CLFMA of India Delegation Concludes U.S. Learning Tour Focused on the Animal Agriculture Value Chain
New Delhi: The Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association (CLFMA) of India successfully concluded its U.S. delegation visit, bringing together industry representatives to gain insights into global best practices across the animal agriculture and feed value chain. The learning tour provided exposure to international approaches in trade, logistics, grain movement, processing technologies, feed manufacturing, quality assurance and sustainable farming through a series of industry interactions, academic engagements and site visits.
The delegation comprised:
● Divya Kumar Gulati – Chairman, CLFMA of India
● Sumit Surekha – Deputy Chairman
● Naveen Pashuparthy – Deputy Chairman
● Abhay Shah – Deputy Chairman
● Suresh Deora – Immediate Past Chairman
● Nisaar F. Mohammed – Honorary Secretary
● R. Ramkutty – Treasurer
● Samir Chotai – President – East Zone
The programme commenced in New Orleans, where the delegation visited the Cargill Reserve Export Terminal to gain exposure to trade, logistics and global agri supply chains. A Mississippi River tour, along with interactions with Russell Marine Group and Eurofins, provided insights into the systems supporting international grain movement, inspection and quality assurance.
The delegation then travelled to Iowa, where members interacted with Mike Naig, Secretary of Agriculture, Iowa, reinforcing CLFMA of India’s focus on global dialogue and strengthening collaboration across the animal agriculture value chain through industry and policy-level exchanges.
The Iowa programme also included a visit to the Iowa Soybean Association Office, where delegates participated in sessions featuring introductions, insights into Iowa Soy, and discussions with Mid-Co Commodities. The sessions facilitated knowledge sharing, collaboration and stronger industry connections.
The delegation also visited Insta-Pro International, where delegates explored advanced soy processing technologies and value-added protein solutions, and the Cargill Crush Plant, which provided insights into large-scale oilseed processing and its role in supporting the feed industry. The programme also included a farm visit, where delegates witnessed farming practices, management and sustainable production at the ground level.
The learning tour concluded at Iowa State University, where delegates participated in a comprehensive technical programme comprising expert lectures, discussions and hands-on training sessions on advances in feed technology and processing, quality management, feed safety, biosecurity, feed mill benchmarking and profitability. The programme also included practical training on feed safety and biosecurity standard operating procedures (SOPs), microbial and mycotoxin analysis, followed by a certificate award ceremony, further strengthening the delegation’s understanding of global feed industry best practices.
Commenting on the visit, Divya Kumar Gulati, Chairman, CLFMA of India, said, “The U.S. learning tour provided valuable exposure to different aspects of the animal agriculture value chain. The interactions and site visits offered important insights into trade, logistics, grain movement, quality assurance, feed manufacturing, soy processing, oilseed processing and farming practices, while creating opportunities for knowledge sharing and industry engagement.”
The learning tour highlighted different aspects of the global animal agriculture ecosystem, providing exposure to practices across supply chains, processing, quality assurance and on-farm production. Through interactions with industry stakeholders and visits to key facilities, the programme supported continued knowledge exchange across the animal agriculture and feed value chain.
