Far Eastern Agriculture issue 2 2014 by Alain Charles Publishing

FEAG 2 2014 COVER_FEAG_COVER_MASTER_09 3/25/2014 10:44 AM Page 1

US$15.00 (UKÂŁ9.00)

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 2

ISSUE TWO 2014

Poultry Optimal water supply for quality produce

Preview of FIAAP, VICTAM & GRAPAS Fibre diet leads to better gut health Calorie-rich food makes livestock climate-friendly - p18

Go nuts over peanuts Zero in on Zinc for high nutrition

Plant extract can help combat pig diseases

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Contents

Bulletin 4

A round-up of key developments in the regional market

Agenda Philippines sees domestic demand rise for sugar, Indonesia could emerge among top three wheat importers in the world, Dairy sector in India set to hit a record high in 2015, ASEAN to set its own standard for shrimp supply, Vietnam firm builds complex for Australian cattle Photo: www.sxc.hu.com

Events 9

Preview of FIAAP, VICTAM and GRAPAS, CAHE, VIV India and Europe Review of Pig, Poultry & Dairy Focus Asia, ILDEX Vietnam

Livestock 15

Overheated soy harms chick immunity

Improve plucking during poultry processing

Feather meal good source of energy for swine

Crops 27

Climate-smart solutions for better farming in Vietnam

IRRI introduces salt-tolerant rice varieties in the Philippines

Equipment 30

The latest innovation in agricultural and livestock technologies

Moreover 35

The going gets tough for fake pearls New study to identify best shrimp-farming practices

Advertisers Index Almex b.v ........................................................................9

Olmix ............................................................................19

AWILA Anlagenbau GmbH ............................................21

Omex Agrifluids Ltd.......................................................23

CNHI International S.A. ....................................................2

PEL-tuote Oy ................................................................31

Eurofeed Technologies S.p.a. ..........................................7

PT Napindo Media Ashatama (Indo Livestock 2014) ....11

Impex Barneveld b.v......................................................34

Schauer Agrotronic GmbH ............................................29

Lubing Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG ......................36

Unipoint AG ..................................................................34

New method can help improve maize yield in Southeast Asia

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Managing Editor : Rhonita Patnaik Editorial and Design team: Bob Adams, Hiriyti Bairu, Sindhuja Balaji, Lizzie Carroll, David Clancy, Andrew Croft, Ranganath GS, Prashanth AP, Genaro Santos, Zsa Tebbit, Nicky Valsamakis and Ben Watts Publisher: Nick Fordham Advertising Sales Director: Pallavi Pandey Magazine Manager: Richard Rozelaar, Tel: +44 207 834 7676, Fax: +44 207 973 0076 Email: richard.rozelaar@alaincharles.com Country China India Nigeria Russia South Africa UAE USA

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Production: Nathanielle Kumar, Donatella Moranelli, Nick Salt and Sophia White Email: production@alaincharles.com Subscriptions: circulation@alaincharles.com Chairman: Derek Fordham Printed by: Times Printers Private Limited Far Eastern Agriculture (ISSN 0266-8025)

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Audit Bureau of Circulations - Business Magazines

Serving the world of business

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Bulletin China dairy major opens research centre in Europe CHINA’S YILI GROUP has unveiled a dairy research and development facility at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. The centre is the first Chinese R&D unit in Europe and will focus on cow cultivation, dairy product research and food safety. Company president Pan Gang said that Europe will become the most important part of the company’s research base. Gang added, “We shall not only cooperate with the top research institutions, but also continue to conduct the world-level research. We will also invite global experts into our R&D team.” The centre will focus on milk cow cultivation, dairy product research and food safety. Wageningen University chairman Aalt Dijkhuizen welcomed the launch and commended China on its milk producing status.

strategy of expanding its presence in growth geographies such as Asia. The total investment amounts to US$20.75mn and is part of Nutreco’s strategy ‘Driving sustainable growth’, which is about growing and improving profitability by providing innovative and sustainable nutritional solutions.

Thai Union Frozen aims for US$4 billion in 2014 THAI UNION FROZEN Products, world’s largest canned tuna producer, has announced that it aims for sales of US$4bn in 2014, up nine per cent from 2013, with an estimated gross profit margin of at least 14 per cent. Thai Union, which makes the ‘Chicken of the Sea’ brand and counts Wal-Mart and Costco among its buyers, planned to invest US$108mn this year, mostly to improve production, Wai Yat Paco Lee, head of investor relations, said.

Filipino energy firm eyes geothermal fish farms A PHILIPPINES-BASED renewable energy developer plans to venture into fish farming jointly with various aquaculture farms in Mindoro by utilising geothermal resources for the production of healthier and tastier fish varieties. Under the plan, Emerging Power Inc. (EPI) will allow local aquaculture enterprises to tap steam and geothermal fluid from the Montelago Geothermal Power Plant in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, to produce more than 10 tonnes of Triple-A tilapia, sea bass and shrimp annually. The joint ventures with local fish farms will be launched simultaneously with the commissioning of the US$180mn 40MW power plant in 2016. EPI launched the geothermal power plant project in February.

Amlan International appoints managers in Vietnam Wageningen University and its R&D centre are leading research institutions

HAMLET PROTEIN HAS announced the appointment of two new distributors for the Asia region. Yptech Co Ltd. for the Japanese market and Nuevo Milenio for the Philippines market. Nuevo Milenio, established in 2001, specialises in the importation and distribution of products for livestock and poultry. Their sales network covers the Philippines and is complemented by a technical team with specialisations in both nutrition and veterinary medicine. Yptech Co Ltd. provides products that contribute to safety, security, and improvements in productivity by providing functional feed that is gentle to animals, people, and the environment. It aims to provide the domestic animals with an ideal environment which helps create the quality meats, eggs and dairy products.

AMLAN INTERNATIONAL, A wholly-owned subsidiary of Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE: ODC) dedicated to animal health, recently hired Dinh Doan Cao Vinh as Sales Manager and Tran Nhat Minh as Technical Manager in (Left) Dinh Doan Cao Vinh and Vietnam. Vinh and Minh join a Tran Nhat Minh growing team of Amlan International experts in the Asia Pacific region who are focused on educating producers on the benefits of Amlan gut health products for livestock. Vinh has many years of experience as a sales manager servicing major feed mills, producers and veterinarians. Minh comes with a strong technical background in sales of nutrition products for livestock and aqua species.

Nutreco expands in Asian region

Meriden distributor wins agribusiness award

DUTCH ANIMAL NUTRITION producer Nutreco is expanding its presence in Asia as part of its long-term growth prospects in the Asian market. With two new state-of-the-art plants in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City area) and Indonesia (East Java) and a remodel of its Chinese plant in Xiangtan (Hunan), Nutreco will increase its focus on the production of premixes and farm minerals. The Vietnamese facility will be operational in the second quarter of 2014 and the plants in Indonesia and China in Q1 2015. The opening of Nutreco’s fourth and fifth premix facility in Asia and the remodelling of the Xiangtan plant confirm the company's

CORAZON P. OCCIDENTAL, MD of Vethealth (Meriden’s distributor in the Philippines), was presented with the PVMA Outstanding Veterinarian in Agribusiness Award at the 81st PVMA Scientific Conference and Annual Convention held recently in the Philippines. The award recognises the contribution that Occidental has made to the agribusiness industry in the Philippines. Occidental said, “To be chosen as the PVMA Outstanding Veterinarian in Agribusiness for 2014 gave me not only a moment of joy but also a sense of pride. I am grateful to the awards committee, I’m honoured and feel that all the years of hard work in agribusiness have been rewarded.”

Hamlet Protein appoints new distributors in Asia

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Two 2014 | www.fareasternagriculture.com

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Events 2014 APRIL 23 -25 Ildex India 2014

Bangalore, India

www.ildex.com

MAY 8-14

Interpak Germany

Dusseldorf, Germany

18-20

China Animal Husbandry Expo 2014

Qingdao, China

20-22

VIV Europe

Utrecht, Netherlands

www.interpack.com www.caaa.com.cn www.viv.net

JUNE 7-11

World Aquaculture Adelaide Conference & Trade Show

Adelaide, Australia

9-10

4th International Conference on Asia Agriculture and Animal

Bangkok, Thailand

18-19

Risks in Agri Trading: Emerging Markets 2014 Summit

Geneva, Switzerland

18-20

9th Indo Livestock Expo & Forum

Jakarta, Indonesia

20-21

International Conference of Aquaculture Indonesia

Bandung, Indonesia

I7th Annual International Symposium on Agriculture

Athens, Greece

www.aquaculture.org.au www.icaaa.org www.agritradingrisks.com www.indolivestock.com http://icai.aquaculture-mai.org

JULY 14-17

www.atiner.gr/agriculture.htm

SEPTEMBER 23 -25 VIV China

Beijing, China

www.viv.net

OCTOBER 14-17

Aquaculture Europe 2014

San Sebastián, Spain

www.easonline.org

15-17

VIETSTOCK Expo & Forum 2014

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

www.vietstock.org

NOVEMBER 3-6

7th International Poultry Conference

Ain Soukhna, Egypt

10-14

16th Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies (AAAP) Congress

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

11-14

EuroTier 2014

Hanover, Germany

www.sites.google.com/site/7ipcegypt2014 www.aaap2014.ugm.ac.id www.eurotier.com

Philippines sees export drop, domestic demand rise for sugar IN RESPONSE TO rising domestic demand and a fall in production due to last year’s extreme weather conditions, the Philippines has scaled back sugar exports this year, according to a report by the Oxford Business Group. But longer-term prospects for overseas sales as well as expansion in the local market could drive growth in the sector, claims the report. In mid-February 2014, the industry’s governing agency, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), announced it was reducing the allocation for export to all markets except for the US. Instead of the 14 per cent of national production that had been intended for export, just eight per cent of output would be shipped in the current crop year, which ends in August. Of this, the two per cent that had been allocated for the US market would remain unchanged, the SRA said. The decision was made after it became apparent production would not be sufficient to

With the cost of production lower in certain neighbouring countries, the challenge for some local suppliers will be to remain competitive, both at home and abroad

cover all commitments, said SRA administrator Regina Bautista-Martin. “While production for the current crop year is on a downward trend, records show that local demand or consumption of sugar is increasing,” she said in a statement, adding

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that if the allocations had not been adjusted, the country’s domestic sugar buffer stock would hit a critical level. According to SRA data, production for the 2013/14 season is now forecast to be around 2.35mn tonnes, down from earlier projections of 2.45mn tonnes. This was in line with Bautista-Martin’s comments in November 2013 to the news agency Reuters that between 50,000 tonnes and 100,000 tonnes of raw sugar were destroyed in Typhoon Haiyan. The current season marks a slight decline from 2012/13, when output hit 2.46mn tonnes, although it is still higher than the 2.24mn tonnes recorded in 2011/12. While exports may be limited this year, the longer-term outlook indicates that sugar producers in the Philippines could soon be looking abroad for further expansion. Forecasts from the International Sugar Organisation (ISO) show the gap between supply and demand is gradually narrowing, with the market in Asia set to soak up much of surplus production.

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Agenda

Food Outlook THE FAO FOOD price Index averaged 208.1 points in February 2014, 5.2 points, or 2.6 per cent, above a slightly revised index for January, but still 2.1 per cent less than one year ago. Last month’s rebound, the sharpest witnessed since mid-2012, resulted from strengthening quotations of all the commodity groups making up the index, except meat, which fell marginally. The products that have incurred the strongest rises since last month were sugar (+6.2 per cent) and oils (+4.9 per cent), followed by cereals (+3.6 per cent) and dairy (+2.9 per cent). The FAO cereal price Index averaged 195.8 points in February, up 6.8 points, or 3.6 per cent, from the previous month and the strongest rise registered since July 2012. Last month’s price bounce mainly mirrors concerns over wheat crops in the United States, a brisk demand for coarse grains for both feed and biofuel and strong Japonica rice prices. Yet, cereal prices remain, overall, 18.8 per cent below their level in February last year, a clear sign that the world supply/demand situation has eased considerably compared to last year. The FAO vegetable oil price Index averaged 197.8 points in February, up as

much as 9.2 points (or 4.9 per cent) from January, sustained primarily by firmer prices for palm oil and soy oil. The palm oil market strength mainly reflects concerns over dry weather in some major production areas in Southeast Asia, together with buoyant demand worldwide, including from biodiesel producers. As for soy oil, quotations rose on fears that unfavourable weather in South America could negatively impact soybean crops. The FAO dairy price Index averaged 275.4 points in February, a rise of 7.7 points, or 2.9 per cent, over January. Demand for all dairy products remains firm, especially from North Africa, the Middle East (SMP and WMP) and the Russian Federation (butter). Limited supplies have lent support to prices, with the index currently standing 31.3 per cent above its level in February 2013. Mild weather in some regions of Western Europe has provided the basis for a strong start to the 2014/15 season, which will only peak in April-May. Meanwhile, export supplies in Oceania remain limited. The FAO meat price Index averaged 182.6 points in February, only 0.5 points below its revised January level. In general, prices were little changed for the various

categories of meat. Looking at longer-term trends, compared to February 2013, the reduced cost of feed has contributed to some decline in prices for poultry and pig meat. On the other hand, for the same period, bovine meat prices are at almost the same level, while limited export supplies have lent support to sheep meat prices. The FAO sugar price Index averaged 235.4 points in February, up 13.7 points, or 6.2 per cent, from January. Following a threemonth decline, sugar prices recovered in late February, prompted by concerns of crop damage from dry weather in Brazil, and recent forecasts pointing to a potential drop of output in India.

