyond 2020 – Feeding the Future.

The program will provide delegates with the latest from experts from the research community and commercial sector providing forward-facing insights into production, processing and consumer trends for feed, flour and poultry.

The opening session for both PIX and AMC delegates will hear two perspectives on feeding the future, one from author, trend forecaster and award-winning speaker Michael McQueen and the other from global food futurist Tony Hunter.

Mr McQueen’s clients have including KPMG, Pepsi and Cisco, and he has helped some of the world’s most successful brands navigate disruption and maintain momentum.

Mr Hunter started his career as a food technologist in the 1980s before moving into management and then becoming a futurist specialising in agrifood technology and consulting to companies including KFC Global.

As an expert in alternative proteins, and professional involvement with the chicken, beef, sheep and pork industries, Mr Hunter is renowned for presenting the facts without industry bias.

AMC program chair and BIOMIN regional product manager Neil Gannon said the speakers at PIX/AMC2020 would offer both an Australian and a global perspective on where the milling and poultry sectors were heading.

“It is all about ensuring we are on the front foot with trends and innovations,” Dr Gannon said.

“The organising committees for both AMC and PIX have worked hard to build a program that has something for all the 1000-plus attendees, whether they are in research, sales and marketing or hands-on in production.

“The program provides an optimal balance for delegates to hear excellent presentations, and see many of the innovations on display in the exhibition hall while networking with old and new acquaintances.”

Latest in feed and flour

The AMC program kicks off with a plenary and discussion session starting with a glimpse into the future of flour milling with Kansas State University adjunct Associate Professor and JAG Services president Jeff Gwirtz, while Tony Hunter will look at the road ahead for food production.

Also in the plenary session will be a look at the capabilities of virtual and augmented reality from Think Digital founder Tim Gentle.

Insights from Carr’s Flour Mills operations director Tim Hall about how one of the United Kingdom’s major flour millers is dealing with disruptions and technological advances will also be shared.

The AMC program will spilt into concurrent streams covering feed milling and flour milling.

Those listening to the feed milling stream will learn about possible new feed ingredients including insect protein, seaweed and microalgae.

The flour program will be looking at intelligent milling and how to improve performance while reducing energy consumption.

The global quality and feed-safety management system for specialty feed ingredients will be explored by FAMI-QS secretary general Manolis Geneiatakis and the interface between biosecurity and feed milling will be discussed by Novus Nutrition applications systems manager Jonathan Wilson.

In the flour-milling stream, trends in grain foods will be examined, and Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) General Manager, Research and Technical Services Ken Quail will look at wheat-quality preferences for domestic flour mills.

Returning to the lectern will be Mr Hall, who will draw on his extensive experience in the field to talk about ways for leaders to successfully manage mills into the future.

In further AMC plenary sessions, AEGIC chief economist Professor Ross Kingwell will talk about the grain crops the Australian farmer of the future will be growing, while Wiley & Co chief future officer Brett Wiskar will discuss how mills can be future-proofed.

Buhler’s regional manager Dustin O’Farrell will be talking about the rise of plant-based proteins and the process needed to extrude them, while Farm Waste Recovery managing director Stephen Richards will talk about maximising recycling in milling.

Chicken and egg for PIX

The PIX program will run in concurrent streams covering chicken-meat production and egg production.

Topics covered will include genetics, animal health, consumer trends, and digital advancements as well as biosecurity.

Workshops on numerous special interest areas encompassing all aspects of the poultry industry will also be on offer.

More than 250 booths will make up the trade display, with exhibitors on hand to demonstrate and discuss their latest products and equipment.

Earlybird registration for PIX/AMC2020 closes on 12 March.

 

 

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