AFIA 'Runs for the Roses' at Liquid Feed Symposium

September 19, 2017

Contact Codi Coulter

The American Feed Industry Association has wrapped up the country’s largest gathering of liquid supplement leaders, hearing from experts on the latest news, research and innovation happening in the field and recognizing outstanding individuals. The 47th annual Liquid Feed Symposium, held in Louisville, Kentucky, highlighted the pivotal role that liquid feed has in fueling America’s livestock industry with its theme, “Run for the Roses.”

“This year’s Liquid Feed Symposium brought together more than 170 specialized and highly engaged individuals within the liquid feed industry to hear new ideas from speakers and discuss ways to strengthen business relations and, ultimately, the industry,” said Preston Buff, Ph.D., AFIA’s director of regulatory affairs, who will serve as the staff contact for the Liquid Feed Committee beginning in 2018. “The high degree of commonality and camaraderie in the liquid feed group makes this a unique, can’t-miss event.”

In a discussion on sustainability in the protein industry, Nicole Hoffman-Johnson, chief sustainability officer of the OSI Group, highlighted the need for transparency and shared values to build consumer trust. She also discussed the core principles that define sustainable beef, according to the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef: natural resources, people and the community, animal health and welfare, food, and efficiency and innovation.

LFS covered a number of other hot topics, including:

• An update on federal regulatory, trade and policy issues by Leah Wilkinson, AFIA;
• A discussion of medications and antibiotic use in liquid supplements by Paul Klink, Ph.D., Elanco, retired; and Jason Sawyer, Ph.D., Texas A&M University;
• Discussions of cattle nutrition by Tryon Wickersham, Ph.D., Texas A&M University; Jeff Carroll, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Agriculture; Mark Lyte, Ph.D., Iowa State University; and Chad Paulk, Ph.D., Kansas State University;
• Cattle industry segment updates from Dr. Gordon Jones, Central Sands Dairy; Debbie Lyons-Blythe, cattle rancher and blogger; and Ivan Pedigo, Gold River Feed Products;
• An ingredients outlook by John Cropley, ED&F Man Liquid Products, LLC;
• A weather report by Art Douglas, Ph.D., Creighton University; and
• A cattle industry outlook by Randy Blach, Cattle Fax.

Other highlights from the symposium included the induction of Joe Saini into the Liquid Feed Hall of Fame and a live auction of fine Kentucky bourbons, which raised $5,500 for the Kenny Berg Research and Education Fund that supports feed industry-specific projects conducted by land grant universities and colleges. AFIA’s Liquid Feed Committee also recognized Leanna Nail, AFIA’s director of administration, who will be retiring this year, for her 17 years of service with the committee and LFS.

The 48th annual Liquid Feed Symposium will take place in San Diego, California, Sept. 11-13, 2018.