Dates and locations have been announced for the spring European leg of the Alltech ONE World Tour, a series of exciting international events that bring the ideas and inspiration of Alltech’s annual ONE Conference to the world. The first stops are in Budapest, Hungary, on May 22-23 and Dublin, Ireland, on June 19-20.

The Alltech ONE Conference has been held in Lexington, Kentucky, home of Alltech’s global headquarters, for the past 38 years. In 2023, the global leader in agriculture is bringing the conference to its partners, customers, suppliers and friends across the globe, providing the opportunity for more people than ever to experience the power of ONE.

The Alltech ONE World Tour will explore collaborative solutions to the greatest challenges facing the agri-food industry, uniting changemakers and thought leaders to examine regional and local market trends in agriculture, business, health and nutrition.

“As our customers and partners continue to face many challenges and uncertainties, we determined that 2023 would be dedicated to meeting them in their market,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO. “This special edition of the ONE will endeavor to deliver global expertise to locally relevant issues. In the midst of economic and political uncertainties that fuel regionalization, this ONE reflects the responsibility we have as a global company to be a connector of people and ideas, ever advancing our purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty.”

The Alltech ONE World Tour will continue with stops in Canada, the U.S., Asia, South America and the Middle East.

For more information and to register for an Alltech ONE World Tour stop, visit one.alltech.com.

Can animals harness their intrinsic abilities to adapt and heal after an injury? Dr. Mark Revenaugh, veterinarian and owner of Northwest Equine Performance in Mulino, Oregon, joins the Ag Future podcast to discuss the science behind regenerative therapy and what it means for equestrians. 

The following is an edited transcript of the Ag Future podcast episode with Dr. Mark Revenaugh hosted by Tom Martin. Click below to hear the full audio or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

Tom:            Welcome to Ag Future, presented by Alltech. Join us from the 2022 Alltech ONE Conference as we explore opportunities within agri-food, business and beyond.

                     Regenerative therapies have been rapidly expanding in the horse market. These treatments of joint disease, as well as soft tissue and musculoskeletal injuries, are revolutionizing equine sports medicine. They are (also), at the same time, raising many questions.

                     I'm Tom Martin for the Alltech Ag Future podcast series, and joining us is Dr. Mark Revenaugh, the veterinarian owner of Northwest Equine Performance in Mulino, Oregon, and a leading expert in the diagnosis and treatment of lameness and performance-related issues. For more than 20 years, Dr. Revenaugh has served as a U.S. Equestrian Team or assistant team veterinarian, selecting, treating and advising elite-level professionals in the equine industry on maintaining health and maximizing performance. Thanks for joining us, Mark.

Mark:            Thank you very much. Great to be here.

Tom:            Would you mind explaining for us what regenerative medicine is and how it works as a healing therapy?

Mark:            Sure. Regenerative medicine is really an entirely new branch of medicine. What we're doing is we're looking into harnessing the body's own intrinsic abilities to adapt, to heal and to strengthen. We're finding that those signals are all there; we're just in the process of learning how to best utilize those processes that are already existing.

Tom:            This is a recurring theme, and the conversations we're having in the field of neurogastronomy, in the field of genetics — that we're equipped for many of these ailments, and, of course, our animals are as well — (are related to topics) that we've addressed in other ways for generations.

Mark:            Yeah, that's absolutely correct. I think the pendulum swings in most industries, as it has in medicine, over into (the) pharmacy, to be the answer to the afflictions of our horses and our people. But it turns out that there might be a better way — or, certainly, another way — that we can be modifying and impacting our (horses). You know, I work with athletes, primarily. They have very, very high demands on them. We're always looking for ways that we can keep our athletes healthy and strong and in the game.

Tom:            Well, what sorts of injuries or ailments can be successfully treated with regenerative therapies?

Mark:            Well, we're still trying to figure that all out. I would tell you, at this stage, there's a lot of experience and quite a bit of research behind it (related to its) use in treating joints, injured joints (and) inflamed joints, to a lesser extent, but also there's a fairly robust research base behind the use of these products for soft-tissue injuries. Those are very, very common, and those are, I would say, the lion's share of what we're using them for — although there are exciting new areas where (regenerative therapies are used in the) treatment of lung problems and even spinal cord injury. I know that's a bigger deal for human orthopedics, but it does happen. Nerve and nerve-root and spinal-cord problems do also occur in horses. It's a frontier at this stage for us.

Tom:            Well, Dr. Revenaugh, what brought you around to this approach? How were you persuaded that it holds beneficial promise?

Mark:            Well, sports are really, really competitive, and we're always looking for ways to do things better and to get a better end result. This line of thinking really started in the late '90s. Our industry has struggled to keep up with the rapidly changing body of research and the rapidly changing body of clinical experience. Interestingly, clinical experience, actually, is probably leading the way. We have tremendously high numbers of case experiences. There's so much to read and so much to try and keep track of that it can be really difficult to stay on top of it, because as soon as you learn something, there's something else new to replace it.

