//03 Feb 2012
Despite some good results developing gender-specific proteins, the Danish Agriculture & Food Council (Videncenter for Svineproduktion, VSP), has stopped a high profile experiment related to gender-selected semen.
Together with the Welsh company Ovasort, VSP has worked on a project aimed at developing a method to separate boar sperm cells in order to produce more female pigs. Although progress was made in the research, the eventual goal of producing more female piglets was not met.
In current practice, entire male piglets have a risk of developing boar taint, which is unwanted. The common solution of castrating them will be voluntarily banned in the European Union as from 2018. The VSP therefore set out to find solutions to avoid castration.
No usable gender-specific proteins
The hypothesis of the project was that the sperm cells on their surface have some gender-specific (not previously identified) proteins and that these proteins could be used to separate the two types of cells. This way, the idea was to achieve a higher rate of female pigs, at the expense of male pigs.
During the project, several of these proteins were identified, which was more than expected. In addition, antibodies against two gender-specific proteins were developed. On top of that, tests were conducted, showing that these antibodies can bind to sperm cells and cause them to clump together. Lastly, it was shown that antibody-treated sperm cells are fertile with high litter sizes as a consequence, showing that sperm cells were not damaged by the treatment.
Unfortunately, the sex ratio in the tested litters was the same as in ‘normal’ litters. So it was not possible to produce more female piglets.
Sex-linked proteins
Originally it was expected that the sex-linked proteins were quite specific for Y- and X-cells respectively. This would constitute a simple background to develop 100% specific antibodies that could be used to kill Y-cells, for example by combining antibodies with a killer molecule that destroys the cell membrane of the Y-cells.
Unfortunately, it appeared that the detected proteins were found in both Y- and X-cells (but in different amounts). Other more technically difficult separation methods were considered, but the success rate was assessed to be too low in relation to efficiency.
Yes to breeding against boar taint
VSP’s activities related to boar taint will now focus on breeding against boar taint. Recently the VSP started a new three-year project in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen. The project is partly funded by the Danish State.
In 2010, VSP also denounced the idea of using chicory in the feed as a means to solve problems with boar taint in the meat. This happened in 2010.
**Also read Pig Progress article: Castration comes to a standstill in the EU
05 February 2012
ASF outbreaks continuing in the south of Russia
//02 Feb 2012
The representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor continue to report ASF virus detection in the southern part of Russia. The third consecutive outbreak of ASF during this year was registered in the Krasnodar region.
According to data provided by the Krasnodar Interregional Laboratory, on 23 January , during the study of pathological material from dead pigs sampled from the company "Kolos" in Krupskaya, Krasnoarmeiskii area, African swine fever virus has been identified, " a Rosselkhoznadzor statement said.
"Kolos has 6 324 pigs. In the nearest villages Krupskaya and Otrubnoi there are another 78 pigs, and in total in the Krasnoarmeysk area there are about 25 000 pigs. It is still unclear how many pigs will be culled in order to prevent the spread of the virus. The pig farm where the outbreak has been detected is located 60 km from the previous outbreak in the “Industrial” village of the Timashevsk region.
A couple of days ago, the representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor in Tver region confirmed the continuing spread of the virus in the region. It was found that a few dead wild boars died due to ASF. Veterinary specialists also found that infected meat, bypassing all control measures at large meat plants. " Rosselkhoznadzor experts conducted testing of the pork from the meat-packing plantsMedvedovsky and Pavlovsky, with the pork which has come from the Industrial village.
It has been revealed that the raw materials were infected with African swine fever,” said the press service of Rosselkhoznadzor. As a result, 140 tonnes of pork at both plants has to be destroyed.
(By Vladislav Vorotnikov)
The representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor continue to report ASF virus detection in the southern part of Russia. The third consecutive outbreak of ASF during this year was registered in the Krasnodar region.
