The Feed Manufacturing Training Center at the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT) recently hosted eleven feed and poultry industry professionals from Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea-Conakry for a week-long training program, marking the 20th in-person session held at the center since its founding.
Organized by the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council, the June 22–26 program combined classroom instruction, and hands-on feed technology practice to give participants a comprehensive view of modern feed and poultry production, from formulation and quality control to hatchery, slaughterhouse, and value chain management. Participants also toured leading feed mill and poultry processing operations in Tunisia, gaining direct exposure to industrial-scale practices.
Established in 2018 in partnership with the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council and INAT, the center operates as a regional hub for training industry professionals, nutritionists, and producers from across Africa and the Middle East. The Tunisian experts leading this session are themselves graduates of the Council's train-the-trainer program and continue to work closely with the Council to develop and refine the curriculum, ensuring the training reflects both global best practices and local realities.
Participant feedback was highly positive, with many emphasizing the value of both the technical insights gained and the professional connections established throughout the week. Several participants indicated that they plan to apply the knowledge and practical tools acquired during the training directly within their farms, feed operations, and broader poultry value chains upon returning home.
The session also underscored a persistent challenge across West African markets: securing reliable and cost-effective raw materials for feed formulation. To address this issue, participants took part in formulation simulations using U.S corn co-products, including corn fermented protein and corn gluten meal. The exercise demonstrated the potential of these ingredients to support more diversified, cost-conscious poultry diets in Senegal while reducing reliance on conventional feed inputs.
The U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council remains committed to advancing the feed and poultry industry across Africa through continued capacity-building programs at the Tunisia training center and beyond.