Indonesia could emerge among top three wheat importers

Dairy sector in India set to hit a record high in 2015

WHEAT CONSUMPTION IS on the rise in Indonesia, driven by economic growth and convenience, according to Rabobank’s latest report. Given the current consumption rate, Indonesia could import more than 10mn tonnes per year in the coming five years, placing it among the top three wheat importers in the world. Pawan Kumar, analyst at The proximity of Australia provides Rabobank, said, “Indonesia is Indonesia with a large and sustainable supply of wheat traditionally a rice-consuming country. However, in the last two decades, the country has struggled to maintain rice self-sufficiency due to constraints on acreage expansion, lack of quality land and lower yield, especially among subsistence farmers.” According to Rabobank, Indonesian wheat consumption increased by five per cent per annum between 2002-03 and 2012-13, making it one of the highest growth countries for consumption. Overall consumption grew 70 per cent, rising from 3.8mn tonnes to 6.6mn tonnes over the same period. Indonesia is unable to produce wheat domestically, as the hot and humid climate is unfavourable for cultivation. It, therefore, relies heavily on imports from Australia, Canada and the US.

THE INDIAN DAIRY sector is likely to witness positive growth next fiscal, increase in market size and milk production and strong rise in exports, according to India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra). Ind-Ra assigned a positive outlook to the dairy sector for FY’15. There is likely to be reasonable growth in the sector’s market size and milk production and strong growth in dairy products exports, Ind-Ra said in a report here. India’s milk sector is regarded as one of the world’s fastest growing market and the agency expects it to expand by 16.3 per cent in FY’15. The positive outlook also stems from increasing the government’s initiatives on improving rural income, a PTI report said. The agency also assigned a stable outlook to the dairy cooperatives (DCs) for FY’15 due to their stable financial performance although with some liquidity issues. On the back of likely favourable monsoons and strengthening farmer base of the cooperative model, India’s National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) expects 5.47 per cent year-on-year growth in milk India’s milk sector is fast growing production in FY’15.

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Agenda

ASEAN to set its own standard for shrimp supply worldwide

South Korea and Canada deal to boost aquaculture ties SOUTH KOREA AND Canada have recently signed an agreement for a bilateral free trade that is expected to boost trade and investment ties between the two countries. The free trade agreement eliminates tariffs and reduces non-tariff measures that hinder market access for Canadian exporters and investors in Korea. Once the agreement is fully implemented, South Korea will remove duties on 98.2 per cent of its tariff lines, covering virtually all of Canada’s imports. The Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement will benefit a wide range of sectors, including industrial goods such as chemicals and plastics, information and communications technology, aerospace, metals and minerals, etc, agricultural and agri-food products, fish and seafood, and wood and forestry products. For the fisheries sector, the trade agreement will diversify export markets by eliminating prohibitive tariffs on fish and seafood entering South Korea. The Canadian provincial government has reserved its right to enforce minimum processing requirements for fish and seafood destined for the South Korean market.

Different certificates lead to rise in prices and production costs

TO MEET INCREASING demand of global consumers for sustainable and environmental-friendly seafood products, fish producers in the world have to comply with a wide range of certification standards such as ASC, MSC, GlobalGAP and BAP. However, too many standards are now causing confusion not only for fish producers and exporters but also among consumers in the international markets. Different certificates lead to hiking production costs and fish prices for fish farmers and producers. Hence, at a meeting in Thailand recently, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) shrimp producers and exporters had agreed to establish a set of common parameters to grade the shrimps. At the meeting, representatives from ASEAN members discussed to build standards, which is suitable with ASEAN and in compliance with other popular international requirements. The set of standards will be established in accordance with ASEAN’s conditions and it is expected to fetch benefits to regional shrimp and global producers and consumers. It is estimated that global farmed shrimp production will touch 3.5mn metric tonnes to four million metric tonnes per year, in which ASEAN producers take a major contribution. Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar are key shrimp producers in ASEAN region with annual output of 300,000 to 600,000 metric tonnes for each country. The set of ASEAN shrimp standards will be divided and applied for extensive shrimp and industrial shrimp, he added. The ASEAN shrimp standards are expected to be enforced by 2015, when the ASEAN Economic Community is also formed, reports Vietnam Fisheries Society (VASEP). In February, a seminar was held on the same in Can Tho city by VASEP and the ASEAN-US Maximising Agricultural Revenue through Knowledge, Enterprise Development and Trade (ASEAN-US MARKET) project, funded by the US Agency for International Development. At the seminar, Corey Peet, expert from the ASEAN-US MARKET project, presented the goals, scope and the development of the draft for the ASEAN shrimp standards, strategies for accessing to buyers, support for farmers to follow the requirements.

Keith Hutchings, Canadian minister of fisheries and aquaculture, said, “Achieving tariff-free access to the Korean seafood market should strengthen the provincial fishing, aquaculture, and sealing sectors in the coming years by creating even more international demand for Newfoundland and Labrador’s world-class products.” The agreement, Canada’s first with an Asian market, will create thousands of new jobs in Canada and provide Canadian businesses and workers with a gateway to Asia, enhancing their global competitiveness.

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Agenda

Vietnam firm builds complex for Australian cattle

Feed phosphate market expected to reach US$5.3 billion by 2018

VIETNAM’S RED STAR Company has an built agriculture complex to cater to Australian cattle at an estimated cost of US$5mn. Located in the Dak Lak Province, north-west of Nha Trang, the company has built from scratch an integrated farming system that includes a feedlot, abattoir and 1,500 hectares of nearby farmland to grow feed for the cattle. Nhi, Red Star’s director general, said that the facility was ready to start importing Australian livestock. “We intend to import our first shipment (of cattle) in April and in the first week of May,” he added. He says beef processed at his facility will be sold mostly to those living in the Dak Lak province and the complex will directly employ about 60 people once the cattle arrive. Ben Hindle, from the NT Livestock Exporters Association, said the work done by Red Star Company to meet the requirements of handling Australian cattle has been impressive. “The three exporters working to export cattle to Vietnam, have the country on top of their mind,” he said. “They understand the needs of Vietnam and are rapidly increasing their scale and project-based management to get a lot more cattle into this country. “Given the scale and the operation here, together with the investment through our country too, I think it’s a perfect fit,” Hindle added.

THE WORLD MARKET for feed phosphates is expected to reach US$5.3bn by 2018, according to a report from Markets and Markets. The global market for feed phosphates, in terms of revenue, was estimated to be worth US$4,620.3mn in 2013, growing at the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.9 per cent, it added. Leading manufacturers are focusing on expansion of their feed phosphate business across regions and setting up new plant so as to increase production capacity as well as strengthen their product line. Prominent industry participants are involved in acquisitions to penetrate untapped markets. The demand driving factors of the feed phosphate market are industrialisation in pork and poultry businesses, increasing meat production, and awareness of proper supplemental diet for animals. Crucial restraints of the industry are the increasing cost of phosphate and unavailability of phosphate reserves. However, the increasing use of feed products is creating opportunities for the feed phosphate grades. Environmental concerns and regulatory ban over some harmful additives are other opportunities for animal feed additives. The manufacturers are developing innovative production techniques to increase production capacity and make it cost-efficient. The market is segmented and revenue is projected on the basis of main regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and rest of the world.

Asia-Pacific told to increase food production by 77 per cent by 2050 THE WORLD MUST increase its food production by 60 per cent by mid-century or risk serious food shortages that could bring social unrest and civil wars, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Monday. The body has stressed that the region as a whole needs to improve food production systems and delivery to consumers or face significant food security problems within the next generation. Indeed some developing countries in Asia and the Pacific will need to increase their food production by up to 77 per cent to feed their people by 2050. Demand for food will rise rapidly over the next few decades as the world population surpasses nine billion and increasingly wealthy people improve their diets, consuming more calories, said Hiroyuki Konuma, the assistant director-general of FAO Asia-Pacific, as the body launched a one-week regional food security conference in Ulan Bator. But as the need for food increases, the world is spending less and less money on agricultural research, causing many scientists to doubt whether food production can keep up with demand growth. “If we fail to meet our goal and a food shortage occurs, there will be a high risk of social and political unrest, civil wars and terrorism, and world security as a whole might be affected,” said Konuma. The Asia-Pacific would be left with more than half a billion chronically hungry people even if the region meets its millennium development goal of cutting that number to 12 per cent of the population, he said. Despite progress made in fighting global hunger, the world still has 842mn undernourished people, according to FAO, of which nearly two thirds live in the Asia-Pacific. One in four children under five years old are stunted due to malnutrition. The UN body outlined two main options: increase arable land areas and boost productivity rates. But available arable land is almost fully exploited, and production growth rates have been lacklustre for the past two decades. During the green revolution in the 1980s, productivity rates for rice

Demand for food will rise rapidly over the next few decades as the world population surpasses nine billion

and wheat increased by 3.5 per cent annually, but for the past 20 years the rate has been stuck at 0.6 to 0.8 per cent. The growth rate needs to be stable at around one per cent if the world is to have a theoretical chance to avoid serious shortages, said Konuma. Water scarcity in big food-producing nations like China is worsening, and many farmers are increasingly tempted to shift production from food to bioenergy, a popular option to cut emissions of climatechanging greenhouse gases. Climate change is worsening the situation, as more frequent extreme weather events devastate crops. In the past three years, Australia, Canada, China, Russia and the US have all suffered big harvest losses from floods and droughts. Cost is an additional threat to food security, according to the UN body. High and volatile food prices restrict poor people's access to food, while high crude oil prices inflate production costs.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Two 2014 | www.fareasternagriculture.com

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Events

Thailand is all set for FIAAP, VICTAM and GRAPAS 3-in-1 international feed and grain exhibition will serve South and Southeast Asia

ISITORS FROM ASIA and the world will descend in Bangkok this April to attend what has now become the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and dominant animal feed and grain event show FIAAP, VICTAM, GRAPAS Asia 2014. This multi-facet showpiece event will take place at the BITEC exhibition centre in Bangkok from 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 April 2014. For the first time senior executives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the ASEAN Secretariat and the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations will share the platform to present keynote speeches on relevant topics for the industries. FIAAP profiles the ingredients and additives that are used within the formulation of safe and cost effective animal feeds. VICTAM is the premier event for the sophisticated technology that is required in the processing and manufacture for these animal feeds. The show also covers the important and very necessary ancillary equipment and systems that are utilised in a feed mill, rice mill and flour mill. VICTAM is also the industry showpiece event for biomass pelleting technology. GRAPAS also displays ancillary equipment that is found within a mill, but its main coverage is for specialist systems and technology used within rice & flour mills, together with additional exhibits for grain storage, preservation and transportation. The show also profiles noodle, breakfast cereals and extruded snack production. Each of the shows is complimented by a number of conferences. Some of the keynote speakers are Tran Dong Phuong, director for Finance, Industry and Infrastructure, ASEAN Economic Department; Sununtar Setboonsarng, principal natural resources and agriculture economist, Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Division Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank; Hirioyuki Konuma, assistant director general and regional representative FAO, Regional Office for Asia and Pacific. The ASEAN FEED & RICE SYMPOSIUM will commence at on 9 April at BITEC. Over 200 international companies that supply additives and ingredients, processing and milling technology, ancillary equipment and much more will be presenting the very latest innovations for feed miller, a rice miller or a flour miller at the event. A series of conferences and technical seminars will also be held over the same period at BITEC. The 7th Aquafeed Horizons Asia and the 5th FIAAP Conference is also slated to take place simultaneously on 8-9 April 2014, during the feed industry trade. Previous conferences have attracted high level feed industry professionals from throughout Asia Pacific and beyond. The 2014 meetings have already seen registrations from the region as well as Europe, the USA and Australia. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With special rates for students, Thai delegates and groups and for the first time, simultaneous interpretation

into Thai for both conferences, the organisers expect the meetings to fill up fast. People should not delay in securing their placesâ&#x20AC;?, organiser Suzi Dominy said. The Aquafeed Horizons Asia Conference presents advances in formulation and processing technology, while the FIAAP Conference focuses on feed additives and ingredients. Both meetings feature presentations by international teams of industry experts. The knowledge needed to make appropriate ingredient and feed additive selections has never been more crucial. Novel carb and protein sources and a move to even more sustainable and natural products have spawned innovative developments in digestibility enhancers, growth promoters, immune support and other ingredients. With a focus firmly on practical application and profitability, the fifth in the series of FIAAP conferences will see an international team of experts bring insights into market direction, provide innovative solutions for optimising available raw materials, update information on functional ingredients for animal health, environmental impact and the manipulation of finished animal products, as well as feed additives for physical quality and food chain safety. n

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Events

Biggest livestock event in Indonesia to attract industry bigwigs EXHIBITORS AND VISITORS interested in the livestock and animal health industry will gather at Jakarta Convention Center starting from 18 June 2014 for a three-day event in the biggest international livestock event in Indonesian namely Indo Livestock 2014 Expo & Forum. This exhibition will be held in conjunction with the animal feed industry expo (Indo Feed Expo & Forum), dairy milk industry expo (Indo Dairy Expo and Forum) and fish farming industry expo (Indo Fisheries Expo & Forum). Hosted by the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia, Indo Livestock 2014 Expo & Forum is a ‘must-attend’ event for decision-makers and buyers across Asia. This series will be inaugurated H. Suswono, minister of agriculture, Indonesia. According to the organisers PT. Napindo Media Ashatama, more than 12,000 trade visitors and delegates are expected to attend the ninth expo, seminar and technical presentation in 2014. More importantly, Over 500 exhibitors from 40 countries are expected

Indo Livestock 2014 is a must-visit expo for decision makers and buyers across Asia

to once again participate in Indo Livestock 2014 Expo & Forum, with countries like Europe, US, China, Korea and Taiwan in participation.. The exhibition will bring together trade buyers representing integrators, farmers, feed millers, meat and egg processors, feed systems/equipment, veterinarians, importers, distributors and retailers to view the latest

technology, update on the latest issues, networks and do business in livestock industry, especially in the Asia Pacific region. Indo Livestock 2014 Expo & Forum is a preferred venue for buyers to source new technology and equipment and where industry professionals get an update on the latest industry trends.

