14 minute read
A round-up of major developments
DENMARKHEADQUARTERED HAMLET PROTEIN has renewed its partnership with Jebsen & Jessen in Asia, covering Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, a move which will help the company bring its solutions for young animal nutrition and health to Asian customers.
With a mix of distribution relationships and local staff operating from China, Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand, support by global technical management, Hamlet Protein aims to understand local market dynamics and translate that into practical solutions for feed mills, premixers, integrators and farmers.
“Hamlet Protein has been investing in Asia in recent months. We have added local technical and commercial resources to be closer to our customers. We are working in selected markets on introducing our concepts into the
Hamlet Protein has been investing in Asia in recent months, said CEO Erik Visser.
poultry segment, building on years of experience and research in piglet and calf nutrition and health,” commented Hamlet Protein CEO Erik Visser.
While COVID-19 is affecting the animal protein supply chain across the region, African Swine Fever (ASF) continues to be the major reason for concern of hog producers that experience outbreaks in their commercial herds. While large hog farming companies in China are cautiously restocking, ASF continues to spread within backyard farms on the islands of Luzon and Mindanao in the Philippines. In Vietnam, 44 of 63 provinces declared themselves ASF free in Q1.
“We have a long term commitment to producers in Asia and are investing today to strengthen relationships like our partnership with Jebsen & Jessen and build new ones with customers across the region,” commented Erik Visser.
Russia delivers 25,000 tonnes of wheat to North Korea
RUSSIA HAS SENT 25,000 tonnes wheat in humanitarian assistance to North Korea, as the country is facing chronic food shortages.
According to a UN report, around 10mn people in North Korea are in immediate need of food assistance as the country's farming sector has been affected by yearlong dry weather and irregular climate conditions.
Alexander Matsegora, Russian ambassador to North Korea, visited the western port of Nampo to observe a cargo ship that arrived with wheat grain from Novorossiysk commercial sea port.
In a Facebook post, the Russian Embassy said that at least 40 freight cars of wheat leave for Pyongyang every day, where it is stored or put into processing at flour mills.
According to a UN report, around 10mn people in North Korea are in immediate need of food assistance.
As reported in the Yonhap News Agency, the unloading continued until late May 2020. The crew members were under quarantine, and the unloading took place at an isolated area of the port to prevent any risk of coronavirus, the source further reported.
FAO launches online training course on ASF preparedness in Asia
THE EMERGENCY CENTRE of Animal Disease (ECTAD) at FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) has launched its first online training course on ASF preparedness involving more than 400 animal health practitioners from 19 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
This work is being supported by the The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster and Assistance (OFDA).
In addition to the COVID-19 outbreak, with its devastating impact on the agriculture and agrifood sectors, African Swine Fever (ASF) continues to spread and threaten the livelihoods, food security and nutritional status of vulnerable groups in Asia and the Pacific region.
The main aim of the training is to reach and train veterinarians to optimally prepare, detect and respond to ASF. In the current situation, the online format is the best way to deliver the modules, easy to scale up and replicate. Moreover, it allows participants to learn at its own pace and time. Participants who complete all required tasks and pass the final course assessment will be awarded a certificate.
There will be a second live webinar on 18 June and the course will end on 21 June. A final assessment test will take place during the last week of the course.
AACo eying new markets after China beef ban, swings to US$20.84mn profit
The company is boosting supply to retail and cutting costs to tackle the COVID-19 lockdown related challenges.
FOLLOWING A RECENT ban by China on beef imports from some of its plants, Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) is exploring new markets to divert its product portfolio.
China has suspended imports from four Australian abattoirs in an escalation of trade tensions between the two nations, days after announcing an 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley. AACo’s China sales represent about 15 per cent of its total meat sales and the suspension has so far affected nearly twothirds of its exports to the country.
Meanwhile, the integrated cattle and beef producer swung to a full-year profit of around US$20.84mn from a net loss a year ago, helped by the recovery in live cattle
Image credit: Adobe Stock
markets. A 20 per cent jump in wagyu beef sales and cost reductions has further helped it post a small operating profit of US$10.12mn for the 12 months to 31 March. Market values of its cattle increased 12 per cent from a year earlier.
Although the demand in the last month of the year was partially affected by the COVID-19 related lockdowns, the company is boosting supply to retail and cutting costs to tackle the challenges.
“We are now doing further work with our distributors and wholesalers to accelerate the supply of products into some of the world's largest supermarkets, gourmet butchers and direct to customers online,” said managing director Hugh Killen.
Indian agritech startup raises US$12mn from Sequoia Capital
INDIAN ONLINE AGRIBUSINESS marketplace DeHaat has raised US$12mn in a series A round led by Sequoia Capital India.
Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO, Omnivore and AgFunder participated in this round.
As reported in the Tech in Asia, DeHaat is set to scale up to 2,000 rural retail centres for last-mile delivery and farm produce aggregation, as well as boost the number of farmers on its network to one million by June 2021.
