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29 September 2011

Newcastle Disease found in Israeli broilers

//29 Sep 2011
Another outbreak of Newcastle disease has been reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health by Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
According to the OIE the affected population is 5-7 week-old broilers from four pens. Within the susceptible flock of 103,500 birds, 1,500 deaths occurred, 4,500 cases were recorded and the remainder of the flock was destroyed.

Stamping out, quarantine, movement controls and zoning have been applied to prevent the spread of the disease. The source of the outbreak, which occurred in Avigedor, Ashkelon, remains unknown. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing.

The last outbreak of Newcastle disease in the country occurred in July.

Philippines: Sellers of foul pork meat to be banned from ever selling again

//27 Sep 2011
The mayor of Manila, Alfredo Lim, has stated that sellers of suspect pork and chicken meat will be banned forever from selling meat in the city and they will also be arrested and charged.
Suspect meat is meat that has been taken from animals which have died from diseases. A person selling such meat faces the penalty of a fine amounting to between P1,000.00 and P10,000.00 and between six months and five years imprisonment.

Lim has made it known to the public that sellers of the suspect meat may have mixed the foul meat with fresh meat in order to get rid of it. He has also stated that consumers should thoroughly check meat and ensure that a certified stamp is present.


Within in two weeks, more than 1,500 kilos of such suspect pork and chicken meat have been seized by authorities in Paco and Divisoria in separate operations conducted in the city.

Joey Diaz, Manila Veterinary Inspection Board Chief has said that the public should be on alert because it is likely that suspect meat will be prevalent as Christmas season nears. Members of the public are urged to report suspect meat to the Manila City Hall.

Source: Manila Standard Today

China: HP-PRRS evolved gradually from local isolate

//27 Sep 2011
The highly pathogenic PRRS virus from China appears to have gradually evolved from CH-1a, a local PRRSV isolate.
Chinese researchers, from the Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Shanghai, China, reached that conclusion after a surveillance study of the epidemic and an analysis of more than 300 novel highly pathogenic PRRSVs. This was published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, September 2011.

The evolutionary path could be traced through intermediate PRRSV strains. A team of Chinese researchers found that highly pathogenic PRRSV has a further enlarged deletion in nonstructural protein 2 (NSP-2).

Emerging
Highly pathogenic PRRSV first emerged in China and Vietnam almost simultaneously in 2006, and the epidemic focus was in the area between southern China and northern Vietnam.

Although no evidence has shown that the highly pathogenic PRRSV isolate from China or Vietnam has spread in other areas, highly pathogenic PRRS has spread throughout the Malaysian Peninsula to southern Russia.

In addition, all highly pathogenic PRRSV isolates share high sequence identity and have the same deletions as the highly pathogenic PRRSV isolated from China or Vietnam. PRRSV can spread through a variety of routes, including direct contact between pigs, droplet contact through nasal secretions, direct contact with saliva and feces, and indirect contact.

Spread
PRRS has spread rapidly around the world through pig sales, semen, and airborne transmission, including from airline passengers who carry the virus on their clothing, shoes, or equipment while traveling. In the global market, any virus emerging in the highly pathogenic form is a threat. The risk of highly pathogenic PRRS spreading to other countries is increasing.

Affected countries include Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore. In eastern and northern Asia, South Korea and Russia were also reported to be affected.

In the genome of the novel highly pathogenic PRRSV mutant, four deletions (two deletions in nonstructural protein 2, one deletion in the 5' untranslated region, and one deletion in the 3' untranslated region), and some other point mutations, have occurred, which were markedly different from those found in any other previous virus isolate.

Vion’s multi-million pound investment at pork facility

//29 Sep 2011
Vion has announced a multi-million pound investment in training and skills development at its pork processing facility in Broxburn, UK. This strategic investment is a key element in the creation of a Centre of Excellence for fresh manufacturing at Vion Hall’s, and the creation of up to 250 new jobs at the site.
The plans will focus on the improvement of business processes, the strengthening of the operation’s skills base, and the development of a Lean culture. Vion recognises that skills enhancement at all levels of its operations, from modern apprentices through to management, is key to the long-term success of its business. The achievements of its Lean Leadership Academy trialled in Suffolk have underlined the opportunities that can be delivered by the adoption of proven Lean practices, and the company is now looking to replicate this model at Vion Hall’s, its largest site in Scotland.

£2million grant funding
Recognising Vion’s commitment to learning and people development, it has been awarded almost £2million of grant funding from Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland, whose support has been invaluable in the development plans for the site.

Commenting on the announcement, the firm’s UK chief executive Ton Christiaanse said “People are at the heart of our business and this announcement underlines our commitment to the development of our skills base. Partnerships are the basis for business success and we especially value the support and expertise of Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland. This investment not only demonstrates our confidence in the Hall’s site, but also in the Scottish pig farming sector who are key partner suppliers to our business.”

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “Securing 1250 jobs through the new Centre of Excellence at Halls in Broxburn is fantastic news. Vion’s investment in their new training centre – supported by Training Plus funds of £1.495 million from Scottish Enterprise and up to £500,000 from Skills Development Scotland – is a major vote of confidence in the Scottish workforce and Scotland’s economic future.
“I know that the West Lothian site was up against competition from elsewhere and securing the contract for the Centre of Excellence is also a major vote of confidence in Scottish training and learning.”

UK unions combine to protect poultry producers

//29 Sep 2011
UK farming unions have met to discuss how they can help protect the poultry industry after new welfare regulations come into force next year.
Representatives of the NFU, Ulster Farmers’ Association, NFU Cymru and NFU Scotland met to discuss the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive, which will be law from January 1 2012. Top of the agenda was the likely non-compliance of producers in some other European countries.

British farmers have spent an estimated £400m to meet the rules, but the picture is less clear elsewhere and farmers in several Member States will miss the January 2012 deadline.

According to figures from the European Commission, more than 11 million hens will still be housed in un-enriched cages when the EU ban comes into force.

At the meeting in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, the UK and Irish unions agreed to join forces and to come up with a plan to help prevent illegal eggs from entering the country and the food chain. The majority of shell eggs imported into the UK come from Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, France and Germany, with liquid eggs and yolks coming from Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and France.

Source: NFU

Chinese pork safer after toxic feed additive crackdown

//27 Sep 2011
According to China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) more of the country's meat products are free of clenbuterol, an illegal fat-burning drug that is sometimes used as an additive in pig feed, as a result of China's four-month crackdown on the usage of the additive.
The MOA claims that 99.3% of the China's animal products passed the ministry's second-quarter tests of clenbuterol content, the best level recorded since 2001.

Over 980 suspects were arrested in a national crackdown on the manufacture and sale of clenbuterol, which is banned as a food additive because of its toxic attributes, the MOA said.

The campaign was launched in April after the Shuanghui Group, China's largest meat processing company, was found to be purchasing pigs that had been fed with feed contaminated with clenbuterol. During the campaign, 2.5 metric tons of clenbuterol and 5.9 metric tons of meat containing clenbuterol were confiscated, according to the MOA.

28 September 2011

Hendrix and Grelier join forces in poultry breeding and distribution

//28 Sep 2011
Hendrix Genetics and Financière Grelier Holding have completed their agreement to join forces in poultry breeding and distribution.
Hendrix Genetics acquired 100% of the Grelier Groupe. Jean-Marc and Dominique Grelier are to become shareholders of Hendrix Genetics next to Hendrix family (majority and control), Sofiprotéol (the financial institution of the French oil and protein industry) and management.

An exclusive negotiation period was already announced in December 2010. The projected cooperation allows to strengthen the groups and to secure their growth because of complementarities in activities and countries.

This project is a result from the joint reflection by the shareholders of the two groups, which show synergies and significant growth for the resulting group in the coming years. The new combination will have around €300million sales and more than 2,000 employees.

Grelier was founded in 1955 and its activities include breeding, multiplication and hatchery activities in the turkey, chicken and guinea-fowl breeding industry, with production activities in France, Poland and Hungary, and sales activities in more than 38 countries.

Hendrix Genetics, headquartered in Boxmeer, the Netherlands, is a leading multispecies breeding company, with 5 divisions: layer breeding (Institut de Sélection Animale-ISA), pig breeding (Hypor), turkey breeding (Hybrid poultry distribution (Grelier, SFPA, Integra, Joice and Hill) and aquaculture breeding (Landcatch Natural Selection).

Related websites:
Grelier
Hendrix Genetics

US poultry groups fight proposed safety rules

//26 Sep 2011
A proposed requirement to increase the types of work related incidents that must be reported to OSHA within eight hours is facing criticism from an alliance of US poultry groups.
“This may not help identify significant workplace hazards or failures within a safety and health program and places another reporting burden on the employer while doing little, if anything to improve workplace safety,” poultry industry groups said in filing comments opposing the Occupational Safety & Health Administration's proposed rules. The comments were prepared by the Joint Poultry Industry Safety & Health Council, comprising the US Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation. Collectively, the three organisations represent companies that produce 95% of the nation's poultry products and employ more than 300,000 workers.

The proposed rule expands the reporting requirement for hospitalisations to require reporting of a single employee hospitalisation within eight hours for work-related incidents. ”It is not unusual for an employee to be admitted for observation or testing and be released the next day without any treatment. Such minor injuries are not indicative of a significant workplace hazard or failure within a safety and health program,” the poultry group remarked.

“The current requirement of reporting the hospitalization of three or more employees is generally an indicator that a potentially serious safety incident may have occurred, and prompt reporting of such events is a more reasonable approach and remains justified,” commented the Joint Council.

OSHA states the additional reporting of hospitalisation will allow for the collection of more information on the cause of these injuries and illnesses. The poultry group said, “The DART (Days Away, Restrictions and Transfers) rate, calculated from existing injury and illness data, already identifies those workplaces with frequent, severe injuries. We fail to see why this currently available data is not sufficient to meet the goal of identifying ‘the most dangerous workplaces’ and why OSHA needs this type of additional injury data.”

