Almex company profile

Almex specialises in single screw extrusion equipment, from the extrusion unit to complete installations. They are a family owned, independent company. 

Almex extruders and Contivar Expanders are in use worldwide for fishfeed, oil extraction, petfood, animalfeed plants, the food industry and the processing and chemical industries. Almex started early 1970's with repair and installation of extruders. 

For use in Europe these units needed much modifications, so they decided to design and built in the Netherlands a complete range of extruders for 500 to 15.000 kg/hour capacity.

These extruders did find their way to clients worldwide. Today the largest extruder has a diameter of 400 mm, a barrel length of 4800 mm and a drive of 500 kW.

Visit the Almex website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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Automatic feeding systems for land-based aquaculture and sea farms

by Andrew Wilkinson, International Aquafeed

If you have ever considered whether you need an automatic feeding system in your fish farm, then this article is definitely for you. If the answer to this question is YES, then the next question is quite possibly, which type of system are you going to choose?

As you have probably already studied the different options offered across the market, this article will focus on Fish Farm Feeder’s (FFF) centralised, pneumatic, automatic and customised aquaculture feeding systems.

First, in order for your fish farm’s automation to be both efficient and cost effective, the automatic fish farm feeders must be located in a centralised position that is equally distant from all the fish farm’s tanks.
 

This single measure saves on the installation of unnecessary pipes and consumption of electricity.

In theory, concentrating the feed in one machine should mean much greater robustness and reliability of the feeding process in your fish farm.

It is also worth bearing in mind that FFF’s systems use the air from a compressor or blower to convey the feed from the silos to the tanks or cages. This feature offers fish farmers yet further reassurance as systems with applied pneumatic conveying technology are widely considered to cause the least damaging to the feed itself.

FFF also use specifically configured computer software to actuate a customised Feeding Plan (with programmed doses and hours) and an automaton or PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) to drive and control all the electrical and mechanical equipment that makes up the feeder.

This degree of automation in the programming allows the implementation of unattended feeding, allowing for a reduction in labour costs.

Customising the selector, silos, dispensers and blower
The equipment required to fully automate feeding at a fish farm is very extensive.

In order to correctly size an automated feeding system for aquaculture, the following factors need to be considered in order for the system to be fit for purpose.

The first of these considerations is the number of tanks or feeding points that are required, as each point will require a high density polyethylene pipe in order to connect the feeder to the tank. The maximum quantity in grams per tank and day will also need to be established in order to prevent the usual array of issues commonly associated with either underfeeding or overfeeding from occurring.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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NGFA announces Michael Seyfert as new president, CEO

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) announces that Michael J. Seyfert will become its new president and chief executive officer.

Mr Seyfert is scheduled to become NGFA's top executive staff officer on March 1, succeeding Randy Gordon, who will retire by the end of March after serving nearly 43 years with the nation's largest and most diverse agribusiness association – the last eight as its president and CEO. In so doing, Mr Seyfert will become only the seventh person to serve in that capacity at NGFA since its founding in 1896.
 

Michael Seyfert
Image credit: NGFA

"We couldn't be more pleased to have Michael join NGFA's outstanding 13-member team of dedicated staff professionals," says NGFA Chairman JoAnn Brouillette, Managing Partner of Demeter LP in Fowler, Ind.  "He has the vision, energy, intellect, experience, leadership qualities and contacts in Washington to build on NGFA's already strong record of achievement in serving the grain, animal feed/animal food, grain processing and milling, and export industry. We're excited about what the future holds under his leadership as NGFA begins its 125th year in 2021."

"Joining the NGFA family during its 125th anniversary is an honor and a privilege. I am excited to lead one of the top agricultural organizations in the United States and its talented, dedicated staff into its next 125 years," says Mr Seyfert. "NGFA has a history of vision and leadership that continuously moves the industry forward. It also provides services essential to the daily operations and success of its member companies. I understand the important value of these functions and am committed to their continued strength."

Mr Seyfert continues, "I also thank Randy Gordon for his nearly 43 years of leadership and service to NGFA and its members. I congratulate and wish him all the best as he begins this next chapter."

Mr Seyfert, who has extensive corporate and government experience, currently serves as director of government and industry affairs for FMC Corp., the world's fifth largest crop protection company. In that role, he coordinates and directs the company's federal, state and local North America government and industry affairs program. 

Prior to joining FMC in February 2014, Mr Seyfert worked from 1997-2013 on the staff of former Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., capped by serving two years as staff director of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee from 2011-13. During that time, he managed a professional staff team of 12 and oversaw the development and Senate approval of the farm bill that became much of the foundation for final legislation enacted on February 7, 2014.

He also was Mr Roberts' legislative director from 2005-11, during which time he interacted with five significant Senate committees on which the senator served: the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Finance; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Ethics and Intelligence, the latter committee at a time during which Roberts also served as chairman. During his Capitol Hill career, Mr Seyfert also represented the U.S. Senate on official government missions to Australia, Canada, China, Cuba, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam.

During his nearly 25 years working in the nation's capital, Mr Seyfert has interacted and served in leadership roles with a host of agricultural producer, commodity and agribusiness associations. These include serving as chair and past vice chair of CropLife America's Federal Affairs Committee, co-chair of CropLife America's Trade Working Group, past co-chair of the National Corn Growers Association's Agri-Industry Council; and as a member of the Farm Foundation's Roundtable Steering Committee. During his Senate tenure, he also worked extensively with NGFA.

Mr Seyfert received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude in agricultural economics and was a member of the Agriculture Honours Program at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., and subsequently earned a master of public administration degree from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Among various honours, he was selected for the FMC Keys to Leadership Program for those considered to be among the company's 25 emerging leaders globally, received the CropLife America Pillar Award, was a Stennis Bipartisan Congressional Staff Fellow, and was named the 2017 Outstanding Young Alumnus of the K-State College of Agriculture.

Mr Seyfert is married to Christy Cromley Seyfert. The couple has two daughters – Sydney and Madison – and reside in Alexandria, Va.

Visit the NGFA website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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