CAHE to showcase China’s livestock strength

Pig, Poultry & Dairy Focus Asia sees success in Thailand

CHINA ANIMAL HUSBANDRY Expo (CAHE), leading Chinese show for livestock professionals, will be held in Qingdao 18-20 May 2014. CAHE has been held by China Animal Agriculture Association (CAAA) every year since 2003. Within a decade, the exhibition space The value of animal husbandry has ranked has increased from 20,000 first for 15 years in China since 1990 square metres to 80,000 square metres, exhibitors have increased from 400 to 1,400, and the professional visitors have tripled to 100,000. According to organisers, international participation has increased to 8.2 per cent from 15 per cent. Besides individual international exhibitors, more embassies in China and organisations gotten involved and opted to come into the country. CAHE is the primary source of funding for the CAAA, China’s largest and most active organisation in animal agriculture. Membership includes enterprises, public institutions and individuals involved in animal husbandry and related industries. Formed in 2001, the association has 10 affiliations and 11,914 member companies nationwide. The 11th CAHE in 2013 was successfully held in Wuhan. Around 1,426 exhibitors got together, of which 152 were from abroad. The total booths amounted to 4,328, and of which 82.5 per cent were special design installation. The three-day show had attracted 95,668 professional visitors from 30 countries and regions, involved in pigs, poultry, cattle, sheep, feed, meat, eggs, equipment and bioenergy.

THE 6TH EDITION of Pig, Poultry & Dairy Focus Asia, which was held at the Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand last month, was termed as a ‘great success’ by the organisers with over 400 visitors from over 25 different countries. The event was attended by production managers, nutritionists and veterinarians and focused on livestock production including nutrition, health and breeding. Four keynote presentations were held before being divided into three species specific conferences. The first of these was given by Dr Pim Langhout from DSM on the topic of ‘Intestinal targeting of nutrients for specific gene expression’ which highlighted how different feed ingredients can influence the functioning of cells and/or organs in the animal’s body and how this could result in improved animal health and productivity. Roland Klober from Thermo Fisher Scientific focused on the revolutionary road down which diagnostic testing was going and how such testing was going to play a greater and greater role in future livestock production. Dr Tugrul Durali from Alltech’s Asian Pacific Mycotoxin Management Team then spoke on ‘The latest developments in mycotoxin detection and control’ and in so doing highlighted the challenges of mycotoxin diversity, masked mycotoxins and the latest survey results. Finally, Dr Marcus Remmers, Head of Global Bio R&D at Merial looked at the future of vaccination and in particular how the next generation of recombinant vaccines will better and more broadly address unmet demands. In the three species specific conferences, experts from all around the world then shared their expertise and experience with delegates in a series of presentations on the cutting edge of livestock production science. The next Pig, Poultry & Dairy Focus Asia is planned for the spring of 2016 and will again be held in Bangkok.

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Events

GLANCE and VIV 2014 to open new avenues in India

VIV India would enable exhibitors and visitors to meet important stakeholders in the industry, to learn about the latest technologies and innovations, and their applications in boosting the livestock industry

NIMAL NUTRITION SOCIETY of India is all set to host the Global Animal Nutrition Conference (GLANCE 2014) from 20-22 April, 2014, in Bengaluru, prior to the VIV India 2014 event. Organised in association with Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association of India (CLFMA) and VIV India, GLANCE 2014 will focus on ‘Climate resilient livestock feeding systems for global food security’. The conference will deliberate on the recent developments in the field of animal nutrition and its role in promoting nutritional security, livelihoods, profitability and environmental sustainability in a global context. According to the organisers, the summit aims to provide an opportunity for research scientists, academicians, feed industry, development agencies engaged in the livestock sector, government officials to meet and interact. Meanwhile, VIV India 2014, to be organised from 23-25 April, at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, in Bangalore, India, will bring together different sectors in animal production and processing. Organised by VNU Exhibitions, each livestock sector at VIV India will have its own cluster for exhibition and other activities, such as seminars, product launches, and trade meet. VIV India will create a platform of experience for further business transactions,

developments and marketing. It will also open new avenues for transfer of technologies to the motivated entrepreneurs. During the three days that the biennial event is held, international and Indian suppliers will present products that cover the entire food chain from primary production to finished products: from feed to meat. VIV India enables visitors to meet important stakeholders in the industry, to learn about the latest technologies and innovations, and their applications in boosting the livestock industry in India. The seminar, part of the International India Summit, will focus on four key tracks running in parallel session: Breeding, Health and Nutrition, CropTech-FeedTech and Processing. Two special pavilions, CropTech-FeedTech and Processing, will be developed to highlight the need for investment in segments within the feed to meat value chain. While CropTech-FeedTech will focus on technology needed for feed manufacturing, the Processing pavilion will focus on the technology necessary for processing meat, eggs and dairy produce.

VIV Europe VIV Europe 2014, a trade show for innovative livestock farming, production of meat, poultry, eggs, animal feed production, breeding stock,

animal health and food safety, will return to the Netherlands from 20-22 May this year. To be organised at the Jaarbeurs Utrecht complex, the organisers are expecting 20,000 key players from 140 countries to attend. Many of these, almost half, will be from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America and Russia, according to the organisers VNU exhibitions. The central theme for VIV Europe is ‘Sustainable intensification’.VIV Europe is also organising specific programmes for visitors from Poland and Hungary. In addition to visitors from within the industry, there will also be visits by full diplomatic delegations who will be coming to take a look at the world premieres on display or taking part in a series of scientific congresses that are being organised parallel to the show. Six hundred exhibitors from 45 countries have their latest products ready for the show. Complete cattle farm complexes and systems, which cannot be exhibited at the show because of their size, will be visited via fieldtrips. Foreign governments will also be in attendance, taking a look behind the scenes at hands-on farms in the Netherlands via exclusive VIP programmes. Show organiser, RuwanBerculo, promises that Utrecht will be showing off the very latest developments. n

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Events

ILDEX Vietnam 2014 sees 180 countries in attendance, witnesses growth THE 5TH INTERNATIONAL Livestock, Dairy, Meat Processing, and Aquaculture, Exposition (ILDEX) Vietnam took place recently at Ho Chi Minh City. With the aim of supporting the development of the livestock, dairy, meat processing, and aquaculture exposition in Vietnam and bringing the relevant state-of-the-art technologies, technical knowledge, and business opportunities to both of Vietnamese enterprises and overseas companies, the 2014 expo saw a great success. Held at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) covering an area of 6,068 square metres, ILDEX Vietnam has been the connecting bridge for international businessmen of livestock and aqua industry to enter Vietnam and neighbouring markets. The exhibition received the support of the department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA).

ILDEX 2014 is the largest ILDEX exhibition to date in Vietnam

ILDEX Vietnam 2014 is the largest ILDEX exhibition to date with more than 180 participating companies from 25 countries around the world including France, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, China, Indonesia and with a leading international company engaged in the industry as Big Dutchman, Biomin, Buhler, Muyang, Novus, Behn Meyer, Lohmann Tierzucht, acoording to organisers

Within the framework of the exhibition, conference such as Investment Promotion Conference on Livestock Sector in Vietnam took place. A workshop was also conducted on using high technology in dairy farming. meanwhile, a seminar on health and animal nutrition and prevention of animal diseases, feed management took place. Additionally, a forum was created for farmers to share their experiences with participatory breeding of farm owners, successful farmers in developing countries. The exposition also created favourable conditions for companies from all over the world to expand their production activities by cooperating with others in the field of livestock, seafood and processing. The growth of Vietnam’s agricultural sector originates from the huge demand for domestic and international consumption of products, thus requiring modernisation to increase productivity and product quality.

Interpack 2014 ready to highlight advances in packaging systems EVERY THREE YEARS at Interpack, more than 2,700 exhibitors from all over the world present the latest in packaging systems and machinery, packaging materials, packaging, confectionery machinery along with accompanying services. Experts in their field at all management levels are expected to visit Interpack to be organised from May 8-14, in Düsseldorf, Germany by Messe Düsseldorf. According to the organisers in 19 exhibition halls covering an area of nearly 185,806 square metres, decision makers are bound to find the solid foundations on which to base their investment decisions — sound information and a comprehensive international range of products. With around 60 per cent of the 166,000 visitors at the last staging of Interpack in 2011 coming from international shores — not only from within Europe but also from eastern and southern Asia — the event has become an important meeting place for the industry. Processes and machinery for the packaging of food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, consumer goods (non food), industrial goods will be showcased at Interpack 2014 A regular feature at Interpack, the special show Innovationparc Packaging (IPP) 2014 will be staged on about 2,500 square metres with ‘Save Food’ as its motto. Participating companies from all stages along the value chain will showcase their solutions to avoid food loss and food waste. This special show will present practical approaches from areas such as packaging design, packaging materials, and machinery production. An additional display will demonstrate the dimensions of international food losses along the food value chain. Taking advantage of this prime setting, weighing and packaging equipment specialist Ishida Europe will launch a number of new products at this year’s Interpack, according to the company. Ishida aims to highlight its weighing and quality control equipment as well as its complete line solutions for snacks and fresh foods. Highlights include several new multi-head weighers for sectors such as confectionery, snacks, granular products and fruit and vegetables; a new X-ray system capable of detecting small bones in meat and

Interpack takes place once every three years and has become an important meeting place for industry professionals

poultry; new weigher/bagmaker combinations for snacks; and the advances in complete packing lines for fresh meat and poultry. Hersonber, one of the leading brands in Asia, specialises in a full range of vertical machines for handling either liquids or powders, and a complete range of Horizontal packaging machines. The company will display both the vertical range of machines, and horizontal range of machines use flexible packaging material taken from the reel. DuPont will also highlight joint developments with plastics processors and leading machinery manufacturers. Such collaboration has resulted in a wealth of forward-looking possibilities for saving energy, materials and costs, as well as for reducing the ecological footprint and enhancing the aesthetic appearance of highperformance plastics for multi-functional packaging.

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Poultry

Optimising water supply for poultry management It is imperative to provide animals with a good drinking and feed system to achieve maximum efficiency HE MODE AND pattern of poultry feeding and drinking systems has evolved to match increasingly sophisticated poultry production systems. Backyard free range production systems, in which supplementary feed is scattered by hand over the whole area of the run with water provided in simple shallow containers, have developed into large scale and intensive production systems where provision of feed and water is closely measured, controlled and increasingly automated.

Provision of feed The design and density of feeders deployed in the poultry house aims to: • Provide all birds with the same level and quality of feed so that there is uniform development, feed conversion and weight gain across the whole flock • Suitable for the age, size and type of birds raised and be easily adapted according to changing their requirements. • Offer and provide feed within a minimum stress situation • Prevent contamination of feed with feathers and faeces and its spoilage through wetting

Provision of water The importance of a continuous supply of cool, clean water in a way that allows all birds to imbibe freely from chick stage upwards cannot be over-emphasised. Selection and deployment of drinkers should meet the following requirements: • Allow for daily checking and cleaning to ensure all are constantly functioning at the correct height for birds being served • Deployed at a sufficiently high density to allow all birds to drink at the same time • Accessible to chicks on the move with a broody hen or under artificial heat • Sufficient watering points for chicks to encourage drinking • Clean all drinkers daily to remove blockage by litter and feed • For caged birds check nipples and cups of V troughs daily for water flow

The uniform distribution of feed eliminates selective feeding and results in healthier birds

• Accommodate social drinking habits in floor layers and for birds in large groups. If birds establish their own point for drinking and this dries up and they are forced to use other sources the stress incurred may be sufficient to disrupt the laying cycle.

Feeder equipment One of the biggest problems faced by producers is the changing of poultry feeding equipment in line with growth and changing needs of birds. This includes knowing exactly when to change the system and the huge labour input required. Problems can be significantly reduced by adopting an all-age broiler feeding system comprising a line system of shallow pans for starting chicks, which can be telescoped out into deep pans to accommodate feeding as the chicks grow. The shallow pan rests on the ground and when the line is raised, it telescopes out into a deep pan suspended at a height, which is suitable for by now fuller grown birds. Mechanisation and automation of feeding systems is the key to reducing labour costs. This can be achieved through the use of sliding-auger trough-feeding systems for broilers powered by low horse-power (HP) motors and used with ‘hens only’ grills for the troughs. Other specific systems include continuous loop breeder pan feeding systems that accommodate pullets from a day-old and which can be used to feed adult breeders

throughout the laying cycle. Automatic chain feeders are an attractive option for hard-pressed poultry producers. They are claimed to be the ideal choice for the provision of consistent and efficient feeding of pullets and broilers and breeder birds. The essential parts of the system are the feeder, drive unit, the trough, the corners and the feed chain. The system, say manufacturers, allows feed to be pushed around the complete circuit in the house in just minutes so that birds are provided with equal access to the same feed formulations. The uniform distribution of feed, thus, achieved eliminates selective feeding and results in healthier birds, greater uniformity of bird size and considerable monetary savings due to reduced wastage of feed. Systems are equipped with electrical time switches for programmed feeding (controlled or ad libitum) and exclusion grills. Most feeding systems developed for domestic fowl use definite feeding points to which the birds are attracted. On the other hand, the spinfeeder is an automatic system that mimics the age-old method of scattering feed and grain to free range birds and in this sense brings intensively raised birds closest to their wild ancestral roots. Feed is evenly distributed over a widespread area and the accurate feeding levels thus achieved means that most birds achieve point-of-lay on schedule. By using spin feeders the poultry producer

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Poultry

will ensure that birds will have uniform access to feed, and will, therefore, grow at a uniform rate. The instantaneous aspect of this mode of feeding decreases the incidence of flocking, while the widespread distribution of the feed eliminates competition. Use of spin feeders (free standing or roof-mounted) provides costeffective and automatic stress-free feeding because each dispenser is able to cater to a large number of birds. Spin feeding is claimed to be economical on labour, user-friendly and operated by poultry farm workers after the absolute minimum of training. Custom-designed and properly installed feeders, for the continuous provision of fresh poultry feed, are of little merit if the feed formulation used is not of the highest quality. This can be ensured by keeping feed in proper storage facilities, which comply with standard hygiene recommendations.

