Grainnet

U.S. Grains Council Conducts DDGS Feeding Trials and Promotion in Chile

This articla is reprinted from the May 8 edition of U.S. Grains Council's Global Update

The U.S. Grains Council is promoting distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in South America this week by conducting dairy feeding trials in Chile.

USGC consultant Dr. Randy Shaver, a dairy science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is working with Jaime Cuellar, the Council’s consultant in Colombia, to implement trial protocols with Chilean dairy cooperative Cooprinsem.

The trials are a result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Council and Cooprinsem in April this year.

According to the MOU’s contents, the aim of the trials is to examine the possibility of increasing the amount of DDGS imported into Chile by demonstrating its potential in milk production.

“Dr. Shaver has designed the initial steps for the trial which will start in July or August at five different farms near Puerto Montt and Osorno,” said Cuellar.

“The trials will use 200 metric tons of DDGS,” he said, adding that Cooprinsem has been purchasing the product regularly, including recent purchases of 600 and 1,200 tons sourced from the United States within the last 45 days.

“Although it is too early to forecast DDGS use in Chile, it could amount to 10,000 tons per month in the near future,” Cuellar said.

The trial will be conducted in two separate feeding periods during Chile’s winter months of July and August and again in the spring in November and December.

In September or October, Shaver will return to Chile to work with Cooprinsem staff to monitor progress, review data and develop formulations for the next feeding period.

He will again visit Chile in January or February 2009 when he will conduct field days and seminars where he will present the feeding trial results.

For more information, call 202-789-0789.