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Volume 7 | Issue 5 March-2021
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Monthly Magazine for Feed Technology
EDITORIAL Publisher & Editor Prachi Arora prachi.a@benisonmedia.com
Managing Editor
Nutrition and immunity go hand in hand
N
utrition plays a fundamental role in improving
immunity and protecting from infections. With
Dr. T.K. Walli Former Head, Dairy Cattle Nutrition, NDRI
Subscription Head Gaurav Chander g.chander@benisonmedia.com
the spike in cases after months of decline, it is
essential to look into the nutrition where animal protein can play a vital role. Better consumer awareness about the importance of nutrition has resulted in increased animal protein consumption. But how the Indian poultry
Designing & Online Marketing Head Ashwani Verma info@benisonmedia.com
industry cope-up with the pandemic and what lessons they learned, read cover story on pg.5 where industry
Published by
stalwarts representing the complete value chain of the
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Indian poultry sector shared their opinions and suggestions during an interactive webinar on 18th February. Women play a pivotal role in our everyday lives, be it business, society, education, healthcare, and beyond. In the pandemic, they demonstrated resilience and exceptional leadership by managing both workplace and home. On this International Women’s Day, we decided to cover some women of our industry and know about their journey and challenges. Fortunately, the list is bigger, and we hope to cover more women in the Monthly Magazine for Feed Technology
upcoming issues. Read pg. 10-18 to know more about these leading ladies. Safe milk is healthy milk. Managing cattle nutrition for quality milk production and efficient breeding plays a major role in profitable and sustainable dairying. Read the article on Feed strategies for profitable dairying contributed by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) on pg. 22. Happy reading!
Prachi Arora
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Dr. Dinesh T. Bhosale Former Chairman, CLFMA of India Dr. S.P. Vinil Poultry Expert Mr. Amit Sachdev Indian Representative, US Grain Council Dr. P.E. Vijay Anand US Soybean Export Council Dr. Suhas Amrutkar Subject Matter Specialist, Animal Nutrition, MAFSU, Parbhani Dr. SN Mohanty Former Principal Scientist, CIFA Dr. Meeta Punjabi Mehta Agricultural Economist Raghavan Sampath Kumar Commodity Expert Dr. Swamy Haladi Feed Additive Expert Dr. R Gnana Sekar Lead Consultant, GS Dairy Farm Consulting Dr. Suraj Amrutkar Assistant Professor, Dept. of ILFC, SKUAST-J, Jammu
MonthlyVollume Magazine for 10 Feed Technology 1 | Issue | August 2015
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
Contents WEBINAR REPORT
INDUSTRY THOUGHT
18
05 Outlook of the Indian Poultry Industry
Gender equality An essential ingredient for growth of global agri-food industry
ARTICLE
INTERVIEW
Women of Indian Poultry Industry
22
Feeding strategies for profitable dairying
10 Lavita Dalgado Premium Chick Feeds
27
High time to look at the threats of bird flu
14 Likhita Reddy Lotus Farms
MARKET PROJECTION 29 US Grains Price Report for week ending 12 Mar 2021
16 Dr Sabiha Kadari Trouw Nutrition
INDUSTRY NEWS 30 Poultry sector eyes recovery on rising demand
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Think Grain Think Feed is a monthly magazine published by BENISON Media at its office in Karnal. Editorial policy is independent. Views expressed by authors are not necessarily those held by the editors. The data/information provided in the magazine is sourced through various sources and the publisher considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible. However, the publisher accepts no liability for the material herein and consequently readers using this information do so at their own risk. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither BENISON Media, nor any of its employees or contributors accept any responsibility whatsoever for such persons’ and companies’ activities. All legal matters are subjected to Karnal Jurisdiction. Disclaimer : The published material and images are sourced from various websites and newspapers, and used for information purpose only, if you have any issue, please inform us at info@thinkgrainthinkfeed.co.in. BENISON Media or Think Grain Think Feed is not liable for any claim prior to written information.