According to data provided by the Krasnodar Interregional Laboratory, on 23 January , during the study of pathological material from dead pigs sampled from the company "Kolos" in Krupskaya, Krasnoarmeiskii area, African swine fever virus has been identified, " a Rosselkhoznadzor statement said.
"Kolos has 6 324 pigs. In the nearest villages Krupskaya and Otrubnoi there are another 78 pigs, and in total in the Krasnoarmeysk area there are about 25 000 pigs. It is still unclear how many pigs will be culled in order to prevent the spread of the virus. The pig farm where the outbreak has been detected is located 60 km from the previous outbreak in the “Industrial” village of the Timashevsk region.
A couple of days ago, the representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor in Tver region confirmed the continuing spread of the virus in the region. It was found that a few dead wild boars died due to ASF. Veterinary specialists also found that infected meat, bypassing all control measures at large meat plants. " Rosselkhoznadzor experts conducted testing of the pork from the meat-packing plantsMedvedovsky and Pavlovsky, with the pork which has come from the Industrial village.
It has been revealed that the raw materials were infected with African swine fever,” said the press service of Rosselkhoznadzor. As a result, 140 tonnes of pork at both plants has to be destroyed.
(By Vladislav Vorotnikov)
CPF consolidates ten agro-industrial/food subsidiaries
//03 Feb 2012
Thai food giant Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc (CPF) has consolidated 10 units operating agro-industrial and food businesses into a new firm, CPF (Thailand) Plc.
The consolidation, approved by CPF's executive board last September, is aimed at enhancing business efficiency. The 10 subsidiaries are Bangkok Agro-Industrial Products, CP Northeastern, Bangkok Food Products, CPF Food Products, BP Food Products, Rajburi Foods, CP Industry, CP Agro-Industry, Klang and International Pet Food.
The new firm has paid-up capital comprising 7,008,250,000 ordinary shares at a par value of one baht each. The parent will own 99.98% of the new firm.
Last month CPF received shareholder approval to invest 66.3 billion baht in China and Vietnam, which will allow the company to proceed with buying 74.18% of Hong Kong-listed CP Pokphand Co, which has two main enterprises _ animal feed in China and integrated-farm operations in Vietnam through CP Vietnam Corporation.
These developments will help the company to achieve this year's revenue target of 320-330 billion baht, up from 210 billion expected for last year.
Source: Bangkok Post Business
Thai food giant Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc (CPF) has consolidated 10 units operating agro-industrial and food businesses into a new firm, CPF (Thailand) Plc.
The consolidation, approved by CPF's executive board last September, is aimed at enhancing business efficiency. The 10 subsidiaries are Bangkok Agro-Industrial Products, CP Northeastern, Bangkok Food Products, CPF Food Products, BP Food Products, Rajburi Foods, CP Industry, CP Agro-Industry, Klang and International Pet Food.
The new firm has paid-up capital comprising 7,008,250,000 ordinary shares at a par value of one baht each. The parent will own 99.98% of the new firm.
Last month CPF received shareholder approval to invest 66.3 billion baht in China and Vietnam, which will allow the company to proceed with buying 74.18% of Hong Kong-listed CP Pokphand Co, which has two main enterprises _ animal feed in China and integrated-farm operations in Vietnam through CP Vietnam Corporation.
These developments will help the company to achieve this year's revenue target of 320-330 billion baht, up from 210 billion expected for last year.
Source: Bangkok Post Business
Vladimir Putin highlights self-sufficiency of poultry industry
//03 Feb 2012
During an agricultural promotional tour Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that the government should introduce incentives for an increase in dairy production as imports grow, naming the poultry industry as an example to follow.
Putin offered no specifics about potential stimulus measures. He has stepped up his trips to the regions to visit new plants and discuss economic support measures in the run-up to the presidential election, which he hopes to win.
Russia is still importing dairy products and more integrated farming would allow a better self-sufficiency. The “full cycle” approach helped Russian farmers in areas such as poultry farming, he said.