                     But it's driven by results in the end. At first, it's driven by the hype. There's a hyperbole when there's something new and everyone thinks it's going to cure everything and that doesn't work out. But once you're through the hype, you can really realize where some of these products can be helpful. Like I said, at this stage, we just are doing more and more. It's done by request by the client from (their) firsthand experience with some of their other patients.

Tom:            Sounds like the old (adage), “The more you know, the more you know you don't know.”

Mark:            Yeah, absolutely.

Tom:            Well, last year, I know that you in the high-performance sports group offered a series of courses where top-level horse vets, academic veterinarians and MDs specializing in regenerative treatments got together to compare notes about this field. What's the most current clinical thinking about its applications in veterinary medicine?

Mark:            Wow, that's a very broad question. I would say that the reason that we organized this virtual summit was because we're looking to see what different perspectives we're finding. And until that point, largely, the MD world, the human regenerative field, was running parallel with the veterinary regenerative field without an awful lot of communication between the two different groups. It's fascinating and has been an amazing process to see (and) kind of compare notes on all levels — not only (in terms of) results but how things are being validated, how we measure success. I mean, some of the real fundamental, important pillars of determining whether something does or doesn't work, I would say, at this stage, are coming back into question for us.

Tom:            Well, I know that you have not shied away from making investments in advanced technologies and cutting-edge therapies. That requires a certain amount of tolerance of risk. What's your view of the value of risk in this area?

Mark:            Risk is — anytime you intervene at all, you have to consider that there's some risk associated with your intervention. You don't want your intervention — you don't want the cure to be worse than the disease, as the saying goes. But I think it's very easy to be so risk-averse that you don't (try new things) or that you miss out on some really, really valuable and important new options that are out there.

                     Literally, for me, when I'm wanting to consider a new product, we've developed a network of clinicians and academicians that we can run some ideas by and kind of get a collective experience base (from). This is our data-tracking program also. The idea is that if we collaborate — say I see 100 cases in a year of a certain injury, and there's another practice that sees 100 in a year, and you get 10 practices (together). All of a sudden, if you've really worked together and compared notes and tracked your data, you've just gotten 10 times or more (of the original) experience base and an awful lot more objective (data). Because, hopefully, each of us — bias is also a really big problem in medicine in general. Hopefully, by having different perspectives, we really try to cancel out some of the bias as best as possible. But bias is also a really big factor, and one that we always have to try to keep in check.

                     That's a long answer for your risk question because, in order to calculate risk, you have to know what the risk is. In many instances, we really don't know. If you're talking about treating 10 cases and they all went well, that doesn't mean it's (necessarily) a safe thing to do. It means that one in 10 (of those cases), it's safe on. So, it's interesting. The industry is pivoting away from just looking at small numbers of cases in a perfect environment to getting bigger numbers of cases in a less-perfect environment. But just the sheer number of cases that you’re tracking, theoretically, will give us a better read on how safe, certainly, or effective a product is.

Tom:            Well, I'm wondering what you're seeing here. In your opinion, what are, as yet, (the) unrealized but achievable potentials of regenerative medicine in equine therapy?

Mark:            Well, what I've talked about today at my meeting (at the 2022 Alltech ONE Conference) were some of the common things that we have been using and continue to use. But there are — if you look into the real hardcore science, the regenerative field is going to be able to reproduce or recreate kidneys and things of that nature, which is really a completely different conversation than what I'm talking about at this stage. Really, it's kind of open season on where this whole thing can go. But it's important to say that just because it's new doesn't mean it's better. Like I said earlier, there's kind of a hyperbole or a hype that happens, and we really have to kind of keep ourselves in check — that we're not using a new product just because it's a new product.

Tom:            This interview is happening in Lexington, Kentucky. We bill ourselves as the horse capital of the world — and now, home of this year's Kentucky Derby phenomenon, Rich Strike. We will never let the world forget that. I'm betting you're quite familiar with many a clinic, barn and stable in this area.

Mark:            That's true.

Tom:            Dr. Mark Revenaugh, owner of Northwest Equine Performance in Mulino, Oregon, and a leading expert in the diagnosis and treatment of lameness and performance-related issues. Thank you so much for joining us.

Mark:            Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.

Tom:            For the Alltech Ag Future podcast series, I'm Tom Martin. Thank you for joining us. Be sure to subscribe to Ag Future wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Kentucky Horse Park and Alltech are delighted to continue their long-standing partnership and have renewed their naming rights agreement, securing the designation of Alltech Arena for an additional five years. The sponsorship is a continuation of a landmark partnership for both parties. The Kentucky Horse Park is widely known as the state’s leading tourist attraction, one of Kentucky’s largest working horse farms, and one of the nation’s leading competition facilities, serving nearly one million visitors annually.