Additionally, the company is planning to use part of the capital to automate supply chain and boost data analytics capability to drive efficiency, the source added.
Abhishek Mohan, vice-president at Sequoia Capital India, said that DeHaat focuses on capitalising on India’s US$350bn agricultural sector that includes around 100mn small and independent farmers.
In March 2019, DeHaat raised US$4mn in a pre-series A round, which was led by Omnivore and AgFunder.
EVENTS 2020
JUNE
22-23 Agri Summit 2020
JULY
9-10 Global Grain Asia
AUGUST
3-5 Flower Expo China 2020
Guangzhou, China www .flowerexpochina.com/index.php? lang=en
17-18 Agriculture & Organic Farming
Tokyo, Japan www .agriculture.agriconferences.com
26-28 Inagritech Inpalm Asia
Jakarta, Indonesia www .inapalm-asia.net
SEPTEMBER
4-6 Agri Asia
Gujarat, India www .agriasia.in
8-10 Livestock Malaysia
Melaka, Malaysia www .livestockmalaysia.com
FOOD OUTLOOK
THE FAO FOOD Price Index (FFPI) averaged 165.5 points in April 2020, down 3.4 per cent from March and the lowest since January 2019. The April decline marked the third consecutive monthly fall in the value of the Index; largely attributed to several negative impacts on international food markets arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged nearly 164.0 points in April, down marginally from March but still up almost 2.4 per cent from April 2019. Among major cereals, international prices of wheat and rice rose significantly in April, but a sharp drop in maize quotations. Wheat prices averaged 2.5 per cent higher month-on-month, reflecting strong international demand amid reports of a quick fulfilment of the export quota from the Russian Federation. The imposition of temporary export restrictions and logistical bottlenecks in some suppliers fuelled a 7.2 per cent monthly increase in international rice prices.
The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index averaged 131.8 points in April, shedding 5.2 per cent from last month and hitting its lowest level since August 2019. The third consecutive monthly decrease in the index mainly reflects falling palm, soy and rapeseed oil values, whereas sunflower oil prices strengthened. The continued decline in palm oil prices was driven by the plunge in international crude oil quotations and sluggish global demand for palm oil in the food and energy sectors because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The FAO Dairy Price Index averaged 196.2 points in April, down 3.6 per cent from March, registering the second consecutive month of decline and down
PRIVA AND ARANET have partnered to enable integrated wireless technology, aiming to bridge the gap between wireless sensors platforms and other data sources in greenhouses.
The integration of Aranet sensors with Priva systems enables growers to analyse all their greenhouse processes and to create new insights based on that data.
Patrick Dankers, product manager at Priva, said that the aim is to help growers from all over the world to take advantage of the opportunities that wireless technology offers today.
Priva and Aranet to intensify wireless technology in horticulture
8.8 per cent from its value in the corresponding month last year. Quotations for butter, skim milk powder (SMP) and whole milk powder (WMP) fell by more than 10 per cent in April, reflecting increased export availabilities and mounting inventories amid weak import demand.
The FAO Meat Price Index averaged 168.8 points in April, down 2.7 per cent from March, registering the fourth consecutive monthly decline. In April, international quotations for all meat types represented in the index fell, as a partial recovery in import demand, mainly in China, was insufficient to balance a slump in imports from other countries, caused by continued COVID-19 related economic hardship, logistical bottlenecks and a steep fall in demand from the food services sector due to lockdowns.
The FAO Sugar Price Index averaged 144.points in April, down 14.6 per cent from March, marking the second consecutive monthly decrease. This latest drop was mostly on the back of a collapse in international crude oil prices. Falling energy prices means that sugar mills divert more sugarcane for the production of sugar instead of ethanol, a substitute for gasoline, hence expanding sugar export availabilities.
Image credit: Priva
Malaysia to import record rice from India
MALAYSIA HAS SIGNED a deal to import a record 100,000 tonnes of rice from India, in a sign of improving trade relations between the countries after a diplomatic spat.
The first purchase for 2020 is nearly twice the average annual volume of rice Malaysia has imported from India in the last five years. This is because other neighbouring suppliers, such as Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia, placed temporary curbs on exports to save grain for domestic use during the COVID-19 crisis.
Speaking to Reuters, B V Krishna Rao, president of India's Rice Exporters Association, said that Malaysia’s rice imports from India could rise to 200,000 tonnes in 2020 after the latest deals.
The source further reported that Malaysia’s rice import deal from India is a huge jump in recent imports of other commodities including sugar from India, the largest purchaser of Malaysian palm oil.
Vietnam’s Hai Duong exports first batch of lychees to Singapore, USA, Australia
THE DEPARTMENT AGRICULTURE and Rural Development in Vietnam’s Hai Duong Province organised a ceremony on 25 May for export and shipment of the first batches of Hai Duong lychees in 2020 season to Singapore, Australia and the USA.