WEBINAR REPORT
Outlook of the
Indian Poultry Industry Opinion of Industry Stalwarts 2020 has been a roller coaster ride for the Indian poultry industry. Rumours starting around February last year connecting COVID-19 with poultry consumption impacted all the stakeholders. The industry started to revive after 3-4 months but now is facing another challenge of bird flu. To understand how the industry cope up with the rumors and future strategies, Think Grain Think Feed organized a webinar on 18th February with Mr. Shiva Mudgil of Rabobank. The webinar was attended by 124 attendees and has 1000+ views on various social media platforms. "Integrators were also impacted up to some extent but because of better farm management, animal health, efficiency, etc. they were able to recover in a better way compared to the unorganized sector which is still on its way to recovery," said Mr. Shiva while sharing his perspective on the industry. “The industry was expecting to come back to normalcy in the first quarter of the year but because of bird flu that has not been the case so now, it is yet to be seen how the recovery would be in the next quarter," he added. According to him, COVID-19 resulted in the following market trends: ·Informal to formal market transition ·Integration of the industry from upstream to the
downstream side ·Better consumer awareness
COVID-19 turned to be positive for Indian poultry industry Mr. Gulrez Alam, Director, IB Group shared his experience as an integrator about the challenges and impact of rumors which adversely impacted the demand. “As an industry, we have seen challenges in operations, production, logistics to everything. Resilience is the key and the whole industry responded very well,” said Mr. Alam. “We came out well in May onwards when lockdown started to stabilize and consumer awareness also increased about the importance of nutrition to build immunity. This negative of COVID-19 turned out to positively impact the industry,” he added. Amiya Nath, a renowned feed professional and Vice-President of Japfa Comfeed India divided the last year into the following three parts:
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WEBINAR REPORT
SHIVA MUDGIL Rabobank Moderator
PROF. G. DEVEGOWDA Nutritionist
·COVID link (Jan-Mar
2020) - proved to be the worst period in the history of the Indian poultry industry ·COVID rule (April-June
2020) – laid down new rules and there was a medium impact ·COVID life (June-Dec
2020) - great recovery “Since the start of the pandemic, employee safety was our first priority. June onwards, business-wise it started to improve especially due to government support of announcing poultry as an essential good. Internationally also, we revived in the second half of the previous year,” he commented. Genetics plays a vital role in the poultry industry which along with better farm management can bring more profitability to the farmer. But everything coming to still due to COVID-19, what has been the impact on a genetic company? Mr. Marc Scott, Manager, Aviagen India said it takes 6 months before the product comes into production and hence business-wise, we were least impacted. “Planning and communication were the keys. Biosecurity
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Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
GULREZ ALAM IB Group
MARC SCOTT Aviagen India
measures followed at GGP and GP farms helped really well. Still more research needs to be done to protect the birds from poultry diseases like Avian Influenza (AI),” added Mr. Scott. Last year feed prices remained low and margins were better for the broiler industry but volumes were low. “Challenge of the pandemic was unexpected but we managed well due to good price management by our team. This period taught us to finetune ourselves in terms of price-risk management, inventory management, and better planning. This has been the same with integrators but smaller producers were badly impacted. Though we also came up for the rescue of layer farms where we helped them with emergency supplies and also built new customers,” stated Mr. Selvan Kannan, Chief Technical Officer with Noveltech Feeds (a Goldman Sachs company). Quick-Service Restaurant (QSR) chains are getting back to normal. The results of listed chains in India showed Oct-Nov sales to near to normal (as that of
SELVAN KANNAN Noveltech Feeds
pre-COVID levels) even retail stores are performing above pre-COVID levels in terms of generating sales. But overall chains are still impacted. “It was a challenging time but also an opportunity as a lot of consumers shifted from live birds to the processed category where startups like Licious, freshtohome, etc. done an excellent job and a lot of new players are coming into this segment. The main challenge was QSR was not the product selling but the time limit for home delivery or take away. But as the situation improved, things started turning out, chains like McDonald, Dominos, etc. started to coming back to the normalcy of 80-85% to pre-COVID levels and some reached even 100%. There are positive signs for the processing industry,” said Mr. Bhupinder Singh, MD and CEO of Vista Processed Foods. 2021 – A year of hope Bird flu scare started hitting since starting of the year 2021 while on the market side, B2B segment -hotels and dinning still needs to recover. But consumer preferences are changing
A. D. NATH Japfa Comfeed
BHUPINDER SINGH Vista Processed Foods