Source: Feed and Grain

Study: Newcastle Disease protection for at least 60 weeks

//27 Sep 2011
Innovax-ND and Innovax-ND-SB, two one-dose recombinant vaccines widely used by the US poultry industry, have been shown to aid in the protection of Newcastle disease for at least 60 weeks, according to a study recently accepted by the United States Department of Agriculture.
“This study confirms that the vaccines provide lifelong protection against the world’s most prevalent poultry disease in broilers, as well as long-lived birds such as broiler breeders and layers,” said Charlie Broussard, DVM, US poultry technical service director for Merck Animal Health, which developed and markets the vaccine.

In the study, researchers administered Innovax-ND subcutaneously to 1-day-old specific-pathogen-free chickens before challenging them with a very virulent ND virus at 20, 40, 50 or 60 weeks of age. They observed the birds for 10 days after each challenge. Chickens were considered negative if they remained free of clinical ND signs.

Chickens vaccinated
All chickens vaccinated with Innovax-ND were protected against every challenge conducted; in contrast, all chickens in an unvaccinated group that were challenged at the same times as the vaccinated chickens developed ND. This research was conducted by Lillian Melson and Karen Jensen of Merck Animal Health, who presented their findings earlier this year at the 1st International Avian Respiratory Disease Conference in Athens, Georgia.

“The data from this study demonstrate that Innovax-ND and its sister product, Innovax-ND-SB, provide protection against a very virulent Newcastle disease challenge for at least 60 weeks post-vaccination,” Broussard said.

Recombinant vaccine
Launched in 2010, Innovax-ND is a recombinant vaccine that eliminates the need for stress-causing, oil-based, inactivated BD vaccines. It also can replace conventional, live ND vaccines, which are associated with rolling reactions, as well as added time and labor costs when they are applied in the field. The vaccine can be administered in ovo to 18-day-old embryos or subcutaneously to 1-day-old birds.

Innovax-ND-SB, which has been available since 2008, helps prevent ND and Marek’s disease, but also contains the SB-1 strain of chicken herpesvirus (serotype 2) to prevent very virulent Marek’s. Innovax-ND-SB is approved for in ovo administration only.

Both vaccines utilise the turkey herpes virus (HVT) as a vector or carrier for the ND virus that stimulates immunity against ND; HVT is well recognised as a safe virus for chickens and also protects against Marek’s disease, another serious herpesvirus disease of poultry that can result in widespread morbidity and mortality.

Source: Merck Animal Health

CP secures US$250 million loan for expansion

//27 Sep 2011
Charoen Pokphand, Indonesia’s largest animal feed and processed chicken manufacturer, has secured the approximately of US$250 million in loan facilities from a group of foreign and local banks to finance its expansion.
Thirteen banks in all are involved in the syndication. Citibank is the loan coordinator. Citibank, DBS Bank Indonesia, Bank Mandiri and Bank Central Asia will serve as the mandated lead arrangers and book runners, and each will lend Charoen $31 million.

There was so much interest is the proposal that Charoen increased the value of the loan facilities from $200 million to $250 million. The loan was made on an unsecured basis, which means the company was not required to put up any assets as collateral.

“This shows how much confidence these banks have in our company, and I am grateful,” said Thomas Effendy, president director of Charoen.

According to Effendy, US$50 million of the loan would be drawn soon to refinance its loans and the rest would be used for expansion.

“We will invest Rp 2.5 trillion [$275 million] in our expansion this year and next year,” he said, adding that the investment would be taken from the loan and the company’s internal cash.

He also said Charoen had allocated Rp 1 trillion each for feed mill and breeding farm expansion and about Rp 500 billion for food processing.

He said the company had spent Rp 900 billion in capital expenditure this year and aimed to spend as much as Rp 1.3 trillion by the end of the year from the total investment. The rest of the funds would be used next year.

Charoen recently finished expanding the production capacity at its plant in Bandar Lampung. It also plans to build a new plant in Cirebon, West Java, and is looking at the possibility of starting another plant in Bali.

“The company is aiming to expand its feed mill production capacity from four million tons per year to five million tons per year,” the president director said.

The company’s feed mill business contributes more than 70% of its total revenue.

On the food processing side, Thomas said Charoen had started construction on plants in Pasuruan, East Java, and Medan. The company also plans to build another food processing plant in Makassar.

Charoen is targeting 12.5% growth in revenue this year.

Britains food agency wants ministers to reject EU proposal on PAP

//28 Sep 2011
Britain’s Food Standards Agency has advised government ministers to not support a European proposal to relax the rules on the use of abattoir waste in animal feed.
However the NFU has objectes to the FSA’s advice saying the agency is giving uninformed public opinion more weight that science.

The rules on the use of animal remains in animal feed came following the discovery that mad cow disease in the 1990s probably originated from scrapie-infected sheep and had transmitted to humans as Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease.

Since then, waste meat and bone has been used to make fertiliser, petfood and fuel. But it would have more value as so-called Processed Animal Protein (PAP), in livestock feed. PAP would cut both the economic and the environmental cost of European farming, by displacing imports of vegetable protein.

And Members of the European Parliament have been impressed by scientific argument that says not all the precautions are necessary.

A vote in August paved the way for a review which might allow some PAP use - in effect, chicken scraps for pigs; pig scraps for chickens; and either for fish.

The review would also cover the rules on which animals must have their spinal tissue removed at slaughter before being allowed into the human food chain.

The food industry is cautious about consumer reaction but wants as many options as possible.

FSA
A recent FSA statement said: “Although the board accepted that the proposed changes would give rise to a negligible risk, they were concerned that this relied on effective enforcement of controls. It could identify no real benefit from the change that would justify putting consumers at any additional risk, however tiny.” FSA board chairman Jeff Rooker wrote to James Paice, the current farming minister, to say: “The board considered that effective enforcement of the controls needed, over the whole chain, could not be guaranteed.”


Mr Rooker said his board had also been concerned about consumers who ate no meat and would not want to eat fish fed on meat and those who wish to avoid any indirect contamination by pork in particular.

NFU
NFU President Peter Kendall wrote his own letter to Jim Paice this week, saying the FSA board appeared to have ignored the argument in favour of “PAP as a sustainable source of high quality protein for animal feed which could reduce reliance on imported soya”.

Mr Kendall said: “I was extremely concerned that the board seemed to ignore the scientific evidence and advice of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and appeared to be influenced by consumer opinion.”

Mr Kendall said that he was concerned for the poultry industry in particular.

Dutch research: Learning how to eat like a pig

//28 Sep 2011
Recent research at Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands, indicates that training and learning can help piglets overcome the difficult timeframe around weaning.
Dr Marije Oostindjer, 26, received her PhD last week with a thesis called Learning How to Eat Like a Pig. Key to her research was to find out how piglets learn and how this knowledge can be used to facilitate the weaning process.

She discussed three different aspects:
• Direct learning from the sow through cues derived from observation and eating together

• Learning in an enriched environment

• Learning from flavour cues in the maternal diet

Learning from the sow
Oostindjer noted that the presence of the sow can influence piglet behaviour in various ways. She stated: "Piglets that were allowed to explore novel food items before weaning in the presence of the sow were less reluctant to explore an dingest these novel food items than in her absence."

"Being able to interact more and eat together with the sow also had positive effects on food intake before weaning an dresulted in less damaging behaviour and more play behaviour after weaning."

"Piglets learn effectively through both observation of the sow and participation with the sow while she eats, and they use information form both the location and the type of food eaten."

Enriched environment
In various tests, Oostindjer tested the behaviour of piglets in barren and enriched post-weaning housing conditions, e.g. more space allowance, straw, wood shavings, peat and branches.

She concluded, "Enrichment of the environment before weaning positively affected growth and food intake afer weaning. Providing enrichment after weaning increased growth and feed efficiency and decreased diarrhoea and stress-related behaviours."

Flavour exposure
The role of flavours also play a role as weaned piglets ‘recognise’ strong smells or flavours like e.g. carrot or anise, when this had been consumed prenatally or perinatally by their mothers. The resulting post-weaning effect is not so much related to piglets liking the acutal feed better – more it is related to a reduction of weaning stress levels.

The result, Oostindjer noted, is less stress-related behaviour, reduction of diarrhoea, and an increase of growth and feed intake.

Symposium
The PhD thesis was presented late last week with an international symposium around the theme. Presentations made e.g. parallels with similar developments in human behaviour and flavour preference.

Related website:
• Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR)

26 September 2011

Salmonella control in feed

//23 Sep 2011
Author: Ioannis Mavromichalis
I have just finished reading a comprehensive review on practical control measures against Salmonella in animal feed. This review, by Jones (2011, Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 20:102-113), clearly indicates that thermal treatment (usually pelleting) alone is not enough to eliminate Salmonella.
Additions of chemical products (such as certain organic acids and/or formaldehyde) are also recommended in combination or alone. Other measures are also proposed to (a) reduce the chances of Salmonella entering the feed plant, and (b) once unavoidably there, ways to reduce its multiplication rate.

I am sure this review will be of much interest not only to nutritionists, but also to feed plant managers!

Chinese pork safer after toxic feed additive crackdown

//26 Sep 2011
According to China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) more of the country's meat products are free of clenbuterol, an illegal fat-burning drug that is sometimes used as an additive in pig feed, as a result of China's four-month crackdown on the usage of the additive.
The MOA claims that 99.3% of the China's animal products passed the ministry's second-quarter tests of clenbuterol content, the best level recorded since 2001.

Over 980 suspects were arrested in a national crackdown on the manufacture and sale of clenbuterol, which is banned as a food additive because of its toxic attributes, the MOA said.

The campaign was launched in April after the Shuanghui Group, China's largest meat processing company, was found to be purchasing pigs that had been fed with feed contaminated with clenbuterol. During the campaign, 2.5 metric tons of clenbuterol and 5.9 metric tons of meat containing clenbuterol were confiscated, according to the MOA.

