Ralco is pleased to announce that Justine Seifert, Senior Nutritional Support Specialist, was selected to the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) Young Leaders Under 30 Program in Atlanta, Georgia last week.
IPPE is the world’s largest annual display of technology, equipment, supplies and services used in the production and processing of eggs, meat, and poultry and those involved in feed manufacturing. Every year IPPE invests in 30 young adults from across the U.S. to recognize their professional leadership qualities and invite them to attend IPPE and participate in education programs to assist in their leadership development.
Program applicants must write a 200-word essay answering the question, “What do you think the primary challenges will be to the poultry industry in the next 5 years and how should the industry address them?”
“When I was given the prompt to write my essay, my first thought was ingredient availability and pricing,” said Seifert. She continued saying, “With rising costs for materials and ingredients, manufacturers and feed companies may find it difficult to maintain their margins, resulting in increased prices to consumers. This may further decrease demand for poultry products. Additionally, limiting availability of certain ingredients can cause problems for poultry producers nutritionally.”
The cost of ingredients has steadily rose over time due to higher demand, limited resources and increased competition among suppliers. To address this challenge, the industry must work together to develop new technology and solutions that produce more cost-effective ingredients while maintaining nutritional value to the bird.
“Ralco’s patents in essential oils and prebiotics are already proven to increase feed efficiency and manage health challenges in poultry,” said Seifert. The challenge is finding and sourcing reliable alternative ingredients. “Today, new oils are being thoroughly vetted and tested to ensure they maintain their effectiveness in birds while offering a more cost-effective product for customers.”
Overall, Seifert said her biggest takeaway from the leadership program was a quote from a presentation, “You can fix the truth, but you can’t fix a lie.” She went on to explain that it’s easy for someone to lie when something goes wrong, but it’s harder to tell the truth about it. At Ralco, we believe in doing what’s right, and this was a good reminder.
“Our greatest asset is our people,” said Brian Knochenmus CEO and President of Ralco. “The vision and dedication that Justine, Megan Gross and Melissa VanWesten – our award winners last year – bring to their roles has been truly inspiring! With such exceptional young leaders on board, there’s no doubt their fresh ideas will help us continue to innovate for our customers and propel us toward exciting times ahead.”
Ralco is a third-generation family-owned multinational company with distribution in more than 40 countries. Ralco is a leading global provider of natural solutions that overcome producer challenges in plants and animals. Learn more at https://ralcoagriculture.com/