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Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
and restaurants are adapting to the new trends. “The restaurants are becoming innovative; the trend of protein consumption is going up. In QSR, prior to COVID-19, veg sales were better compared to the non-veg segment but this has been reversed. More innovative chicken products started coming into the market. Though in the case of restaurants, it is yet to place a proper system for purchase as consumer trust is still missing. While due to better trust, modern chains on QSR with traceability and backward integration of the meat have seen growth. I see good growth in this category for 2021,” commented Mr. Singh. Consumer engagement In India, there are still 90% traditional stores while 10% modern stores. Consumer awareness still lacks and as an industry it is high time to start investing in marketing and branding. “Consumer engagement would result in better consumer awareness, like the concept of 4G restaurant introduced by KFC where they are taking its customers' survey that would also bring consumer awareness,” said Mr. Nath. “Chicken and egg should be termed as immune supporters as these are the best source of proteins helping in immune status and it might also help to fight other miscommunications created by various vested interest,” added Mr. Kannan. “As the consumer is not well informed that is why various
rumors impact the consumption badly. But in the case of AI, we have to deal together as an industry with assistance from the government,” commented Mr. Scott. Technology - A key driver going forward Consumer preferences are changing with a better understanding of the relationship between complete nutrition and immunity, and the Indian poultry industry is adopting these changes. "I see a 50100% increase in processed chicken from the base that the industry had pre-COVID. The only challenge is the supply chain downstream towards the processing which is only possible with the adoption of technology on both upstream and downstream side," remarked Mr. Alam. For the feed industry, it has always been a roller coaster ride. "Price fluctuation, availability, etc. are issues faced regularly by the feed industry that’s why we started forward buying and planning our procurement. To ensure quality supply of raw materials which otherwise is a big challenge, Noveltech has also recently invested 100 million dollars in a solvent extraction plant," acknowledged Mr. Kannan.
technology and environment-controlled poultry houses we will not have a bright future for the industry. With technology, the bird will be better protected, farmers will have better income and there will be lesser use of antibiotics or maybe in longer run no use of antibiotics at all,” said Mr. Alam. Is integration the way forward? Poultry farming is a science that needs regular upgradation. "It would be more ideal for farmer to focus on farming, feed miller on feed milling, and chicken processor on processing. In India, almost every farmer produces his own feed which is not the case with the western markets, where feed companies are offering feed even to the breeding companies. In such a scenario, more innovations can be expected and if feed companies are able to produce on a large scale and become competitive, even a small-scale farmer should be able to make the profits," opined Mr. Kannan. Country birds – is it sustainable & economically viable? Country birds are more
It is important for the farmer to be equipped with the technology and that is true for both whether it is a new farmer planning to come into the farming or someone who is already into farming. It is capital-intensive. "Until and unless farmers upgrade and invest in
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WEBINAR REPORT immune but there is a question of business viability in terms of FCR or weight gain. "Though country birds are in India for a long time but it gained a special identity during COVID time. When commercial broiler prices were crashed desi bird was sold at Rs 300-400. For the entire last year, country bird placement was increased by 50%. Due to encouragement from the government and small farmers getting into technology to improve the efficiency of country birds, I see this segment may take a different shape in the coming years," commented Mr. Nath. Better immunity and survival make country birds an ideal option for rural farmers. But in commercial farming, there are many other factors. “It
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
may not be fair to compare farm birds with country birds as farm birds are totally commercial breed. It has been developed in such a way that it is very sturdy and resistant, requires less vaccination, and has better immunity to survive in open houses so very suitable for rural farming,” said Mr. Kannan. "Broilers, free-birds or country birds is a consumer choice. Looking at the increasing consumption in India, the country bird is going to be around. But consumer demands clean hygienic meat which is a question in terms of country birds, going forward sustainability and carbon footprint also become a concern as these birds take
