//28 Oct 2011
The sixth outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in the last month in Russia and the fifth in the Krasnodar region has been detected a few days ago.
According to the official statement by Rosselkhoznadzor, the ASF virus was found on a private farm "Pobeda", which has 7600 pigs.
According Rosselkhoznadzor’s press service, the Briukhovetsky district is where the virus this time has been registered – it contains 39 600 pigs while individual sectors have about 5900 heads. A special commission of Rosselkhoznadzor will decide how many animals will be destroyed.
According to Rosstat, the number of pigs in the Krasnodar region as of 1October has been reduced (compared to same period of the last year) by 7.2%.
"This statistic obviously is the result of outbreaks of African swine fever, said representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor. “Moreover, the greatest decrease was observed at individual households (13.4%) and on the private farms (18.5%). It is predicted that if this negative trend of livestock reduction continues, then the retail prices for meat and meat products will experience a strong pressure because the regional market could face a deficit of pork.”
It is also predicted that by the end of the year the total number of pigs in the Krasnodar region could be reduced by 13% compared with the numbers for the same period of last year.
29 October 2011
PRRS outbreaks in Vietnam
//27 Oct 2011
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there have been Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) outbreaks in five provinces.
The disease has made its way to four southern and one central province in Vietnam. PRRS has spread in Long An, Tay Ninh, Soc Trang, and Tien Giang in the south and Quang Nam in the central region, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan said.
It has been reported that Long An is the area most affected, with 7,000 pigs that have been culled due to the disease.
The provincial Department of the Agriculture and Rural Development purchased 30,000 vaccines for distribution.
Diep Kinh Tan has ordered the tightening of control to halt the spread of the disease. Health authorities in Dien Ban have announced a pandemic.
** Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), also known as blue-ear pig disease, is a virus that causes a disease of pigs, called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). This economically important, pandemic disease causes reproductive failure in breeding stock and respiratory tract illness in young pigs. (Wikipedia)
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there have been Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) outbreaks in five provinces.
The disease has made its way to four southern and one central province in Vietnam. PRRS has spread in Long An, Tay Ninh, Soc Trang, and Tien Giang in the south and Quang Nam in the central region, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan said.
It has been reported that Long An is the area most affected, with 7,000 pigs that have been culled due to the disease.
The provincial Department of the Agriculture and Rural Development purchased 30,000 vaccines for distribution.
Diep Kinh Tan has ordered the tightening of control to halt the spread of the disease. Health authorities in Dien Ban have announced a pandemic.
** Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), also known as blue-ear pig disease, is a virus that causes a disease of pigs, called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). This economically important, pandemic disease causes reproductive failure in breeding stock and respiratory tract illness in young pigs. (Wikipedia)
Rabobank: Foot-and-mouth disease threatens China’s pig sector
//27 Oct 2011
A resurgence of a variant of foot-and-mouth disease is threatening China's pig supply and underpinning pork prices, a senior industry analyst with Rabobank Group said.
The disease, which affects most parts of the world that have major animal husbandry industries, creates the risk of pork prices continuing to keep food costs elevated at a time when Beijing is seeking to combat high consumer-price inflation.
"Hog inventories have risen a bit but disease is quite serious," Chenjun Pan said. "From the industry, we know the disease is coming back and it might worsen depending on the weather change and the vaccination and sanitary measures taken by the farmers."
Average wholesale fresh pork prices tracked by the Ministry of Commerce have fallen 3.7% this week since reaching a record CNY26.44 (€2.98) a kilogram in mid-September.
However, October prices are still up about 45% on year, suggesting hog supply hasn't significantly improved, Pan said.
"In the second half of the year, foot-and-mouth disease will continue to be prevalent, especially in pig populations that were already affected last year," the Hunan Province Pig Production Technique System, a provincial-level think tank, said in a report widely carried among industry websites last week. Hunan is China's major pig-producing province.
Chinese veterinary authorities reported an outbreak of the disease in Ningxia Autonomous Region last week to the World Organization for Animal Health.
China also reported an outbreak among swine, sheep, cattle and goats in Guizhou province in July and among pigs in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in March.