Flood destroys animal feed storage in Pakistan

//23 Sep 2011
In the Dadu district of Pakistan several areas still flooded under three to four feet of water, which is destroying animal feed which has been gathered for livestock.

City farmers in this region stockpile animal feed to send to other cities including Karachi but the recent rains have destroyed the stock causeing them heavy financial losses.

The farmers have asked the government to accelerate the water drainage operation from the areas of feed stockpiles, as the remaining fodder may rot further after the rains.

Hi-tech cattle feed plant planned for Kerala

//23 Sep 2011
Kerala’s Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, has welcomed the constuction of a new hi-tech cattle-feed factory by Kerala Feeds Ltd.
The new plant will be situation in Thiruvangoor and is expected to take 20 months to construct.
M. Suresh Kumar, Managing Director of Kerala Feeds Ltd.would be equipped to produce 300 tonnes of feed on a daily basis. Operations would be computerised and world-class machines would be used for production.

Mr. Chandy said the project would benefit farmers in the animal husbandry sector. He praised Agriculture Minister K.P. Mohanan's initiative in bringing the factory to Thiruvangoor, giving a new life to the closed down coconut complex here.

25 September 2011

Poultry focus on first US ag trade mission to Vietnam

//23 Sep 2011
Acting under secretary for farm and foreign agricultural services Michael Scuse will lead USDA's first-ever agricultural trade Mission to Vietnam in the cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from September 26-29.
Vietnam is one of the world's fastest-growing economies and an important market for US agricultural products. Two-way agricultural, fish and forestry trade with Vietnam reached nearly $3.4 billion in 2010.

Fifteen US companies representing a wide range of food and agricultural products will take part in the mission, which aims to promote US agricultural exports to Vietnam. Throughout the mission, these companies will meet with nearly 150 Vietnamese producers, importers, buyers, distributors, and investors to develop trade relationships.

Poultry imports
Poultry meat imports experienced spectacular growth in 2010. Vietnam favours dark-meat chicken (leg quarters, drumsticks and wings) and also provides a market for spent hens.

USDA said the current domestic Avian Influenza situation combined with strong growth in domestic demand, high inflation and high feed costs have led to high prices for domestic chicken meat, meaning even more opportunity for US broiler meat exports.

US poultry meat exports to Vietnam rose to $75 million in 2010 from $48 million in 2009.

Quick growth
"Since 2006, no other major US agricultural export market has grown as quickly as Vietnam,” said Scuse. “This is a significant and growing market for US producers and a driver for the American economy, helping to support more than 28,000 jobs here in the United States through exports of American products.”

While in Vietnam, Scuse will meet with Vietnamese government and agricultural officials, US agribusiness, and visit agricultural production and development sites.

The Vietnam trade mission supports the strategic priorities of President Obama's National Export Initiative (NEI), which aims to double all US exports by the end of 2014 and create millions of new American jobs.

More information about this trade mission, can be found on the Foreign Agricultural Service's website.

Pork opportunities in first US ag trade mission to Vietnam

//23 Sep 2011
Acting under secretary for farm and foreign agricultural services Michael Scuse will lead USDA's first-ever agricultural trade Mission to Vietnam in the cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from September 26-29.
Vietnam is one of the world's fastest-growing economies and an important market for US agricultural products. Two-way agricultural, fish and forestry trade with Vietnam reached nearly $3.4 billion in 2010.

Wide range of food and ag products
Fifteen US companies representing a wide range of food and agricultural products will take part in the mission, which aims to promote US agricultural exports to Vietnam. Throughout the mission, these companies will meet with nearly 150 Vietnamese producers, importers, buyers, distributors, and investors to develop trade relationships.

"US farmers and ranchers are seeing record sales of farm goods abroad and looking forward to some of the best net incomes in decades thanks to global demand for the American brand," said Scuse.

"Since 2006, no other major US agricultural export market has grown as quickly as Vietnam. This is a significant and growing market for U.S. producers and a driver for the American economy, helping to support more than 28,000 jobs here in the United States through exports of American products. USDA trade missions have a successful track record of helping to support US job creation and business opportunities for American food and agricultural companies. Establishing partnerships and creating opportunities for trade is how we will build an economy that continues to grow, innovate and out-compete the rest of the world."

Officials
While in Vietnam, Scuse will meet with Vietnamese government and agricultural officials, US agribusiness, and visit agricultural production and development sites.

The Vietnam trade mission supports the strategic priorities of President Obama's National Export Initiative (NEI), which aims to double all US exports by the end of 2014 and create millions of new American jobs.

Pork
In 2009 Vietnam’s pig numbers amounted to 27.5 million – a 34% rise in comparison to 2000. The majority of the pigs, however, are still kept in backyard production.

Pork is Vietnam’s primary meat product, accounting for about 75% of total meat consumption. USDA estimated pork imports in Vietnam declined to 24,000 metric tons of pork in 2010 (from 39,000 mt in 2009) in part due to currency depreciation and some import limiting measures.

The ministry, however, said characterised future pork export opportunities can be qualified as ‘outstanding and getting better’.

For more information about this trade mission, visit the Foreign Agricultural Service's Vietnam trade mission web page.

Related website:
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

FMD in Paraguayan cattle causes Latin American pork trade to shiver

//23 Sep 2011
An outbreak in Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in Paraguayan cattle herds has casued many countries in Latin America to take a prudent approach to all livestock trade – including pork.
Brazil has announced to temporarily ban all imports of beef, pork, and live cattle and pig trade from Paraguay, the country’s agriculture ministry said in a statement.

Peru said it was banning the import of livestock from Paraguay for 180 days to try to contain the disease.

Uruguay, where beef is the top export, immediately closed its borders to animals, animal byproducts and certain goods from Paraguay.

Argentina, the sixth largest beef exporter, issued a food health alert and suspended imports from Paraguay.

Domestic measures
Paraguay itself has ordered the destruction of the 1,000 head of cattle. The outbreak was detected on a farm 350 km north of the capital, Asunción.

"The animals and their remains will be destroyed to prevent their meat from being sold," said governor Jose Ledesma of Paraguay's San Pedro department where authorities said 13 cows had been found to have the highly contagious viral disease.

Paraguay suspended livestock exports for 80 days, moving to throw the brakes on a crisis that is certain to hit the country's economy hard and set back its recovery from another Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak in 2002. It only regained disease-free status in 2005.

Beef is the number two export for small and mostly rural Paraguay, totalling $US650 million (US$634.33 million) last year.

22 September 2011

US pork producers use six times more antibiotics than Danish counterparts

//22 Sep 2011
The US uses approximately six times more antibiotics to produce about 1kg of meat than Denmark, that is according to a Danish food official in a presentation in Chicago, Illinois, earlier this week.
Henrik Caspar Wegener, director of the National Food Institute in Denmark, said during a panel session at the Chicago conference, “My main advice for the US is that all antibiotics used on animals should be given only with a prescription.”

“That’s not the case at the moment. Antibiotics are medicines. They should be prescribed by someone educated to make that decision.”

By requiring prescriptions for all antibiotics, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can make more-informed decisions about how antibiotics are used and give them insight on how a reduction can be achieved, he said. In addition, more data may help officials persuade the US meat-producing industry to change its practices, Wegener said.

Resistant infections in human medicine would cost the US more than $20 billion annually, a 2009 study reported.

At the moment, antibiotics are available by prescription, in an animal’s feed with the approval of a veterinarian, and over-the-counter without a prescription. The FDA issued draft guidance at the end of June, last year, that would require veterinarian approval for all antibiotics, eliminating over-the-counter availability. The guidance isn’t yet final.

More difficult
Liz Wagstrom, chief veterinarian at the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) agreed with the call for more surveillance. But added, that requiring prescriptions would be more difficult in the US than in Denmark, due to the US’s larger size and less homogeneous population, making tracking difficult.

GAO report
Monitoring however has become more likely recently, as a report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) gave the issue new prominence. It advised the FDA to work with antibtiocs producing companies on a voluntary basis to increase veterinary supervision of antibiotics.

Data collected so far ‘lack crucial details necessary to examine trends and understand the relationship between use and resistance’, the report said.

Wegener said he met with GAO investigators in Denmark, and the investigators also talked with farmers and veterinarians. "We had a lengthy discussion about the situation in Demark," Wegener said. "I just wonder if there is the political will to change anything about antibiotic use in the US."

Related weblog:
• Do we want antibiotics in feed?

Related websites:
• National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)

WHO study: Half of Russian chicken a health hazard

//22 Sep 2011
Almost half of Russian chicken is infected with salmonella, the Russian media has reported in reference to a study of the World Health Organization. Although a shocking conclusion, it’s supported by existing statistics.
Salmonella is the leading cause of human poisoning in the country and chicken is one of its main sources. According to experts security regulations should be tightened and more effective ways of chicken disinfecting should be implemented.

Currently there are serious inconsistencies in Russian and European legislation. In the EU inspections fully examine for the presence of infection: not only inside the carcass, but also on its surface. But in Russia, such checks are carried out only inside the chicken, but not on the surface.

WHO has tested Russian carcasses on the basis of international standards also looking for the infection on the surface of chicken. The study examined chicken products from various large manufacturers, and also that grown in private farms. Samples were collected in almost all regions of the country.

In conclusion, inspectors declared that about half of the tested chickens had Salmonella on the surface, making it a potential danger to the health of consumers. According to official data, from 2010 to 2011 Rosselkhoznadzor revealed about 250 examples of Salmonella in domestic chicken and only 12 times in import products. But these are the results of selective monitoring just inside the carcass.

According to experts, the complete tests would give much more alarming figures. Russian veterinary services don’t do it, infact the draft federal law "On Veterinary Medicine" (which is now being approved by the Government) proposes to refuse active monitoring outright, meaning that the quality of Russian chicken will not be checked at all.