longer time to get to the desired weight. A country like India, needs a cheap source of protein, while country birds need land and yield a higher FCR, hence it won't be a cheap source," said Mr. Scott. Going forward Genetics is a continuous process; better birds have been developed and they continue to be developed for the future. “We at Aviagen have birds for all type of market segments, today we are already developing the birds for the future beyond 2025. Processing, controlled housing, and automation are the upcoming market trends in the Indian poultry industry,” said Mr. Scott. The role of nutrition cannot be understated whether it is increased egg production
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from 140 eggs (4 decades ago) to 330 eggs (presently) or chicken which used to grow in 65 days while today gains same body weight in 32-35 days. “Breed, feed, farm management - all have a role to play in such improvements which is a continuous process and there is a lot of development going on globally. Though India is doing great in terms of nutrition still it is a unique country in the globe with so many alternate raw materials available which are not there even with the neighboring countries. Using these alternative raw materials with little more investment into the enzymes or technologies can help to produce cheaper egg, milk, and chicken in India,” commented Mr. Kannan. "Improved quality can protect the Indian market and can also provide us with export opportunities. FSSAI coming into the picture in July is a good indication to upgrade the quality standards and if we invest into food safety, antibiotic-free chicken then obviously we will be able to promote the local consumption and also be eligible for exports,” he added while discussing the scope of the Indian market and future trends. "On the retail side, downstream companies going upstream and viceversa. A lot of companies are going into backward integration. We see a lot of start-ups going into backward integration and poultry people coming into poultry processing," stated Mr. Singh. “I see the second-generation poultry farmer doesn't want
to be in the same industry and this is due to a generation gap. Technology can change their mindset as it will not only give better performance or better scale to the farmer but also longevity in terms of continuity of business with their next generation,” added Mr. Alam. "On the future of supplydemand in India, India should remain self-sufficient at least until 2025. India with 1.3 billion people and per capita consumption of 3.5 kg of chicken and 65 eggs, has a great scope of growth," said Mr. Nath.
processed chicken meat and there is an increase in online sales and take away. But the retail outlets selling live birds should improve hygienic conditions. As India is still 9095% live bird market," said Prof. Devegowda. “Some of processed chicken outlets mention chicken to be free from hormones and steroids which might benefit them for a short period but negatively impact the overall
Conclusions Prof. G Devegowda, a renowned nutritionist joined for the concluding remarks. “Whenever we have bird flu in the country there is a drastic reduction in the market price causing huge economic loss to the producer. The cause of recent bird flu is migratory birds but apart from that, it is also seen spreading through country birds. The reason is poor biosecurity measures, no vaccination, and poor management in backyard farming,” he stated. "All the stakeholders involved in country birds farming should follow the vaccination, improve management practices," he suggested. In the COVID times, consumer awareness has increased about animal protein consumption and better immunity, and hence the consumer preference has changed which resulted in increased consumption of chicken and eggs. “Now the consumer is switching from live bird to
industry. Such practices should be avoided,” he added. Sustainable poultry production can take India to newer heights. The first step is to ensure efficient use of natural resources like feed, water. “There is a tremendous improvement in terms of Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) compared to the year 2000 when FCR was 2.5 which is 1.5 in 2020, and 70% less water usage compared to 2000. This resulted in lesser requirements for raw material and land. But there is still a scope of improvement as 25% of feed goes undigested producing nitrogen and ammonia. So improved digestion by using enzymes and other technologies should be our next target,” stated Prof. Devegowda. You may access the QnA session on www.benisonmedia.com and videos on the YouTube Channel of Benison Media.
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INTERVIEW
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
Women of Indian Poultry Industry W
omen play a pivotal role in our everyday lives, business, society, education, healthcare, and beyond. On this International Women’s Day, Think Grain Think Feed connected with some of the women leaders who are contributing to the growth of the Indian Poultry Industry.
Lavita Dalgado Premium Chick Feeds
After completing her MBA from Mumbai, she started her career in the financial sector where she worked for 8 years. But in all these years she kept in touch with her father about the progress Poultry Industry and in 2013 she took the hard decision to join Premium Chick Feeds. Today, after 6 years working in the industry, she feels delighted about her decision to change the industry and shares more about the learning, challenges, and some tips for the young girls who have started to work in the industry or planning to join. Please read the below excerpts.