Chicken oversupply
Putin later inspected a poultry farm that opened in November thanks, in part, to federal funding. Built at the cost of 8.5 billion rubles ($274 million), Inzhavinskaya Farm will process 100,000 tonnes of chicken meat in live weight per year, contributing to the first ever oversupply of the product in Russia, anticipated this year.
The farm is a unit of the privately-held Prioskolye Company, controlled by Gennady Bobritsky, which ranked as the top poultry producer in Russia in 2010 with 15% of the market.
Putin reassured farmers that the country’s pending entry into the World Trade Organization would not cause the government to slash its agricultural subsidies immediately.
This year, he said, the federal budget earmarked 170 billion rubles ($5.6 billion) in support measures, while WTO accession terms allow Russia to spend as much as $9 billion to that end. “There’s some potential,” he said. “We need to calculate the situation and, perhaps, add spending somewhere.”
Ukranian developments
Myronivsky Hliboproduct, a Ukrainian poultry producer, said its chicken-meat production rose 7% last year as the company boosted the efficiency of its facilities, Bloomberg reported.
Chicken-meat production rose to 384,000 tons in 2011, the company said in an e-mailed statement. Domestic demand for poultry remained high, the Kiev-based company said.
Exports of chicken meat in 2011 rose 80% compared with the year-earlier period and accounted for 10% of all chicken-meat sales, according to the statement.
Myronivsky Hliboproduct opened new export markets and began sales to Libya, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Angola and other countries, it said.
During an agricultural promotional tour Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that the government should introduce incentives for an increase in dairy production as imports grow, naming the poultry industry as an example to follow.
Putin offered no specifics about potential stimulus measures. He has stepped up his trips to the regions to visit new plants and discuss economic support measures in the run-up to the presidential election, which he hopes to win.
Russia is still importing dairy products and more integrated farming would allow a better self-sufficiency. The “full cycle” approach helped Russian farmers in areas such as poultry farming, he said.
Chicken oversupply
Putin later inspected a poultry farm that opened in November thanks, in part, to federal funding. Built at the cost of 8.5 billion rubles ($274 million), Inzhavinskaya Farm will process 100,000 tonnes of chicken meat in live weight per year, contributing to the first ever oversupply of the product in Russia, anticipated this year.
The farm is a unit of the privately-held Prioskolye Company, controlled by Gennady Bobritsky, which ranked as the top poultry producer in Russia in 2010 with 15% of the market.
Putin reassured farmers that the country’s pending entry into the World Trade Organization would not cause the government to slash its agricultural subsidies immediately.
This year, he said, the federal budget earmarked 170 billion rubles ($5.6 billion) in support measures, while WTO accession terms allow Russia to spend as much as $9 billion to that end. “There’s some potential,” he said. “We need to calculate the situation and, perhaps, add spending somewhere.”
Ukranian developments
Myronivsky Hliboproduct, a Ukrainian poultry producer, said its chicken-meat production rose 7% last year as the company boosted the efficiency of its facilities, Bloomberg reported.
Chicken-meat production rose to 384,000 tons in 2011, the company said in an e-mailed statement. Domestic demand for poultry remained high, the Kiev-based company said.
Exports of chicken meat in 2011 rose 80% compared with the year-earlier period and accounted for 10% of all chicken-meat sales, according to the statement.
Myronivsky Hliboproduct opened new export markets and began sales to Libya, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Angola and other countries, it said.
02 February 2012
OIE: Avian Influenza in South African ostriches
//02 Feb 2012
Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a flock of commercial ostriches in South Africa, the OIE has reported.
In a report dated 1st February, the OIE states that 12,278 birds were susceptible to the virus of which 1,028 cases have been confirmed. However, no culling has yet taken place.
The outbreak, of the serotype H7N1, was discovered during routine surveillance on the farm in the Western Cape Province. Certain emergency procedures have been put in place including quarantine at the farm in question and restricted movement control inside the country.
Source: OIE
Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a flock of commercial ostriches in South Africa, the OIE has reported.