Indonesia rejects egg imports from Malaysia

//21 Sep 2011
The Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture has recently rejected the proposal proposed by the chamber of commerce of Riau islands province to import eggs from Malaysia.
One of the government’s considerations, based on the regulation number 18/2009 about livestock and animal health, is that animal derived food import is allowed if local production and supply can’t meet the demand.

Until now the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture just allows the importing of egg processed products such as egg powder, white egg powder and egg pulp which are not available in Indonesia.

In that case, the government said that local production and with additional supply from North Sumatera could meet Riau islands province’s demand for eggs. The local demand is around 42.5 tonnes per day, while the local supply is around 7.5 tonnes per day and the shortage can be supplied from North Sumatera.

However, the chamber of commerce of Riau islands province has a different argument. They argued that the proposal was aimed to prevent the skyrocketing price of eggs on Christmas and New Year day. “Eggs distributed from Medan, North Sumatera are valued IDR 825 per egg, while if imported from Malaysia, the price will be cheaper, IDR 680 per egg. Besides that, eggs distribution from Medan to Batam, Riau islands takes about two days, while if we import from Malaysia, it will only takes about three hours. Freshness factor is taken into consideration on the proposal,” said the chamber of commerce of Riau islands province officer.

21 September 2011

US challenges China in chicken anti-dumping case

//21 Sep 2011
The United States has initiated the next step in the fight for better access to Chinese markets, by asking the World Trade Organization to look at Beijing's duties on the billion-dollar chicken trade.
"China must play by the rules," said US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, calling on the WTO to look into the one-year-old dispute - the first step toward possible sanctions.

US poultry industry response
In response the US poultry industry stated that it greatly appreciates the determination that Ambassador Kirk and his staff have shown to address this significant trade problem. The action being brought is a trade remedy case that challenges the method by which China determined that the product was allegedly sold as less than normal value, the National Chicken Council (NCC) and USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) said in a joint statement.

The China case used “average cost of production” to determine normal value rather than using domestic US market prices for comparable sales as is customary in anti-dumping actions. The use of “average cost of production” reflects neither market realities nor the way in which companies in the industry commonly keep their accounts.

Methodology seriously flawed
The US poultry industry agrees that the Chinese methodology was seriously flawed and that the anti-dumping proceeding did not comply with international rules. The Chinese authorities also found that US poultry exports benefit from farm subsidies, such as support prices for corn and soybeans. The reality is that US poultry receives no government subsidies and does not benefit from any of the government crop programs.

In the statement by poultry industry representatives it was considered unfortunate that this dispute has to be addressed through the formal WTO process, but they believe that it is necessary that this incorrect methodology be challenged and that US trading rights guaranteed by WTO agreements be protected. The US industry also believes that this case will have direct implications for dumping cases that have previously been brought by other WTO Member countries that are also incorrectly based on an average cost of production methodology.

Two-way poultry trade
The US poultry industry has been cooperating with the Chinese industry and the Chinese government on other initiatives to improve conditions of two-way poultry trade that are unrelated to the issues being addressed in the case initiated. The industry’s commitment to those initiatives will continue and not be affected by the initiation of the WTO case.

Related websites:
USTR
NCC
USAPEEC

Wheat and Barley versus Enzymes

//15 Jun 2011
Author: Ioannis Mavromichalis
I have been recently contacted by a poultry integrator to help them pick the ‘right’ NSP (non-starch polysaccharide) enzyme for their broiler operation. In the process of our collaboration, they became very interested in knowing why the inclusion levels for barley and wheat mattered in the final choice (as it happened, these varied quite considerably according to market prices). I thought this would be an interesting ‘story’ to share!
A diet based solely on maize contains very few anti-nutritional factors, as maize contains only 2.5% cellulose and 5% arabinoxylan. That is why we rarely, if ever, use any NSP enzymes in an all-maize diet. In contrast, a diet based entirely or heavily in barley would be extremely rich in NSP as this ingredient contains 5% cellulose, 7% arabinoxylan, and 5% beta-glucans. Wheat, is somewhere in between, with 2.5% cellulose, 6% arabinoxylan, and only 1% beta-glucans.

I admit it; the above paragraph is rather dry to read, but a careful look at these boring numbers can reveal three very important facts:

1. On average, wheat is not much different than maize, with only 2% more NSP! This could easily explain why enzyme supplementation in all-wheat diets sometimes fails to elicit a positive result.

2. Barley benefits the most from enzyme supplementation as it contains the most NSP among common cereals.

3. A diet based entirely or heavily on barley would require an enzyme product that is pure or mostly composed of beta-glucanase. Having a xylanse would also be (marginally) beneficial, but in an all-wheat diet, a pure beta-glucanse enzyme product would be almost without any benefit.

Thus, knowing the level of use for each cereal, one can select the ‘right’ enzyme. Now, of course, not all beta-glucanases or xylanases are the same, but that is another story!

Pfizer starts animal health jv in China

//20 Sep 2011
Animal health company Pfizer is aiming to boost sales of veterinary medicines in China - and its global dominance in the animal health business - via a joint venture with a Chinese startup company.
Pfizer said earlier this month that it has reached a deal to jointly develop, manufacture and sell vaccines for animals with Jilin Guoyuan Animal Health Company, based in Huinan, Jilin province, in China’s north east. This company was established in 2009 and is mainly engaged in R&D, manufacturing and sales of animal health biological products.

Joint venture
The joint venture, called Jilin Pfizer Guoyuan Animal Health, plans to start marketing its first product - a vaccine against a reproductive and respiratory condition pigs get - next year. Its main focus will be on innovative vaccines to help protect the health of China’s swine herd, although beef, dairy and poultry markets will also be targeted – perhaps even pets may also be included.

The animal vaccine market in China is valued at $800 million per year. The joint venture provides a strategic platform for growth in China, a $3.4 billion animal health market and the second largest worldwide with an expected compound annual growth rate of approximately 10%.

Global centre for innovation
“The Pfizer Guoyuan joint venture affirms our commitment to invest in and expand our research and development capabilities in China,” said Juan Ramón Alaix, president, Pfizer Animal Health. “We view China as a global centre for innovation. Guoyuan, with its strong vaccine development programme and scientific expertise, and newly completed manufacturing capacity in the Huinan Economic Development Zone in Jilin, makes the company the optimal partner for Pfizer Animal Health.”

Dr Hua Wu, General Manager of Jilin Guoyuan Animal Health Company, added that the new joint venture begins operations from a position of strength. “Pfizer complements Guoyuan with its world class R&D, manufacturing, regulatory and operational expertise, its founding leadership in the International Veterinary Collaboration for China, a Veterinary Alliance, as well as its growing field force and customer base in China. I believe that Pfizer Guoyuan is well positioned to become the leading innovator of animal health vaccines and the partner of choice for China’s rapidly expanding animal agriculture industries.”

Related website:
Pfizer

S. suis infection around weaning can be targeted through feeding

//21 Sep 2011
Feeding could potentially be an important tool to address the problem of Streptococcus suis around weaning. At a test farm of Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR), initial tests have proved to be encouraging.
At the moment, around half of antibiotics fed to piglets is given to beat Streptococcus suis infections. Since the Netherlands aim to reduce its use of antibiotics in livestock production, finding solutions in feeding is one of them.

At the VIC farm in Sterksel, in the south of the country, the concept of a weaning flow was introduced. The concept included the use of artificial milk in the first days after weaning and also weaning feed which has adjusted raw material content. The gradual reduction of milk, encouraged the piglets to consume more dry feed.

Better energy uptake
In Dutch agricultural newspaper Agrarisch Dagblad, research leader Dr Carola van der Peet, WUR, was quoted to say: "Hardly any studies exist in which the influence of feed on S. suis was studied. In our study we observed that piglets having fed artificial milk, had a better energie uptake and a better growth during the whole phase of growing and finishing. It did, however, not have any influence on the number of clinical signs of an S. suis infection."

Providing weaning feed, however, did lead to a reduction in infections. Shortly, new research will be conducted in which the researchers will zoom in deeper on these effects of weaning feed on infection reduction. Van der Peet said that it may save considerable amounts of antibiotics when tackling these bacterial infections like S. suis and weaning diarrhoea through feeding.

Related website:
• Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR)
• Agrarisch Dagblad (AGD)

20 September 2011

China expects to see record pork imports this year

//20 Sep 2011
Analysts have said that China's pork imports are likely to hit a record this year, but the surge will have limited influence on surging prices. This was reported by China Daily.
The newspaper quoted Ma Chuang, deputy secretary-general of the China Animal Agricultural Association (CAAA), saying: "China imported about 400,000 tons of pork and pork offal in the first five months of this year, up 43% year-on-year, and imports will probably hit a record 1 million tons this year." 

An earlier report from the Rabobank Group (the Netherlands) indicated that the potential gap between pork supply and demand would be between 2 and 2.5 million tons in 2012. The import volume of pork and pork offal will be 1.1 to 1.4 million tons this year, which will be between 25% and 60% higher than last year's figure. 

Pork prices
China's pork prices, a key driver of inflation, rose 0.7% in the week ending September 11 from the previous week, hitting a new record, data from the Ministry of Commerce have showed. It was the fifth consecutive weekly rise in pork prices. 

An analyst commented that the imports of pork and pork offal will not have an actual influence on surging domestic prices as imports only account for a very small share of China's pork consumption. 

The price of pork will continue to be high in the foreseeable future owing to the rising cost of labour, corn and feed and the risks inherent in the industry, such as mortality. Increasing supplies in the second quarter of next year may result in a decline of prices.

Central government
CAAA’s Ma said the Chinese government will not rely on imports to regulate the price surge. He expects pork prices to have a ‘soft landing’ as the market regulates itself and ‘steadiness and sustainability are key factors for livestock production’. 

China's imports of pork and pork offal reached their peak in 2008 with a volume of 910,000 tons. In 2010, the country imported 900,000 tons of pork, with Denmark being the major supplier, followed by the USA, Canada and France. 

