The New Year in livestock feeding is poised to break a lot of new ground when it comes to feed enzymes and other feed enhancing technology. Here’s a look at five key trends driving change and the potential benefits for industry, with insights from Rob Patterson, Technical Services Manager with Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. (CBS Inc.)

FutureWatch: Capturing fresh value for 2015

Five trends are driving a breakout year ahead for livestock feed innovation

The New Year in livestock feeding is poised to break a lot of new ground when it comes to feed enzymes and other feed enhancing technology. Here’s a look at five key trends driving change and the potential benefits for industry, with insights from Rob Patterson, Technical Services Manager with Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. (CBS Inc.)

1. New era of options. First, the interest and demand across the animal agriculture to seek out new options to maximize feed value has never been higher, says Patterson.

“There are lot of factors in livestock production that are difficult for industry and producers to control. Feed enhancement with the right products and strategy is becoming a big factor to separate from the pack and get that edge everyone is looking for.

“The rising attention has been an increasing trend for a number of years now. But we’re sensing a big spike for 2015 that takes it to a new level. With many factors pushing toward increased nutrition innovation, particularly with greater hurdles around antimicrobials and the shift in emphasis toward natural feed supplements, this year is shaping up to be the major tipping point we’ve been anticipating into a new era of sustainable, elite level livestock feeding.”

2. Science driving value. The science underpinning the best enzyme and other feed technology options is more sophisticated and powerful than ever. The potential benefits derived from these products have substantially expanded. Added to this, a now large and steadily growing customer base, both in North America and internationally, views staying ahead of curve on feed enhancement as more critical than ever to competitiveness.

“This is really becoming a top ‘profitability zone’ operations are zeroing in on, particularly during a time of increasingly tight margins and tough competition,” says Patterson. “It’s an area where the right approach can really allow producers to harvest that extra layer of profitability that can make a huge difference.”

A new generation of innovation, driven by science, is clearly taking hold, says Patterson. “Even those who have traditionally been early adopters of the latest technologies find they have substantially more newer, higher-impact approaches to consider for 2015 and beyond.

The science knowledge available now also help conclusively answer key questions – such as the singles versus multiples debate on enzymes – to improve purchasing decisions, he says. “Those who do their homework reviewing what the science has to say will be rewarded.”

3. Meeting shifting demands. Third, related to this, is the continued challenge presented by increasing scrutiny and restrictions around the use of antimicrobials. “The antimicrobial resistance issue is a big factor, but the pressures for practice change are also a reflection of shifting consumer attitudes and higher scrutiny of food production practices,” says Patterson.

“We are seeing more examples regularly where this is having an influence on government regulations and what the major food companies are asking for from their suppliers. As a result, options that are seen as more natural that can help reduce reliance on antimicrobials are in even greater demand.”

4. Harnessing the best recipe for success. But perhaps most important for industry is the simple fact that in today’s faster-paced world of innovation, it only makes sense to consider more options and update approaches more frequently in developing feeding strategies. “Incorporating more tools is a clear trend to maximize efficiency and maintain strong competitiveness,” he says. “There are not only more options, but – very importantly – more targeted options. This opens greater capacity to use multiple products as part of a cohesive strategy in order to achieve multiple, complementary benefits.”

Armed with a new wave of emerging research knowledge, industry can better understand the potential of different options at a much more detailed and transparent level today, says Patterson.

“Livestock nutritionists and others involved in feeding management are quickly gaining much greater capability to become much more precise in their feeding strategies, to get the most value possible out of every bite of feed.”

5. Rise of multi-carbohydrase. A key example of progress in precision – close to home for CBS Inc. – is the rise of multi-carbohydrase enzyme options, he says.

“We’re learning more and more that each type of feed ingredient is complex and contains a unique package of multiple hard-to-digest components. A multi-carbohydrase enzyme approach is based on using an enzyme formulation with multiple enzymes targeted to each of these different components. This results in a more thorough, powerful impact on nutrient utilization for higher productivity and profitability.

“The rise of multi-carbohydrase taking hold is a great example of the leap forward we are now seeing in feed boosting technology that is bringing dynamic new possibilities to feeding in 2015 and beyond. We’re looking forward with great anticipation to an exciting and successful year ahead for all of our customers and partners.