A resurgence of a variant of foot-and-mouth disease is threatening China's pig supply and underpinning pork prices, a senior industry analyst with Rabobank Group said.
The disease, which affects most parts of the world that have major animal husbandry industries, creates the risk of pork prices continuing to keep food costs elevated at a time when Beijing is seeking to combat high consumer-price inflation.
"Hog inventories have risen a bit but disease is quite serious," Chenjun Pan said. "From the industry, we know the disease is coming back and it might worsen depending on the weather change and the vaccination and sanitary measures taken by the farmers."
Average wholesale fresh pork prices tracked by the Ministry of Commerce have fallen 3.7% this week since reaching a record CNY26.44 (€2.98) a kilogram in mid-September.
However, October prices are still up about 45% on year, suggesting hog supply hasn't significantly improved, Pan said.
"In the second half of the year, foot-and-mouth disease will continue to be prevalent, especially in pig populations that were already affected last year," the Hunan Province Pig Production Technique System, a provincial-level think tank, said in a report widely carried among industry websites last week. Hunan is China's major pig-producing province.
Chinese veterinary authorities reported an outbreak of the disease in Ningxia Autonomous Region last week to the World Organization for Animal Health.
China also reported an outbreak among swine, sheep, cattle and goats in Guizhou province in July and among pigs in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in March.
Research: Dietary supplements to reduce methane emissions
//27 Oct 2011
Australian researchers investigated the influence of cold-pressed canola, brewers grains and hominy meal as dietary supplements suitable for reducing enteric methane emissions from lactating dairy cows.
There are limited data in the literature concerning in vivo effects of dietary fat supplementation on enteric CH4 emissions from lactating dairy cows.
The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate four dietary treatments designated as control (CON), brewers grains (BG), hominy meal and cold-pressed canola (HCC) and hominy meal only (HM) for their effects on CH4 emissions and milk production.
Trial setup
Sixteen late lactation Holstein cows were used in pairs, in a double 4 × 4 Latin square experiment with the four dietary treatments fed as total mixed rations over 24 d treatment periods.
All diets contained ∼600 g forage/kg dry matter (DM; 5 kg DM of alfalfa hay and 7 kg DM of perennial ryegrass silage/day).
The CON diet contained 303 g/kg DM of cracked wheat grain and 70 g/kg DM of solvent extracted canola meal and the CON diet was formulated to contain ∼26 g total fat/kg DM.
For the BG, HCC and HM diets, part of the cracked wheat and solvent extracted canola was substituted with the designated fat supplement so that the resulting diets contained 51, 52 and 65 g total fat/kg DM respectively.
Results
Fat supplementation did not influence DM intake and there were only small positive effects on milk yield and negative effects on concentrations of milk fat and milk protein.
The HM diet reduced CH4 emissions when expressed either as g CH4/cow/d, g CH4/kg DM intake, or g CH4/L milk.
The BG diet also reduced CH4 emissions when expressed as g CH4/cow/d or g CH4/L milk, while the HCC diet decreased CH4 emissions in terms of g CH4/L milk.
Combining data from the fat supplemented diets enabled comparison of CH4 emissions from the CON diet with CH4 emissions from the fat supplemented diets.
Fat supplementation reduced CH4 emissions: 500, 462 g CH4/cow/d; 25.0, 23.2 g CH4/kg DM intake and 23.3, 20.5 g CH4/L milk for the CON and fat supplemented groups respectively.
Similarly, by combining data from all fat supplemented groups, regression analysis revealed that fat supplementation reduced CH4 emissions for at least 7 wk.
Conclusion
Combining results of this investigation with data from the literature, the scientists conclude that for each increase of 10 g/kg DM in dietary lipid concentration, enteric emissions are reduced by 0.79 g CH4/kg DM intake or ∼3.5% thereby allowing estimation of the magnitude of enteric CH4 abatement based on dietary fat supplementation.
Australian researchers investigated the influence of cold-pressed canola, brewers grains and hominy meal as dietary supplements suitable for reducing enteric methane emissions from lactating dairy cows.