The Horse Park and Alltech have teamed up to host nationally and regionally significant events in Kentucky for decades. Alltech Arena has hosted many major equine and non-equine gatherings, such as the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010, Alltech National Horse Show, Road to the Horse and Kentucky Crafted, among others.

“Our partnership with Alltech has spanned multiple decades, and we are excited they will continue to have a major presence at the Kentucky Horse Park for years to come,” said Lee Carter, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park. “Alltech is committed to making positive, sustainable impacts throughout their diverse business channels. The company’s continued support of the Kentucky Horse Park allows us to maintain our position within the equine industry while also enhancing the overall quality of life in the commonwealth.” 

“As a long serving board member of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, our commitment to the Horse Park is monumental in moving forward our relationship in the equine industry and the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” said Deirdre Lyons, co-founder and director of corporate design, image and construction at Alltech.

“From the striking sunset at the Opening Ceremonies to the spellbinding Gold Medal dressage win of Edward Gal and Totillas at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010, few fans will ever forget when the world championships of equestrian sport found a home in Kentucky,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “For Alltech, our partnership with the Kentucky Horse Park on the Alltech Arena is a commemoration of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s shining moment on the world stage in 2010 and an ongoing commitment to celebrating the bond between humanity and horses.”

Alltech Arena has a total permanent seating capacity of 5,512, including nine VIP Suites. It contains a full event concourse suitable for trade shows and vendors and six separate concession areas, along with a multi-speaker sound system with delayed distribution. The arena is ADA-compliant, with accessible seating and companion seating.

For more information about the Kentucky Horse Park, visit KyHorsePark.com and to learn more about Alltech, visit alltech.com.

With the spring horse shows just around the corner, it's time to prepare your horse for success in the show ring. Whether you are an experienced rider or are new to the sport, there are a few key steps you can take to ensure that your horse is ready to perform at its best in the horse show ring.

 One of the most important steps you can take while preparing for horse shows is to follow a comprehensive equestrian training program. This should include a combination of riding knowledge and techniques, as well as physical fitness and mental preparation. Riders and horses must be able to perform a straight and organized working trot for at least twenty minutes without a break before they even consider horse showing. Many horses do not build up enough forward momentum and balance in their training to engage and build musculature their hind-end, core and topline.

Additionally, when horse showing, excitement and nerves can take over — and those feelings can be transferred to your horse. Working with a mental skills coach along with your riding trainer can help you develop a training plan that is tailored to your horse's strengths and abilities, allowing you to focus on specific areas for improvement.

Equestrian training develops a rider’s mental acuity, both in and out of the saddle. Through equestrian training, riders learn discipline, perseverance, grit and hard work. They cultivate a feel for what is correct while learning to be brave and in control of their emotions and challenging themselves. They also learn how to accept feedback and gain physical and emotional strength through showing horses. Show horse training allows riders to learn to cooperate with their animal to achieve great success.

Another important aspect of preparation is to ensure that your horse is healthy enough for show horse training and is in top physical condition. One way to support your horse's health and performance is by providing the proper nutrition. Lifeforce Elite can help. Lifeforce Elite is a performance supplement specifically designed for horses, providing them with the essential trace minerals they need to maintain healthy cartilage and synovial fluid in their joints. By providing them with these essential nutrients, Lifeforce Elite can help support your horse's health and performance, allowing them to perform at their best in the ring.

In addition to proper nutrition, it is also important to ensure that your horse is well-rested and hydrated leading up to the show season. This may involve adjusting your horse's exercise routine or providing them with additional time to rest and recover between show horse training sessions.

Finally, it is important to have a plan in place for the day of the show. This may involve coordinating with your coach or trainer to ensure that you and your showing horses arrive on time, have a clear understanding of the schedule and are prepared for any unexpected events. Learn the proper warm-up ring etiquette, and have a plan established before you get on your horse. By having a plan in place, you can help minimize stress for both you and your horse and ensure a smooth and successful showing experience.

Here are 10 steps you can take to help ensure that you will have a successful show:

• Minimize stress by packing early and being organized.
• Eat a nutritious breakfast (and also lunch, if you show late).
• Learn your course or pattern early so that you have time to visualize and consider the training questions being asked.
• Breathe throughout the day as you get nervous, and make a list of the places where you will have time to breathe on the course.
• Help out your barn-mates, teammates and fellow competitors. If you see opportunities to be a good member of our community, take them.
• Maintain a positive attitude no matter what happens in competition or on the day of the event.
• Express gratitude to every horse and person who spends their day with you at the horse show.
• Make sure to determine what you are going to wear the week before the event and that everything you have is clean, polished and ironed, as needed.
• Pass left shoulder to left shoulder in the schooling ring.
• Focus on your horse and on achieving correct and straight riding, and the ribbons will follow! Proper horsemanship and sportsmanship are the keys to success.

