Hüseyin Kayabaş

“Organic feed and natural waste recycling milling is almost non-existent in the world. The geography we are in is very important for production in this field. For example, places with abundant waste such as plants, fruits, spices, legumes, tree leaves and sea products provide a great advantage for this business.”

Under competitive conditions, reducing costs is one of the main concerns for companies from every sector. In fact, even a precaution that will reduce the costs by 1 percent makes a significant difference for large scale companies. In such a period, there is another very economical way that is proceeding slowly but taking firm steps forward as an alternative to compound feed production: organic feed milling. With this method based on the recycling of waste foods, it is possible to produce feed for cattle, sheep, poultry and fish. We had the opportunity to have an interview with Mr. Hüseyin Kayabaş, General Manager and one of the partners of GPS Acsom Makine, which has set off adopting the principle of organic feed milling and has covered a substantial distance. Noting the costs issue, Kayabaş said, “In terms of profitability, we have the chance to get the raw material at a very cheap price or even for free. This factor also brings a good profit to the business.” On the other hand, Kayabaş stated that waste food is recycled to the food chain through this method and underlined that organic feed milling is also very beneficial for the protection of the environment.

Below are the questions we asked to Mr. Kayabaş and the answers we received:

Can you tell us about the establishment of your company, your achievements, and the solutions you provide for the feed manufacturer? As organic feed and natural wastes, we provide investment to the feed manufacturer as recycling feed and with a more economical budget as raw materials.

How did the idea of establishing organic feed facilities using natural wastes in feed production come about? What made you think that this method will catch on in the market? In our daily lives, we take a piece of the food we eat and feed the animals around us with that. I have observed that some animals eat many foods that people consume. I dreamed of something and started to think in my own way. I started experimenting with waste food using household appliances. I started getting very positive results when I fed the animals. Then I decided to do projects on this subject and started to manufacture corresponding machines. Nowadays, almost everything is recycled. Such as metal, electronics, and plastic... A substantial industry has formed in the world in these areas. I also believe that waste foods would be a significant industry.

As Feed Planet, we have had an interview with you before. Those who are interested in the subject can also refer to that interview for detailed information. But can you give general information about organic feed milling as an introduction to the subject? Organic feed and natural waste recycling milling is almost non-existent in the world. The geography we are in is very important for production in this field. For example, places with abundant waste such as plants, fruits, spices, legumes, tree leaves and sea products provide a great advantage for this business.

RAW MATERIAL IS VERY CHEAP, EVEN FREE Which animals are organic feeds for? Compared to compound and flake feed, what distinguishes organic feed in terms of environmental health and profitability? Organic feed and all feeds manufactured from natural wastes appeal to all animals in nature, but, of course, our priority is animal food. We can list our target group as cattle, sheep, poultry and fish. There is no harm to the environment. On the contrary, we clean the environment and nature from waste and turn them into products. Regarding profitability, we have the chance to get the raw material at a very cheap price or for free in this system. This factor also brings a good profit to businesses.

RETURNING TO TRADITION IS THE RIGHT EXPRESSION When we look at the history of industrial feed, is it possible to see the organic feed concept pioneered by your company as a return to tradition? Of course, thinking this as a return to tradition is the correct expression. For example, a chicken grown in a village and a chicken grown on a farm are not of the same taste. This difference is of course due to feed. The feeds we manufacture are close to the same nutritional value as the feeds of the village chickens. Naturally, we are actually turning back to the past. We bring the tradition together with technology.

STANDARDIZING THE FEED IS NOT HARD Can you give information about the raw materials used in organic feed mills? As it is known, the industry attaches great importance to standardization. Animal breeders are also very careful and sensitive about the feed formula and nutritional level. Is it possible to grow a standard product when feed ingredients consist of waste? How do you overcome the challenges in this matter? Considering the types of waste products, the most important wastes needed as ingredients are wastes such as fruits, vegetables, spices, legumes, and seafood. These are enough for us to produce standard feed. The variety of raw materials should be a bit abundant. Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the recipe as we want according to the target animal group. We do not have any difficulties to produce standard feed. In this process, feed ingredient options are sufficient anyway.

ORGANIC FEEDING MUST BE SUPPORTED Recycling wastes in the food chain in this way should be a positive action for the ecosystem. So is this method supported by the governments? What kind of studies are there on this subject? Is there any difference in the carbon emission of animals fed with organic feeds? Since this is a new topic, there is no support or special incentive in Turkey. However, it needs to be quickly covered by a special incentive. Our meetings with government officials continue on this matter. In some of the governments we met, officials have included this form of production under special incentives. There are countries that give almost all of the investment as a grant. Carbon emission is a serious issue today and we can produce lower carbon feeds compared to other feeds. I think we have made a serious contribution to nature and the environment with the feed we produce. Our extensive work on this subject continues.

YOU SHOULD KNOW WHICH MACHINE TO USE As in every sector, the competitive environment in feed milling is the factor that drives machine manufacturers forward. Considering that organic feed milling is still a new concept, is there any extra challenge in developing new solutions in this field? There are advanced machine manufacturers in feed milling in our country. The concept "process" is very important in waste feeds. If you know which machines you will be processing variable raw materials, it is generally possible to conduct this process on already manufactured machines. Only a small number of different machines are used for some products. Our company produces these machines. Our R&D studies continue uninterruptedly. We have no difficulty in converting waste products into feed, also in machinery and process. We made a lot of effort in this regard and have a high level of experience.

In our previous interview, you mentioned the works you conducted in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and stated that you were taking a bright view of the future in terms of organic feed milling. What has changed since then? What are the domestic and international regions showing interest in organic feed? Does the market's response to this production method continue as positive as you had expected? Since it is a very interesting subject globally, there are significant studies on the topic today. Especially European machine manufacturers are working on this subject and machine production continues in some European countries. The reaction of the market is far above our expectations. We already knew the regional ranking, but it would not be the right to do this ranking right now.

IF ONLY WE ENTERED THIS BUSINESS EARLIER Do you have regrets when you look back as a company? What did your experience in the industry teach you? What are your future goals? Looking back, our only regret is just saying, "I wish we could have entered this business before." Being a manufacturer of legume machinery and spiral leaves allowed us to cooperate with many different sectors. We have had a great experience since we have been working as a solution partner for many years especially in sectors such as food, chemistry, construction, and mining. For example, we installed a machine that we produce pulses for electronic recycling in the system. These studies have been a great experience for us. Our goals are, of course, to continue our R&D studies at a high level, to carry this business much higher and become the leading company in the world.

WE ARE THE THIRD COUNTRY MAKING PRODUCTION WITH EGGSHELL Do you have any final comments for our readers? I would like to briefly mention the last works we have conducted. We rip fish scale off and take the fish bones out. We process worms, eggshells and many similar wastes we work on through machines. Thus, it is sterilized and used as a raw material in cosmetics, medicine and feed sectors. More importantly, following America and Spain, we have been the third country turning the eggshell into a product. We are in the lead since we can make odor-free products.