There are limited data in the literature concerning in vivo effects of dietary fat supplementation on enteric CH4 emissions from lactating dairy cows.
The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate four dietary treatments designated as control (CON), brewers grains (BG), hominy meal and cold-pressed canola (HCC) and hominy meal only (HM) for their effects on CH4 emissions and milk production.
Trial setup
Sixteen late lactation Holstein cows were used in pairs, in a double 4 × 4 Latin square experiment with the four dietary treatments fed as total mixed rations over 24 d treatment periods.
All diets contained ∼600 g forage/kg dry matter (DM; 5 kg DM of alfalfa hay and 7 kg DM of perennial ryegrass silage/day).
The CON diet contained 303 g/kg DM of cracked wheat grain and 70 g/kg DM of solvent extracted canola meal and the CON diet was formulated to contain ∼26 g total fat/kg DM.
For the BG, HCC and HM diets, part of the cracked wheat and solvent extracted canola was substituted with the designated fat supplement so that the resulting diets contained 51, 52 and 65 g total fat/kg DM respectively.
Results
Fat supplementation did not influence DM intake and there were only small positive effects on milk yield and negative effects on concentrations of milk fat and milk protein.
The HM diet reduced CH4 emissions when expressed either as g CH4/cow/d, g CH4/kg DM intake, or g CH4/L milk.
The BG diet also reduced CH4 emissions when expressed as g CH4/cow/d or g CH4/L milk, while the HCC diet decreased CH4 emissions in terms of g CH4/L milk.
Combining data from the fat supplemented diets enabled comparison of CH4 emissions from the CON diet with CH4 emissions from the fat supplemented diets.
Fat supplementation reduced CH4 emissions: 500, 462 g CH4/cow/d; 25.0, 23.2 g CH4/kg DM intake and 23.3, 20.5 g CH4/L milk for the CON and fat supplemented groups respectively.
Similarly, by combining data from all fat supplemented groups, regression analysis revealed that fat supplementation reduced CH4 emissions for at least 7 wk.
Conclusion
Combining results of this investigation with data from the literature, the scientists conclude that for each increase of 10 g/kg DM in dietary lipid concentration, enteric emissions are reduced by 0.79 g CH4/kg DM intake or ∼3.5% thereby allowing estimation of the magnitude of enteric CH4 abatement based on dietary fat supplementation.
EU tightens control on dioxins in food and feed
//26 Oct 2011
Member states have endorsed a draft regulation governing the handling of crude vegetable oils to the European Commission in order to get a firmer grip on dioxin contaminations in food and feed.
The measure was endorsed last week by the member states at the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. It will now be sent to the European Parliament and Council for scrutiny before the Commission can officially approve it. The regulation is expected to enter into force in mid-2012.
The regulation is a response to the dioxide crisis last December and January that shut down meat and egg sales from 4,700 farms across Germany after animal feed was found to be contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical.
About 136,000 metric tonnes of feed for poultry and swine containing industrial fat was fed to livestock across Germany. The fat contained industrial dioxins and should not have been in the animals' feed.
The draft regulation contains four measures to be implemented throughout the EU by mid-2012 to reduce the risk of contamination in the food chain. These measures are aimed at avoiding food recalls from the market and financial costs to consumers and industries.
Feed businesses processing crude vegetable oils, manufacturing products derived from oils of vegetable origin and blending fats, will have to be approved, and not only registered, by the competent authority.
Fats intended for feed and food will be strictly segregated during their production and transport from fats intended for technical use in the chemical industry. The labels on the products must explicitly mention their intended use to help prevent products unfit for feed from entering the food chain.
An EU harmonized plan with mandatory minimum testing for dioxin depending on the risk inherent to the products, will be introduced. The testing will focus on the risky products at the moment they enter the feed chain to facilitate the detection of non-compliant cases and the enforcement of feed law.
All laboratories are obliged to directly notify the competent authorities of any excessive findings of dioxins.
Although industry will have to bear some addition costs under the new regulation, annual costs will amount to just a small percentage of the costs of one dioxin incident.