The horse show season is an exciting time and serves as a great opportunity to showcase your horse's skills and abilities. With the right training, support and preparation, you can help your horse perform at its best at horse shows. Lifeforce Elite can also help, as it is dedicated to supporting your horse's health and performance.

Horse show season is right around the corner. You’ve probably been taking weekly lessons and doing some hacking about, but what do you really need to do to be ready when the horse shows start?

I show an Off-the-Track Thoroughbred (OFTT) in the show hunters division because I love the camaraderie that the breed shows and classes offer. We also foxhunt in the off season. But it doesn’t matter what breed or discipline you show; much of the preparation will be the same for both you and your horse. 

For the rider:

1. Try on your show clothes to make sure they fit and are show-ready. They may have sustained some damage or a stain that you forgot about. After all, our shapes can change with age and varying fitness levels, and it would be no fun to wake up the morning of a show and find that you really need new breeches. If you’re not sure about what you should wear, ask your trainer. There are plenty of consignment stores, and you may be able to sell some of your clothes for store credit to buy new — or new-to-you — items.
2. Hopefully, you have been riding all winter. If you haven’t, you may need to work on your fitness a bit! Since I hunt, I keep my stamina up pretty well, but my conditioning for riding in the ring and using my body and legs can suffer. Make sure that you get back into a regular practice for the specific discipline in which you’ll be competing.
3. Eat right! When you maintain a good diet, you sleep better, and when you sleep better, you have more stamina to get through the day. That applies to riding as well. I know that, when I eat a bunch of junk — especially at the overnight shows — my body pays the price in the show ring.
4. Have your rig checked out. I use mine year-round, so I do regular checks. Lots of trucks and trailers that are used for showing sit for most of the winter, so take yours to the local shop, and make sure that you’ve got a good floor on your trailer, good tires, good brakes and working electric.
5. How old is your helmet? Helmets should be replaced every 2 to 3 years, as well as after any fall during which you hit your head. Do you need a new helmet? Check it out now!
6. Map out your show plans. Will you go to every show that your barn attends? Are you aiming for one or two a month? Will you show locally or travel far and stay overnight? Maybe a bit of both? What are your goals?

Photo by Chandler Willet

For the horse:

1. Check your horse’s body condition. How did they fare through the colder weather? Since I have OTTBs, I work hard to keep weight on them through the winter. There are times when we must look fancy to hunt, so maintaining turnout and keeping them in good health is important. I want to optimize their digestive environment, and if you do, too, this is something that you need to do now — not a few days before the show. To help foster a positive digestive environment, try Lifeforce Elite Performance. Its comprehensive formula, which includes chondroitin sulfate and yeast culture, supports complete wellness in performance horses. Additionally, one bag offers a 40-day supply.
2. Have your vet examine your horse. While my horse gets regular chiropractic treatments year-round, I just had mine looked at last week. He gets tired toward the end of hunt season as we go into show season, and I want to make sure that I’m not overlooking anything that might help us to be as successful as possible in our pursuits. Lifeforce Elite Performance helps here, too. It’s made in a drug-free facility, includes 100% organic trace minerals, and helps maintain healthy cartilage and synovial fluid in horses.
3. Give your tack a good once-over. Take it home and deep-clean and oil it. Take your bridle apart and pull the leathers off your saddle. Not only will this allow you to get to and clean the hard-to-reach spots; it will also allow you to check everything for damage and proper safety.
4. Start schooling one level above the level that you’ll compete at, assuming that doing so is safe for you and your horse.
5. Do you need to body-clip as part of your preparations for the equestrian season? Make sure that you do this at least 10 to 14 days before you head to the show ring. That will give the coat time to recover.
6. Load up! Has your horse been on the trailer since the last show season? It’s the worst feeling when you go to load and leave and your horse doesn’t want to get on the trailer, creating stress for both you and your horse. Load your horse up and take him on a little ride. If you have trouble loading your horse, now is the time to remedy the problem. Call a professional for help.

That’s it. You are now ready to go. Have a great season — and GOOD LUCK!

[Ocala, FL] – It was standing room only at World Equestrian Center (WEC) – Ocala for the $100,000 Alltech Grand Prix during week V of the 2023 Winter Spectacular Show Series. The night culminated with local fan-favorite Aaron Vale (USA) piloting Alise Carrico and Thinks Like A Horse’s Cristo Beech (Its The Business x Ragua) to the horse’s very first Saturday night grand prix win at the venue.

