U.S. Grains Council (USGC) staff based in its Tunis, Tunisia regional office recently conducted a grain trade and industry development program in Kenya and Tanzania to visit dairy and poultry farms and identify opportunities to foster the sectors’ ongoing development, and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to continue supporting the feed industry advancement in Kenya.
USGC Regional Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Ramy H. Taieb signed an agreement with the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA) to extend the existing collaboration between the organizations and determine joint activities to help promote the development of the feed industry in the country. These will include sessions in a regional feed training center in Tunisia aim to improve feed production practices in the country.
“This continued agreement between the Council and AKEFEMA is an ongoing effort that aims for feed industry growth across the region and positioning the U.S. industry to meet the higher demand for feed grains,” Taieb said.
In addition to visiting poultry and dairy farms in Kenya, the team spoke with staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA’s FAS) to discuss facilitating U.S. feed grain exports to the country.
While in Tanzania, the delegation met with representatives from relevant feed and poultry industry associations and toured a layer producer that holds 24,000 hens in two facilities and operates a feed mill with 900 metric ton monthly capacity to understand the typical challenges these operations face and their feed use.
“The poultry and dairy markets in Kenya and Tanzania are expanding and producers there will need quality, affordable feed to keep up with their demand,” said Ana Maria Ballesteros, USGC deputy regional director for Europe and the Middle East.
“The Council’s engagement in both countries looks to improve the feed industries in both countries and open access to U.S. feed ingredients such as distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and sorghum as a way to achieve the nutritional and economic benefits that livestock operations need.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in Africa here.
About The U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is online at www.grains.org.