Feeding Trials

In recent years, ASA-IM has carried out broiler feeding trials and soybean meal analysis surveys in various countries in the region and protein biological value assays in Egypt that demonstrated higher poultry performance parameters with U.S. Hi-Pro soybean meal.

Seminars, Workshops and On-Farm Consultations

Seminars, workshops and one-on-one meetings that emphasize the inherent higher amino acid composition and amino acid digestibility in U.S. beans and Hi-Pro meal continue to be regular features of ASA-IM's Middle East poultry program.   ASA-IM promotes the formulation of poultry diets based on digestible amino acids - as opposed to total amino acids - and on calculating and balancing the levels of digestible amino acids to the level of digestible lysine based on the ideal protein for meat and eggs.

ASA-IM conducts seminars and field visits by extruder manufacturers such as Insta Pro (USA), Wenger Manufacturing, Inc (USA) and Bühler AG (Switzerland) to promote the proper extrusion techniques for the production of good quality full fat soybean meal.

ASA-IM conducts seminars and workshops on feed processing technologies, including special sessions in key regional conferences.  We emphasize the impact of proper feed processing on the nutritional quality of feed.  We promote increasing market demand for properly processed feed that continues to result in investments in modern commercial feed mills and pelleted feeds.  Indeed, after a series of ASA-IM feed processing and pelleting activities, tens of feed mills in Egypt, Jordan and Syria added pelleting equipment, and pelleted feed has became dominant in these markets.

Such interactions with regional poultry producers contribute to a better understanding on the part of these regional industry representatives regarding the nutritional requirements of poultry, and they provide the opportunity of tailoring feed specifications to different production goals, varying climates and production economics in the different countries of the region. 

As a result of these seminars, feed formulation workshops and one-on-one meetings with nutritionists and feed formulators, hundreds of companies in the region have bought state-of-the-art feed formulation software, are thereby using advanced feed formulation techniques, and are using increasing amounts of Hi-Pro meal.

All this adds up to greater soybean utilization and increased profitability for the industry.

The expertise arranged by ASA-IM has been and continues to be provided by our regionally-based consultants as well as by off-shore experts such as: Dr. Craig Coon (University of Arkansas, USA), Dr. Julian Wiseman (Nottingham University, UK), and Dr. Richard Miles (University of Florida, USA).

Avian Influenza (AI)

When HPA1 hit poultry in the region, ASA-IM immediately became involved in assisting with its control.  Dr. Gary Butcher (University of Florida, USA) played an influential role in increasing awareness about the disease, its relationship with human health and biosecurity procedures at the individual company and the national levels.  At the national level, he met with the GoE Minister of Agriculture and other top government officials and veterinarians in Egypt to discuss and promote vaccination and eradication procedures.

Seminars, workshops and farm visits were also made by not only Dr. Butcher but also by Dr. Simon Shane (poultry disease specialist, USA) in Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Such assistance was important to the industry in making improvements in quality control at the hatchery level, improving vaccination programs and decreasing vaccination failures.

Full fat SBM plant, Egypt