Using enzymes has become a way of life for animal feed producers to achieve cost effective animal protein production with competitive pricing. Poultry producers face the constant task of shrinking profit margins, while the production cost of dynamic farm gate prices increase. The addition of either single or a combination of enzymes has become an important tool for nutritionists to manage the feed cost thereby sustaining the business profitability.

Kemin plays a significant role in providing enzymes that are technologically superior solutions for the changing world. Kemin offers solutions which are completely unique and comprehensively suit multiple substrates in various feed formulations. Our technological innovation provides more flexibility to feed formulator and poultry producers. 

Q1. What is the significance of “Changing the perception of animal feed enzyme solutions”?

Enzyme use in poultry feed started way back in 1990 and customers are using either of enzyme solutions. The enzyme market is crowded with many solutions that have similar deliverables through a varying process of product development. Despite development in the technology of enzymes, we hardly use 3 to 5 percent of additional carbohydrates and amino acids from the undigested feed varying from 15 to 25 percent. Kemin brings thought leadership in this area because of our focus on high production value and highly differentiated product deliverables beyond nutrient deliverables.

Q2. What is the substantial development from Kemin for feed enzyme technologies?

At Kemin, we always look for solutions beyond imagination from a customer perspective. We focus on diversifying the deliverables of enzyme additives to help gain beyond nutrient release and thereby significantly improve animal performance. In the field of animal feed enzymes, Kemin has developed few novel solutions beyond regular carbohydrase and protease, such as Xylanase Potentiating Factor (XPF), Sustained Release Amylase (SRA) and Compound Protease. These enzyme solutions would further enhance and diversify the deliverables of enzyme additives for efficient animal protein production.

Q3. Can you briefly describe how the inventions of XPF & SRA are adding value to your customers?

Application of enzymes into poultry feed is not new for our customers, but where Kemin adds value is getting more out of an enzyme with similar application. It comes with a thorough understanding of the chemical and nutritional nature of commonly used feed raw material in the region. Foremost is the XPF which enhances the xylanase and other Non-Starch Polysaccharide (NSP) enzyme activity to target the core of the substrate. This not only enhances nutrient conversion, but also provides a significant improvement in nutritional health. The other area of carbohydrate digestion is starch utilization, which can benefit the bird through a sustained starch digestion. This helps provide a readily available nutrient source for the intestinal cells which helps improve net nutrient utilization.

Q4. When compared to earlier years, protein prices are easing up. How do you see your protease technology helping feed producers?

The use of proteases is all about getting more out of the available raw material instead of always looking for an alternate raw material. That’s the reason Kemin has developed compound protease which could enhance the amino acid digestion to the next level. This not only ensures superior nutrient release but also minimizes the impact of anti-nutritive factors. Another interesting feature is it works much better across various levels of nutrient density and protein sources available at the field level. This is an area where the traditional mono-proteases are unable to deliver results. 

Q5. What do you see as an opportunity ahead for poultry producers?

We don’t have control in raw material prices nor chicken or egg prices. Plus, continuing challenges with water quality, agricultural productivity, inadequacy of natural resources, skilled manpower, emerging health issues and environmental concerns adds more pressure on the profitability of animal protein producers. The sustainability in the competitive environment will come only by improving the efficiency in all our operations. The poultry industry needs to thrive to focus on improving the efficiency of feed to farm to utilize the genetic improvement effectively. The focus on efficiency improvement in milling, feed, nutrient utilization and management will help us improve animal protein production and bring more money to the table.

Q6. Finally, do you see more innovation to come in the feed enzyme market?

Of course; the FAO report predicts that by 2050 the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion, 34 percent higher than today. Nearly all this population increase will occur in developing countries. Income levels of the population will grow simultaneously. To feed this larger, more urban and richer population, food production, the net of food used for biofuels, must increase by 70 percent. Annual cereal production will need to rise to about 3 billion tons from 2.1 billion today and annual meat production will need to rise by over 200 million tons to reach 470 million tons. Which means we need to have more innovative solutions in the industry that will help double our productivity, improve the performance and keep animals healthy. Feed enzymes will play a vital role in increasing nutrient efficiency of the feed and keeping animals healthy.