 “This was our second annual Alltech Grand Prix at the World Equestrian Center – Ocala, and the experience never disappoints. The facilities and staff are truly unmatched. This year, we included several of our feed partners on a weekend showcase highlighting our continued sponsorship of this extraordinary venue, and the grand prix itself was the cherry on top of an already fun-filled and educational weekend,” noted Alltech director of lifestyle business Tim Karl.

“The opportunity to build our brand presence with consumers and to showcase our many exciting Alltech equine technologies is extremely valuable, and we look forward to continuing this partnership with WEC – Ocala,” said Karl.

FEI Level III course designer Peter Grant (CAN) set the tracks for Saturday night’s class where 14 managed to qualify for the returning jump-off. The short course proved to be a challenge as only five found a double-clean effort.

“The jump-off was a nice technical track. The tricky part was the two right turns. You had to turn right and land right, then after the big oxer in the middle you had to turn right and leave right again. When you come right and leave left, it’s a bit easier for the horses to jump clear. Then the last combination was pretty tight for most horses, so the rails were coming down a lot there,” said Vale.

Olympian Cian O’Connor (IRL) and Nicole Walker’s Eve D’ouilly (Qlassic Bois Margot x Tefnout D’ouilly) were the first pair to find a double-clean effort. O’Connor and the talented nine-year-old mare found a fast track in 44.567 seconds to set the pace for the remainder of the class.

Numerous entries tried to find O’Connor’s quick time, but all faced rails along the way. It wasn’t until Aaron Vale (USA) entered the arena aboard his first mount I Adermie R 4 (Den Ham Blue R x W.Adermie 1) owned by Lori Osterstock. Vale and the ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare soared around the track in 43.686 seconds to snatch the lead.

Victory seemed to be sealed as more competitors fell victim to rails down in the jump-off, but Santiago Lambre (BRA) entered the arena aboard his own Pampero (Chacco-blue x Naloutaire) with the determination to find a clear round. Lambre and the 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding flew around the jump-off track in a blistering fast time of 42.607 seconds to take over the top spot on the leaderboard.

Richard Spooner and Show Jumping Syndications International’s Quirado RC found a clean jump-off track, but fell short with a time of 45.865 seconds.

Vale had one more chance to try and secure the victory on his final mount Cristo Beech.

“He is a little bit quirky. I didn’t know if I could get the eight done. I turned the corner and saw a fast spot to the fence one – I wasn’t even sure if I could get to that spot. I landed and wasn’t sure exactly what I was seeing, but I just kept kicking with the hopes he would take off and he did,” chuckled Vale.

“After I got the eight, I turned as fast as I could to the liver pool. He usually pushes back a little bit and tips the back rail to big oxers like the one in the middle, so I tried to stay wide enough where I could keep running as fast as I could to get his eye on it long enough where I could keep going after. I turned right back to the yellow, not super tight, but you needed a little momentum away from that off of the 270-degree turn. Then I ran over to the in-and-out and almost chipped in, because for some reason that’s how he jumps it best. Then I did eight to the last like everyone else.”

The pair flew through the finish in 42.110 seconds to secure the victory.

Vale spoke about his talented up-and-coming mount, “He has been very consistent. He’s been jumping a lot of clear rounds, so he’s been getting some more chances in the jump-off,” said Vale.

 “He is a quirky horse. He is scared of other horses in the warmup area, so you have to be cautious, because if he gets jarred by one, he stiffens up his body and is a totally different horse. Even though he’s quirky, I really enjoy his personality. He should have more confidence in himself than he does. He reminds me of that old Saturday Night Live skit, Daily Affirmations. He doesn’t think other horses like him. He’s a shy, neat little animal, and I think that’s one of the things I love best about him.”

An additional $5,000 was awarded to the fastest four-faulter of the $100,000 Alltech Grand Prix. Rodrigo Pessoa and Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC’s Quality FZ received the award with an incredibly fast time of 77.651 seconds with one down.

Peter Petschenig (AUT) received the $5,000 ‘Luck of the Draw’ award.

$100,000 Alltech Grand Prix Results:

1 Cristo Beech, Aaron Vale (USA), Alise Carrico & Thinks Like A Horse: 0 | 0 | 42.110
2 Pampero, Santiago Lambre (BRA), Santiago Lambre: 0 | 0 | 42.607
3 I Adermie R 4, Aaron Vale (USA), Lori Ostertock: 0 | 0 43.686
4 Eve D’ouilly, Cian O’Connor (IRL), Nicole Walker: 0 | 0 | 44.567
5 Quirado RC, Richard Spooner (USA), Show Jumping Syndications International: 0 | 0 | 45.865
6 Comtess 202, Santiago Lambre (BRA), Santiago Lambre: 0 | 4 | 43.338
7 Valentine Car, Sharn Wordley (NZL), Fernando Cardenas Jr.: 0 | 4 | 43.624
8 MTM Apple, Tracy Fenney (USA), MTM Farm: 0 | 8 | 41.607
9 Verdini D’Houtveld Z, Lauren Balcomb (AUS), Lauren Balcomb: 0 | 8  | 48.886
10 Rock Of Cashel, Tom Wachman (IRL), Coolmore Showjumping: 0 | 8 | 49.027

For more information about the World Equestrian Center, visit worldequestriancenter.com  and to learn more about Alltech, visit alltech.com.