In a report dated 1st February, the OIE states that 12,278 birds were susceptible to the virus of which 1,028 cases have been confirmed. However, no culling has yet taken place.
The outbreak, of the serotype H7N1, was discovered during routine surveillance on the farm in the Western Cape Province. Certain emergency procedures have been put in place including quarantine at the farm in question and restricted movement control inside the country.
Source: OIE
International Egg Commission formally recognised by FAO
//02 Feb 2012
The International Egg Commission (IEC) has been formally recognised by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as the official representative of the international egg industry.
The IEC and the FAO have signed a memorandum of understanding, creating an official working partnership.
This is a hugely significant step forward for egg businesses worldwide; now that the IEC is working formally with the FAO, the egg industry has an official voice within the United Nations’ systems, the IEC said in statement.
Director General of the IEC, Julian Madeley, explained: “We are delighted that the IEC has been formally accepted by the FAO as the representative body of the international egg industry and we are looking forward to working with the organisation on its future projects.
“The FAO is a United Nations organisation that is dedicated to achieving food security for all; it is committed to making sure that people throughout the world have regular access to sufficient, high-quality food. This is something that is very close to our industry’s heart. The IEC and all our members are fully committed to helping to feed the world’s growing population and we are extremely pleased to be working with the UN and specifically, the FAO, to help to achieve this.”
The International Egg Commission has members in over 55 countries, in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Australia. It holds conferences twice a year where members come together to share best practice and pledge their combined commitment to the industry’s corporate and social responsibility; working together to help feed the world’s growing population with a sustainable source of high quality protein.
The next IEC conference is being held in Venice, 25–27 March.
Source: International Egg Commission (IEC)
The International Egg Commission (IEC) has been formally recognised by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as the official representative of the international egg industry.
The IEC and the FAO have signed a memorandum of understanding, creating an official working partnership.
This is a hugely significant step forward for egg businesses worldwide; now that the IEC is working formally with the FAO, the egg industry has an official voice within the United Nations’ systems, the IEC said in statement.
Director General of the IEC, Julian Madeley, explained: “We are delighted that the IEC has been formally accepted by the FAO as the representative body of the international egg industry and we are looking forward to working with the organisation on its future projects.
“The FAO is a United Nations organisation that is dedicated to achieving food security for all; it is committed to making sure that people throughout the world have regular access to sufficient, high-quality food. This is something that is very close to our industry’s heart. The IEC and all our members are fully committed to helping to feed the world’s growing population and we are extremely pleased to be working with the UN and specifically, the FAO, to help to achieve this.”
The International Egg Commission has members in over 55 countries, in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Australia. It holds conferences twice a year where members come together to share best practice and pledge their combined commitment to the industry’s corporate and social responsibility; working together to help feed the world’s growing population with a sustainable source of high quality protein.
The next IEC conference is being held in Venice, 25–27 March.
Source: International Egg Commission (IEC)
US poultry groups oppose amendment to acquisition regulations
//02 Feb 2012
The National Chicken Council (NCC), National Turkey Federation (NTF) and US Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) in comments submitted January 30, 2012, expressed opposition to a proposed amendment to the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) acquisition regulations.
The amendment, which was published as a proposed rule in the Federal Register on December 1, 2011, would add new sections to existing USDA procurement regulations and would require federal contractors to certify to USDA that they, all their subcontractors at any tier, and suppliers are in compliance with all federal labour laws. The proposed rule also would require federal contractors to report promptly to contracting officers when formal allegations or formal findings of non-compliance with labor laws are determined.
In expressing the poultry industry’s opposition, NCC, NTF and USPOULTRY said in their official comments that the proposed rule “is inconsistent with existing laws and will impose a regulatory burden and potential liability on federal contractors disproportionate to its purported benefits, which at best duplicate existing legal responsibilities and, at worst, expose contractors to uncontrollable liability, while denying US taxpayers their money’s worth in federal acquisitions.”
