Dr Eckel Animal Nutrition GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, a global animal nutrition specialist company organised World Tour 2026 Conference at Hotel Avani Riverside, Bangkok on March 14, 2026 which was attended by 90 over delegates from 12 countries which was addressed by eminent speakers.

In the year 1994, Dr. Antje Eckel, CEO, founded the company Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition, aimed at ensuring animal nutrition is healthier, more animal-friendly and more sustainable. Over the next three decades, the family business grew into a globally successful provider of alternative animal feeding solutions. Other key persons associated with the company are Dr. Bernhard Eckel, Vice President – Sales, Dr. Viktor Eckel, Managing Director-Products and Innovation, Mr. Theo Eckel Head-Purchase and Ms. Klara Eckel, Product Manager.

World Tour 2026 Conference started with the opening remarks by Dr. Andreas Lewke, Managing Director (Thailand) Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition. Dr Andreas Lewke has more than two decades of experience in Asia and a strong focus on sustainable, innovative animal nutrition. Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition from their Bangkok office, the team has worked closely with integrators, feed mills and farmers across Asia and their main interest is how innovative, sustainable nutrition concepts can support both healthy animals and healthy profits. Dr. Andreas Lewke said today

Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition is one of the international specialists for phytogenic solutions based on plant-derived active ingredients and their products are used in poultry, swine, ruminant and aquaculture nutrition around the world. The aim is always the same: to help the customers achieve direct and long-term success with healthy growth, high-quality products and efficient, resource-friendly production.

Dr. Viktor Eckel, Managing Director, Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition in his keynote address highlighted “Plants Paving the Way for Future Animal Nutrition.

From the very beginning Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition has focused on innovative feed additives that combine animal health, performance and sustainability. Dr. Viktor Eckel continues to shape the future of plant-based solutions and next-generation feed additives for animal nutrition. countries on almost all continents. He said the company’s products are manufactured in Germany to the highest quality standards. More than 75% of the raw materials requirement are sourced from European Union countries thus ensuring shorter supply routes and flexible manufacturing processes. Experts associated with the company from more than 20 countries are working towards ensuring the company’s growth.

After Coffee Braek, Dr. Anne Möddel, Team Lead Technical Sales, Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition gave presentation on “Choosing the Right Phytogenic Solution to Achieve Your Goals”. At Dr. Eckel, Dr. Anne Möddel serves as a key technical contact for sales teams, partners and customers, providing in-depth expertise on phytogenics and monogastric nutrition. Her nice presentation was followed by Lunch.

Post Lunch, Dr. Nancy Salamanca, DVM, Ph.D., Independent Consultant & Professional Lecturer gave presentation on “Making Antibiotic-Free Farming Work: A Nutritionist’s Perspective”. Dr. Nancy Salamanca highlighted the importance of targeted feed solutions, gut health management, and practical nutritional approaches that help producers maintain animal performance while reducing reliance on antibiotics.

Dr. Le Van Phan, DVM, PhD, Assoc. Professor, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Head. Laboratory of Viral Infectious Diseases, Center for Research Excellence and Innovation, Vietnam National University of Agriculture gave update on ASF outbreaks in Vietnam (2019–2025) – Insights and Lessons Learned. It was privilege to hear the insights and research contributions of eminent Speakers.

Dr. Bernhard Eckel, Vice President, Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition spoke on “Closing Reflections & Future Outlook”. Dr. Bernhard said their company has a motto – act local and think global. Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition establishes sustainable social and ecological conditions across its product value chains as its products are sold globally and have wide footprints. By embracing such innovations, Dr Eckel protects the livestock but also contributes to a healthier, more efficient, and eco-friendly agricultural future for the world. The company participates in all the global livestock and poultry events for expanding outreach of its unique products.

Events like this truly highlight the value of global collaboration, knowledge sharing and industry connections. It was nice opportunity for me to learn, connect and exchange practical knowledge with professionals from many countries. Thanks to Dr. Eckel Team and the speakers for creating such an important global platform for knowledge sharing.

During my interaction with Dr. Andreas Lewke, Managing Director (Thailand) at Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition, Germany, I gained valuable insights into how phytogenic feed additives and sustainable nutrition strategies are shaping the future of poultry production and why India remains a key growth market for science-based nutrition solutions. With over two decades of experience across Asia, Dr. Lewke has worked closely with poultry integrators, feed mills and nutritionists to improve gut health, feed efficiency, bird robustness and profitability through plant-derived active ingredients. Our discussion highlighted how these phytogenic solutions can help Indian poultry producers address challenges such as feed cost volatility, disease pressure, heat stress and reduced antibiotic use, while delivering measurable long-term value.

