Dairy Diary: June’s business update

New FEFAC president elected

FEFAC has elected Mr Asbjørn Børsting as its new president, for the next term 2020 – 2023. Børsting (DK), a graduate of University of Copenhagen (Agricultural Economics), served as CEO of The Agricultural Council & DLG. He is now director of DAKOFO, the Danish Grain and Feed association and Variety Denmark. He’s also chairman of the Danish Bio-Economy Panel. “I look forward to representing the interests of European Compound Feed and Premix Manufacturers in these challenging times, when the European and global economy are trying to recover from the Covid-19 crisis.”

*FEFAC previously announced that due to the uncertainty around the duration of confinement due to the coronavirus, the XXIX FEFAC Congress has been posponed to Thursday 24 and Friday 25 September 2020.

FEFAC president Asbjørn Børsting. Photo: FEFAC

De Heus accelerates growth in north of Spain

De Heus Animal Nutrition signed the agreement for the acquisition of Piensos Muga in Spain, effective from June 29th. The acquisition of Piensos Muga is an important step for De Heus to strengthen its leading position as supplier of animal nutrition products in Northern Spain, a key region to the Spanish livestock sector. Founded in 1992, with an annual capacity of 80,000 tonnes, Piensos Muga specialises in the development and production of a complete range of high quality dairy-, beef cattle and other ruminants feeds. With De Heus already present in this part of Spain, synergy effects are expected to improve efficiency and service towards the customers.

Trouw Nutrition announces strategic partnership

A new strategic partnership has been announced between University of Alberta (UoA), one of Canada’s top teaching and research universities, and Trouw Nutrition, animal feeding solutions and services firm. Trouw Nutrition will work collaboratively with scientists of the Faculty of Agricultural, Nutritional and Environmental Sciences (ALES), to enable the acceleration of key research and development activities using University of Alberta facilities. ALES is recognised for its strength in nutrition research across animals and humans. This partnership is built on strong, longstanding relationships between researchers at the University of Alberta and Trouw Nutrition. The agreement will create opportunities to deepen existing collaborations and explore new research and innovation opportunities in animal nutrition.

Photo: University of Alberta

Connecterra secures €7.8m, biggest ever in series-B round

The Netherlands-based ag-tech start-up Connecterra, has secured 7.8 million euros in the biggest ever series B funding round for a Dutch dairytech. The new investors are AgTech specialists ADM Capital (investor in AgTech unicorn Aero Farms), leading international food safety enterprise Kersia, headquartered in France and Dutch impact investor, Pymwymic. Existing investors Breed Reply and Sistema_VC are among others that also joined the round. The 7.8 million euros raised is the biggest ever series B funding round completed by a Dutch AgTech company active in farm animal technology. This is also the largest ever series B investment secured by a European livestock tech company.

Photo: Connecterra

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences Drives Dairy Industry Innovation

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences announced the global launch of DuPont Danisco Chymostar, a new milk coagulating preparation for the dairy industry that offers optimal coagulation and ripening kinetics. Chymostar can be used for producing any type of cheese: hard, semi hard, soft, mold-ripened, low-fat and ingredient cheeses and is the latest addition to DuPont’s robust dairy ingredient portfolio – which includes proven products like Carlina Animal Rennet and Marzyme Liquid Microbial Coagulants to help solve any challenge that dairy producers may face. Chymostar also meets purity and thermolability requirements for whey quality. It is inactivated in whey by standard pasteurization techniques and is a purified product – clear of lipase and amylase side activities. More on DuPont’s full coagulant portfolio here.

Photo: DuPont

Biomin raises concern of European harvest

Biomin anticipates that in the upcoming corn and wheat harvest, deoxynivalenol, or vomitoxin, has a high probability to exceed a risk threshold level of 150 parts per billion (ppb) in corn in central, eastern and southern Europe, and to exceed 150 ppb in wheat in northern Europe. The forecast is based on a proprietary mycotoxin prediction tool that delivers daily assessments of expected mycotoxin levels in corn and wheat harvests.

DSM and NC State partner in animal science research

DSM Animal Nutrition and Health announced a 10-year research partnership with North Carolina State University. The research will focus on animal gut health, precision nutrition and data-driven decision-making for animal health. DSM will provide financial resources for renovations to existing animal science buildings and the development of 2 new buildings at NC State. DSM intends to fund approximately US$ 2.5 million over the first 3 years.

*In other news, DSM will acquire Austria-based Erber Group, which is the holding company for Biomin and Romer Labs. The total transaction has an enterprise value of € 980 million.