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We are navigating an era where food security is no longer confined to crop production in the field but has evolved into a strategic capacity deeply intertwined with logistics, technology, and geopolitics. The disruptions in the Black Sea, global supply chain risks, and Turkey’s position in this equation elevate grain storage systems from traditional machinery into the essential infrastructure of global food security.

Escalating security risks in the Black Sea basin have led to a logistical gridlock in grain trade, standing in sharp contrast to abundant field yields. As navigation risks at ports, surging freight costs, and unfulfilled contracts disrupt global supply chains, the geopolitical crisis in the region directly triggers food inflation and industrial cost pressures.

In this second installment of our three-part guide focusing on energy efficiency and low-cost manufacturing in feed mills, we examine the pelleting and conditioning processes, which account for the largest share of total energy consumption. Through empirical case studies, we analyze how technical parameters ranging from efficient steam conditioning and direct-drive presses to die-roller optimization and ration pelletability can yield improvements of 10–25% in electrical consumption and 5–25% in press throughput capacity.

We are zeroing in on pelleting and conditioning lines, the most energy-intensive stages in feed mills. In the second installment of our guide series authored by industry veteran Mustafa Yılmaz, we present concrete field solutions ranging from steam utilization to die-roll optimization and ration structure that can slash electricity consumption by 10–25%.

In the delicate balance between food security and the climate crisis, the livestock sector and its lifeblood, the feed industry, stand at a critical turning point. By addressing the entire supply chain extending “From Farm to Fork” with a holistic approach, from regenerative agricultural practices in the field to green steps in logistics, and from energy efficiency in feed mills to next-generation smart additive technologies that increase digestibility in the ration, reducing the carbon footprint in animal production is no longer a commercial preference but an ecological imperative.

Energy consumption, which constitutes the largest operating expense in compound feed production after raw material costs, has become the most critical agenda item for feed mills in line with narrowing profit margins and carbon emission targets. In these facilities where electrical and thermal processes are intensively carried out, correct engineering optimizations to be implemented in grinding and pelleting lines, which hold the vast majority of total energy consumption, both unlock the door to sustainable production and radically reduce operating costs.

In a feed industry strained by narrowing profit margins, sustainability is no longer a commercial choice but an economic necessity. In its July cover story, Feed Planet lays out field-driven strategies, ranging from process engineering to smart nutritional technologies, designed to radically reduce operational expenses.

While total EU feed production remains broadly stable, demand patterns are increasingly diverging across species and regions. ASF-related herd losses are pressuring pig feed demand, while poultry and cattle feed remain more resilient, prompting feed producers to adjust formulations and procurement strategies.

The highly anticipated announcement of the 2026 grain purchase prices by the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) has reshuffled the deck across a massive supply chain spanning from agriculture to industry.

While the newly announced grain purchase prices in Turkey clarify domestic market conditions amid expectations of a historic record harvest, global agricultural markets defy conventional wisdom with raw material indices that refuse to drop despite the highest supply in nine seasons.

A new industry network is taking shape across Africa and other emerging markets through the collaboration of IDMA, IAOM MEA and TÜRKİYEM-BİR. One of the first major outcomes of this collaboration will be the 36th Annual IAOM MEA Conference & Expo, which will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, on 23-26 November 2026.

IDMA and IAOM MEA have announced a strategic partnership to jointly expand feed and milling events, with a particular focus on Africa.