February 2022

We hear from Danisco Animal Nutrition, Hamlet Protein, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Novus, and Cargill Animal Nutrition on their projections for the industry, the likely headwinds and opportunities. The cost of feed will continue to be a headache for nutritionists and producers, with the poultry industry, in particular, extremely sensitive to feed price volatility compared to other animal protein production segments.

The US FDA is providing grants for studies that identify ways to reduce the use of antimicrobials in cattle, swine and poultry production. Alternative practices that could help reduce the reliance on such drugs could include changes in husbandry, biosecurity, vaccination, and other practices.

Cargill’s latest mycotoxin risk analysis report shows Vomitoxin (DON), Fumonisin (FUM), Zearalenone (ZEN), and Aflatoxin (AFL) are the top four mycotoxins occurring worldwide. The company’s mytotoxin contaminants database is based on 300,000+ mycotoxin analyses captured annually across 150+ global feed plants, on-farm sampling and storage locations.

New study in the Journal of Dairy Science examines optimal feeding strategies for dairy calves raised in warm environments. Calves raised during the heat of summer have reduced growth, increased disease incidence and higher mortality rates, compared with those raised in temperate environments or neutral thermal conditions.

Indian aquaculture company Kings Infra Venture Ltd has harvested L. vannamei shrimps weighing 80 grams and measuring 210 mm, setting a new pond-production growth record for the species. “The average weight of the shrimps in our farm during this crop has been in the range of 30 to 50 gm but we were surprised to find certain shrimps have grown to 75-80 grams during the final harvesting”

Consumer demand and ease of eating keep suppliers innovating wing processing equipment. Processor needs for wings differ depending on their customers’ needs. A baseline consists of equipment and cut up machinery that provides efficiency, consistent accuracy and maximum yields.

Understanding the roles of intestinal microbiota and their interaction with the host is essential in feed formulation and dietary supplementation in the swine industry. Modulation of intestinal microbiota toward a more beneficial microbial community can be a key factor in enhancing intestinal health, thus bossting the growth performance of nursery pigs.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which is known as the cause of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), which is also known as early mortality syndrome (EMS), has recently become a concern for farmers. New research suggests that balancing levels of phytoplankton in shrimp ponds can prevent the growth of Vibrios, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Blue Aqua has announced that it’s looking to develop Singapore’s first high-tech rainbow trout farm as part of a plan to invest SGD $45 million to grow its aquaculture operations.

The Indonesian government plans to create over 130 “aquaculture villages” in a bid to spur the post-pandemic economic recovery. The villages will cultivate high-value aquaculture commodities – including shrimp, crab and seaweed – with an eye on boosting national exports, creating employment and enhancing national food security.

The Vietnamese government is encouraging the private sector to step up investment in the country’s marine aquaculture sector. The country’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Phùng Đức Tiến, wants to encourage greater investment in the sector, which is seen as ripe for sustainable development, if the right infrastructure is put in place.

How can Filipino farmers deal with global fertilizer shock and climate change, and continue to feed us? Last week, the European Union’s earth observation program Copernicus released new data that 2021 was the fifth warmest year on record, with the last seven years as the hottest years while carbon dioxide and methane concentrations continue to accumulate in the atmosphere.

The value of Myanmar’s seafood exports as of 14 January in the current six-month mini-budget period (October 2021-March 2022) was estimated at over US$276.58 million, which increased slightly from $2.57 million in the corresponding period of the last financial year 2020-2021, the Ministry of Commerce’s data indicated.

For decades now, the Philippines’s livestock industry has received limited attention and developmental assistance from the government, Senator Cynthia Villar has renewed pitch to give it a boost. Senator Cynthia Villar “The livestock sector comprising of cattle, hogs, poultry and dairy should be able to guarantee food security and reduce poverty in the countryside by giving better income and jobs to farmers and their families,” said Villar.

Senator Cynthia A. Villar on Wednesday, Jan. 26 is pushing for the establishment of more legislated fish hatcheries to further sustain the sustainability of the country’s marine product supply. Villar, chairperson of Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, stressed this after conducting a hybrid public hearing on Monday on 11 House bills and one Senate bill which seeks to build additional fish hatcheries.

The Philippines’ swine inventory increased by about 700,000 heads over the last 12 months owing to a repopulation programme, following two years of declines due to African swine fever outbreaks, an agriculture official said on Tuesday.

Livestock authorities on Tuesday confirmed the detection of African swine fever (ASF) in Thailand. The detection marks Thailand’s first official confirmation of the disease, which has swept through parts of Europe and Asia in recent years and devastated swine industries in the affected countries.

The outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has put a strain not just on the meat industry, but also consumers, who have had to spend more money to buy pork products, whose prices have soared to record highs. Authorities have resorted to culling pigs in an effort to stem the spread of the disease, which has caused the population of breeding pigs to decline.