About 700,000 tons of the imports comprised offal including pigs' heads, knuckles and haslet. "In the first five months of this year, more than half of China's pork imports came from the US," Ma said. 

Imports from the USA
The cumulative volume of Chinese imports the USA from was more than 91,000 tons during the first seven months of this year, a five-fold increase from 14,900 tons in the same period last year, according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) figures. China is the fifth-largest market for US pork exports. 

"China's surging demand for pork and pork offal implies an optimal export scenario because pork offal is not eaten in Western countries and is not allowed to be processed into animal feed," said Ma, who suggested European and US pork producers should supply pork to their local markets and export offal to Asian countries. Moreover, farmers overseas can profit from pork offal exports and save money on disposing of the surplus, he added.

Related websites:
• Rabobank Group
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

19 September 2011

Poultry boosts Brazil’s growth rate as food exporter

//15 Sep 2011
Brazil’s processed food exports are showing the fastest rate of growth among the world’s major food producers.
The fifth largest international exporter, Brazil registered an increase in the sales of these products to foreign countries of 4.8% per annum for the period 2005 to 2010. According to the GTIS (Global Trade International System) the other four producers ranked above it showed weaker growth for the same period: the US – 12%, the Netherlands – 7.7%, France – 5.6% and Germany – 8.2%.

Largest chicken exporter
The largest exporter of chicken in the world, Brazil is also its 3rd largest producer, with a total of 12 million tons. In 2010, more than 3.8 million tons were exported to 150 countries, representing a 42% share of the global market. Chicken is currently the 5th ranked product of Brazil’s exports, beaten only by iron ore, petroleum, soy and sugar.

Export volumes increased in the first half of 2011. From January to July, chicken exports reached 2.239 million tons, a growth of 3.4% compared to the same period last year. Revenues have increased even more, with the first six months of the year accounting for US$ 4.669 billion, compared to US$ 3.756 billion for the same period in 2010.

As regards the kinds of products exported, chicken cuts – the main kind – accounted for 1.182 million tons for the first half of the year, whilst sales of industrialised chicken exports amounted to 106.5 thousand tons.

Poultry sanitation record
The gap between Brazil and the US, the second largest exporter of chicken in the world, is significant. This has been achieved thanks to the quality, cleanliness and sustainability of Brazil’s chicken production combined with its competitive pricing. The country’s chicken production boasts one of the best sanitation records in the business, and is the only main producer/exporter to have no recorded cases of bird flu.

Brazil’s main players in the poultry industry will be present at the 2011 edition of ANUGA (to be held in Cologne in October), including Copacol, Aurora Alimentos and Frinal, to showcase stand out products. Copacol will be launching products aimed at end consumers as well as supermarket chains.

Source: Apex-Brasil

China: record high corn crop expected

//16 Sep 2011
China’s corn crop this year is expected to reach a record high of more than 180 million tonnes, according to a senior expert from a State think tank.
However the fast-growing domestic demand for corn means that the bigger harvest is unlikely to offset the surging corn imports, which will probably show a "mild and stable increase" over the next few years, said Xu Xiaoqing, the director of the Department for Rural Economic Development at the Development Research Center of the State Council, a top State think tank.

"Despite natural disasters this year, it is still quite possible to achieve an increased corn yield. Weather permitting, this year's corn harvest could even beat expectations," Xu said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

"But domestic demand for corn in animal feed and for processing is also growing rapidly. China will have a tight balance of corn in the domestic market for the next few years," he added.

A monthly forecast released in August by Grain.gov.cn, a website operated by the China National Grain and Oils Information Center, predicted corn production this year would rise to 182.5 million tonnes, up 3% on last year.

China uses 105 million tons of corn a year for animal feed, with another 60 million to 70 million tons used in the processing sector for such products as starch, citric acid and ethanol. Increased meat consumption in China has generated extra demand for corn as animal feed. Also, industrial demand for starch and ethanol is increasing, putting upward pressure on corn imports.

According to the General Administration of Customs, corn imports in 2010 were a record high of 1.57 million tonnes, 17.6 times that of the previous year. However imports accounted for less than 1%t of the nation's bulk domestic production, and the percentage is likely to remain very small, posing no challenge to the China's corn self-sufficiency, Xu said.

In July, China ordered 533,400 tons of corn from the United States, exceeding the US estimate of the country's corn imports for the whole year. China ordered another 55,900 tons of US corn in August.

ค้นพนเทคโนโลยีใหม่ในการลดสารพิษจากเชื้อรา Research: detoxifying mycotoxin in animal feed

//19 Sep 2011
Researchers have been able to reduce the toxity of mycotoxin in dried barley for animal feed through the use of a newly developed transgenic yeast.
Using barley as the raw material for ethanol production results in an additional product – dried grains for animal feed. But the presence of a fungal pathogen sometimes found in barley can result in a lethal toxin, called mycotoxin, in the animal feed.

Now, Virginia Tech and Agricultural Research Service, USDA researchers have shown that newly developed transgenic yeast used during fermentation will help modify the mycotoxin in the animal feed product to a less toxic form. The research is published online in the September issue of Biotechnology for Biofuels.

New varieties of hulless winter barley have almost as much starch as corn and can be grown at times and in places where corn cannot, offering a flexible resource. When processed for ethanol, the versatile grain also provides a wholesome animal feed – unless contaminated. Of particular concern are trichothecene mycotoxins, which inhibit protein synthesis, an essential function of all tissues. The result can be immune system suppression and reproductive problems. Animals usually refuse to eat infected grain; otherwise death would be the eventual result.

"So we decided to see if the toxin could be modified to a less toxic product during fermentation," said Piyum A. Khatibi of Long Island, .N.Y., at that time a Ph.D. student in plant pathology, physiology, and weed science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.

Khatibi was working on the problem of trichothecene contamination of grains with David Schmale, associate professor of food safety and plant biosecurity in the college, and plant breeder Carl Griffey, professor of crop and soil environmental science in the college. Griffey's barley team has developed resistant varieties of barley, as well as high starch varieties. The Virginia Tech barley team, made up of Wynse Brooks, research associate; Mark Vaughn, research specialist; and Greg Berger of Schulenburg, Tex., a Ph.D. student, all in crop and soil environmental sciences, has been collaborating with Kevin Hicks, team leader, and John Nghiem, chemical engineer, at the USDA Agricultural Research Service Sustainable Biofuels research team in Wyndmoor, Pa. – a partnership that began in 2001.

The Virginia Tech and USDA researchers decided to go after the most common mycotoxin in barley, deoxynivalenol (DON).

Previous research on a fungus (Fusarium graminearum) that produces DON in barley has identified several genes that convert trichothecenes to less toxic products. The research team selected two of these genes (TRI101 and TRI201), introduced them into a laboratory yeast strain (RW2802), and compared the results to commercial yeast that has been optimized to produce fuel ethanol. The researchers fermented four varieties of barley that Griffey's team created for biofuel use, hulless Eve and VA06H-25 and hulled Thoroughbred and Price.

Measurements of the resulting mash and animal feed revealed that DON had indeed been converted to a less toxic form (3ADON) during fermentation, with the transgenic yeast expressing either TRI101 or TRI201. The researchers wrote, "We found large reductions in DON via conversion (52.4 percent to 58.1 percent) during fermentation of the hulless barley line VA06H-25, which contained the highest levels of DON in its starting ground grain."

"But in all cases, using the yeast with the added genes resulted in decreased DON as it was converted to the less toxic form (3ADON)," said Khatibi.

"To our knowledge, this is the first detailed report of yeast expressing a DON modification enzyme during barley ethanol fermentation," said Schmale.

Khatibi said, "This study sets the foundation for modifying mycotoxins during fermentation and provides a model for future work when we find an enzyme that can actually destroy the toxin."
The research was supported by Schmale and Griffey's grants from the USDA, Virginia Agriculture Council, and Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board.

NZ issues new code of welfare for animal transport

//19 Sep 2011
Minimum standards of animal welfare and recommended best practices for everyone involved in transporting animals in New Zealand have been outlined in a new code of welfare issued by Agriculture Minister David Carter.
The Animal Welfare (Transport within New Zealand) Code of Welfare 2011, developed by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), encourages all those responsible for animals during transport to adopt the highest standards of husbandry, care and handling.

NAWAC Deputy Chair Hilton Collier says transport can be a time of great stress for animals and it is important that it is done well.

“The purpose of this new code of welfare is to encourage everyone involved to minimise the stress placed on animals by adopting the highest standards before and during transport”.

“The code covers all animals and all forms of transport within New Zealand – air, land and sea. Minimum standards cover off important areas like stockmanship; planning; equipment design and maintenance; preparing and selecting animals for transport; loading and unloading; and the provision of food, water and rest”.

Collier adds that specific requirements for transport in emergencies and emergency humane destruction are also included.

The code was drafted and reviewed by representatives of companies and organisations involved in the commercial transport of animals by road and sea, farmers, veterinarians, animal advocacy groups and environmental agencies

Indonesia ready to produce AI vaccine for humans

//19 Sep 2011
The deputy of Indonesian Coordinating People’s Welfare Ministry, Emil Agustiono, has said that the country is ready to produce H5N1 vaccine for humans.
“Airlangga University in Surabaya has prepared the master seed. This master seed then will be produced to be a vaccine by Bio Farma,” Agustiono informed.

Related to the master seed, Prof. CA Nidom of Avian Influenza Research Center of Airlangga University said that the research had been started in 2005 in cooperation with molecular biologists from Japan. He continued, around 170 variants of avian influenza virus have been found in Indonesia. All variants were then classified into three different types: infecting animal, infecting human and infecting both animal and human. “By following the WHO’s recommendations, finally we found the variant which fulfill the aspect of immunology and its compatibility with field virus as master seed for vaccine,” he said.