10
You are the third generation in the group and have seen your family running the business since your childhood. Would you please share about learning from the family? Yes, my father Mr. Neil Dalgado started at a tender age and is the 2nd
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generation of our family in the industry. We had poultry farms in Panvel which were run by my Grandfather Mr. Victor Dalgado, and if I look back it's been about 50 years of experience that my Father possesses, having seen him work at every level, right from door-to-door delivery of eggs to now looking after all our projects for the company. I have learned a lot from him, and the other directors of Premium Chick Feeds, however, one common learning is that I have seen them put in a lot of hard work and being driven by passion, which I believe is the key to Succeed and excel in any sphere of life. Balancing your professional and personal life can be challenging, what is your take on this? Work-life balance is a concept that describes the ideal situation in which a working person can split his or her time and energy between work and other important aspects of her life. Achieving work-life balance is a daily challenge. It is tough to make time for family, friends, community participation, spirituality, personal growth, self-care, and other personal activities, in addition to the demands of the workplace. Going by my experience, the nature of Work-Life Balance challenges change in different phases of life, like as a daughter, a newly-wed wife/spouse, a daughter in law, a young mother, or a
friend. Some of the work-life balancing techniques ? Know your
Boss/Manager's schedule ? Know when to make
calls and when to do administrative work ? Schedule family
vacations to minimize work disruption ? If you telecommute,
ensure that your tech tools are state-of-the-art ? Draw a clear line
between your personal and work time ? If you're an overachiever,
consider cutting back When you are the Boss ? If you're a manager, and
you tend to be an overachiever, encourage your staff to take breaks—even if you don't. (You really should, though) ? Make sure that you
aren't holding back the reigns when it comes to your employees' worklife balance. Learning to let go will pay dividends in building a dedicated, motivated staff. Bottom line ? Achieving a comfortable
work-life balance as a parent doesn't just happen randomly any more than does a great career. It takes strategy and thought. It's a give and a take, and it stems from a choice and a sacrifice. You can make
work-life balance labour of love—after all, it is about love. How do you envision the future of the Indian Poultry Industry? Indian Poultry Industry has come a long way from backyard poultry to integrated farming. As the industry grows, with a current per capita chicken consumption at 3.3 kg in India to the world average of 17 kg, we as an Industry have a great opportunity and a huge gap to fill. However, there are certain Indiaspecific features, like open sheds and small average farm size. But that doesn't preclude us from adopting the most modern technology, which we have been doing. In fact, we are actually proud of providing widely distributed selfemployment across the country. I visualize the Indian Poultry to be known as one of the most, if not the most, efficient in the world. I can see continued advances and modernization in the Industry in the following key areas: ? Production Farms:
Increasingly efficient machines and equipment including automation. ? Feed Manufacturing:
Increasingly indigenous machinery deployed comparable with the best in the world. Improved Feed Formulation with better Conversion Efficiencies
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INTERVIEW
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
in farms. ? Branding: Increasing
recognition and preference of Chicken consumer and trader for quality reared broilers. ? Birds Processing – I see
a consumer behavior shift (though at a slow pace) from live bird chicken meat to processed chicken. And further moving to frozen, Ready-to-Cook to Ready-to-Eat. I see stiff competition in this space among different brands and survival of the best in quality and service to the customer. And thus, to provide Microbial free antibiotic free healthy and safe chicken at the lowest cost to every consumer across the country. What piece of advice would you give to girls who are looking to pursue their careers in the industry?
When I joined, I was one of the only women at various Conferences and Meets. But that is quickly changing. We now see Women at varied levels and pillars of the Poultry Sector be it through Veterinary Services - we see a number of Women Veterinary Doctors, Women in Management, Accounts, and HR. All this is becoming possible as the industry gets more and more organized and business more and more professionally managed. There is a never-ending scope for this industry, being a part of the Food Industry, and hence it will always stand tall. Women can join Veterinary courses and contribute to the field of Poultry genetics, Poultry microbiology, Poultry nutrition and Food hygiene, and other poultry courses thus leading to the improvement of the quality of chicken, production efficiency and concurrently lowering costs.