Drinker equipment Pure, clean cool water is the most simple and basic, yet most vital nutrient in poultry nutrition with design and deployment of drinkers following in the same pattern as for feeders with emphasis on simplicity with care. Producers have employed increasingly sophisticated so called open water systems such as the standard round bell type hanging drinkers. The use of nipple drinkers into floor housing systems is now accepted as having had the biggest impact on the reduction of respiratory disease. Cup and nipple drinkers have been used for caged birds for almost 50 years. Their use in broiler flocks was first adopted in the US and later elsewhere, so that today’s floor-housed flocks benefit from improved health and performance and reduced secondary infection. But switching to nipple/cup drinkers was not all simple. Researchers and producers were

Benefits of combined nipple drinking systems include easier access to the nipple, allowing day-old chicks to drink directly and safeguard against water seepage

By using spin feeders the poultry producer will ensure that birds will have uniform access to feed and will, therefore, grow at a uniform rate

concerned that nipple drinkers might leak, causing wet patches on the litter and also that they might not provide adequate water supply to maintain good growth rates, especially during periods of hot weather. Both concerns were subsequently discovered to be unfounded. Research conducted in the Netherlands compared five different commercially available drinkers: round hanging bell type, low-pressure nipples, high-pressure nipples, drinker cups and nipple plus drinker cup. Results showed a higher bacterial load for open watering systems and even bigger differences for faecal contamination as measured by Enterobacteriaceae (e.g. E. coli) counts. Overall, litter quality and integrity was better while lesser growth of pathogenic organisms improved broiler carcass quality grading with less breast blisters and hockburns. Ammonia emissions were reduced, thus decreasing the birds’ susceptibility to respiratory infections as well as reducing the severity of ascites. Over the years, worries about nipple systems failing to provide adequate water, particularly at times of potential heat stress, have been overcome by various innovations. High-pressure nipples that produce a permanent

hanging drop of water and encouraging the birds to drink are now the norm. Development of a nipple with a flat buttonlike disc at its tip so that it would retain a larger drop of water opened new dimensions within this field of thinking. A droplet of water is formed on the disc which the birds see and tip the disc to drink. The slightly tilted disc allows water to flow from the drinker ball valve refilling the disc with water and which is held there to eliminate spillage. The stainless steel disc reflects light which, in turn, attracts birds to drink. Moreover, it stays clean and maintains good hygiene. Innovations in a similar vein include nipples with a pin that flares out at the base allowing more water remain on the pin. Birds, thus, have access to a larger drop instead of having to return to the pin several times to satisfy their thirst. Benefits of combined nipple/drip cup drinking systems include easier access to the nipple, allowing day-old chicks to drink directly and an added safeguard against water seepage onto the litter. n By Dr Terry Mabbett

Overheated soy harms chick immunity, reveals study SCIENTISTS IN NANJING have found that heating a high-protein soy product can damage the protein, adversely affecting the chick's immune system. Protein oxidation of soy protein isolate (SPI) is induced by heating, and oxidised protein may negatively affect the immune function of broilers. That is the conclusion reached by D W Wu and colleagues at Nanjing Agricultural University after a study looking at the effects of heat treatment of SPI on the growth performance and immune function of broiler chickens. In their study published in Poultry Science, they explain that the SPI was heated in an oven at 100°C for one, four or eight hours and resultant oxidative status was evaluated. A total of 320 one-day-old Arbor Acres

chickens were randomly divided into four treatment groups with eight replicates of 10 birds, and fed diets supplemented with the unheated SPI or one of the three heat-treated SPI for 21 days. The results showed that heat exposure of SPI for four and eight hours caused an increase in protein carbonyl, and a simultaneous decrease in sulfhydryl and free amine groups compared with unheated SPI. The bodyweight of broilers fed diets supplemented with SPI heated for eight hours were significantly lower than that of broilers fed diets supplemented with unheated SPI. Compared with unheated SPI, heat-treated SPI (heated for eight hours) reduced liver weight at 14 days of age, spleen and bursa weights at

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21 days of age. The content of IgG in serum and duodenal mucosa of broilers (at 14 days) was decreased when diets supplemented with heat-treated SPI (heated for eight hours). No significant differences were observed in the mucosa secretory IgA contents of broilers among the treatment groups. Compared with unheated SPI, a significant increase was observed in the content of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol in serum of broilers fed the heat-treated SPI (heated for eight hours) at 21 days. The myeloperoxidase activities in serum (at 14 days) and mucosa of broilers were increased when diets supplemented with heat-treated SPI (heated for eight hours).

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Poultry

Improve plucking during processing of poultry Careful and thorough plucking of feathers can greatly minimise damage to chicken and reduce operational costs S PART OF poultry processing, birds must be thoroughly plucked, and all feathers must be removed, including those that are most firmly attached. The most common approach to achieving this is to include scalders as part of plucking operations to loosen the head and wing feathers. These scalders also will loosen the leg cuticle. There are ways, however, that this process can be carried out along the overhead conveyor. However, to achieve a well-plucked bird, several aspects prior to plucking need to be carried out well, including: • Waiting time of the live birds at the processing plant • Hanging on the overhead conveyor • Stunning • Slaughter and bleeding • Scalding Plucking needs to be viewed as the removal of feathers without, for example, ripping the skin, the emergence of bones through the skin, or the excessive accumulation of blood due to the application of too much pressure.

Waiting in the reception area Birds should be kept in comfortable conditions. In hot climates, heat stress needs to be prevented. Should birds overheat, they will pant and this results in an excessive accumulation of blood in the legs and wings.

Hanging on the overhead conveyor Birds must be properly held. Use only three fingers — the thumb, index and ring fingers. When placing onto the shackles, hold by the legs, not the thighs, to prevent possible bruising and blood accumulation. While moving birds from the cages to the shackles, flapping must be minimised. Installation of a breast comforter is also recommended.

Plucking needs to be viewed as the removal of feathers without ripping the skin

shackles are submerged to a depth of at least three inches, those feathers close to the leg joints and the cuticle will not be loosened. It is also worth keeping in mind that for this to be successfully achieved, water needs to be of a sufficiently high temperature. Scalding raises the carcass temperature, and it is worth trying to retain the heat during passage from the scalder to the plucker. Given all of the above, it is worth considering the challenges faced during the opeartion. But it is possible to pluck birds and keep costs low and quality and yield high, while they remain on the overhead conveyor. This can be achieved, if the following rules are implemented:

Heat and water Carcasses must be kept warm. Warm water (34-36ºC) should be used during plucking and any heat that has been absorbed from the scalder must be preserved throughout the plucking process. This can be achieved but installing a structure that prevents heat loss during passage from the scalder to the plucker. Strategically place hot water (70-75ºC) sprayers along the approach to the plucker. These should be directed towards the head and thigh joint and spray water for approximately six seconds.

Stunning To help keep birds as calm as possible while being transported from the hanging area to the stunner entrance, a tunnel made from a dark plastic sheet could be erected. Passage through this will calm the birds.

Slaughter and bleeding Stunning leads to a lack of consciousness and lowering of the heartbeat to 350 beats per minute. This lowered heartbeat will stay low for only 10-12 seconds. It is also important to remember that the various parameters of the stunning bath must be adjusted to the average weight of the bird, for example, frequency, voltage and bath height.

Scalding If carcasses are not fully submerged during their movement through the scalder, the most firmly attached feathers, i.e. those of the tail and the neck, will not enter the water. Consequently, their follicles will not properly dilate and the feathers will not be loosened. The correct choice of rubber fingers is important to avoid chicken carcasses. Additionally, if the water level in the tank does not ensure that the

Plucking technological advances Advances in plucking machine technology mean that various types of equipment can now be used in combination, for example: • That can adjust automatically to the anatomy of the bird • That rotates counter-clockwise • That can be placed inside moving cabinets, i.e. if the cabinet or structure itself moves, all the plucking units move with it In the selection of plucking fingers, three types should be used — soft, semi-hard and hard. They must be carefully positioned to ensure that they remove feathers without damaging skin. Depending on the sequential efficiency of the plucking operations, some plucking lines should be avoided to prevent dislocated or broken wings, skin and breast scratches, blood accumulation in the tips and other areas of the wings. If this is followed in a disciplined manner, it is possible to reduce the damage to chickens during plucking and so reduce operational costs. n Wattagnet

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Livestock

Plant extract can help combat pig diseases Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome is the most expensive and invasive disease for pig producers on a global scale HE UNIVERSITY OF Illinois has explored the potential benefits of selected plant extracts to fight deadly pig diseases like PRRS and E. coli The researchers conducted two experiments to test the beneficial effects of garlic botanical extracted from garlic, turmeric oleoresin extracted from ginger, and capsicum oleoresin from pepper on PRRS and E. coli in pigs. The pigs in the study challenged with E. coli that had been fed any of the three plant extracts had a lower frequency of diarrhoea (20 per cent) than the pigs fed the control diet (40 per cent). The pigs fed plant extracts were more efficient (40 per cent) in feed use than the pigs fed control diet in the E. coli-challenged group, and challenged pigs fed plant extracts had sounder gut morphology compared with the challenged pigs fed the control diet. After feeding the pigs challenged with the PRRS virus the three plant extracts, the researchers observed that the pigs were more efficient in week 1 (55 per cent) and week 2 (40 per cent) than the pigs fed the control diet. The pigs that were challenged with the PRRES virus and fed plant extracts also had a lower blood viral load (13 per cent) and lower concentrations of inflammatory mediators than pigs fed the control diet. These observations also suggest that feeding plant extracts could suppress ongoing inflammation and prevent secondary infections. The researchers believe the benefits resulted from the effects on the pigs’ immune systems because feeding plant extracts reduced the inflammation caused by E. coli and the PRRS virus. “Though it is not occurring on every farm, it is the biggest disease problem in the pig industry,” said James Pettigrew, a University of Illinois animal sciences researcher. “E. coli has also been a problem historically and continues to be on an industry-wide basis.” “Either disease can sweep through a farm

Pepper extract increased pigs’ efficiency and lowered blood viral load

so their alleviation would substantially reduce production costs," he added. “Even though many management practices have been used in the swine industry, these practices cannot guarantee freedom from disease for pigs.” Consumer concerns about bacterial resistance to antibiotics have prompted the swine industry to seek additional methods to protect the health of pigs, including special feed additives. This interest led Pettigrew and his team to explore the potential benefits of selected plant extracts. Yanhong Liu, a doctoral student who led the studies, said, “We’ve known for a long time that plant extracts, also called essential oils or botanicals, have certain biological actions. For instance, they can act as antioxidants or as antimicrobials. We wanted to test whether we could get a benefit from feeding those products in very low doses to pigs that were challenged with these specific diseases.” E. coli, a bacterial illness of the gut, is marked by diarrhoea, decrease in appetite, decrease in body weight, and in some cases, a higher mortality rate. E. coli is especially dangerous post-weaning as pigs adapt to new feed and new environments, Pettigrew added. Liu noted that even the pigs in the nonchallenged group, with a low frequency of mild diarrhea, benefited from the plant extracts. “Because there is a relatively high diarrhoea

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rate in post-weaning pigs as they are moved from the mom and started on all solid feed, the extracts could also be used to reduce its occurrence,” she added. Common symptoms of PRRS, a viral infection of the lung, include fever, lethargy, trouble breathing, loss of appetite, and decreased growth performance. The disease can also lead to spontaneous abortions and higher pre-weaning mortality rates in pigs. The researchers believe the benefits resulted from the effects on the pigs’ immune systems because feeding plant extracts reduced the inflammation caused by E. coli and the PRRS virus. “In production animals, inflammation is costly. Inflammation reduces feed intake, and it diverts nutrients away from growth to the immune system,” Pettigrew said, adding, “If we can bring that quickly back down to normal after a challenge, then that helps in production.” The researchers would continue to study the mechanisms behind the beneficial effects they observed, including conducting gene expression studies. “We want to know the big picture of how these plant extracts affected the challenged and non-challenged pigs,” Liu said. Pancosma SA, Geneva, Switzerland, provided funding for the research. n — University of Illinois

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Livestock

Duck’s breeding age affects egg production, researchers say NEW RESEARCH REVEALS that the age of Peking duck breeders affects some egg characteristics, relative yolk sac weight, yolk mineral content, embryo growth during incubation and duckling weight. Egg weight and yolk percentages increased as the flock aged but albumen percentages, shell thickness and yolk index decreased. The effects of breeder age on mineral contents and weight of yolk sac, embryo development and hatchability in Peking ducks were investigated by researchers of Turkey’s Ankara University. In a paper in Poultry Science co-authored by researchers from the universities of Kiikkale, Afyon Kocatepe and Selçuk, they report that they found breeder age to be important for some egg characteristics, relative yolk sac weight, some contents of minerals in the yolk, embryonic growth during incubation and duckling weight. A total of 495 freshly laid eggs were obtained from the same flock of Peking ducks, aged 28, 34 and 40 weeks, and were reared in accordance with the management guide of the duck breeders (Star 53-Grimaud Freres). At each breeder age, egg measurements were made on a random sub-sample of unincubated eggs. Embryo and yolk sac measurements were made on embryonic day E12, E16, E20, and E25. On Day 28 of incubation, the healthy ducklings were removed and sex of chicks was determined. All chicks were weighed and

hatching results were determined. Shell percentages, shell breaking strength, albumen index and Haugh units were unaffected by breeder age. However, breeder age affected the magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, copper and zinc levels in the yolk, except for sodium level on day of setting, and breeder age affected the mineral consumed by embryo during incubation. However, on E25, the levels of examined

minerals, except for phosphors level in the yolk sac, were not statistically different in duck breeder age groups. Relative yolk sac and embryo weights of eggs obtained from different breeder ages varied from E16 to E25; however, embryo length was different in breeder age groups from E12 to E20. Hatching weight was affected by breeder age and sex but hatching results were not different the breeder age groups.

Calorie-rich food makes livestock more climate-friendly, finds study LIVESTOCK BRED ON a highcalorie diet are more climatefriendly and more profitable to farmers, a new Austrian study has found. The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) who conducted the study also believes a switch to such a diet would improve the global food supply, APA reported. Agriculture currently accounts for about 12 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, in part from methane from animals released into the environment. The IIASA believes these emissions could be reduced by about a quarter by 2030 if the pure grass diet of cattle is

changed to include high-calorie additives such as corn meal, bran, corn silage and press cake. Lead author Petr Havlik said 21 per cent of ruminants globally are still fed a pure grass diet. In addition to the environmental benefits, cows, sheep and goats also grow faster and produce more milk on a higher-energy diet. As such they could be kept on smaller pastures, the breeding would be cheaper, and the security of supply larger. Havlik said decision-makers should take steps to change infrastructure to allow farmers to make necessary changes, and also to improve education.