18 September 2011

CP plans expansion in Vietnam

//16 Sep 2011
CP currently has five plants in Vietnam and plans to double that by the year2014. "We want 10 plants in Vietnam by 2014," says Jittisart Jittiloet Sakulchai, the general manager of CP Vietnam Livestock Corporation.
The CP Group, Thailand's largest agricultural conglomerate, has been present in Vietnam since April 1992. The first four plants cost billions of baht to build, but the fifth one is leased.
 
Mr Jittisart said the cost of all six planned new factories will be less than for the first four due to smaller capacity. "We've earmarked US$37 million for 2012, $60 million for 2013 and $70 million for 2014," he says. That money will see one factory open next year and two each in 2013 and 2014.
 
"The goal is to have plants in each area of the country," he says. This will allow the company to access raw materials and customers in remote locations more efficiently, reducing transport costs.
The expansion, which is based on the assumption of an imminent surge in demand, will see local animal feed production capacity rise by 17.2% to 17.7 million tonnes annually by 2015.
 
The CP Group, which manufactures farm, feed and food products, has been gradually expanding all of its Vietnamese operations, as the young population has embarked on a consumption spree.
 
Mr Jittisart says with feed production such a main focus of the group, the new factories will be made as high-tech as possible. The Binh Duong plant, opened this year, is packed with high technology for fully automated operations.It now operates at 60-70% of its 720,000-tonne annual capacity, and construction of the other new ones will begin soon.
 
"Once we reach 80% or 90% capacity utilisation, then it's time to start thinking seriously about the next factory, and we'll probably reach that shortly," he says, adding that the next one will open in the North near Hanoi.
 
Even though some infrastructure problems such as electricity supply have gradually improved, other issues including labour shortages have become important concerns for potential investors.
 
"Vietnam has cheaper labour than other Asean countries such as Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore. At the moment, we have only four Thai expat staff here, with the rest all locals. However, there is not much skilled labour, and expat workers are expensive," said Mr Jittisart.

15 September 2011

Russia bans pork import from China

//15 Sep 2011
Russian Federal Supervision Agency for Customer Protection and Human Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) imposed a temporary ban on the import of pork and pork processed products from China, reported press-service of agency.
The reason for the suspension of import supplies from Chinese products has been due to clenbuterol, which was used in the production of pork in China by several pig farms. Eating pork containing this drug will have a negative impact on human health.


Additionally, clenbuterol is not included in the list of veterinary drugs approved for use in Russia. According to Rospotrebnadzor, as of 9 September 2011 the suspension took place for an indefinite period.


This is not the first time Chinese producers are found to be using the drug clenbuterol in pigs growing. Farmers add it in feed which allows fast muscle growth and helps to burn fat. In March this year the clenbuterol scandal made news headlines. The company Shuanghui Group - the largest pork producer in the country was found using the prohibited substance.


"Using clenbuterol is contradicting to generally accepted standards of veterinary and animal husbandry. As a result of a series of examinations held by our department it has been revealed that pork and pork processed products from China constitute a menace to the health of Russian consumers," says the official statement of Rospotrebnadzor.

(By Vladislav Vorotnikov)

Sustainable and efficient pig breeding – Danish University and pig industry collaborate

//15 Sep 2011
Years’ worth of ground-breaking research results from Aarhus University will be put to use in a new and extensive collaborative project between the university and the pig industry. The aim is for a more sustainable pig production with the aid of genomic selection.
Modern breeding methods will help speed up a reduction in piglet mortality and in general help pig breeders spot which animals have the best genes for providing a healthy and sustainable life for pigs whilst supplying consumers with pork at a reasonable production cost.

Researchers from Aarhus University will collaborate with the Pig Research Centre under the Danish Agriculture and Food Council in a new project that will help solve problems with regard to animal health and welfare and the environment using genomic selection.

Scientists from Aarhus University have been trailblazers with regard to genomic research. With genomics thousands of genetic markers are used concurrently to help select breeding animals with greater assurance than with present breeding methods.

It is expected that the project will result in new model and methods based on DNA information that can make selection of animals for future generations even more confident.

“It puts a new perspective on all breeding work. We would like to help speed up the positive developments that both the industry and society would like to see,” says senior scientist Mogens Sandø Lund, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Aarhus University.

Improve pig selection
With a new DNA-based model it will be possible to improve the selection of animals and make it more efficient, since welfare and economy will now be able to supplement each other much more. Genomic selection will provide unique opportunities. Internationally, the project is presently the most ambitious of its kind, i.e. which uses genomic selection in pigs.

In the beginning, pig breeders will be the ones reaping the benefits of the research results but as time goes by the effect of the work will spread to all pig producers. The aim is to improve selection efficiency thereby improving expected breeding progress by 50 percent, corresponding to DKK seven per finisher per year.

The knowledge generated in the project will not be limited to use in pigs.
“Genomic selection is a selection method that will change breeding of both plants and animals. It is a huge project that, together with projects for cattle and rye grass, will gather the experitse for the continuation of research in genomic selection in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. We can thus maintain and continue to develop a strong international position as a group with basic and applied research in genomic selection,” says Mogens Sandø Lund.

Work on developing a DNA-based model will begin in July this year and is expected to be complete by 2014. The project is supported by funds from ”Grønt udviklings- og demonstrationsprogram (GUDP) (Green Development and Demonstration Programme) under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries until the summer of 2013. One of the aims of GUDP is to support projects that contribute to more environmentally friendly food production and to improvements in animal welfare.
For more information contact: Senior scientist Mogens Sandø Lund, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, email: mogens.lund@agrsci.dk.

Source: Aarhus University

Poultry boosts Brazil’s growth rate as food exporter

//15 Sep 2011
Brazil’s processed food exports are showing the fastest rate of growth among the world’s major food producers.
The fifth largest international exporter, Brazil registered an increase in the sales of these products to foreign countries of 4.8% per annum for the period 2005 to 2010. According to the GTIS (Global Trade International System) the other four producers ranked above it showed weaker growth for the same period: the US – 12%, the Netherlands – 7.7%, France – 5.6% and Germany – 8.2%.

Largest chicken exporter
The largest exporter of chicken in the world, Brazil is also its 3rd largest producer, with a total of 12 million tons. In 2010, more than 3.8 million tons were exported to 150 countries, representing a 42% share of the global market. Chicken is currently the 5th ranked product of Brazil’s exports, beaten only by iron ore, petroleum, soy and sugar.

Export volumes increased in the first half of 2011. From January to July, chicken exports reached 2.239 million tons, a growth of 3.4% compared to the same period last year. Revenues have increased even more, with the first six months of the year accounting for US$ 4.669 billion, compared to US$ 3.756 billion for the same period in 2010.

As regards the kinds of products exported, chicken cuts – the main kind – accounted for 1.182 million tons for the first half of the year, whilst sales of industrialised chicken exports amounted to 106.5 thousand tons.

Poultry sanitation record
The gap between Brazil and the US, the second largest exporter of chicken in the world, is significant. This has been achieved thanks to the quality, cleanliness and sustainability of Brazil’s chicken production combined with its competitive pricing. The country’s chicken production boasts one of the best sanitation records in the business, and is the only main producer/exporter to have no recorded cases of bird flu.

Brazil’s main players in the poultry industry will be present at the 2011 edition of ANUGA (to be held in Cologne in October), including Copacol, Aurora Alimentos and Frinal, to showcase stand out products. Copacol will be launching products aimed at end consumers as well as supermarket chains.

Source: Apex-Brasil

14 September 2011

Human health risk from undercooked poultry

//14 Sep 2011
Scientists from the University of Leicester and University of Nottingham in England are to investigate the health risk posed by undercooked chickens with a view to developing effective vaccines.
They are probing a bacterium called Campylobacter jejuni - a major cause of food-borne infections in people. The research is one of 12 projects, bringing together researchers from across disciplines, that will study Campylobacter in the food chain, from field to plate. Together, the projects cover a comprehensive range of questions about Campylobacter.

The projects funded through a joint call for proposals managed by BBSRC, the Food Standards Agency and Defra, will use a total of over £4 million funding to find out more about the organism that causes over 300,000 cases of food poisoning a year in England and Wales, and how best to control it.

“Tackling the causes of food poisoning is vital for our health and will give the public greater confidence in the British poultry industry, as well as helping to guarantee future food security”, said Science Minister David Willetts. “These projects will ensure this important task is underpinned by leading edge, robust science, with a coordinated approach between Government agencies and the research community.

Points of contamination
Campylobacter infection or contamination can potentially occur at any point during poultry production and food processing. The aims of this group of projects include identification of the key sources of the initial infection on farms; the common points of contamination; and 'weak spots' in the pipeline of infection where there is a high chance of eliminating bacteria from the food chain.

Infections arise with undercooked or non-hygienically-prepared poultry meat. Birds are able to tolerate a relatively large population of Campylobacter in their gut without ill effect, whereas humans can become ill after ingesting only a few bacteria.

Dr Christopher Bayliss, RCUK Research Fellow in the Department of Genetics at the University of Leicester is involved in the research with Dr Michael Jones, a lecturer in microbiology and molecular biology in Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science.

Effective vaccines
Funded by BBSRC and FSA, the aim of this project is to aid the development of effective vaccines to protect both animals and humans against infections by Campylobacter.

Dr Bayliss said: “Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of food-borne infections of humans with undercooked or non-hygienically-prepared poultry meat being the main source of infection. The BBSRC is launching a series of twelve projects with the aim of understanding how this bacteria survives and spreads in chickens and how it gets into the food-chain.

“Researchers at the University of Leicester will investigate the phenomenon of 'phase-variation', which is widespread in bacteria and allows them to rapidly change their outer surfaces. These changes enable the bacteria to survive alterations in the environment and to avoid clearance by antibodies.

“The University of Leicester researchers will use experimental and mathematical models to investigate how often phase variation occurs and how it influences survival and spread of Campylobacter jejuni.”

UK Poultry industry
The poultry industry in the UK is worth £4 billion at the retail level and employs 35,000 people. This science will serve to underpin strength in this industry in the UK and also globally where it is estimated to be worth over £85 billion. This not least because the UK hosts the world's two leading poultry breeding companies, which supply more than 80% of the global supply of breeding stocks.