At the grass-root level, a significant number of these farms are run by women. Also, backward farming is primarily done by women, as of date comprises of 20% of India's poultry sector. We have women working at Breeder Farms, Hatcheries, and the Retail stores interacting with customers. Organized Poultry business is becoming more and more complex and its Management and Monitoring systems getting refined with time, reducing the need for physical field monitoring by Senior Management for operations performance. This, in turn, has also afforded women's growth in the sector. Premium Chick Feeds alone has about 20 Women Employed in various departments. While managing the departments, I see there is no falling back or a gap in the performances of women in any of these departments of the company. Also, for an example of myself, the Industry has its harshness and crudeness though my entry to the company was smooth with the experiences I had from my Father, but I had to also find my space and way in it. I personally believe that women are born with a gift of Multitasking, and hence we have an edge in managing our homes, our families, kids and our work, and if we do put our mind to achieve anything, there is definitely nothing that can stop us.
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INTERVIEW
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
Likhita Reddy Lotus Farms
S
he represents the second generation of Lotus Farms Group of companies. Inspired by her father and uncle who
started the company in the early '90s, she was always driven to the idea of starting her own business. After completing her Masters in Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship from Newcastle University, UK, she came back to India and decided to join the family business. She along with her brother Arun Madhav started a new venture - Lotus Farm Chicken which is a B2C business dealing with the direct selling of products from farm to consumer. Read about her journey below.
14
You recently joined the
Consumption of both eggs
learning do not offer courses
industry; would you please
and chicken in the last five
on poultry farming, it reflects
share your observation of
years has increased to 68
on the process of
the Indian Poultry sector?
eggs per annum and 2.5kg
modernization of the
Consolidation of the industry
per annum, respectively.
industry. In my opinion,
is evident since India ranks
However, the number of
people should get the
third among the largest egg
trained professionals is
chance to be educated
producers and fourth in
limited in the sector, since
about poultry farming (as a
chicken production globally.
most institutions of higher
potential course in itself) to
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Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
keep this industry running
price fluctuations and of
modern trends of building
with the help of new
course, the daily challenges
the industry and moving
technology and modern
to keep the operations
forward with the help of
methods.
running.
technology and
I have also observed price
My father, Srihari Reddy, who
digitalization.
fluctuations which is one of
has been in this industry for
Tips for girls who are
the most challenging aspects
more than 25 years now, has
looking to pursue their
of this industry. Due to the
helped me understand the
careers in the industry.
price fluctuations,
importance of leading work-
Initially, being in the poultry
consistency in the market is
life and personal-life
industry was classified as
disturbed. Similarly,
parallelly. Also, my brother,
fieldwork with low hygiene
managing meat production
Arun Madhav has always
levels. As a result, most
in lean seasons is a
played a big role in
people have perceived the
challenge, especially during
supporting me and allowing
industry as suitable for low-
festivals when consumption
me to lean on to him, to
skilled individuals. However,
is low, or during special
ensure I maintain a good
the sector has evolved to
events when demand
work-life balance.
include professional
increases.
I am delighted to share that
responsibilities. For example,
Balancing your
the company supports work-
the industry introduced
professional and personal
life balance even for its
positions for veterinarians,
life can be challenging,
employees where they are
sales executives, and
what is your take on this?
given equal opportunities
nutritionists, among others. I
Work-life balance is not
without any gender bias. We
would encourage girls to
something that comes by
are actually working as a
explore this opportunity by
itself, it is an aspect that is
huge family representing
pursuing relevant courses in
acquired by us and which
diverse backgrounds.
these areas as a first step,
helps us prioritizing
Where do you see the
and then move on to
according to the situations in
industry going 10 years
appropriate work experience.
the right manner. Poultry is a
down the line?