Alltech released its 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook today, highlighting global feed production survey data. Despite significant macroeconomic challenges that affected the entire supply chain, global feed production remained steady in 2022 at 1.266 billion metric tons (BMT) in 2022, a decrease of less than one-half of one percent (0.42%) from 2021’s estimates. The annual survey, now in its 12^th year, includes data from 142 countries and more than 28,000 feed mills.

Europe bore the brunt of the impact, including significant disease challenges, severe weather and the impacts of the invasion of Ukraine. The global COVID-19 pandemic has had major impacts on the agri-food sector, contributing to supply chain challenges and accelerating the adoption of new technology and environmental sustainability practices.

The top 10 feed-producing countries over the past year were China (260.739 million metric tons [MMT]), the U.S. (240.403 MMT), Brazil (81.948 MMT), India (43.360 MMT), Mexico (40.138 MMT), Russia (34.147 MMT), Spain (31.234 MMT), Vietnam (26.720 MMT), Argentina (25.736 MMT) and Germany (24.396 MMT). Together, the top 10 countries produced 64% of the world’s feed production, and half of the world’s global feed consumption is concentrated in four countries: China, the U.S., Brazil and India. Vietnam experienced a great recovery in terms of its feed tonnage in 2022, entering the top 10 ahead of Argentina and Germany and crowding out Turkey, which reported reduced feed tonnage. Russia overtook Spain, where there was a significant reduction in feed production.

Key observations from the survey:

• Feed production increased in several regions, including Latin America (1.6%), North America (0.88%) and Oceania (0.32%), while Europe decreased by 4.67%, Africa by 3.86% and the Asia-Pacific region also dropped 0.51%.
   
• Globally, increases in feed tonnage were reported in the aquaculture, broiler, layer and pet food sectors, while decreases were reported in the beef, dairy and pig sectors.
   
• Although it experienced a narrow reduction in feed production, China remains the largest feed-producing country in the world, followed by the United States and Brazil.

Notable species results:

• The poultry sector experienced increases in both layer and broiler feed production.
  • Avian influenza, other diseases and the high costs of raw materials affected the layer sector in many markets, especially in Asia, Europe and Africa. On the other hand, growth in the sector was boosted due to bigger challenges in other sectors that led to increased demand for eggs. Overall, layer-sector feed production increased by 0.31%.
     
• • While the overall tonnage in the broiler sector increased by 1.27%, there were significant differences from country to country. Overall, feed production growth in the broiler sector was reported mainly from the Middle East, North America and Latin America.
     
• Pig feed production was down globally in 2022 by almost 3%. ASF and high feed prices depressed pig production in many countries. However, in Vietnam, China, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico, better pork prices and other market conditions led to growth in the sector.
   
• Dairy feed tonnage decreased by 1.32%, mainly due to the high cost of feed combined with low milk prices, which caused farmers to reduce their numbers of cows and/or rely more on non-commercial feed sources. Some exceptions included Ireland, where drought caused farmers to rely more on commercial feeds, and New Zealand, where milk prices were higher.
   
• Beef feed production decreased slightly by 0.34% globally. The downward trend continued in Europe, but increases were seen in almost all other regions. In Australia, the reduction in feed tonnage was a result of plentiful grass and not a reflection of any changes in the demand for beef.
   
• The aquaculture sector experienced a total global feed production growth of 2.7%. The Top 5 aquaculture feed countries are China, Vietnam, India, Norway and Indonesia. Significant increases were reported in China, Brazil, Ecuador, the Philippines and the U.S. Aquaculture feed production was one of a few sectors that saw growth in Europe.
   
• Pet feed production had the highest increase among the sectors, with a global average 7.25% rise in production. This significant increase is largely due to the rise in pet ownership amid the COVID-19 pandemic. North America and Europe continue to be the top pet feed-producing regions.

Notable regional results:

• North America reported an increase of 0.88% (2.272 MMT) and the U.S. remained the second-largest feed-producing country globally, behind China. Growth was reported in the broiler, beef and pet food sectors.
   
• Latin America experienced growth of 1.6% (3.006 MMT), and Brazil remained the leader in feed production for the region and ranked third overall globally. Most of the growth was reported by Mexico, Brazil and Chile.
   
• Europe saw the largest decrease in feed production of 4.67% (-12.882 MMT) in its feed production due to issues that include the invasion in Ukraine and the spread of animal diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF) and avian Influenza (AI).
   