Related website:
University of Leicester
University of Nottingham
BBSRC
The Food Standards Agency
Defra

NZ – Preparing staff to recognise and respond to FMD

//13 Sep 2011
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is launching a new tool to help staff at meat processing plants recognise and respond to an incursion of foot and mouth disease in stock, as part of its preparedness for risk organisms.
MAF’s Verification Programmes manager Di Carter says New Zealand has never had foot and mouth disease (FMD), and because of this excellent record, the country’s more than 24,000 meat processing premises employees have never seen symptoms in stock.

FMD is a highly contagious viral disease which affects cloven-hoofed animals such as sheep, cattle, pigs, goats, deer, llamas and alpacas.

MAF wants to make sure meat processing premises staff know what to look out for so they can respond appropriately if symptoms are found.

So the Ministry is distributing an 11-minute DVD and a poster describing the symptoms and also what meat workers should do if they suspect an animal has FMD. She says the material is being distributed by MAF Verification staff.

MAF is asking more than 300 facility operators to show the footage to their staff as part of their induction or training programme.

The supporting poster, which clearly shows FMD symptoms in a range of stock, is ideal for display in an area such as a smoko or common room where it can be seen by staff on a daily basis.
“The sooner suspicious symptoms are reported, the better it will be from New Zealand’s point of view,” says Di.

“We want to get the message across to all meat processing staff that what they do matters. Their actions in quickly reporting their suspicions to the appropriate person will make a huge difference in containing any possible spread of the disease.”

Di says MAF has also worked with New Zealand meat processing plant operators to ensure they have robust processes in place to prevent spread if an animal infected with FMD arrived at their premises.

All export animal product operators, excluding poultry, egg, seafood and bee products, are required to have a Risk Organism Response Plan (RORP) on-site and available to key staff.

About foot and mouth disease (FMD)
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious, viral disease which affects cloven-hoofed animals such as sheep, cattle, pigs, goats, llamas and deer. There is no cure.

Clinical signs of the disease vary between species, but blisters on the nose, mouth and feet are consistent. Animals stop eating, become depressed and lame and salivate a lot.

No more exports
If FMD reached New Zealand, virtually all exports of meat, animal by-products and dairy products would stop. They would not resume until at least three months after the slaughter of the last infected animal. The country’s trade reputation would be damaged, and it is estimated an outbreak would cause the loss of around 20,000 jobs and $10 billion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over a two-year period.

FMD can be spread by saliva, mucous, milk, faeces and can be carried on wool, hair, grass, footwear, clothing, livestock equipment and vehicle tyres. It can also spread quickly over long distances by wind.

New prestarter feed reducing stress in piglets

//14 Sep 2011
French animal nutrition company CCPA launches its global approach around demedicalisation at SPACE, in Rennes, France. Core product in this approach is the prestarter feed Ax’Écla.
The prestarter feed includes selected ingredients with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and has been designed for piglets having high levels of oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress, often occurring during weaning, induces immunodepression, in which defense capabilities of the body are exceeded by the production of ‘free radicals’. These unstable molecules coming from the redox process enhance cell damage and induce a decrease of animal health.

Inflammatory stress is often induced by this process, leading to growth retardation growth. Generally, this type of stress disappears rapidly five to six days after weaning, but in sick animals, it continues.

Disease susceptibility
The novel product reduces piglet susceptibility to diseases by correcting oxidative stress around weaning and stimulating antioxidant defense mechanisms.

The formulation lowers the indigestible fraction of proteins. In poor sanitary conditions, a high protein level in the piglet feed leads to an increase of inflammation. The use of soluble and fermentable specific fibres contributes to maintain beneficial flora in the gut and improves nutrient digestibility.

As a consequence, animal performance goes up and medication costs go down. The product has already been used by some customers, especially in difficult sanitary situations where conventional approach with antibiotics was ineffective.

Diagnosis tool
CCPA has already been around in the business of stress in piglets for quite some years. The company received an Innov’Space award in 2009 for its diagnosis tool Axiscale, to be used for evaluation of the level of stress experienced by piglets. Using blood tests at weaning, levels of oxidative stress can be determined, on a scale from 0 to 20. In the global field sample data, 50% of piglets presented a note of oxidative stress above 10, considered a medium to high level.

SPACE is held in Rennes’ Parc Expo, from 13-16 September 2011.

CCPA can be found in Hall 5, Stand B41

Related websites:
• SPACE
• CCPA

Lallemand launches probiotic for use in drinking water

//13 Sep 2011
At the annual French livestock show SPACE, Lallemand Animal Nutrition presents an addition to its probiotic product line Bactocell as from now on it is also available for use in drinking water for poultry and pigs.
The novel product Bactocell Drink is a specific water soluble probiotic formulation consisting of the lactic acid bacteria Pediococcus acidilactici CNCM MA 18/5M. It can be used for broilers, layers, piglets and finishers.

The novel formula allows a speedy intervention and offers flexibility in usage for farm staff as the product can be added directly into the drinking water. Both dosage and moment in time can thus be determined exactly.

In addition, especially in the case of just-weaned piglets, first days post-weaning are full of stress and irregularity – and providing ample amounts of water is paramount in these days. In this case, probiotic supplementation through the water allows the piglet to receive an adapted dose in this first timeframe after weaning. This will lead to an optimised gut flora and provide a healthy start for his growth.

Daily addition of the probiotic through the water gives the assurance that every animal receives the optimal dose of the lactic bacteria.

Lallemand Animal Nutrition can be found at SPACE in Hall 5, Stand D82.

Related websites:
• SPACE
• Lallemand Animal Nutrition

12 September 2011

Research: Field peas in pigs

//12 Sep 2011
At the Prairie Swine Centre in Canada the effect of particle size on the digestible energy content of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) in growing pigs was studied.
A study was conducted to determine the effect of particle size of field peas on (1) the digestible energy (DE) content in growing pigs of 11 field pea varieties and (2) the kinetics of starch hydrolysis of five of these field pea varieties measured in vitro.
 
Each field pea variety was ground with three screen opening-sizes: 5.4, 3.28 and 0.74 mm, resulting in a geometric mean particle size (GMPS) of 1035, 649 and 156 μm, respectively.
 
Trial setup
A total of 204 growing pigs (28 ± 2 kg; 34 treatments with 6 pigs/treatment) were fed for 13 d with a basal diet composed of cereals, soybean meal and a premix or 33 pea-based diets (0.3 field pea and 0.7 basal diet) supplemented with Celite (indigestible marker). Faeces were collected by grab sampling for the last 3 d.
 
A sequential in vitro hydrolysis of the starch of five of these field pea varieties at the three GMPS was conducted with pepsin (120 min) and a mixture of pancreatin, isomaltase and maltase enzymes (240 min).
 
Results
The DE concentration of the field peas varied from 13.38 to 16.05 MJ/kg DM. The average DE (16.1, 14.7 and 14.0 MJ/kg DM) decreased linearly with increasing GMPS.
 
The differences in the degree of starch hydrolysis were influenced by the interaction “field pea variety × GMPS” (e.g. for 1035 and 649 μm of GMPS, the hydrolysis for the Acer variety was 0.90 and 0.49 vs. 0.47 and 0.40 for the Pekoe variety, respectively.
 
There was a positive correlation between the DE and the degree of starch hydrolysis (r = 0.62).
 
Conclusion

11 September 2011

Novel swine-origin influenza A H3N2 cases linked to county fair

//08 Sep 2011
The Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Agriculture announced three cases of a novel influenza A virus have been identified, and are now linked to an agricultural fair in southwestern Pennsylvania.
The first individual to become ill, announced in an earlier news item, has fully recovered from the illness. Two other individuals, confirmed ill over the weekend, are recovering. All three are children who reported attending the Washington County Agricultural Fair the week of 13-20 Aug 2011.

The cases in Pennsylvania are similar to previous, rare human infections with swine-origin H3N2 viruses, but are unique in that they contain a genetic component of the H1N1 virus.

Transmission
A continuing investigation, which is being jointly undertaken by the Departments of Health and Agriculture, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has not yet uncovered how the illness was transmitted to the three individuals. However, no additional human infections with this virus have been identified to date.

Symptoms would be similar to that of seasonal influenza, and would include fever, lethargy (extreme tiredness), lack of appetite and coughing. Other influenza symptoms may include a runny nose, sore throat, eye irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The Department of Health (DOH) and the CDC are conducting increased surveillance and tracking in southwestern Pennsylvania, as well as setting up informational booths about influenza at agricultural fairs, while Department of Agriculture is continuing with monitoring the health of animals at all exhibitions.

One more victim previously reported on was found in Indiana. This five year old boy also made a full recovery.

Related websites:
• Centers for Disease Control

Australian poultry producers confronted about misleading labelling

//09 Sep 2011
Australia's consumer watchdog is pursuing poultry producing companies over claims of misleading labelling regarding the way in which poultry is housed during production.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has commenced federal court action against Baiada Poultry, Bartter Enterprises, which supplies Steggles, and Turi Foods, which supplies La Ionica.

The ACCC is also prosecuting the Australian Chicken Meat Federation. The Federation has engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct and made misleading representations that meat chickens are raised in barns in which meat chickens have substantial space available allowing them to roam around freely, the ACCC alleges.

"'Free to roam in large barns' implies we have good animal welfare standards, which we do not. Twenty million chickens die in this environment each year," said Glenys Oogjes, executive director of welfare organisation, Animals Australia, adding that consumer confidence in the correct labelling of animal farming was waning, following repeated reports about the treatment of chickens.

Consumer group Choice is also calling for terms such as 'free to roam, free range and organic' to be clearly defined. "Consumers need confidence that any product labelled free range or otherwise, actually meets expectation in relation to animal husbandry standards," Ingrid Just, Choice media spokeswoman said.