The poultry industry is a
demanding industry that
The Indian poultry sector can
solution to the many
requires round-the-clock
expand significantly in the
potential youths in the
attention. It is important to
next 10 years, given the
nation as it is an industry
balance work life and
current per capita
that is constantly improving
personal life to keep
consumption rates of both
itself and expanding rapidly.
ourselves from drowning. In
eggs and meat. Notably,
We live in a society where it
the beginning, it was quite
poultry is the main source of
is important for a woman to
challenging to maintain a
protein in India, which
constantly work harder to be
work-life balance, particularly
translates to a potential
on the same road to success
since I was still
boost in the industry. As the
as everyone else. To all the
understanding the workings
sector expands, it will
girls and women out there,
of the industry. It was not
provide employment to
always remember - never let
easy to keep up with the
many youths, too. On the
anyone walk over you, reach
fast-moving changes that
same note, poultry farmers
for the eggs and you will get
took place with regard to the
will have to adjust to the
chickens.
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INTERVIEW
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
A
fter completing her Ph.D. in Poultry Science from IVRI, she started her career as an R&D Manager at a private
firm. But the turning point of her career was taking the Technical Role. In an e-interview with Think Grain Think Feed she shares more about her journey, the industry, and tips for girls who are starting their careers in the industry. Please read the below excerpts.
Dr Sabiha Kadari Trouw Nutrition
16
You have been working in
food chain and we have the
R&D which was a big turning
the industry for more than
responsibility of “feeding the
point in my career. I liked the
a decade. Would you
future” in a responsible and
idea and since then have
please share about
sustainable manner. After my
been enjoying meeting new
learnings or interesting
Ph.D. in Poultry Science from
and varied customers from
incidents?
IVRI, I started working as an
different geographies,
The most exciting thing
R&D Manager at a private
discussing with them
about working in the poultry
firm. Then the organization
industry challenges, and
industry is its dynamic
asked me to take up a
coming up with potential
nature. We are part of the
“Technical Role” instead of
solutions. I was very
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Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
fortunate that in my very
Where do you see the
out of Universities should
early career itself, I had the
industry going 10 years
have big dreams and clear
opportunity to work with
down the line?
goals. The livestock industry
some bright minds and great
The Indian poultry industry
will certainly be a platform
legends of the industry.
has the highest potential for
for them to achieve their
Sharing the stage with Dr.
growth in the world. In the
goals. According to me,
Leeson as a speaker was the
last few decades, it has
young girls should develop 3
highlight of my career so far.
grown tremendously despite
C”'s - Courage, Confidence,
Please share about
many challenges. To bring in
and Communication. Maybe
challenges you faced
more efficiencies and
I can add another “C” – be
including work-life
consistent performance, the
curious and ask questions
balance.
industry will gradually move
and guidance from industry
I am a firm believer that
towards automation in each
leaders. We need more girls
challenges are part and
sector. Digitalization is
and women to join our
parcel of life and the key lies
picking up across the globe,
industry to make it more
in converting the
and the Indian industry will
vibrant. In today's world
“Challenges” into
adopt this technology across
wherein we talk a lot about
“Opportunities”. It is all
the value chain, which will
diversity and inclusion,
about making use of
play a big role in addressing
women deem to be a good
opportunities, setting your
the food safety and
fit in this by bringing in a lot
own standards, and live by
traceability challenges. Big
of varied thoughts,
them both on a personal
data management and
dimensions, ideas, etc., for a
and professional front. I have
artificial intelligence is
given scenario. At the start
been very fortunate that my
another trend the industry
of my career at many a
mentors in various
will move towards and will
place, I would be the only
gain momentum over time.
lady industry representative
Getting the right price for
and nowadays it is good to
animal produce is still a big
see the trend changing. It is
concern. As the cost of
heartening to know that
production is increasing, our
many company owners and
produce should get a
managers cite me as an
consistently better price.
example to their female staff
Therefore, I feel there should
about how we need to be
be innovations in the way we
courageous to travel and be
market our product. This
dynamic at workplaces. I
along with increased chicken
would like to sign off by
processing will certainly help
saying that gender
to standardize the volatility
discrimination should not
in end-product pricing.
happen in any industry and
Tips for girls who are
an opportunity should be
looking to pursue their
given solely based on the
careers in the industry.
potential of the candidate. I
organizations gave a lot of freedom in work that provided a great learning opportunity and as well helped me to manage my personal life. My family had been and continues to be a great support in managing this work-life balance, during my travels. Of course, then you have friends who unconditionally support you whenever needed. Working in the poultry industry has been rewarding to me and I must say that I was never subjected to any gender discrimination at either
As I said before, the poultry
workplace or in the industry.
industry is very dynamic and exciting. Young girls coming
think India has advanced leaps and bounds already in this direction.