• Asia-Pacific remained flat as decreases reported in China, Pakistan, Thailand and Malaysia were offset by increases in Vietnam, the Philippines, Mongolia and South Korea. The region is home to several of the top 10 feed-producing countries, including China, India and Vietnam.
   
• Africa experienced a decrease of 3.86% in feed tonnage (-1.718 MMT), mainly because of reductions reported in Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Nigeria. South Africa, on the other hand, saw an increase of more than 2%, and Namibia also reported higher feed tonnage in 2022
   
• The Middle East region is up significantly at 24.7% (6.301 MMT), as a result of more accurate reporting and efforts by the Saudi Arabian government to increase broiler production as part of its Vision 2030 plan.
   
• Oceania was flat, with a small reduction reported by Australia that was offset by a slight increase reported by New Zealand.

Alltech works together with feed mills and industry and government entities around the world to compile data and insights to provide an assessment of feed production each year. Compound feed production and prices were collected by Alltech’s global sales team and in partnership with local feed associations in the last quarter of 2022. These figures are estimates and are intended to serve as an information resource for industry stakeholders.

To access more data and insights from the 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook, including an interactive global map, visit alltech.com/agri-food-outlook.

Alltech is proud to continue to partner in the Women in Food & Agriculture (WFA) Mentorship Program. Applications are now open for new mentors of any gender and for female mentees from across the global food and agriculture sector. Now in its third year, the free-to-join program matches applicants based on their preferences, which can include gender of mentor, areas of expertise, language and industry sector, and offers opportunities for women in food and agriculture to develop meaningful industry connections.

“Over the past few years, all of us have come to more deeply value the power of human connection,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “A commitment to the growth and development of another person unleashes energy, inspires ideas and empowers both individuals to have a greater impact. We view our involvement in the Women in Food & Agriculture mentorship program as an investment not only in the lives of women but in the future of agriculture as the industry most integral to the nourishment and vitality of our planet.”

Findings from the annual WFA survey and ongoing feedback from all levels of the food and agriculture sector consistently suggest that a hurdle to greater success for women in the global agri-food industry is a lack of mentorship opportunities. To tackle this issue, WFA launched its Mentorship Program. In partnership with Alltech in 2022, the initiative grew with 320 industry representatives matched across two cohorts. Now in 2023, the program will be open for applicants year-round with two matching sessions taking place to help even more women in food and agriculture progress their careers. The initiative has supported a variety of people around the world from CEOs of agribusinesses to small-scale farmers, from academics to ag-tech professionals, with sector representatives paired with mentors that complement their professional objectives.

“We are very pleased to again have Alltech supporting the 2023 WFA Mentorship Program,” said Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, global chair of WFA. “Mentorship is vital in supporting women across food and agriculture in developing their careers, we’ve had very positive feedback from both mentors and mentees. Many of our mentors joined the initiative as a selfless act of support for equality in our sector, but realized they got as much out of the experience as the mentees. This is such an exciting opportunity to learn about yourself, develop your skills and support an important initiative that is working to improve diversity, equality and inclusion in the food and agriculture industry.”

For those interested in taking part in the 2023 Mentorship Program, WFA is looking for mentors of any gender who have at least one year of experience in the food and ag sector. During matching, WFA will ensure all mentors have more work experience than mentees, so this should not be a barrier to mentors applying. Potential mentees should be women working in the food and ag industry who would benefit from help, guidance and support from a senior sector representative.

Alltech believes that inclusion cultivates creativity, drives innovation and is essential to the company’s purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty^TM. In 2019, Alltech selected Gender Equality as one of the nine United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to which the company committed to advancing.

Applications are open now for the Women in Food & Agriculture (WFA) Mentorship Program, supported by Alltech. For more information and to apply to be a mentor or mentee, visit https://wfa-initiative.com/mentorship-program/.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – Alltech is transforming its annual Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) in 2023 into a series of international events that will invite collaboration on the greatest challenges facing the agri-food industry. Instead of welcoming the world to Alltech’s home in Lexington, Kentucky, as it has for the past 38 years, the Alltech ONE World Tour will bring the ideas and inspiration of the ONE Conference to communities throughout the world.

Stops are planned in Brazil, Canada, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, the Middle East the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, the United States and Vietnam, providing the opportunity for more people than ever to experience the power of ONE and to hear from experts on trending topics in the agriculture industry. Additional stops are expected to be announced in 2023.

“As our customers and partners continue to face many challenges and uncertainties, we determined that 2023 would be dedicated to meeting them in their market,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO. “This special edition of the ONE will endeavor to deliver global expertise to locally relevant issues. In the midst of economic and political uncertainties that fuel regionalization, this ONE reflects the responsibility we have as a global company to be a connector of people and ideas, ever advancing our purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty.”

