NFM launched its 2020 Livestock Production Training Programme with its first session ‘Elements of Animal Feed Quality and Feed Storage’ at the Sugar Cane Feeds Centre (SFC), Longdenville, on 18 February 2020. The training programme, which is being done in collaboration with the Sugarcane Feeds Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, is geared toward educating Farmers on the production and nutrition fundamentals for livestock, poultry, canine and tilapia. The series will be a year-long programme with one topic per month. The training will also cover feed protection, storage insect pests of feeds, food safety in animal production and Good Farming Practices (GFP), animal health and elements of Agribusiness Management. Participants will also be exposed to the work routines of livestock production with a tour of SFC Livestock and affiliated areas.

A lively Q&A session followed the first session at which NFM’s Technical Officer-Feed, Harish Coolman (Lead Facilitator) and New Product Development Manager, Gail Nobbee, fielded questions from a group of 27 participants with interests in poultry, tilapia and livestock farming. Points noted during the Q&A segment included requests for NFM to reduce the size of the feed bag to make it more manageable; to expand its range of animal feeds; and the company’s progress on its adoption of international food safety standards for pet food and animal feed products.

Scenes from the first session of NFM’s Livestock Production Training Programme.