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Livestock

Fibre diet leads to better gut health Dietary fibre has an important role to play in pig and poultry diets and a minimum level of fibre has to be included to maintain normal physiological function in the digestive tract EEDING LIVESTOCK MORE fibre may lead to less aggression and improve gut health while maintaining performance. However, type of fibre and feeding level are important factors influencing these effects. The maintenanace of gut health is complex and relies on the delicate balance between the diet, the commnesal microflora and the mucosa, including the digestive epithelium and the mucous overlying the epithelium. The diet has a great impact on gut health, and it can provide either beneficial or harmful input, The diet should be composed to create a balance between the gut, the microbiota and the gut environment. Dietary fibre interacts both with mucosa and the microbiota and consequently has an important role in the control of gut health. Potential feed resources used for animals in many Asian countries derive primarily from the vegetable food and agro-industry coproducts such as cassava leaves, sweet potato vines, water spinach, rice bran and tofu residue. they represent underutilised feedstuff, most having high fibre content, which may impose limitations in their use in diets for monogastric animals, particularly in young animals, due to bulky nature and a limited capacity to ferment fibre. According to Wageningen UR researcher Carol Souza da Silva, “Fibre gives restrictedfed pigs more satiety, whereas ad libitum-fed

growing pigs compensate the lower energy in fibrous diets by increasing intake.” Souza da Silva tested different types of fibre in her research, but found that feeding fermentable fibres was best for pigs such as cassava roots or raw potatoes. The aim of her research was to determine how and which types of fibres influence satiety, to prevent pigs from becoming hungry between meals, thereby improving their welfare. In her research she noticed that pigs fed resistant starch maintained a feeling of fullness for up to more than seven hours after their meal. “The pigs were less hungry, which was also reflected in their behaviour. Moreover, resistant starch was found to change gene expression patterns and microbiotica composition in the hind gut, reflecting improved gut health and stabilized glucose levels.” Feeding more fibre to sows prevents them feeling hungry, avoiding behavioural problems. More fibre in the ration is also good for fattening pigs, according to the researcher. “Their energy system can, to a large extent, adapt to this reduced energy ration. They compensate this by increasing their intake, consequently growth is then similar to fibre-free rations . In future our research will focus on the body composition after slaughter, which is influenced by fibrous diets.” n

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I N N O VAT I O N T H R O U G H T H E P O W E R O F N AT U R E

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Rapeseed mixed with enzyme is a cheaper, better broiler feed ‘SUPERDOSING’ POULTRY DIETS with the enzyme phytase could result in huge savings to the poultry industry, a new research by UK’s Nottingham Trent University revealed. It was found that adding high levels of phytase to rapeseed meal — a cheap home-grown protein source in Asia — was just as nutritious for broiler chicks as the widely-used soybean. Rapeseed meal cheaper than soybean meal but contains higher levels of antinutritional factors which can reduce bird health and performance. However, scientists have said that increasing levels of phytase in rapeseed significantly increased the bioavailability of phosphorus in broiler chicks, which is vital for the development and maintenance of their skeletal system. Phosphorus — which is present in plant tissues, grains and oil seed — is supplemented into poultry feed, but is very expensive and broilers find it hard to utilise it because it is always bonded to other elements and compounds. About two-thirds is bound to a molecule

Rapeseed meal cheaper than soybean meal but contains higher levels of anti-nutritional factors

called phytate, and cannot be accessed by poultry because they have such tiny amounts of phytase in their gastrointestinal tract — which is needed to make the phosphorus bioavailable. The team, from the university’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, studied the effect of feeding

broilers diets where the main protein source was either rapeseed or soybean meal. The diets were then supplemented with no phytase, the recommended dose of phytase, or a ‘superdose’. The phosphorus and dietary calcium solubility of almost 200 chicks were then measured. The researchers found that superdosing rapeseed meal diets with phytase resulted in 76 per cent of dietary phosphorus being absorbed, which is two per cent higher than that absorbed in soybean diets supplemented with the recommended dose. In addition to this, the amount of calcium and phosphorus excreted reduced by nine per cent and 11 per cent respectively, compared to diets without phytase, and by four and five per cent compared to diets with the recommended dose. “Cheaper and more environmentallyfriendly ways to meet the phosphorus requirements of broilers are constantly being sought after,” said Natalie Morgan, who is based in the university’s Poultry Unit.

Feather meal a good source of energy for swine HYDROLYSED FEATHER MEAL is a co-product of the poultry processing industry that can be used as a protein source in swine. It is an excellent source of protein for livestock. It is very similar to soybean meal in its energy content and much higher in protein than soybean meal or meat and bone meal. Hydrolysed feather meal has much higher lipid levels than corn or soybean meal, and much less crude fibre. Calcium and available phosphorus contents are similar to corn and soybean meal. Hans H Stein, a University of Illinois animal sciences researcher, and Lee Chiba, a professor of animal nutrition at Auburn University, collaborated to determine the amino acid and phosphorus digestibility and the concentration of digestible and metabolisable energy in hydrolysed feather meal from four different processing plants. The processing of hydrolysed feather meal is not standardised, which means that feather meal processed in different plants may vary in nutritional value. Because feather meal may contain coagulated poultry blood, each source was included in the experiment both without and with added blood. Results of the research indicated that the digestibility of crude protein and every amino acid was different among the four sources of hydrolysed feather meal if no blood was added. The addition of blood to feather meal had inconsistent effects on the digestibility of amino

Hydrolysed feather meal has nearly as much methionine as soybean meal and meat and bone meal

acids. Digestibility of lysine increased with the addition of blood in two of the sources of feather meal but not in the other two sources; however, adding blood reduced the digestibility of isoleucine, leucine, methionine, valine and the average of all indispensable amino acids in two sources of feather meal but had no effect in the other two sources. Stein says that the differences in amino acid digestibility might be due to differences in processing. “Processing conditions such as steam pressure and time of hydrolysis can affect the quality and digestibility of protein and amino acids,” he explained. “It also is possible that differences in the timing of blood addition, before or after

hydrolysis of the feathers, have an effect on amino acid digestibility.” Other results of the experiment indicated that there was a tendency for phosphorus digestibility to differ among the four feather meal sources, but, in all cases, digestibility was greater than 89 percent for feather meal without blood. For all sources, phosphorus digestibility in feather meal with added blood was less than that in meal with no blood added, with digestibility in one source reduced to as little as 50.2 percent. The concentration of metabolisable energy ranged from 4,206 to 5,474 kcal per kg DM with no consistent response to the addition of blood; however, there were significant differences among the four sources of feather meal. These values are greater than values previously published for hydrolysed feather meal. “It’s important for producers to consider the source of feather meal and whether or not it has added blood when they're using it in swine diets. That way they can accurately assess its nutritional value,” Stein said. “These results indicate that, regardless of source or addition of blood, feather meal contains more digestible and metabolisable energy than has been demonstrated in the past.” The article, Amino acid and phosphorus digestibility and concentration of digestible and metabolisable energy in hydrolysed feather meal fed to growing pigs, was published in the Journal of Animal Science.

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Livestock

New study to identify best shrimp-farming practices

Determining the common denominators of proper management will lead to the adoption of better shrimp-farming practices

THE GLOBAL AQUACULTURE Alliance (GAA) is spearheading a case study to identify the shrimp-farming practices that prevent the manifestation of early mortality syndrome (EMS), also known as acute hepatopancreatic necrosis. The case study will act as a foundation for recommendations to the aquaculture community for better shrimp-farming practices. The crux of the case study is a comprehensive survey of shrimp farms in six countries in Asia and Latin America that consistently achieve good results even though neighboring farms are impaired by EMS. The survey results will be entered into a database from which hypotheses will be formulated regarding the proper management of EMS. The hypotheses will then be tested in the field. The survey results will also be summarised in a report and presented at GAA’s GOAL 2014 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, from October 7 to 10. The hope is that identifying the common denominators of proper management will lead to the adoption of better shrimp-farming practices industry-wide. EMS, which first emerged in China in 2009, is costing the industry in excess of US$1bn annually. The project is being supported primarily by ALLFISH, a World Bank public-private partnership organised by the International Coalition of Fisheries Associations, in the form of a US$100,000 grant. The Seafood Industry Research Fund is also supporting the project. “In order to properly address this disease, aquaculture’s leading researchers will come together in March to design a survey of farms across the entire range of the disease to determine best practices for managing EMS,” said GAA president George Chamberlain. The project’s first step is to establish a committee of about 10 international experts, who will analyse the survey results and formulate the hypotheses for further testing. This committee is currently being assembled and is convening in Vietnam later this month. A checklist for the survey will be developed to assure consistency in evaluation of pond management methods. Qualified auditors will then be dispatched to shrimp farms in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Mexico and India - particularly in areas greatly affected by EMS - to gather survey data. The fourth step is to collect the survey results for input into a database, which the committee will review and formulate into hypotheses. Finally, the data will be complied for a written report to be presented to the aquaculture community through GOAL 2014, GAA’s Global Aquaculture Advocate magazine and other outlets.

EU creates a new website to manage freshwater ecosystem A NEW ONLINE Atlas of freshwater biodiversity presenting spatial information and species distribution patterns is now available online. The Atlas is an output of BioFresh — an EU-funded project that is putting together the scattered pieces of information about life in rivers and lakes, to better understand, manage and protect freshwaters. It is also managed by a pan-European group of freshwater science and conservation experts from 12 research institutes and supported by key international organizations active in the field of freshwater biodiversity research and conservation. Freshwaters are incredibly diverse habitats: they cover less than one per cent of the Earth’s surface, yet are home to 35 per cent of all vertebrate species. But freshwater life is declining at an alarming rate faster than any other component of global biodiversity, according to reasearcher. A challenge for policy is how to integrate protection of freshwater life and the ecosystem services it provides with real and pressing demands on freshwater resources from the energy, food and sanitation sectors The Atlas is a response from freshwater scientists to this policy challenge. It provides policy-makers, water managers and scientists with an online, open-access and interactive gateway to key geographical information and spatial data on freshwater biodiversity across different scales. The Atlas is a resource for better, evidence-based decision making in the area of water policy, science and management.

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The deficiency of this mineral in human diet can lead to many diseases, especially in children ICE IS AN important provider of essential minerals, nutrients and vitamins for human growth, development and health. However, rice alone cannot fulfil the dietary needs of the human body. Therefore, it is essential to add additional nutrients for better health maintenance. Rice is the most consumed staple food for a large part of the globe, especially Asia. As a result, rice is the most sensitive to changes in supply and demand and, therefore, price movements. Among the cereals, rice protein is high in quality but modest in content. Therefore, it is important to add essential minerals, nutrients and vitamins while consuming rice. This importance was recognised in 2004 with establishment of the internationally acclaimed HarvestPlus Programme, which focuses on two micronutrients and one vitamin (zinc [Zn], iron [Fe] and beta carotene [vitamin A] and recognised by World Health Organisation (WHO) as among the most limited and limiting nutritional factors in human diets. The HarvestPlus programme foresaw biofortified crop varieties as the answer with the funding for research provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The World Bank. Rice was recognised as one of the key crop vehicles that could bring about planned improvements in diet and nutrition and alleviation of suffering for billions of the world’s poor. Biofortification as a broad concept is a potentially three-way avenue — genetic biofortification, i.e., breeding rice varieties with high zinc grain content, agronomic biofortification, i.e., application of zinc-based fertilizer to the soil, or soluble zinc products sprayed on the foliage. Fortification of rice based foods by supplementing with targeted nutrients, minerals and vitamins is a useful last resort option.

Essential micronutrient Global HarvestZinc Fertiliser Project was established in 2008 under HarvestPlus. Zinc is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and

Farmers transplanting rice

development and an equally essential mineral for normal human growth and development and the maintenance of health. Zinc deficiency in soils and crops such as rice is directly linked to subsequent zinc dietary deficiency affecting millions and responsible for among other things child blindness. Genetic biofortification with zinc is a sustainable way forward up to the point of planting but thereafter clearly relies on farmers being willing to plant these varieties. However, the necessary incentives may not be there if they are not the highest yielding varieties on offer and/or are more prone to pests and diseases than standard varieties. Supplementation of processed rice based foods with zinc is a useful last resort. Agronomic or fertiliser biofortification appears to be the most successful of the three processes because of incentives to farmers from higher yields and superior quality grain, through targeted application and optimum utilisation of zinc as an essential plant micronutrient, especially alkaline (high pH) soils where zinc becomes ‘locked up’. Global HarvestZinc Fertiliser Project is supported by a consortium of companies which includes Omex Agrifluids, an international, research and development based company based in the UK. Omex Agrifluids designs, develops and sells soluble liquid nutrient products for soil, seed and foliar application. Omex is the only foliar fertiliser company supporting the project. “The Global HarvestZinc Fertilizer Project uses biofortification to enhance the zinc status of cereals like rice for maximum high quality grain. High zinc content in rice grain transfers and translates as dietary zinc into human well-being and health,” says Peter Prentis, export director at Omex Agrifluids. Agronomic biofortification is a logical way forward with foliar application of soluble liquid zinc formulations the most rational route,

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Photograph: Omex Agrifluids

Zero in on zinc for better health and nutrition

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given the relatively high immobility of zinc in soil, adds Alan Lowes, regional director at Omex. “Soil applied zinc may help to improve plant growth but it does not get into the grain as quickly and to the same level as that from targeted sprays of foliar applied zinc,” Prentis notes.