Ameii Vietnam JSC shipped the first container of lychees to Singapore and Rong Do Production, Trade and Services Co Ltd exported the first batch to Australia and the USA.
Nguyen Xuan Cuong, minister of agriculture and rural development, visited a lychees cultivation zone in Thanh Son commune that is granted code to export to Japan, and Ameii Vientam farm produce processing plant in Thanh Xa commune, Thanh Ha district.
As reported in the VNA, the total lychees production is expected to reach around 230,000 tonnes during the 2020 crop season.
Vietnam’s Hai Duong is home to around 9,700 ha of lychees cultivation. The total litchi output is estimated at 45,000 tonnes in 2020. As reported in Nhan Dan,
The total lychees production is expected to reach around 230,000 tonnes during the 2020 crop season.
around 19 farming areas with a total production of 1,300 tonnes have been granted with area codes to be eligible for exporting lychees to the USA, Australia and the EU. Additionally, four farming areas with a total volume of 200 tonnes have been granted with area codes for exporting the fruit to China.
Philippines’ fisheries production declines 3.2 per cent in Q1 2020
THE FISHERIES PRODUCTION in Philippines has declined 3.2 per cent in the Q1 2020, according to the data by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Fisheries production from January to March 2020 reached 980.73 thousand mt, lower by 3.2 per cent from its Q1 2019 production of 1,013.04 thousand mt.
According to the PSA data, catch from commercial fisheries reduced by 2.2 per cent, decreasing from the 217.81 thousand mt production in the same period of 2019 to 213.11 thousand mt this quarter. The production from commercial fisheries comprised 21.7 per cent of the total fisheries production.
Further, the municipal fisheries subsector reported a 3.4 per cent reduction in production as catch from marine and inland fishing dropped.
Aquaculture production posted a slowdown of 3.5 per cent during the quarter. Volume of production dropped to 507.56 thousand mt compared with its previous year’s same quarter level of 526.05 thousand mt. Produce from aquaculture constituted 51.8 per cent of the total fisheries production during the reference period.
Of the 20 major species, 15 recorded reductions in production led by tiger prawn (31.1 per cent), mudcrab (18.2 per cent), slipmouth (11.2 per cent), fimbriated sardines (10.6 per cent) and roundscad (8.5 per cent).
On the other hand, the volume of produce expanded in blue crab (14.5 per cent), bali sardinella (13.7 per cent), threadfin bream (10.4 per cent), milkfish (0.8 per cent) and squid (0.6 per cent).
Spotlight on Indonesia’s livestock, feed and fisheries advancements
The event will provide a platform for decision-makers and buyers across Asia.
The 2021 event is expected to provide a platform for exhibitors to source new technology and equipment, while exhibiting the latest technological advances and industry trends.
AFTER CLOSELY MONITORING the Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, COVID-19 situation, PT Napindo Indo Livestock Expo & Forum is set to Media Ashatama, the organisers of provide a platform for decision makers and Indo Livestock Expo & Forum, has buyers across Asia. The event will be a decided to postpone the 2020 edition of the preferred venue for exhibitors to source new event and reschedule it to 23-25 June 2021 technology and equipment, while exhibiting at Jakarta Convention Centre (JCC), the latest technological advances and Jakarta, Indonesia. industry trends.
“We believe it is the right decision to protect the health of the industry and Capitalising on the growth of Indonesia’s indded the wider population in these livestock sector unprecedented circumstances,” stated the In line with the event’s major focus areas, organiser in a press statement. Indo Livestock Expo & Forum 2021 will
Hosted by the Directorate General of put the spotlight on capitalising on the Livestock and Animal Health, Ministry of growing industry in Indonesia. Indonesia’s economy is projected to grow
Around 70 per cent of the population in Indonesia are impressively. Indonesia is the largest country in Southeast Asia, with a labour force of 265mn people. Around 70 per cent of the involved in the livestock, feed population are involved in the livestock, feed and fisheries industry. The population of and fisheries industry.” broiler chickens during the 2013-2017 period was predicted to increase by 3.28 per cent per year on average and in the next five years, it is predicted to increase by an average of 5.54 per cent. While the production of broiler eggs for five years (2018-2021) is predicted to increase by an average of 4.87 per cent per year while the average consumption will increase by 4.18 per cent per year.
The scope of exhibit include animal husbandry and feeding techniques; feed storage and feed production; milking and cooling technology; measuring, instrumentation and control; safety systems; stable and hall engineering; transport vehicles; management and consulting service; recycling and waste disposal systems; breeding animals, breeding programmes and trade and animal health.
Some of the sponsors include: Department of Industry, Department of Trade, Indonesian Exhibition Companies Association, Indonesian Poultry Breeder Association, Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association, Indonesian Veterinary Drugs Association, Indonesian Feedmills Association, Indonesian Poultry Entrepreneur Association, Association Poultry Producers, Federation of Asean Poultry Producers (FAPP), Indonesian Poultry Information Centre and Indonesian Society of Animal Science (ISPI). ■
