CARLOW, IRELAND and WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - March 16, 2011) - At an event today in Washington, D.C. for agriculture industry and policy makers, executives from Richard Keenan & Company, Ireland's largest provider of livestock feed technology, showcased results from the pilot phase of its Gain Plan™ initiative in the US. Gain Plan is an alliance program designed to speed adoption of a transformative new dairy and cattle-feeding model that optimizes physical nutrition to boost milk and beef production. Already deployed on farms across Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the program demonstrated improved margins on 80 percent of the farms by increasing the efficiency of feed conversion into milk or meat. In addition, farms deploying Gain Plan showed a 30 percent improvement in overall productivity. Other benefits include better animal health and longer lifespan, along with a significant reduction in methane emissions, a powerful greenhouse gas.
The Keenan event was organized in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland. EI is the government organization responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets.
The Gain Plan model uses a blend of nutrition and management protocols, along with Keenan's advanced feeder technology to exploit the nutritional value obtained from animal feed. It represents a major shift from conventional feeding approaches that focus on optimizing the chemical composition of animal feed. Central to the model is Keenan's patented Mech-fiber® feeder that enables peak rumen function. Maintaining peak rumen function depends on a ration configuration that helps the rumen's enzymes and microflora exploit the full nutritional potential of the feed materials. Mech-fiber is built to deliver a customized, defined, quantifiable and predictable ration structure for any herd in any conditions under any management. With this approach, cattle can extract more nutrients from their feed, improve overall digestibility, and produce more milk. The system has been proven by research and on farms, with data gathered from nearly one million cows in 25 countries.
"At Keenan, we're all about improving economic sustainability for farmers and other agricultural commodity stakeholders," said Executive Chairman, Gerard Keenan. "This means empowering them with practical, reliable and established tools to deliver more milk and beef from the same resources. For more than three decades, farmers have relied on Keenan's experience and feeder technology to boost herd performance. With our latest innovations, they can extract even more value from their feed protocols."
Said EI's Chairman, Hugh Cooney, "Given Ireland's position as the world's fourth largest exporter of beef, it's fitting that a new generation of innovative feed technology is also emerging from the country. Keenan has a long history of enabling farmers with cutting-edge feed technology. Now, the company is combining its livestock knowledge with product expertise and sophisticated software to deliver a truly different feed solution that carries compelling bottom-line and sustainability benefits."
Gain Plan is trademarked by Richard Keenan & Co.
Mech-fiber is a registered trademark of Richard Keenan & Co.
To learn more about Richard Keenan & Co. or Mech-fiber, please visit www.keenansystem.com
To learn more about Enterprise Ireland, please visit www.enterprise-ireland.com
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Clare Thorp, PhD
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