The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) hosted its annual Liquid Feed Symposium (LFS) last week, Sept. 9-11, in Fort Worth, Texas. Over 170 participants gathered to hear the latest ingredient, weather and market forecasts, plus discuss advancements and potential challenges for the industry.
“This year’s Liquid Feed Symposium provided an invaluable platform for industry leaders to gain insights on advances in nutrition, global trade, sustainability and emerging challenges, while also offering a unique opportunity to celebrate the community that defines our sector. With a strong lineup of expert speakers and engaging discussions, the symposium reinforced our collective commitment to innovation and progress in the liquid feed industry.” said Leah Wilkinson, AFIA’s chief policy officer.
The symposium, planned by AFIA’s Liquid Feed Committee, featured a diverse agenda of speakers and panels. Participants explored advances in feeding fat and fatty acids to dairy cattle, received a timely geopolitical and tariff update, and engaged in a forward-looking panel discussion on industry challenges over the next decade. Additional sessions included insights from the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) on sustainability initiatives, as well as a preview into the upcoming vitamin and amino acid research report. The symposium also hosted a special evening with actor Barry Corbin, where attendees listened to his stories, took photos with the star and got his autograph. Did you get your photo taken with Barry? Download your picture here.
“We’ve got to continue to find ways to make cattle more efficient and utilizing feed is the way to do that,” said James Henderson, Bradley 3 Ranch’s geneticist in Angus and Charolais.
During the symposium, the Liquid Feed Committee presented the AFIA Liquid Feed Hall of Fame Award to animal nutritionist, Paul Davis, Ph.D., for his contributions to the industry, which include pioneering graduate research on liquid feed supplements and roles in the industry and at the AFIA, where he advanced liquid feed promotion and supported cattle producers. Additionally, the committee held a fundraiser auction for the Kenny Berg Liquid Feed Research and Education Fund, raising $15,245 to advance research and education efforts within the industry.
The AFIA thanks LFS gold sponsors: Anipro/Xtraformance Nutrition, Double S Liquid Feed Services, Elanco Animal Health, Huvepharma, Quality Liquid Feeds, Skinner Tank Company and Westway Feed Products; silver sponsors: Buffalo Molasses, Cerne Calcium, dsm-firmenich, Feed Strategy, Global Animal Products, MLC and Phibro Animal Health Corporation; and bronze sponsors: Active Minerals International, Adisseo, Advanced Pedestals (API), Central Life Sciences, ED&F Man Liquid Products, Global Agri-Tech, MGM Marketing, Midwest Agri-Commodities, Performix Nutrition, Nutrien, Tracer Minerals and Zinpro.
The 2026 LFS will be held Sept. 9-11 in Kansas City, Mo. To learn more about AFIA’s educational and networking opportunities, visit afia.org/events.
Editorial Note: To obtain a high-resolution image for editorial purposes, contact Marisa Halbstein, AFIA’s marketing and program development specialist.
