As hog producers from Manitoba, Canada, traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, for the World Pork Expo June 8-12, they visited a South Dakota ethanol plant along the way. There they had a firsthand look at the distiller\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) production process.<\/p>\n
Importing 800,000 tons of DDGS last year, Canada remains the United States\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 second-largest market for the ethanol co-product; in particular, hog producers from Manitoba represent a significant percentage of DDGS imported from the United States. <\/p>\n
Manitoba hog producers are feeding DDGS at recommended levels but have had questions regarding its quality, consistency, toxin and nutrient content, according to U.S. Grains Council Consultant Neil Campbell of Gowans Feed Consulting. In an effort to increase confidence in the product, the Council arranged for the visiting group to tour Council member Glacial Lakes Energy LLC, in Watertown, S.D. <\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The tour group was very impressed with the plant\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s quality control procedures and had further discussions regarding flowability aspects of the product, which is of some concern with on-farm feed manufacturers,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd said Gowans\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 consultant Clarence Froese who escorted the team. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Many of the 4,200 members of the Glacial Lakes cooperative are livestock producers who deliver corn and utilize the resulting DDGS in their own operations. The company is very sensitive to quality control measures that ensure a quality product for feeding to both swine and cattle.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd <\/p>\n
The Watertown plant processes about 110,000 bushels of corn per day with a similar capacity at their Mina, S.D., plant. About 20 percent of the resulting DDGS produced by the company are exported for use in Canada. <\/p>\n
Gary Duffy of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association said he was thrilled to hear a group of Manitoba producers visited the Glacial Lakes Energy plant since the Canadian market is an important one for South Dakota. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Investment in DDGS programs is essential because of the hog producers in Canada,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And due to South Dakota\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s geographic location, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also important we have the ability to easily transport the product to our Canadian customers. The interstate passing right by Watertown serves as a mainline for getting DDGS into Canada,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd he said. <\/p>\n
As for the Canadian group\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s recent tour of Glacial Lakes Energy, Duffy said their visit reinforced what South Dakota producers already know about U.S. DDGS. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153As South Dakota producers, we use the product ourselves,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are very familiar with the quality of DDGS and happy to hear producers from Canada had the chance to see this for themselves while in South Dakota.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd<\/p>\n