Bioagra Opens Production Facility in Hinesville

With national and foreign governments taking action to ban the use of growth promotion antibiotics as animal feed additives, a Georgia based company is now set to produce a feed additive that relieves the need to use the antibiotics currently used in the feed of livestock, swine, poultry and shrimp.

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin attended the open house for the new 30,000 square foot production facility for Bioagra LLC in Hinesville, Ga., Dec. 9. Bioagra produces, markets, and distributes Agrastim™, a nutritional supplement for animal feeds. More commonly known as YBG-2000, Agrastim™ is a biotech yeast beta glucan product purified from spent baker’s or brewer’s yeast that strengthens the immune system when added to feed.

Neal Bartoletta, president and chief executive officer for Bioagra, noted that while government authorities are pushing for the removal of artificial growth promotion antibiotics from the human food chain supply, consumer demand also is increasing for natural and organic consumables. “Both of these trends have convinced us that Agrastim™ is the right product at the right time,” Bartoletta said.

“We at Bioagra believe that our company offers a product the consuming public wants, and is now starting to demand, because it promotes individual and public health,” added Paul Metzinger, Bioagra executive vice president.

The company is located near both Interstate highways 16 and 95, and its proximity to the port of Savannah enables the company to ship its product to countries that have banned antibiotics in animal feed.

“Bioagra certainly has a unique product that provides it a niche in the animal feed market,” said Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin. “With governments and consumers becoming more concerned about artificial additives to the food supply chain, this alternative product could really be a win-win situation for producers and consumers.”

http://agr.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,38902732_0_46991858,00.html