“I Had a Farm in Africa…”
August 1, 2012
Less than 30% of total cultivable land in Africa is presently under cultivation. That excludes forests. The data may be unreliable, but for want of better, Africa has…
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Learn About the Latest Trends & Technologies
How Does an Extruder Work?
July 25, 2012
We should probably start with what an extruder is. In fancy terms, it is a positive displacement machine designed to apply shear forces to raw ingredients in order…
Will My Feed Processing Plant Be Profitable? – Part III – Raw Material Costs
July 18, 2012
We’ve already established three key variables which will determine the ultimate profitability of your feed processing plant: Feed formulation Raw material costs Market value of your output(s) My…
Vibration
July 11, 2012
Anybody who owns more than one extruder will tell you they have one extruder machine that vibrates more than the other. Why is this? And what can you…
Not All Expeller Soybean Meals are Equal
July 4, 2012
Last week, I accessed a Pig Progress Weblog where Dr. Ioannis Mavromichalis wrote about his experience with expeller soybean meal. He indicated that he likes the product in…
Time to Plant Soybeans!
June 27, 2012
Don’t be lulled by the falling Food Price Index. FAO, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, announced early May that its Food Price Index which measures monthly price…
Sustainable Business Model To Solve Hunger
June 20, 2012
I was recently asked to speak at the U.S. State Department in front of many U.S. Government Agencies, International Embassies and other non-government organizations on the topic of…
Conveying and Product Transfer Options for Food and Feed Manufacturing
June 13, 2012
When designing a manufacturing process, product obviously has to get from point A to point B. The typical way to do this is through conveying. This is a…
Will My Feed Processing Plant Be Profitable? – Part II – Feed Formulation
June 6, 2012
We’ve already established three key variables which will determine the ultimate profitability of your feed processing plant: Feed formulation Raw material costs Market value of your output(s) Today,…
Preventing Maintenance Issues
May 30, 2012
Do you ever wonder how to correctly prevent maintenance issues on your extruder machines? The following is an excerpt from a short article published in Feed and Grain…
The Importance of Quality and Know-How
May 23, 2012
It is important for any business making a large investment in processing equipment to assure they are working with knowledgeable people who will be there for you. As…
What is Shear, and How Does it Apply to Extrusion?
May 16, 2012
In simple terms, shearing is what occurs when two forces act upon each other in opposite directions. The simplest example of this is when you rub your hands…
Agri-Business Project Financing: Is Dawn About to Break?
May 9, 2012
It has been a long and bitter night for African agribusiness. But is dawn about to break? Commercial banks in Ethiopia, for example, are still asleep when it…
Food Aid or Technology Transfer? Which Option is More Logical in the Fight Against Global Hunger?
May 2, 2012
I read an article by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A new development of fully cooked instant Corn Soya Blend (CSB) for soybean processing by an…
Will My Feed Processing Plant Be Profitable? (Part 1)
April 25, 2012
So you’re thinking about starting a feed processing plant, or maybe you’ve already got one and you’re looking to expand. Chances are that this is going to require…
SME Financing in Africa – Not for the Faint-Hearted!
April 18, 2012
I’m a dairy farmer in Africa, and I need $5,000 to buy some cows – no problem! There are scores of micro-finance institutions ready to assist and lend…
What is the Best Way to Install a Thermocouple?
April 11, 2012
Because start-up techs do the initial training and the installing of the thermocouples, the proper technique is often misplaced or forgotten. The start-up of the equipment is a…
Insta-Pro International Blog
April 4, 2012
We are launching the Insta-Pro blog to share our over 40 years of experience in High Shear, Dry Extrusion Technology. The blog approach to convey this experience is…