14 students from five nations were recently awarded their diplomas qualifying them as animal feed technologists. They successfully completed the 24th specialist course at the international School for Feed Technology (SFT) in Uzwil, Switzerland.

Personal atmosphere
Since the SFT was set up in 1979, almost 400 students from 60 countries have attended the specialist course for animal feed technology, said the school’s director, Ernst Nef. Upholding an old tradition, he presented the diplomas individually to each student, not without telling an anecdote about each new feed technologist from everyday life at school.

Important link in the food chain
The students from Germany, Finland, Bolivia, Columbia, and Switzerland invested a great deal of time in their studies. The course is made up of a six-month preparatory phase followed by a nine-week main course at the school’s site in Uzwil. During preparation, students work through 23 course subjects part-time while continuing their usual occupations. This goes to explain their joy and satisfaction with the successful completion of their studies. Uwe Wehrmann, the president of the SFT and head of the Feed Technology business unit of Bühler AG, was pleased to find that feed manufacturers are coming to see the value of continuing employee education. He remarked that the SFT adjusts permanently to new requirements and standards and that animal feed production has today become an essential link in the food chain.

High market and production requirements
Most of the specialists teaching at the SFT are engaged in the practical side of formulated feed technology. This allows the subject matter to be matched at short notice to the rapid changes in market and production requirements. The SFT thereby enables future managers in the feed production industry to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.