Member states have endorsed a draft regulation governing the handling of crude vegetable oils to the European Commission in order to get a firmer grip on dioxin contaminations in food and feed.
The measure was endorsed last week by the member states at the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. It will now be sent to the European Parliament and Council for scrutiny before the Commission can officially approve it. The regulation is expected to enter into force in mid-2012.
The regulation is a response to the dioxide crisis last December and January that shut down meat and egg sales from 4,700 farms across Germany after animal feed was found to be contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical.
About 136,000 metric tonnes of feed for poultry and swine containing industrial fat was fed to livestock across Germany. The fat contained industrial dioxins and should not have been in the animals' feed.
The draft regulation contains four measures to be implemented throughout the EU by mid-2012 to reduce the risk of contamination in the food chain. These measures are aimed at avoiding food recalls from the market and financial costs to consumers and industries.
Feed businesses processing crude vegetable oils, manufacturing products derived from oils of vegetable origin and blending fats, will have to be approved, and not only registered, by the competent authority.
Fats intended for feed and food will be strictly segregated during their production and transport from fats intended for technical use in the chemical industry. The labels on the products must explicitly mention their intended use to help prevent products unfit for feed from entering the food chain.
An EU harmonized plan with mandatory minimum testing for dioxin depending on the risk inherent to the products, will be introduced. The testing will focus on the risky products at the moment they enter the feed chain to facilitate the detection of non-compliant cases and the enforcement of feed law.
All laboratories are obliged to directly notify the competent authorities of any excessive findings of dioxins.
Although industry will have to bear some addition costs under the new regulation, annual costs will amount to just a small percentage of the costs of one dioxin incident.
25 October 2011
The search for alternatives to zinc oxide
//28 Feb 2011
In the beginning, the use of zinc oxide in pig production was greeted with some skepticism. Ever since, the method has always remained the subject of pro and con discussions, resulting nowadays in some countries having embraced, banned or re-embraced ZnO. This overview aims to give more insight into its history – and alternatives.
In fact, it's been known for a long time that zinc oxide (ZnO) could stop diarrhoeas in weaned pigs.
By Dr Ioannis Mavromichalis, international consulting nutriionist, Ariston Nutrition, Spain
Perhaps what Dr Hanne Poulsen presented back in 1989 wasn’t news, but for sure the knowledge was not widely known at the time. At the scientific community at the 40th annual meeting of the European Association for Animal Production in Dublin she said that zinc oxide (ZnO) could stop diarrhoeas in weaned pigs – a long-practiced remedy among some veterinarians. After all, ZnO was already used as a bacteriostatic in human medicine in the form of ointment applied to external cuts and other skin problems. In 1989, it was the first time that this method of controlling diarrhoea in piglets was published in a scientific forum.
In the beginning, the use of zinc oxide in pig production was greeted with some skepticism. Ever since, the method has always remained the subject of pro and con discussions, resulting nowadays in some countries having embraced, banned or re-embraced ZnO. This overview aims to give more insight into its history – and alternatives.
In fact, it's been known for a long time that zinc oxide (ZnO) could stop diarrhoeas in weaned pigs.
By Dr Ioannis Mavromichalis, international consulting nutriionist, Ariston Nutrition, Spain
Perhaps what Dr Hanne Poulsen presented back in 1989 wasn’t news, but for sure the knowledge was not widely known at the time. At the scientific community at the 40th annual meeting of the European Association for Animal Production in Dublin she said that zinc oxide (ZnO) could stop diarrhoeas in weaned pigs – a long-practiced remedy among some veterinarians. After all, ZnO was already used as a bacteriostatic in human medicine in the form of ointment applied to external cuts and other skin problems. In 1989, it was the first time that this method of controlling diarrhoea in piglets was published in a scientific forum.
Danes want to keep their leading position in pig production
//25 Oct 2011
The Danish Pig Research Centre is confident about the future pig production in Denmark. This is the conclusion today at the Danish Pig Research Centre’s Annual Meeting.
