UZWIL, SWITZERLAND — Six graduates of the Swiss Milling School St. Gallen (SMS) earned a diploma in compound feed technology from the Swiss Institute of Feed Technology (SFT) as part of the “SMS goes SFT” course.

This second edition of the “SMS goes SFT” course was attended by participants from Kenya, Greece, Latvia and Switzerland. The course is an exclusive offer for SMS graduates, giving them an opportunity to obtain the diploma as feed production engineer in addition to their SMS diploma.

During the pandemic, the first edition of the diploma course was canceled, and participants could attend the regular diploma course. This second edition was carried out under normal circumstances from June to October.

During this time, the participants extended their already existing expertise in flour milling with competences in compound feed production by means of self-study and face-to-face classes. Today, they’re among the experts in the field of feed technology and among the 605 graduates worldwide that have received the SFT diploma since 1979.

"Please share your knowledge. In doing so, you will encourage your colleagues to grow and develop as well,” said Managing Director Lothar Driller. “Inspire them and make sure they get the training they need if they have potential.”

The diploma program covers a broad field, from process engineering, animal nutrition and feed mill management to new sensor technologies as a basis for the digitalization of the industry. The expertise acquired enables participants to successfully operate feed mills in addition to grain mills.

Eric Simon, who works as a versatile miller at Groupe Minoteries SA in Switzerland, was at the top of the class.

The aim of the feed production engineer diploma course is to enable the participants to complete the training in parallel with their professional duties and builds on the knowledge of milling technology already acquired at the SMS.

The SFT offers supplementary technical training with a focus on feed production that requires minimal absence from the workplace.

The attendance time for this course was four weeks. Prior to the start of the intensive course, the participants had to work independently on the relevant topics and complete assessments in nine subject areas.

During the intensive course, they took a total of seven written exams. The oral exams on core topics like process technology/flowsheet technology as well as animal nutrition/feed science, in front of an expert committee, were the highlight and conclusion of the diploma course.

The SFT provides professionals from the feed industry and related industries with practical expertise in the production of animal feed. Upon successful completion of the diploma course, graduates are able to understand relevant modern feed milling process technologies and to apply them efficiently in practice. To provide access to this specific know-how and cutting-edge technology, SFT is partnering with the multinational Swiss plant engineering company Bühler AG.

The next diploma course for "SMS goes SFT" is expected to take place in 2026. The regular diploma course in English will start in January 2024.