Category: News & events

After 30 years in management and personal investment in research and development, creating an animal nutrition firm in 2019 was a real challenge. But my passion for the living world encourages me to develop these meaningful projects in a fast-changing agricultural world.
With industry partners, experts, students, I have decided to pursue what I have been inspired for 30 years: innovation in animal nutrition.

Innovation means creating a new standard, introducing a new concept to meet the needs of the majority. The adventure begins with an innovative analysis laboratory specialized in mineral nutrition, with the support of Oxfort’s company, and a product range focusing on epigenetics (meaning the impact of nutrition and environment on gene expression for animal welfare, health, and longevity).

New projects are already under study with different partners and they are just waiting for young talents to implement them, and for experts to guide them (milk analysis, valuation of plant co-products, soil nutrition, the specificity of organic farming…).
This adventure is a chance for us to have some rewarding encounters such as Dr. K. Amin, intern of VetagroSup. Khaled is a Syrian veterinary & agronomist, with resourcefulness, healthy curiosity, and hope.

The urine of six people would cover the phosphorus requirements of one dairy cow.Dietary phosphorus is a fossil-based finite resource, its use requires continued attention. A cow’s ration usually covers about 80% of its phosphorus requirements. Contrary to common beliefs, all kinds of phosphate intakes are equal and can be used by the cow. Once the phosphorus has been digested, it is mainly rumen bacteria, through saliva, that use more than 80% of it.

As green power systems become more and more popular with consumers, it is essential to implement regular assessments of the phosphorus content of forages. Indeed, it is impossible to define standards in this field as they are affected by climatic, agro-pedological conditions, and crop and harvest management. For environmental, resource conservation and animal welfare issues,the short or long term management of inputs must be controlled: a cow that doesn’t have enough one day or too much on the other day is having a tough couple of days.

The impact of light on the eggs of laying hen has been known for a long time. The lighting environment also has an impact on the quality of the milk.
Indeed, the milk produced by cows in the evening has ten times more melatonin than the milk produced during the day. Evening milk would be a natural and effective help for the calf to fall asleep. The saying about drinking a glass of warm milk to improve sleep probably comes from the milk consumed just after milking in the evening. Therefore, evening milk is a perfect natural anxiolytic.

Some European firms already sell this particular milk as a beneficial alicament for well-being and sleep. All future opportunities can be considered to make ruminants produce therapeutic milk naturally without modifying the genome but by changing the farming environment. Here is an epigenetic example which means a change in the environment that affects gene expression and milk quality.