Together with 35 pigs per sow per year, the Danish Pig Research Centre wants to develop and employ pens for loose lactating sows and reduce the overall mortality by 20 percent before 2020.
“For about 10 to 15 percent of the Danish producers this is a mission impossible, but for the rest it’s possible,” said chairman Lindhart B. Nielsen (top photo) from Danish Pig Research Centre .
Also director Nicolaj H. Noergaard from the Danish Pig Research Centre is convinced of the Danish pig producer’s capability to survive.
Director Nicolaj H. Noergaard- Danish Pig Research Centre.
“You are world-class pig producers, and it is important for us and the surroundings that we send out the signal that we are among the best pig producers in the world when it comes to environmental, health related and productivity related matters,” said Noergaard.
To keep the Danish pig producers in the leading position, Noergaard mentioned that the Danish Pig Research Centre has launched a new project which means they can reach 35 pigs per year per sow. This can be done due to new breeding objects focused on maternal qualities among other things.
“At the same time we will focus on developing a farrowing pen for loose lactating sows without raising the mortality in the farrowing unit,” said Noergaard. But he pointed out that it has to be a safe pen for the piglets, before they can recommend loose lactating sows.
On top of that, the Danish Pig Research Centre wants to reduce the overall mortality by 20 percent before 2020. “We call it minus 20 in 20,” added Noergaard.
And both the chairman and the director are convinced that the Danish pig producers will keep their leading position.
“You can do it by using the technical knowledge and latest technology out in the stable. Therefore we and the politician have to give priority to research and development within the pig industry,” said Nielsen.
After the Annual Meeting there is a two day congress for pig producers with 94 speakers, all of whom will deliver a message about how the Danes will have to keep their leading position.
The Danish pig industry means quite a lot to the Danish society. In 2010 production was 28.6 million pigs. The overall value of pig production in 2010 was about €4.2 billion.
***Main photo: Chairman Lindhart B. Nielsen - Danish Pig Research Centre.
(By Asger Kjær Nielsen)
The Danish Pig Research Centre is confident about the future pig production in Denmark. This is the conclusion today at the Danish Pig Research Centre’s Annual Meeting.
Together with 35 pigs per sow per year, the Danish Pig Research Centre wants to develop and employ pens for loose lactating sows and reduce the overall mortality by 20 percent before 2020.
“For about 10 to 15 percent of the Danish producers this is a mission impossible, but for the rest it’s possible,” said chairman Lindhart B. Nielsen (top photo) from Danish Pig Research Centre .
Also director Nicolaj H. Noergaard from the Danish Pig Research Centre is convinced of the Danish pig producer’s capability to survive.
Director Nicolaj H. Noergaard- Danish Pig Research Centre.
“You are world-class pig producers, and it is important for us and the surroundings that we send out the signal that we are among the best pig producers in the world when it comes to environmental, health related and productivity related matters,” said Noergaard.
To keep the Danish pig producers in the leading position, Noergaard mentioned that the Danish Pig Research Centre has launched a new project which means they can reach 35 pigs per year per sow. This can be done due to new breeding objects focused on maternal qualities among other things.
“At the same time we will focus on developing a farrowing pen for loose lactating sows without raising the mortality in the farrowing unit,” said Noergaard. But he pointed out that it has to be a safe pen for the piglets, before they can recommend loose lactating sows.
On top of that, the Danish Pig Research Centre wants to reduce the overall mortality by 20 percent before 2020. “We call it minus 20 in 20,” added Noergaard.
And both the chairman and the director are convinced that the Danish pig producers will keep their leading position.
“You can do it by using the technical knowledge and latest technology out in the stable. Therefore we and the politician have to give priority to research and development within the pig industry,” said Nielsen.
After the Annual Meeting there is a two day congress for pig producers with 94 speakers, all of whom will deliver a message about how the Danes will have to keep their leading position.
The Danish pig industry means quite a lot to the Danish society. In 2010 production was 28.6 million pigs. The overall value of pig production in 2010 was about €4.2 billion.
***Main photo: Chairman Lindhart B. Nielsen - Danish Pig Research Centre.
(By Asger Kjær Nielsen)
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