Omex Zinc trial in Turkey Lowes says, “Our research and development department is actively involved in the Global HarvestPlus Zinc Project to increase the zinc content of cereal grain yields,” citing a research programme on wheat in Turkey. This project went on to identify Omex Zinc applied as a foliar spray as most effective route to harvested grain with a sufficiently high zinc content for the maintenance of human health*. Zinc (Zn) as Zinc Sulphate (Zn S04) and Omex-Zinc (a patented soluble zinc formulation for foliar application) were applied by spraying to greenhouse grown wheat plants (cv. Adana 99) in a range of Zn concentration and at different plant growth stages. Zn S04 was used at zero per cent, 0.1 per cent, 0.3 per cent and 0.5 per cent. Omex Zinc treatments exactly matched those of ZnS04 in the per cent of Zn used. Plants were sprayed once at the early milk stage or twice, at heading as well as the early milk stage. In a separate trial, flag leaves of wheat plants were soaked in 0.3 per cent Zn S04 or Omex Zinc containing an equivalent concentration of active zinc. Flag leaves (up to five cm to six cm from the tip) on plants at milk stage were immersed in the respective solution for 10-12 seconds each morning for eight consecutive days. Grain concentrations of Zn were significantly increased by ZnS04 and Omex Zinc (compared with no zinc control), with highest responses shown by plants receiving Omex Zinc. Superiority of Omex Zinc was most marked at the highest concentrations and when plants were treated once only at the milk stage. For instance, plants treated with 0.3 per cent Zn S04 applied at the milk stage showed an increase in grain Zn concentration of 12 mg kg-1 while those treated with Omex Zinc responded with a 21 mg kg-1 increase in grain Zn. “Ten mg kg-1 is known to be the minimum elevation in grain Zn required to achieve a measurable positive impact on human health”, says Prentis. “For enhanced human zinc nutrition cereal grains should contain around 40mg—60mg Zn per kg whereas normally they will typically contain only 10mg—30mg per kg”, he adds.

Omex Zinc products used in the formulation of rice fertilisation programmes are: • Primer Zn Bio, a high concentration suspension seed treatment containing 700gm/l (70% w/v) Zn and a natural bio-stimulant sourced from seaweed. • Kingfol Zn, a flowable foliar applied nutrient containing 700gm/l (70% w/v) Zn. In the form of Zn0 as small particles and formulated with enhancers to optimise uptake by foliage and plant nutritional performance over time Application of Primer Zn Bio as a sprayable seed dressing ensures rice crops get off to a flying start by providing required levels of Zn for production of enzyme and structural proteins. The seaweed component stimulates rapid root development by providing the correct balance of natural auxin and cytokinin growth regulation. Treated seeds benefit from early root and shoot development, and uniform germination with rapid uptake of water and nutrients to sustain growth beyond the germination stage. Established plants are better able to cope with stress and to attain full yield potential. Follow up treatment with Kingfol Zn as a foliar spray, posttransplanting at the tillering stage, ensures rapid uptake and utilisation of Zn, including transfer to the panicles for incorporation into developing and filling grains.

Complete foliar feed programme for rice Zinc cannot be considered in isolation from other nutrients. Omex have designed a complete foliar feed programme for rice based on research conducted in countries including South East Asia.

Omex focus on rice Zinc deficiency in rice is a covert problem. There are well documented instances of yield reductions of up to 20 per cent without deficiency symptoms being shown in the leaves. Root development is a core function of zinc, which must be available at the critical seed germination stage when plants put down first roots. Thereafter, accurately placed foliar sprays, synchronised with the appropriate growth stage, ensure rapid uptake of soluble zinc by the leaves and its transport to developing and filling grains throughout the reproductive phase of the rice cycle.

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Location/application Seed dressing Nursery/spray Post-transplant/spray Post-transplant/spray Post-transplant/spray

Timing/Growth stage Seed Seedling Tillering Panicle initiation Spike emergence

Treatment/Omex product/rate Primer Zn Bio (3ml/kg Bio 20* (3 l/ha) Bio 20* (1-2 l/ha) CalMax* (2-4 l/ha) NK 60* (1.0-2.0 l/ha)

Kingfol Zn (0.5 -1.0 l/ha) Micromax* (1.0 l/ha) Boron 15* (0.5 l/ha)

*Bio 20: NPK 20:20:20 with Magnesium (Mg) and trace elements *CalMax: Calcium (Ca) as Ca0 (22.5%) and Nitrogen (N) 15% with Mg and trace elements *Micromax: A comprehensive trace element profile plus Mg and Sulphur (S) *NK60: 39% K20 with 11% N *Boron 15: 15% Boron (B) chelated with ethanolamine All percentages in the table and footnotes are w/v (weight/volume)

Tried and tested worldwide

enhanced by up to 60 per cent. After two years of field trials (20082009), which compared a range of zinc fertiliser treatments, HarvestZinc concluded that foliar application of zinc is superior to soil application for increasing the concentration and level of zinc in brown rice and cereal grains in general.” n

Individual Omex products and the complete Omex foliar feed programme for rice have been tried and tested worldwide. Calmax applied in Peru to crops at the spike emergence stage and at 1.0 l/ha increased yields by 60 per cent and halved the number of split grains. Applications in Thailand made at the tillering, booting and milky stages increased yields reduced lodging and relieved aluminium toxicity in rice. Tissue analysis of rice leaves clearly shows the effectiveness of the Omex Foliar Feed Programme for rice. Nutrient analysis of the flag leaf at panicle initiation and five days prior to harvest demonstrated higher levels of key essential nutrient elements. Net overall result from the Omex Foliar Feed Programme was a 17 per cent increase in grain yield. Prentis and Lowes sum up the benefits of Zinc biofortification through fertiliser application and soluble Zn by foliar application. “Evidence from 40 field trials over eight countries show Omex Zinc foliar applied products increase rice, wheat and maize grain yields by around five per cent. Moreover, grain zinc concentrations were

(Pic: Omex Agrifluids)

Zinc is an essential trace element for normal growth and development in plants and animals, including humans. Shortages of plant-available zinc reduce crop yields and rice grain quality to impact on the health and well-being of rice eating communities. Zinc as an essential plant micronutrient plays key functional roles as a constituent of cell organelles and a regulatory co-factor for a wide range of enzymes controlling important biochemical pathways. These are concerned with: • Photosynthesis and polymerization of sugars into starch • Synthesis of structural and enzyme proteins and control of enzyme function, for rapid growth • Production and regulation of plant auxin for normal growth and development • Maintaining integrity and selectively of cell membranes • Formation of pollen grains • Increasing plant resistance to infection by pathogens Reference *A new foliar fertilizer (Omex-Zinc) with its high impact on grain zinc concentration. I. Elliot1, A. Hadrami1, A. Green1, I. Cakmak2, Y. Tutus2 and A. Yazici2

Close up on panicles full of ready to harvest rice grain

1Omex Agrifluids Ltd of Norfolk, UK 2Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey By Dr Terry Mabbett

IRRI to encourage use of water-resistant rice among Indian farmers THE PHILIPPINES-BASED International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will provide technological support to the rice farmers in India’s northeastern state of Assam to popularise waterresistant varieties. Assam is a chronically floodprone region. Last year, the Agricultural Ministry of Assam distributed two tons of the IRRI-developed Swarna SUB-1 (flood tolerant) variety of paddy to farmers. The new varieties reportedly helped double yields to up to four tonnes per hectare. This

year, submergence rice varieties are planned to be used in about 493,000 hectares of flood-prone land, which is almost 20 per cent of the 2.5mn hectares of rice cultivated area in Assam, according to a report at Oryza. Robert S. Zeigle, director general of IRRI, said that agro-climatic zone-wise trials are planned to help farmers easily adapt to the newer varieties. He also says that there is a need for phase-wise strategic improvement of capacity building. Assam

could easily become a rice-surplus state by reducing flood-induced crop damages significantly, he added. According to government sources, Assam’s rice production during the FY 2012-13 (April - March), spread over an area of about 2.5mn hectares, stood at about 5.13mn tonnes. Assam accounts for about five per cent of India’s total rice production of around 105mn tonnes in the FY 2012-13. The state is expected to produce around six million tonnes of rice in FY 2013-14.

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Go nuts over peanuts

At 25 per cent protein and 45 per cent oil, PCAARD says peanut is an inexpensive, high protein, high energy food for humans and livestock

The Philippines is heading towards a better prospect for the legume for the reasons being profitability and increasing demand worldwide S A POPULAR crop in the Philippines, peanut is considered one of the major field legumes grown in the country with its diversified uses such as a nutritional snack, major ingredient in food preparations and its oil for industrial uses. According to the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARD), peanut has an excellent nutritional value as indicated by its proximate nutrient analysis: 25.67 per cent crude protein, 20.05 per cent carbohydrates, 47.41 per cent crude fat, 4.39

per cent moisture and 2.48 per cent ash. At 25 per cent protein and 45 per cent oil, PCAARD says peanut is an inexpensive, high protein, high energy food for humans and livestock. The agency added that concentrated food from peanut has more proteins, minerals and vitamins than beef liver, more fat than heavy cream, and more energy than sugar. One cup of roasted peanuts has the energy value of approximately four cups of milk, five cups of meat and five chicken eggs. Based on Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Source (PDCAAS) — standard quality for protein measurement, PCAARD says peanut is a plant equivalent of meat and eggs — essential for human growth and health. It is also good source of niacin for brain health as well as antioxidants to reduce cardiovascular diseases and lower cancer risks as well as resveratrol for anti-aging. Considered as one of the top cash crops, peanut is a guaranteed income-generating

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livelihood of rural families for making peanut butter, roasted peanut and many peanutbased confectioneries. The farming of peanut in the country, according to Dr Patricia Jimenez of Agricultural Training Institute, involves men and women, in all production activities such as plowing, harrowing, planting, weeding, harvesting and postharvest such as storing and drying. Figures from the bureau of agricultural statistics (BAS) show that peanut production in 2013 was 29.10 thousand tonnes or 0.1 per cent lower than 29.13 per cent thousand tonnes in the same period of 2012. This was attributed to the following: • Adverse affects of typhoons Labuyo (international name Utor), Maring (Trami) and the monsoon rains in Ilocos region , CALABARZON, Bicol region and typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in Eastern Visayas • Shifting to onion and tobacco in Occidental Mindoro and to corn in Lanaodel Norte.

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All parts of the peanut plant can be used. The peanut, grown primarily for human consumption, has several uses as whole seeds or is processed to make peanut butter, oil and other products

Ilocos region and Cagayan Valley contributed 53 per cent of the country’s peanut production. According to the department of agriculture (DA), the country imports 30,000 tonnes to 50,000 tonnes of peanut out of a total supply of 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes. The bureau of agricultural research (BAR) data show the country usually imports shelled and in-shell raw peanut, peanut butter and prepared peanut worth more than US$10mn annually. More than 50 per cent of its peanut supply imports come from China. The country also exports processed peanut in three forms: preserved, cooked (in shell) and peanut butter. The US is the biggest market for Philippine peanuts. Because of its bright prospects, the government is allocating 5,000 hectares in Cagayan Valley which was deemed the ideal area for a climate change-mitigating crop with its nitrogen-fixing property. The DA targets a 43 per cent increase in peanut production in Region 2 in three to five years. At present, the total area planted to peanuts is only 3,500 hectares. The agency also sees peanut production has the ability to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas-emitting nitrous oxide. It is also droughtresistant having an average irrigation water requirement ranging from four to 50mm per application, which is ideal for tropical nations like the Philippines. The BAR has launched a programme which involves breeding for improved peanut varieties with the support from PCAARD. When inter-planted with corn or rice, peanut can raise land use efficiency and farmers’ income. At a production cost of US$605.37, a

farmer may earn a net income of US$514.44 out of a 2,000kg per hectare yield, given a US$0.55 per kilo farm gate price.

Asha — new ray of hope Despite the seemingly good prospects, peanut yield still remains low due to poor seed quality as planting material, low level technology used and seasonality of local peanut varieties and its use as an intercrop rather than a primary crop, cited BAR. In order to meet the domestic demand for peanut, BAR has teamed up with the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India to help introduce new varieties that could help improve local production. ICRISAT has brought three new peanut lines to pass the standard field testing requirements for legumes of the National Cooperative Test: The NSIC Pn 10 in 1993 with an average yield of 1.5 tonnes per hectare (ha), NSIC Pn 11 in 2002 - a variety with an average bean yield of 1.65 tonnes per hectare (ha), and NSIC Pn 12 in 2003 with an average yield of 1.62 tonnes/ha. According to BAR, these three varieties were approved for commercial release by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) of the Philippines. Under this endeavor, ICRISAT was able to secure a large-seeded, high yielding peanut variety from India called ‘Asha’. Asha is meant to bring hope — its direct English translation — to the local peanut industry. ICRISAT and BAR together created numerous activities Asha through its Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) primarily in Region 2 or the Cagayan Valley area. CPAR established

techno-demo farms to showcase the performance of Asha variety and production technologies to farmers, buyers, processors and other peanut enthusiasts. The programme revealed Asha’s suitability to the country’s climate and agronomic condition as it has produced the highest recorded yield of 3,991kg per hectare. According to BAR, Asha was able to double the yield of regular peanut varieties which might help raise income of up to more than US$600 per hectare. Asha is a 3-in-1 variety in terms of seed sizes: Class A (50 per cent extra large seeds; 1 seed: 1 gram); Class B (30 per cent large seeds; 2 seeds:1.5 grams) and Class C (20 per cent medium small seeds; 3 seeds: 1 gram). The biggest seed are the same sized as cashew nuts and has a high shelling recovery of 73 per cent to 79 per cent making it ideal for confections and table food. BAR says Asha is resistant to bacterial wilt and other foliar diseases such as Cercospora leaf spot and rust as well as an ideal livestock forage due to its high fresh biomass and dry matter yield. Because of its good performance, Asha is now grown in different parts of the country. Multinational companies have also noticed Asha’s high-yielding ability. BAR says five major peanut processors — Marigold Commodities Inc, Newborn Food Products, Tobi Marketing, Growers Food Industries and California Manufacturing Corporation are now accepting peanut products from different production areas. Because of Asha, the local peanut industry renewed its hope of a better industry in years to come. n By Gemma Delmo

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Philippines to reap harvest of emergency seed planting after 2013 typhoon FILIPINO FARMERS WILL soon reap a harvest after using emergency seed supplies provided to grow crops following a devastating typhoon that struck during planting season in November last year, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said recently. Super typhoon Haiyan had raked across the central Philippines in 2013, killing at least 6,200 people with around 2,000 others still missing, while also displacing four million and leaving tens of thousands of farmers without their livelihoods. Jose Graziano da Silva, director-general of FAO, said, “Haiyan hit between the rice planting seasons but timely seed replacements have ensured a second harvest is not lost.” “When the crop is harvested in March or April this year... it should yield enough rice to feed 800,000 people for more than a year,” he added. “This means that they will not only be able to feed their families, but also sell the surplus

The harvest is expected to be in surplus this year

and generate extra income which is crucial for them to fully recover,” Silva added. Haiyan had destroyed 1.1mn tonnes of crops, along with 33mn coconut trees in a major farming region described by the Philippine government as among the poorest. He said providing coconut farmers with other sources

of income, such as helping them plant fasteryielding crops, was a top FAO priority in the six to eight years it will take for new coconut trees to start bearing fruit. Meanwhile, the government of New Zealand will also provide additional US$2.5mn to FAO in helping affected farmers and fishermen of typhoon Haiyan. The additional fund is in addition to the US$5mn that they had earlier provided to the organisation for the emergency response and relief effort. The fund will be used in ensuring the recovery crops production for rice, corn, and coconut, as well as on livestock and fishery. Kaye added that farm tools and agricultural training will also be funded from the amount the New Zealand government will donate. In Barangay Gacao, the New Zealandfunded FAO will implement intercropping in coconut farm.