While Alltech looks forward to bringing the international conference home to Kentucky in 2024, the 2023 ONE World Tour is a unique opportunity to discuss the future of agriculture with stakeholders all over the world, offering both a global and local perspective for attendees. It will unite changemakers and thought leaders in unique forums to discuss the future, examining regional and local market trends in agriculture, business, health and nutrition.

Alltech will release more details about its international tour stops and event dates in the coming weeks. Visit one.alltech.com for more information and to subscribe to notifications on tour updates.

A confinement area is meant to be your horse's outdoor living quarters. It’s important to design this area so it provides opportunities for both physical and mental stimulation for your horse — but also so it’s mud-free and chore-efficient for you, which is especially important as we head into winter, with all its chore-efficiency challenges.

One of the key aspects of improving pasture production and overall equine management is the time when you take your horses off your pasture. In the winter, keeping horses off saturated, rain-soaked soils and dormant or frozen pasture plants is critical for pasture management and will help you maintain a healthy stand of grass next summer. Soggy soils or dormant grass plants simply cannot survive continuous grazing and trampling in the winter months, so they die out, giving weeds — and dust, in bare spots — the chance to take their place next summer. 

You can greatly improve the health and productivity of your pastures by keeping your horse in a confinement area during the pasture’s dormant winter months. Additionally, you can utilize this area during the summer to keep your pastures from becoming overgrazed.

Here are some points to consider when creating a chore-efficient, mud-free confinement area:

• The amount of land you have available, the number of horses you have, their ages and temperaments, and the amount of regular exercise they receive should all play a role in determining the size of your confinement area.
• The size of the area can vary from a place where they can move around a bit (e.g., 16’ x 16’) to a long, narrow enclosure where a horse can run or play in its paddock. For that setup, you might create an area 20 or 30 feet wide and 100 feet in length. 
• Locate this area on higher ground for better drainage and away from creeks, wetlands or other bodies of water to prevent any polluted runoff (from manure, urine or mud) from reaching these areas and contaminating them.

• For chore efficiency, your confinement area should be conveniently located near your barn, hay storage and manure compost sites to make it easy for you to care for your horse while also maintaining the confinement area.
• A good option is to offer one paddock per horse set up like a “run” from a stall or shelter. This gives the horse free access to a clean, dry place to eat. When choosing a location, try to pick a place that makes it convenient for you to feed in this area.
• Pick up manure every one to three days to help reduce your horse's parasite load and to avoid creating a habitat for flies and insects — along with annoying winter mud.
• To reduce erosion and improve drainage, use some type of footing — at least in the highest-traffic areas — around gates, by stock watering areas or in front of stalls. Popular footing choices include crushed rock (no larger than 5/8 inch) or coarse washed sand. Footing should be 2 to 4 inches deep.

• Install rain gutters and downspouts on any roofs surrounding your winter paddock. Divert clean rainwater to nearby vegetation via a rain barrel or cistern or into a rain garden or an undisturbed area of woods. Diverting clean rainwater away from your horse’s confinement area reduces the amount of mud they (and you) have to deal with. It also prevents manure and urine from being washed out of the paddock and into nearby bodies of water.
• Choose the very safest fencing you can for your winter paddock. Whatever type of fencing you choose, you may want to reinforce it with some type of electric tape or power fencing to make the fencing a “psychological barrier” (i.e., one horses choose to avoid). 
• Ensure that your building corners are safe and that there are no protruding objects that could hurt a horse, such as bolt ends, nails, boards or the tops of metal T-posts. Watch out for the corners of roofs and the bottom edges of metal buildings. There should be no wires or electrical cords hanging in the yard and absolutely no junk, garbage or machinery in this area.

• The gates in confinement areas need to be adequately sized for the types of truck deliveries you expect or equipment you will use (such as for gravel or sand for footing or to get tractors in and out to move that footing).
• Even though your horses can move around in their confinement areas, they still need regular exercise. Plan for and maintain a regular exercise program for your horse that includes at least two or three exercise sessions per week that last a minimum of 30 minutes each. This can include ride time, lunging, in-hand groundwork or maybe even turnout time with other horses.

Sand footing is easy to clean, improves drainage, and comfortable for horses.

For ideas on how to provide equine enrichment and mental stimulation for horses in their confinement areas, see my previous article on various equine enrichment opportunities. In addition, my article on composting horse manure will help you set up a system for managing the manure collected in your confinement area.

Creating and utilizing a mud-free confinement area will lead to greater chore efficiency for you this winter, along with fewer muck-related horse health issues. It will also lead to more productive pastures next grazing season. Improved pastures offer a cost-savings for you through greater pasture productivity and less money spent on supplemental feed. These efforts add up to a prettier picture for you and your community to enjoy, along with a more sustainable future for all.