Cargill opens new animal nutrition technology application center in Izmir, Turkey

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Increasing farm efficiency while ensuring robust animal health and welfare is a common goal for animal producers worldwide.  However, different challenges arise in different regions when trying to achieve that objective. That's why Cargill has established a new Technology Application Center (TAC) in Yakapınar, Izmir, Turkey to help dairy and poultry customers in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa leverage and apply the best possible feed technologies to grow their businesses. The new TAC further strengthens Cargill's presence in the region following a 2015 deal in which Cargill acquired a majority stake in Ekol Gida*, a leading company operating in premix and feed additives markets in Turkey.

"Severe climate and the availability of raw materials are significant challenges for dairy and poultry customers in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa," said Scott Ainslie, global strategic marketing and technology director for Cargill's animal nutrition business. "This new TAC will enable Cargill Animal Nutrition R&D and applications teams to evaluate and test Cargill global technology under local conditions, such as heat stress. Ultimately, our TACs allow us to more quickly deliver new products and services in the region, marketed under the Provimi brand, that meet the specific requirements of our customers for their locations."

The new Izmir TAC was created through a partnership with an existing commercial dairy farm owned by the Egesay Animal Agriculture Food Industry and Trade Company, Ltd. The $2 million project will first concentrate on customized solutions relating to ruminants. A poultry center is scheduled to be constructed and operational by the end of 2017.

"The Egesay farm is a typical Turkish, family-owned farm representative of a large part of the Turkish market and ideal for performing practical field trials," said Guillaume Smeets, Middle East, Turkey and Africa regional director for Cargill's animal nutrition business. "Having access to the farm's 150 lactating cows will enable us to evaluate how to incorporate different, locally-produced raw materials into the rations of cows in different production phases, particularly as they relate to heat stress periods. Furthermore, silage and roughage can be of different qualities, so it's important to evaluate the nutrient value to animals of locally-produced ingredients." The TAC will also be used to demonstrate to customers the performance of Provimi's Rupromin™ mineral range and calf milk replacers in the local environment.

When the poultry center is completed, research at the TAC will be extended to poultry gut health and maximizing production efficiencies while using local ingredients for poultry nutrition.  The poultry center will house 2,000 broilers and 2,000 layers.

"Dairy and poultry are growing consumer markets for this region, and to meet the demand, producers are professionalizing and scaling up their operations," noted Smeets. "The Izmir TAC will enable our customers to obtain the best possible solutions from around the world by leveraging Cargill's five global R&D Innovation Centers and learnings from our other 12 TACs."

About Cargill
Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 155,000 employees in 68 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

About Cargill in Turkey
Cargill has been active in Turkey since 1960 through a local partnership agreement and commenced trading as Cargill in 1986. The company has more than 400 employees in six locations in Turkey - in Istanbul, Bursa, Balıkesir, Izmit, Adana and Ankara. The Cargill Turkey head office, which opened in 1992, is located in Istanbul. Cargill operates in four major sectors – food, finance, grain & oilseeds and industrial & bio-industrial products. Visit www.cargill.com.tr.

Cargill Animal Nutrition
Cargill's animal nutrition business has more than 17,000 employees at more than 250 facilities in 37 countries offering a range of products and services to feed manufacturers, animal producers, and feed retailers around the world. In 2011, Cargill completed the acquisition of Provimi, a global leader in premix and animal nutrition solutions, adding to Cargill's portfolio of animal nutrition offerings. Today, Cargill's animal nutrition business offers a range of compound feed, premixes, feed additives, supply chain and risk management solutions, software tools and animal nutrition expertise that is unmatched in the industry. For more information about Cargill Animal Nutrition, visit: http://www.cargill.com/feed.

* Ekol Gida Tarim Ve Hayvancilik Pazarlama Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi

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