Climate-smart solutions for better farming in Vietnam VIETNAM’S RUGGED NORTHERN terrain is characterised by sloping hills giving way to lush paddy fields and stretches of ancient tea. Yet the scars of climate change mark themselves in the landscape — scars which scientists and researchers are now using to piece together climatesmart solutions so communities can adapt to future weather shocks, according to CGIAR study. Vietnam is among eight countries in Southeast Asia that is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with widespread poverty and highly populated low-lying agricultural areas prone to encroaching salinity and increased weather intensity. Already firmly rooted in West Africa, East Africa and South Asia, the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Program (CCAFS) is now rolling out a set of research hubs, or climate smart villages, in Southeast Asia. The village sites – which will allow farming communities and researches to identify together site-specific agricultural practices to adapt to changing climate impacts – are also being established in the focus countries in the region which include Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

The climate-smart villages will link farmers to weather information systems, advice on resilient water management practices and greenhouse gascutting techniques, through improved farming practices or fuel-efficient machinery for example. The first village in northern Vietnam has been chosen by a team of researchers through a consensus selection and criteria based ranking system, taking into account the diversity of the landscape, climate challenges faced by the local communities and existing infrastructure such as road access. The prospective site is in Yenbai Province, northern Vietnam, where the landscape is affected by variable climate patterns with episodes of cold weather, heavy rains and drought. This is causing crops and livestock loses and aggravates rapid degradation of natural resources, for example leading to soil erosion in lowland and upland areas as farmers intensify their production systems. Other climate-smart villages will be chosen in the central and southern parts of the country, with prospective sites already selected in Laos and Cambodia.

Indian and Oz scientists develop stress-tolerant rice for Asia SCIENTISTS FROM AUSTRALIA’S Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have isolated a gene from resurrection grass, a native Australian grass found around Charleville in Queensland, which is likely to develop rice varieties that have improved resistance to salinity and drought conditions. Professor Sagadevan Mundree of QUT said that the resurrection grass found in Queensland can tolerate extreme environmental stresses, including severe drought, salinity, high temperature and high light-intensity stresses for prolonged periods and resurrect within 24-72 hours upon rehydration. These qualities could be used to help reduce losses and increase rice area in large parts of the world.

The resurrection grass has high tolerance for extreme climates

www.fareasternagriculture.com | FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Two 2014

Under a three-year US$600,000 project, QUT is working with India’s International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU) to find genes from resurrection grass could be used to genetically improve abiotic stress tolerance in rice. Scientists say that the project will help understand how the drought-tolerant gene works and prepare it for transfer into rice. Mundree added, “We are very confident that we will be able to harness this death-defying property and provide rice varieties that will help sustain the growing world population in the midst of global warming.”

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Crops

IRRI introduces salt-tolerant rice varieties in the Philippines IN 2013, THE International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) had released nine salt-tolerant varieties in the Philippines. The 44 new varieties released last year in Asia and Africa include nine salt-tolerant varieties in the Philippines, three flood-tolerant varieties in South Asia, and six in sub-Saharan Africa. In total, 21 were released in the Philippines, six in Bangladesh, five in Myanmar, three in Nigeria, two in Tanzania, two in India, and one each in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mozambique, and Rwanda. Eero Nissila, head of IRRI’s breeding division, said, “Overall, IRRI has released around a thousand improved rice varieties across 78 countries since its establishment in 1960.” An independent assessment by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) found that Southeast Asian rice farmers in three countries have been harvesting an extra US$1.46bn worth of rice every year as a result of the research work done by IRRI and its partners. A 13 per cent boost in yield gave returns of US$127 per hectare in southern Vietnam, US$76 per hectare in Indonesia, and US$52 per hectare in the Philippines, the study added.

In total, 21 rice varieties were introduced in the country in 2013

Similarly, a study commissioned by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) on the impact of investments in rice research suggested that a US$12mn investment in rice research has returned more than US$70mn in benefits to rice farmers and national economies in

four Asian countries. The countries covered in the study were Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Around half of the current global population — or about 3.5 billion people — relies on rice as a source of sustenance and livelihood, IRRI said.

Vietnam encourages environmental friendly cassava cultivation FEARING THAT THE large scale cassava cultivation would lead to the deforestation and the soil degradation, Vietnam’s Binh Dinh province has decided to bring the cassava cultivation programme under control. The stable and high prices of cassava in recent years, bringing high profits to farmers — have prompted people to shift to cassava instead of other crops. As a result, the cassava growing area has been increasing rapidly, expanding beyond the expectations. Under the cassava development plan, Binh Dinh would have 10,000 hectares of cassava growing area by 2020. This includes 4,400 hectares of stable cultivated area which provides materials to the local starch factory which makes products for export. The cassava material growing areas would be located in 21 communes of three districts of Phu My, Phu Cat and Tay Son. However, the total cassava growing area has reached 13,000 hectares, or 3,000 hectares higher than the area projected for 2020. Cassava growing areas have been developed in many districts, including Van Canh, Phu Cat, Phu My, Tay Son, Vinh Thanh and An Lao. According to the local authorities, it is easy and not costly to grow cassava, while the sale is stable. Therefore, growing cassava is the choice of many local people. However, the ‘cassava movement’ is

According to the local authorities, it is easy and not costly to grow cassava, while the sale is stable

threatening the existence of the forest. Local people tend to clear forest land to acquire cassava fields. Especially, experts have warned that the massive development of cassava in the locality may lead to soil degeneration. The current cassava growing land would not be suitable to other crops. Therefore, the provincial authorities have taken drastic measures to minimise the risks, requesting farmers to strictly follow the land development programme and only grow the crops under the plans approved by

the authorities. Farmers have also been told to grow cassava together with other crops to help upgrade the soil. According to Deputy Director of the Binh Dinh provincial agriculture department Ho Ngoc Hung, cassava will be developed only on suitable land, while the land with the slope of more than 15 degrees would be reserved for fruit trees, industrial trees or forestation in order to optimize the economic efficiency and help protect the environment. A new method of cultivating cassava in the sustainable and environment friendly way has been used in Phu Cat district of Binh Dinh province. Phan Sy Hung, Deputy Head of the district’s agriculture sub-department said one of the most important solutions in developing sustainable cassava material areas is to optimise the economic efficiency in the same cultivation area. A lot of people here grow peanuts together with cassava, making the profits 2-3 times higher than the alternate peanut-cassava cultivation and 3.5 times higher than pure cassava cultivation. Probiotics have been used by a lot of farmers here instead of chemical pesticide, thus allowing to reduce the insects, cut investment costs and improve the soil.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Two 2014 | www.fareasternagriculture.com

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Crops

New method can help improve maize yield in Southeast Asia BY USING A combined approach of simulation modeling and on farm research, the International Plant Nutrition Institute — Southeast Asia Program (IPNI SEAP) together with partners were able to quantify the gaps between potential maize yield and the actual yield produced, evaluate the performance of SSNM in closing these gaps and gauge its profitability in various production and fertiliser scenarios in Penang, Malaysia. SSNM is a component of precision agriculture and can be used for any field or crop. It combines plant nutrient requirements at each growth stage and the soil’s ability to supply those nutrients, and applies that information to areas within a field that require different management from the field average. With demands for livestock feed increasing, maize is rapidly becoming a major industrial commodity. Current production totals 250mn tonnes, which is insufficient to match the growing demand — projected to rise to 291mn tones by 2020. Rather than area expansion which may impact the environment negatively, sustainable crop intensification to increase yield is a suitable alternative. Between 2004 and 2008, field trials were conducted in at least 65 sites in 13 major maize-producing regions in Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines in order to develop and evaluate SSNM for hybrid maize. By adjusting fertilizer N.P and K to optimal application rates in each site, maize yield was increased on average by 13 per cent compared to farmers’ practice. Applying the right nutrient source, at the right rate, at the right time, in the right place is essential to nutrient stewardship and is the core of the 4-Rs. The 4-R based SSNM approach of balanced NKP fertilization and timely

With demands for livestock feed increasing, maize is rapidly becoming a major industrial commodity

application of nutrients according to crop growth stages in more extensive plant growth and increased nutrient use efficiency. In the case of N with the average application rate decreasing by 10 per cent, the N use efficiency increased by 42 per cent. With SSNM improving crop yield, profitability increased by US$167 per ha per crop, i.e., 15 per cent of the total average net returns. Using simulations, the study revealed that greater returns were more likely with SSNM in highly favourable rain-fed environments compared to irrigated and less favourable rain-fed areas which did well under farmers’ fertilizer practices. In highly favourable rain-fed areas, maize crops grown using SSNM reduced existing yield gaps through improved yields and nutrient use efficiency, thereby improving profitability.

www.fareasternagriculture.com | FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Two 2014

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Equipment

Companies launch effort to secure farm data

Developers are invited to contribute software code to improve upon the template or use it to create their own OADA-compliant tools

Agriculture firms have collaborated to invest in the project that will improve competency in farms S’ PURDUE UNIVERSITY researchers and a group of agricultural companies have announced an open source project to standardise farm data formats and improve communication between farm equipment and farm management tools made by different companies. The Open Agriculture Data Alliance, or OADA, will also seek to set standards on data privacy and security, among the top concerns of farmers gathering and sharing increasingly deep pools of data from high tech farm machines armed with global positioning technology and wireless data transfer capability. Aaron Ault, senior research engineer at Purdue University’s Open Ag Technology Group and project lead for the OADA, said, “The purpose is to solve some of the issues that farmers have dealing with their data.”

Agricultural data can include everything from farm financial documents and futures market positions to the number of seeds planted per acre and inches rainfall in each field. “We will solve as many problems with technological solutions as we possibly can. The ones that we cannot solve with technological solutions we will solve with common language that lets the farmer know, up front, what it is they are getting into when they enter into agreements with these different companies,” Ault added. Involved in the effort are agricultural data science company Climate Corporation, Valley Irrigation, farm cooperative GROWMARK, equipment maker CNH Industrial and seed company AgReliant Genetics. Other participants include farm products suppliers Wilbur-Ellis Company and WinField, Reuters reported. Agriculture companies such as John Deere, DuPont Pioneer and Climate Corporation parent Monsanto have been investing heavily in precision agriculture and data analytics tools over the past year. They have launched services that will analyze data and make

recommendations to boost crop yields or increase efficiency by pairing soil types with optimal seeds or focusing chemical applications only where they are needed. But the high tech tools have raised concerns that data shared by farmers could be misused or sold to third parties. Although the companies have reassured farmers that their data is safe in often-lengthy privacy statements, the OADA will seek to standardise privacy and security guidelines industry wide. OADA will also create a “reference implementation” of a cloud storage and data analytics service to set an example for the industry on how an OADA-compliant system should function. Developers are invited to contribute software code to improve upon the template or use it to create their own OADAcompliant tools. No company owns the intellectual property that is part of the project so how each company decides to take it and use it to their own benefit is really up to them. It really opens up the ability for small players to innovate. And it allows the farmer to choose the best-inclass solution instead of the one that happens to work with his equipment today,” he said. n

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Two 2014 | www.fareasternagriculture.com

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Equipment

Award-winning remote-controlled tiller can reduce physical labour A REMOTE-CONTROLLED SYSTEM for a power tiller has been developed by Indian innovator Prajwal V Kumar, which can be used by farmers to plough their land for cultivation without physically operating it. Kumar has received the National Award for Commercialisable Patent 2013-14 by the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Kumar said that the remote-controlled power tiller started as a weekend project in 2005, with an idea to make the task of farming easier. It can be used to plough the fields with the help of the remote control, which will prevent injuries resulting from thorns, stones, snake bites, etc. With the remote-controlled power tiller, one need not get on the field, let alone walk with the tiller for hours on end to control its direction. The tilling work that may normally take upto three hours can be completed in less than two, he said. This system is an electronics combined mechanical gadget, which goes as an attachment for power tillers and was developed in 2005, after prolonged testing and field trials. The tiller has now achieved a big success to go for production

The main objective of the tiller is to effectively increase the production

with great demand from all over India, the innovator said. Power tillers are used to plough fields and to make the land suitable to grow crops. Unlike tractors where people sit and control the machine, power tillers need somebody walking behind it to control the directions. One of the major advantages of a power tiller over tractors is that power tillers can go to any sort of fields where

tractors fail to reach. Most of the Indian farmers depend on tillers for agricultural need because of its versatility and price. But the drawback is that somebody has to go along with it to till the land. Considering this drawback, the company came up with the plan to use remote control system to control the tiller without even getting into the field. This remote control system for power tillers has a potential to revolutionise the farming system in India. The operation includes left direction control, right direction control and main clutch disengagement or the brake control. Even an unskilled operator can operate the power tiller just by the touch of a button, thereby saving time and money required for the skilled labor. This system will encourage those farmers who had stopped farming due to lack of skilled labour, to restart the process of agriculture. The main objective of the tiller is to increase the production by timely operation and effective work. Sometime due to lack of labour, particular operations cannot be done at the stipulated time, which in turn affects the growth and ultimately results in declined production, Kumar added.