Ricky Thaper: For our readers in India, could you briefly introduce Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition?
Dr. Andreas Lewke: Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition is a family-owned company from Germany, founded more than 30 years ago. From the very beginning we have focused on innovative feed additives that combine animal health, performance and sustainability. Today we are one of the international specialists for phytogenic solutions based on plant-derived active ingredients. Our products are used in poultry, swine, ruminant and aquaculture nutrition around the world. The aim is always the same: to help our customers achieve direct and long-term success with healthy growth, high-quality products and efficient, resource-friendly production.

” Phytogenic nutrition isn’t a concept for tomorrow—it’s delivering performance, health and profitability in poultry production today.”

– Dr Andreas Lewke

Ricky Thaper: What makes Dr. Eckel’s solutions particularly relevant for poultry producers in a market like India?
Dr. Andreas Lewke: In many markets, advanced feed additives are sometimes still seen as “nice to have” products. Our experience in Asia shows that, under today’s competitive conditions, they are much more than that: in fact, they are important tools for securing performance and profit.

Our phytogenic products support gut health, feed efficiency and overall robustness of the birds, whether by helping them cope with stress, pathogen pressure or by diminishing the burden of endotoxins. Together, these concepts help producers to get more value from every kilogram of feed, to stabilise performance under challenging conditions and to protect product quality, while supporting strategies to reduce the reliance on antibiotics and to respond to customer expectations for safe, high-quality poultry meat and eggs. We know that Indian poultry professionals already run very sophisticated operations. Our goal is to offer solutions that fit into these systems and add measurable value where it matters most.

Ricky Thaper: Could you tell us a bit about your own role and background?
Dr. Andreas Lewke: I am Managing Director of Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition in Thailand and responsible for our activities in Asia. I have been working in the region for more than 20 years, always in the field of animal nutrition and feed additives. Over the years I have worked closely with integrators, feed mills and farmers across Asia. My main interest is how innovative, sustainable nutrition concepts can support both healthy animals and healthy profits.

Ricky Thaper: How do you see your connection to the Indian poultry sector in particular?
Dr. Andreas Lewke: India is a key part of our Asian focus. The scale, professionalism and speed of development in the Indian poultry industry are impressive. Over the years I have had many discussions with Indian colleagues at conferences and during customer visits in the region.

What I see is a very strong base of local expertise and entrepreneurial spirit. Indian poultry professionals are highly knowledgeable and very open to new ideas, but they rightly expect clear evidence and practical benefits. They ask tough, practical questions: does it work in my conditions, is it economic, does it help me secure my business in the long run? This mindset fits very well with how we work at Dr. Eckel.

Ricky Thaper: From your perspective, how would you describe the Indian poultry industry today – its strengths and its main challenges?
Dr. Andreas Lewke: India is already one of the largest poultry producers in the world and still has significant growth potential. Rising incomes, urbanisation and changing food habits are driving demand for affordable, high-quality animal protein. Poultry is often the first choice because it is accessible, versatile and fits well with consumer preferences.

At the same time, the industry needs to manage several challenges. Feed raw materials can be expensive and volatile, so producers need to get the maximum value from every ration. Disease pressure and biosecurity are constant topics, especially in high-density production areas.
There is also a clear move towards reducing antibiotic use and towards more sustainable, welfare-orientated production systems that make better use of resources. For us, this combination of strong market growth and pressure on costs and resources makes India not only one of the most important poultry markets globally but also one of the most inspiring to work with.

Ricky Thaper: In this context, how do you see Dr. Eckel contributing to Indian poultry in the coming years?
Dr. Andreas Lewke: We see our role as a trusted partner. Our task is to contribute proven tools and know-how that support the goals Indian companies have set for themselves. In practical terms, this means working to implement phytogenic concepts that fit Indian conditions. Our products support better gut health, more stable performance and consistent meat and egg quality, even under heat or pathogen stress and other challenges.

With our experience in the phytogenic sector, our solutions that unite profit, health and quality, our innovative portfolio and our flexible, customer-orientated service, we believe we can make a meaningful contribution to the continued success of the Indian poultry sector.

Ricky Thaper: Finally, what message would you like to share with Indian poultry professionals who are reading or watching this interview?
Dr. Andreas Lewke: First of all, I have great respect for what the Indian poultry industry has achieved. Indian poultry industry has built a strong, dynamic sector that keeps moving forward despite many external challenges. My message would be : “We at Dr. Eckel are keen to learn from Indian poultry industry leaders experience and to share our own expertise where it can help. If Indian poultry industry is interested in practical, sustainable nutrition concepts that support healthy growth, product quality and long-term success, we would be very happy to exchange ideas and explore how we can work together.”