The groups noted there is no express statutory authorisation for the proposed rule andlisted several other specific concerns for opposing the rule, among them:
•Federal contractors would be required to report all violations and allegations of violations of all labor laws, as well as determinations by courts or agencies. This offends the Due Process clause and the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution.
• The proposed rule offends constitutional free-speech protections, if the employer’s speech is alleged to violate labor law, as when an employer exercises its rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to inform employees about the disadvantages to union representation during an organization campaign.
•The proposed rule makes contractors vulnerable to groundless allegations, giving potential accusers leverage over their employers. An accuser could subject a contractor to liability for failure to report, or repercussions for reporting, a “violation” even if the accuser knows the claim ultimately will prove false.
•The proposed rule is inconsistent with the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984.
•The proposed rule would impose significant recordkeeping and reporting burdens on contractors.
•Contractors could face serious liability under the False Claims Act for conspiracy, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees, for what could amount to no more than a failure to certify and report matters that already will have been made known to federal enforcement agencies such as the NLRB or the EEOC.
•The proposed rule places unacceptable and extraordinary administrative burdens on an overworked federal acquisition workforce.
•The proposed rule does not comply with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), the Paperwork Reduction Act, or the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995.
“This amendment should be withdrawn,” the comments concluded. “Alternatively, USDA should conduct a full notice-and-comment proceeding, including public hearings, to develop the public record before this regulation is adopted. NCC, NTF and USPOULTRY are confident that, if the public understands the full implications of the proposed rule change, this amendment will not be adopted.”
Source: National Chicken Council
The National Chicken Council (NCC), National Turkey Federation (NTF) and US Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) in comments submitted January 30, 2012, expressed opposition to a proposed amendment to the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) acquisition regulations.
The amendment, which was published as a proposed rule in the Federal Register on December 1, 2011, would add new sections to existing USDA procurement regulations and would require federal contractors to certify to USDA that they, all their subcontractors at any tier, and suppliers are in compliance with all federal labour laws. The proposed rule also would require federal contractors to report promptly to contracting officers when formal allegations or formal findings of non-compliance with labor laws are determined.
In expressing the poultry industry’s opposition, NCC, NTF and USPOULTRY said in their official comments that the proposed rule “is inconsistent with existing laws and will impose a regulatory burden and potential liability on federal contractors disproportionate to its purported benefits, which at best duplicate existing legal responsibilities and, at worst, expose contractors to uncontrollable liability, while denying US taxpayers their money’s worth in federal acquisitions.”
The groups noted there is no express statutory authorisation for the proposed rule andlisted several other specific concerns for opposing the rule, among them:
•Federal contractors would be required to report all violations and allegations of violations of all labor laws, as well as determinations by courts or agencies. This offends the Due Process clause and the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution.
• The proposed rule offends constitutional free-speech protections, if the employer’s speech is alleged to violate labor law, as when an employer exercises its rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to inform employees about the disadvantages to union representation during an organization campaign.
•The proposed rule makes contractors vulnerable to groundless allegations, giving potential accusers leverage over their employers. An accuser could subject a contractor to liability for failure to report, or repercussions for reporting, a “violation” even if the accuser knows the claim ultimately will prove false.
•The proposed rule is inconsistent with the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984.
•The proposed rule would impose significant recordkeeping and reporting burdens on contractors.
•Contractors could face serious liability under the False Claims Act for conspiracy, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees, for what could amount to no more than a failure to certify and report matters that already will have been made known to federal enforcement agencies such as the NLRB or the EEOC.
•The proposed rule places unacceptable and extraordinary administrative burdens on an overworked federal acquisition workforce.
•The proposed rule does not comply with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), the Paperwork Reduction Act, or the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995.
“This amendment should be withdrawn,” the comments concluded. “Alternatively, USDA should conduct a full notice-and-comment proceeding, including public hearings, to develop the public record before this regulation is adopted. NCC, NTF and USPOULTRY are confident that, if the public understands the full implications of the proposed rule change, this amendment will not be adopted.”
Source: National Chicken Council
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