The Asian area is rich with stones which cause damage to all kinds of harvesting and seeding machines.

The Asian area is rich with stones which cause damage to all kinds of harvesting and seeding machines. One year ago we started with our partner Crop Tech Asia and brought the first units into Thailand. The sugar cane farms fought against a big problem with stones and were very satisfied with the results during the first year. Following units are on the way to Thailand. You can directly contact our importer, Thaus Co. Ltd (Crop Tech Asia), Bangkok - Mr. Vorachai Manomuth to get an offer and find out where the machines can be watched for a demo! email: vorachaim@croptechasia.com, mob: +66819123838

PEL-TUOTE OY, Seppälänsalmentie 181, FIN-58900 Rantasalmi jens.koellner@pel-tuote.fi +358-40-5688115 Jens Köllner – Export Manager

www.fareasternagriculture.com | FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Two 2014

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Equipment

Bühler’s AeroDry multi-pass dryer offers maximum results BÜHLER DESIGNS AND manufactures custom multi-pass conveyor dryers and ovens for use in drying and cooling a variety of products including extruded petfood and fish feed, ready-to-eat cereal, snacks and food ingredients. The multi-pass dryer features conveyor beds positioned one above the other in order to maximise capacity in the least amount of floor space. The multi-pass conveyor dryer is an ideal solution for plants with restricted floor space. Dual and triple-pass conveyor dryer beds can help plant owners double or triple their production capacity without expanding their plant or building. Smooth, continuous product flow is achieved with the multi-pass dryer’s first-in/first-out product control. It also offers consistent product quality thanks to optimal temperature and airflow control. The multipass conveyor dryer uses zoned temperature control and alternating airflow to customize the thermal process and maximise the efficiency of heat and mass transfer. The design ensures consistent product characteristics across the entire conveyor bed. Multiple passes allow the product to be stacked deeper as it progresses through the drying cycle, resulting in longer retention times with more efficient and consistent drying. The sanitary design features ensure clean, safe operation. Dryer floors and roofs are pitched for easy cleaning and continuously welded for maximum sanitation. The sanitary door option provides continuously welded insulated door panels to prevent moisture from entering the panel. Easy access via large doors and removable panels allows cleaning to be done quickly and thoroughly during routine operations.

Andritz inks US$164 million deal with Indonesian firm for recovery boiler INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY GROUP Andritz has received an order from OKI Pulp & Paper Mills to supply the world’s largest recovery boiler for OKI’s new kraft pulp mill in Indonesia. The start-up is scheduled for the second quarter of 2016. The order value amounts to approximately US$164mn, as the company said in a press release. The total capacity of the Andritz High Energy Recovery Boiler (HERB) is about 50 per cent higher than of any other recovery boiler in operation worldwide, reaching a black liquor firing capacity of 11,600 tonnes of dry solids per day. The maximum daily green electricity production of the boiler is equivalent to the average daily electricity

power need of a European city of one million inhabitants, the statement informed. The boiler will feature state-of-the-art solutions for optimising power-to-heat ratios by operating at higher pressures and temperatures than conventional boilers. This allows pulp mills to maximise their environmental-friendly power generation. The order confirms the position of the Andritz Pulp & Paper business area as one the world’s leading suppliers for high-energy recovery boilers. Andritz Pulp & Paper is a leading global supplier of equipment, systems, and services for the production and processing of all types of pulps, paper, tissue, and board.

Kentmaster introduces new low cost Halal restraining box A NEW HALAL restraining box — Rajin 2 — featuring simple, easy-to-maintain and lowcost construction has been released for use in markets around the world. Glenn Storer, Philippines-based Australian and manager of Wellard’s Halal abattoir designed and developed the box. The units are manufactured to high standards in the Philippines and marketed through Australia, Southeast Asia and other countries by processing equipment supplier Kentmaster. Previous Halal-approved boxes like the Mark 4 were mainly hydraulic in operation. In contrast, the Rajin 2 restraining box is completely manual in operation, and conforms with Halal requirements, featuring additional length on the chin-lift and a breast-plate restrainer. The box meets ESCAS requirements.

The Rajin 2 restraining box is completely manual in operation

The ruggedly-built unit costs US$15,061 and the maintenance requires only food-grade greasing of hinges and latches. It is also easy to keep hygienically-clean with regular wash-down. The first unit was sold only in November 2013, and it has since gone into slaughter facilities in Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines. A boom at the front of the box allows the operator to conveniently hang both the balancer and the stunner within reach. For those sites that already have an operating box, the front component of the Rajin box can be bought separately and retro-fitted. Units are shipped directly from the Philippines to the client to minimise freight costs. They are transported as a flat-pack for easy assembly with the help of an assembly video and markings on each component.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Two 2014 | www.fareasternagriculture.com

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Equipment

New Cat 313D balances high productivity with low operating cost THE NEW CAT 313D LGP Series 2 hydraulic excavator is a low-ground-pressure model designed specifically for agricultural and forestry applications. The new model features a heavy-duty undercarriage with ample ground clearance and wide track shoes for productive performance in rough terrain and soft underfoot conditions. Weighing 16,000kg, the 313D LGP Series 2 uses a fuel-efficient Cat 3054C engine that meets Tier 2/Stage II emissions regulations. A selection of grapples and Cat buckets ensures versatility, and the redesigned cab promotes operator comfort and convenience that further enhance productivity. To ensure long-term durability and reliability, CAT uses advanced engineering and manufacturing techniques to design and fabricate the undercarriage and major structures. More than 70 per cent of structural welds are robotic and achieve added penetration, compared with manual welds. Ground clearance of 650mm and 1,250mm of counter-weight clearance provide a solid platform for working in severe conditions and poor ground conditions, such as those encountered in

The ergonomically designed operator station is spacious, quiet, and comfortable, ensuring high productivity during a long work day

agricultural and forestry application. Track links are designed to provide long service life in the toughest applications, and a three-piece track-guiding guard system provides excellent protection from large debris and helps extend track roller service life. The 313D LGP Series 2 also features a massive, Xshaped high and wide carbody that is designed with a higher ring height to provide added clearance for increased protection. An optional tow hook equips the machine for the toughest conditions, and optional upper-

Hellmann layer and rearing cages for hen and eggs FOR MORE THAN 40 years Hellmann Poultry has been a specialist for laying batteries, enriched cages, rearing cages, egg collection, feeding systems, manure removal systems, climate control systems and accessories for equipment. The Hellmann cage systems for layers are designed for the wellbeing of both the hen and the egg, and they are made of durable material, almost exclusively made in Germany. The wellbeing of the hens is given by designing the cages such that the hens can live in a clean and spacious surrounding, with unlimited access to feed and water. The egg is treated gently by the flexible suspension of the cage floor that allows the egg to slide out to the egg tray in an as short as possible time. Large breastplates and other accessories help to optimize the egg quality. Options like extra cage height and cage depth, screening off of the manure belts, extra scrapers and many more can increase the technical performance yet again. The cages are available in depths of 50cm to 69cm (19.7 – 27.1”) and in widths of 50.25cm or 60.25cm (19.8 or 23.7”) and in different heights, ranging from 40cm (15.75”) to 52cm (20.47) at the front. For different climatological environments, the cages are available with solid, perforated or wire partitions and in different cage heights. The cages are provided with two or three stainless steel 360° nipples and a vdriptrough. Amongst others, Hellmann offers feed chain or travelling hoppers, the Lift system, invented by Hellmann, or two different types of elevators, many options like automatic flush, egg saver, stepping rails, different types of inspection carts, manure drying, etc.

structure guards protect the machine from potential damage. The robust front linkage incorporates a heavyduty, 4.65 metre boom with interior baffle plates and reinforcement in critical areas to ensure durability. A choice of sticks allows fitting the machine to the application. Choices include the 2.5-metre heavy-duty stick with newly designed forged parts that provide increased digging forces and durability, plus the 3.0-metre reach stick, featuring box-section construction of high-tensile-strength steel. The 313D LGP Series 2 is designed for fast routine service. The left service door allows easy access to the engine radiator, oil cooler, water separator and fuel filters. A reserve tank and drain are attached to the radiator for simplified maintenance. The air filter features double-element construction for superior cleaning efficiency. A service door on the right side allows easy access to the pump, pilot filter, drain filter, engine oil filter, oil sampling ports and diagnostic pressure taps. A centralised, remote-greasing block on the boom delivers grease to hard-to-reach locations.

New PRRS filtration system to the rescue of pigs THE PORCINE REPRODUCTIVE and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) confronts pig producers throughout the world with big problems: The pandemic disease severely affects the health of their animals. To avoid economic losses that inevitably occur once the disease has hit a stock, Big Dutchman offers a new modular PRRS capturing filtration system with integrated cooling for pig buildings. Its unique feature is that, unlike conventional filtration procedures, the new AirProTec can be AirProTec operates under positive pressure used during all stages ventilation. Fresh air will not be allowed of pig production into the houses without being filtered, thus significantly reducing the number of viruses entering the house. Combined with the day-to-day hygiene measures, pig producers can ensure a high state of health of their stock. Each filter module basically consists of three air purifying phases: The first phase is accomplished by a wind breaking net or mesh to block coarse dirt particles from entering the unit. In the second phase, the air must pass through the actual antimicrobial filter medium that is able to filter out smallest particles such as the PRRS virus. The clean air finally passes through the evaporative cool pad system, which will cool down the air if needed. AirProTec filtration units are generally 2.4 metres in width and height, and the total length including the connecting duct is 3.22 metres. AirProTec can be used during all stages of pig production. The filtration system is suited for the management of sows and boars as well as piglet rearing and can be used in all climate zones of the world.

www.fareasternagriculture.com | FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Two 2014

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Classifieds

Mycotoxins and Ammonium are responsible for severe economical losses in livestock industry

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Moreover

The going gets tough for fake pearls Researchers have successfully isolated the DNA to create genuine pearl and this could pave way for transparent trading OR A LONG time, it was thought impossible to isolate a pearl’s genetic material. Now, a Swiss research team has achieved this elusive goal. Scientists Joana Meyer, from the ETH Institute of Integrative Biology group headed by Prof. Bruce McDonald, and Laurent Cartier of the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF), under the direction of Michael Krzemnicki, succeeded for the first time in extracting trace amounts of DNA from a variety of cultured pearls in an almost non-destructive way. Using the genetic code, they were able to differentiate pearls from three different species of oysters vital to the jewellery trade. Their results were recently published in the scientific journal PLoS ONE. Joana B Meyer, researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, “This DNA fingerprinting method could be used to document the source of historic pearls and will provide more transparency for traders and consumers within the pearl industry.” The genetic material is likely embedded in organic matter found in the calcium carbonate matrix of the pearl, as well as in random pockets of organic matter enclosed in the pearl. The tiny amount of DNA recovered was sufficient to determine the species of pearl oyster that produced the jewel in question. The examined pearls were South Sea pearls originating from the species Pinctada maxima, Tahitian pearls from Pinctadamargaritifera and pearls from Akoya oysters. This last group is one of the most important producers of both cultured and natural pearls (Pinctadaradiata). China became the largest worldwide producer of cultured pearls in the 1980s. In 2010, it produced 20 tonnes of marine cultured pearls from the Akoya oyster and a

staggering 1,500 tonnes of freshwater cultured pearls.

Non-destructive sampling An important part of the project was to develop a technique for isolating pearl DNA without destroying the commercial value of the jewels. The researchers used a fine drill to expand existing holes in a barely visible way. The resulting 10 milligrams of drilled-out material was sufficient to isolate enough DNA for the purpose of species identification. A patent application has already been filed for the method developed by the research team. In the future, it will be possible to use it to differentiate between various kinds of pearls and to provide better documentation of historical specimens. This will give dealers and owners of pearl jewellery greater transparency and certainty regarding a pearl's source. In a next phase, the researchers envision using the pearl DNA to determine a pearl's local origin, potentially allowing jewellers and owners to identify the region or even the specific lagoon in which a pearl was produced. Michael S Krzemnicki, SSEF director, said, “This is a breakthrough in pearl science and opens up new and interesting opportunities for future pearl research and testing.” “We are constantly exploring new scientific methods to test pearls and are excited about this new method we have developed in collaboration with scientists at ETH Zurich, one of the world’s leading universities. These new methods give us a considerable advantage in distinguishing different types of pearls and for the future documentation of historic pearls. We hope to add them as client services in the near future.”

www.fareasternagriculture.com | FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Two 2014

China had become the largest producer of cultured pearls in the 1980s

Age determination with radiocarbon dating In a parallel research partnership between ETH Zurich and the SSEF, IrkaHajdas from the Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics at ETH Zurich and Michael Krzemnicki from the SSEF sought to determine the age of pearls using radio-carbon dating. This involved measuring the ratio of radioactive carbon (14C) to normal carbon (12C) in the nacre. This study, which was published in the scientific journal Radiocarbon, demonstrated how the true age of pearls can be determined using the 14C method. This method can help clarify whether a historical piece of jewellery is an antique or a forgery made of modern cultured pearls.

Identifying forgeries Pearls are among the oldest jewels used by humans. Natural pearls, which form randomly in the mantle tissue of molluscs, are especially valuable. It is often necessary to break open thousands of shells to find a single natural pearl. Cultured pearls have been commercially available only since 1910, but have been produced in massive quantities since then. In 2012, China alone produced more than a billion pearls for the jewellery market, most of which were cultured pearls from freshwater molluscs. Determining the type of pearl in a piece of jewellery and its age and origin are becoming increasingly important for the trade in both historical natural pearls and modern cultured pearls. These new technologies will make it easier to expose frauds and forgeries. n Source: Phys.org

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