In January this year, The Independent Panel for the Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy released its final Report, titled Labelling Logic. Among the recommendations was the call for the establishment of an agreed Australian standard for terms related to animal farming.

A spokeswoman for Baiada Poultry said it, "strongly refutes the allegations made by the ACCC".

Source: Sydney Moring Herald

African Swine Fever outbreaks: Bio-security emphasised

//07 Sep 2011
Recent outbreaks of African Swine Fever in Russia and other CIS countries once more indicate the importance of bio-security in the industry. Two basic rules can help avoid contamination, Belgian livestock equipment Roxell indicates.
The company sent out a press release pointing at the behaviour of several animal diseases, like African Swine Fever, spreading from farm to farm through all kinds of agents: wild birds, other animals, people, transportation vehicles, apparatus, etc.

"Farmers can do only one thing to protect their business: create an adequate barrier between their business and the outside world.

"Although it is impossible to prevent wild birds from flying over or landing on the farm grounds, a number of dispositions allow reducing risks of contamination to a real minimum. In practice, it comes down to two basic rules."

Contact reduction
First rule the company mentions is one of contact through equipment.

"Feed trucks are regular visitors on a farm. In the concept of animal bio-security the site is protected by a secure fence. The storage bins are filled outside the fence. Feed is then transported through closed overhead systems to the house or the houses eventually using intermediate bins with a day’s capacity.

"In addition, visitor cars need to be kept outside the fenced area as they can be the carrier of different contaminations. Any person, even the farm personnel, is a potential danger. The solution here is to organise one main entrance to the site including a disinfection lock with a compulsory shower facility and to impose farm footwear and clothing. Roxell people who visit farms, even on an occasional basis, receive strict rules to which they have to comply."

Human-pig contact
Direct contact plays an important role as well, the press release indicates.

"Limiting direct contact between humans and animals also reduces the risk of infections. The farm personnel must concentrate on control and management. Farms can be equipped with fully automated feeding and drinking systems. Modern technology allows complete control of the systems as well as the feeding schedules even to the level of individual feeding of sows (middle picture).

"The feed must remain inaccessible until feeding times to reduce possible contamination by rodents (see top picture). The feeder design should incorporate features to exclude feed wastage and allow pigs or sows to empty the feeder between meals (bottom picture)."

Related website:
• Roxell

China Yurun Food's subsidiary discovers clenbuterol

//09 Sep 2011
China Yurun Group Ltd has said that a live pig tested positive for the illegal feed additive, clenbuterol. According to a report by Reuters, the company’s subsidiary, Henan Yurun Beixu Food Co Ltd, made the discovery of the pig on 1 September in a pig batch from a supplier.
Clenbuterol is an illegal pig feed additive given to pigs so that they produce lean meat – which brings in higher profits at the market and also reaches the market sooner.

According to the firm, the pig was destroyed and there were no traces of clenbuterol tainted pork meat produced that day. Shares of China Yurun Food plummeted 16.1% on Thursday to the lowest in two years.

China has recently been hit by the clenbuterol scandal which led to the Chinese officials arresting 989 people accused of making and selling the illegal additive.


Pork meat is the most consumed meat in the country and recent scandals involving the meat has raised consumer and government concerns in the country. The Chinese government has taken steps this year to restore consumer confidence in pork, both at home and abroad, following the scandal.


Source: Reuters Africa

08 September 2011

Newcastle Disease reported in Nicaragua

//08 Sep 2011
Nicaragua is facing an outbreak of Newcastle Disease, according to a World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) report.
The outbreak in the Community of El Jobo, San Juan de Nicaragua, is composed of 18 rural households with some backyard poultry used mainly for family consumption.

Sick poultry was reported to the field practitioners in the area; a visit was then carried out and it was established that there were sick poultry and, a few days earlier, there had been dead birds.

Blood samples
For this reason, blood samples were taken from 30 poultry and sent to the Central Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Managua. These samples were tested with the haemagglutination inhibition test and three showed titles suggesting the presence of Newcastle disease virus.

Subsequently, tissues from slaughtered poultry were sent to the OIE Reference Laboratory in Iowa (United States of America) to confirm the suspicion; results are still pending.

Animal health authorities launched epidemiological investigations to determine the index outbreak and the source of infection, which so far is unknown.

Dead poultry
Out of the total susceptible population 40 dead poultry were found and destroyed on site; eight poultry were slaughtered in order to send samples to the laboratory.

As part of the epidemiological investigations, a serological sampling and a cloacal swab sampling were conducted in the communities next to the affected community; 120 samples were taken and sent to the Central Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Managua for appropriate analysis with the haemagglutination inhibition test.

The infected farms have been quarantined and movement of animals has been restricted within the country.

Source: World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)

BioBusiness: Focus on monitoring, control of pig aggression

//07 Sep 2011
Monitoring and controlling aggressive behaviour in pigs - that was the ambitious goal of new initial research, presented yesterday at the second BioBusiness workshop in Brussels, Belgium.
Although natural behaviour, aggression in finisher pig farms may lead to both physiological stress and physical injuries – and in extreme cases to death. Aim of the project is to develop a useful intervention strategy.

Researcher Maciej Oczak, on behalf of the Dutch company Fancom, explained the initiative at the workshop, which was attended by about 50 delegates from all over the world.

Monitoring
For the project, an experimental monitoring system has been constructed in which a pen with on average 23 kg pigs (entire males) were observed, both by on-farm presence and by using a camera for three full days.

Afterwards, behaviours that started aggression have been analysed and labelled, e.g. nose-to-nose, head-to-head knocking, mounting. The rest of the fights were also monitored.

This knowledge has made it possible to identify sequences in pigs aggressive behaviour and also patterns in pigs body positions during aggression.

Eventual goal of the project is to develop a concept approach in which mechanisms can be used that would automatically identify a potential fight – and to design intervention strategies that can act as a result.

Precision Livestock Farming
The project uses a Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) approach, which aims to combine the use of advanced monitoring technology with labelling methods, in order to be able to better take care of farm animals.

Apart from Fancom, the pig project is supported by the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hanover, Germany, the University of Milan, Italy and the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.

Similar progress was also reported in PLF projects in poultry (reducing the hatching window, Petersime) as well as dairy cows (detecting lameness problems, DeLaval).

BioBusiness
The BioBusiness project zooms in on PLF development, will run over a total period of 48 months and is interconnected to the European funded Marie Curie research project.

This week's event highlighted the progress of in total 11 fellows, attached to several universities and companies throughout Europe, and initiated discussion on PLF. On behalf of Pig Progress, editor Vincent ter Beek addressed the audience with a presentation about PLF and the media.

Fancom has also been working on a different PLF project, revolving around cough detection for identification of respiratory disease - and this research is in the stages of near completion. The company will be running prototype trials and hopes to launch it to the market late 2012.

Related websites:
• Fancom
• Catholic University of Leuven
• TiHo Hanover
• University of Milan
• Petersime
• DeLaval
• BioBusiness

06 September 2011

Dutch launch report on sustainable livestock production in 2020

//06 Sep 2011
A Dutch commission has presented a report focusing on achieving sustainable livestock production in 2020. It requires a radical turnaround and ought to happen on a national basis. It received mixed responses.
The commission, led by Daan van Doorn, previous CEO at Vion Food, was set up by the Noord-Brabant province, and calls for a careful livestock industry, which is in harmony with its direct surroundings and in which animals are the most important in modern facilities.
 
In addition, management ought to be sustainable and the production process needs to evoke respect from members of the public.
 
All parties within the chain ought to cooperate to achieve this, the report described. National authorities will target an integral approach of all problems in the livestock production chain and will create legislation for the transition towards sustainability. In addition, an independent authority should oversee the process. This way, the commission hopes to involve all stakeholders and producers – excluding nobody.
 
The retail chain, as well as producers, feed millers and meat processors support the initiative to produce all meat ‘sustainably’ by 2020 at the latest – and signed a manifest to emphasise their intentions.
 
The Dutch agricultural and horticultural organisation LTO qualified the targets as ‘challenging and ambitious’.
 
Animal welfare organisations as well as environmentalists did not sign the manifest – they feel the plans are too vague and do not set any specific goals.
 
Both animal welfare and environmental topics continue to dominate the debate on livestock production in the Netherlands. Among others, topics like castration, antibiotic resistance, size of pig and poultry houses keep on generating news.

05 September 2011

Importance of new H5N1 variant downplayed

//02 Sep 2011
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) have downplayed the significance of a new H5N1 avian influenza variant that the FAO warned about this week.
In an Aug 29 statement, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said a new H5N1 strain called clade 2.3.2.1 had emerged recently in Vietnam and China and that existing poultry vaccines were ineffective against it. The statement also cited recent increases in H5N1 bird outbreaks and warned about a possible major resurgence of the virus.

The WHO said that its Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System recognised the H5N1 variant in February. "Based on available information, this evolution of the H5N1 virus poses no increased risk to public health," the WHO statement said. "It is not considered unusual because influenza viruses are constantly evolving, especially in areas where they circulate regularly in poultry."

The OIE made similar points stating that the emergence of clade 2.3.2.1 is a result of minor genetic changes that typify the natural evolution of the virus.

"This is not immediate cause for alert but, as with the emergence of any new strain, reinforces the need for sustained monitoring of viruses in animal populations so that changes in viruses circulating in the field are detected at an earliest stage and that most appropriate disease control strategies are chosen to best protect animal and public health, the OIE said.

The agency also commented that avian flu vaccines, like human flu vaccines, need to be tested regularly to see if they are effective against the viruses in circulation. The OIE reference laboratory in Harbin, China, has developed a vaccine that, in trials, has protected poultry from clade 2.3.2.1, the statement said. Once available for field use, the vaccine will be employed in countries where the new variant has been identified.

"Registration and manufacturing of a poultry vaccine with the new seed strain is in progress," the OIE said.

Source: Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy CIDRAP

Related websites:
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)