17
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INDUSTRY THOUGHT
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
Gender equality An essential ingredient for growth of global agri-food industry
Vinny Madhuri G Bayer Crop Science
I
nternational Women's Day is a great time to reflect on the vital role women play in agriculture. Being 50% of the population, women make essential contributions to society and economies.
The U.N. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) recognizes gender equality as a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Hence gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but it is also essential to advancing society and the global agri-food industry. On the larger canvas, we all need the commitment to empower women farmers and women employees with a robust support system. Personal Experience I'm proud to be in the field that feeds the world. "When I began my career in agribusiness 11 years ago, confidence didn't come naturally". I've learned that an equal opportunity environment at home and work supported this realization.
18
leadership positions, so younger female colleagues
Increased education is not only
have more role models to
critical to women's health and well
inspire them.
being, but it has also accounted for
Women are often confronted
about 50 percent of economic
with unconscious biases and prejudices but she has to
growth in OECD countries over the
find her own purpose and
past 50 years, according to U.N.
work towards it. Below are the some of the points that
Women.
helped me
The Global Food Security Index (GFSI) report found that increasing women's participation in agricultural R&D will provide long-term solutions to help improve food
·Having a self-
compassionate mindset, don't let perceived judgments from others hold you back ·Be aware of micro
aggressions and know
security.
how to react proactive or assertive way ·Stereotyping is natural
Women are capable, the
resilience. It has made
roles they fulfil are valuable,
organizations and people
but pay attention when
and must empower women
around more mindful and
you attach judgment to
in any industry, for that
empathetic.
it, adopt a curiosity
matter.
Over the years I have found
mindset instead
In a recent "Women in the
that women in our industry
·Having a 'YES I CAN'
Workplace" study, McKinsey
have proven to be highly
attitude and recognizing
found that one in four
successful, despite the
that where you are
industry dominated by men.
today is not by chance
women is considering downshifting her career or leaving the workforce due to COVID-19. That's a significant consequence of our times that needs utmost attention and elevate inclusion efforts. In the last few decades, women have carved an important place in the agribusiness leadership domain. While this last year has proven to be very challenging, it has also been a testament to the power of
In the marketing, sustainability, customer service and research spaces, some of the largest portfolios are headed by women. Our eye for detail, bringing empathy, resilience to the workspace, and managing relationships set us apart from our male counterparts. Inclusion at the workplace cultivates creativity and
·Build your support
structures and network ·Let go of perfection,
embrace imperfections, and learn from them ·Embrace your authentic
self – learn to be proud of your strengths and use them to move forward Work-life balance – unattainable myth
drives innovation. Moving
All working women
forward, we need more
recognize that the perfect
qualified women in
balance between work and
19
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INDUSTRY THOUGHT
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
home life is an unattainable
cooking or making sure I
business sense. Studies have
myth. Instead, I believe we
take enough time off to
shown that gender-diverse
play multiple life roles that
travel to new places, which is
teams have higher revenue
require more effort/time
always a learning and
compared with male-
than others. One should not
rejuvenating experience.
dominated teams.
hesitate in seeking help from
Tips for women venturing
75% of the women
others at work and home
into agribusiness
responding to the 2019
environment to share the
It is good to see more and
Women in Food and
load. Also, I strongly believe
more girls studying
Agriculture Survey felt that a
in prioritizing the roles and
agriculture and veterinary
lack of mentor ship was a
decide how best to manage
sciences. For young women
significant barrier to their
time across your various
entering the agribusiness
career development.
roles and responsibilities. It is
industry, my advice would be
Networking is vital; curating
essential to relax and take a
to invest in yourself – on
meaningful relationships and
break in the form of a hobby
communication skills, believe
adding value to them is
or holiday. I do it by writing,
in yourself, and also keep
crucial for career growth.
learning (every day is Day1)–
Agriculture is an industry
every industry constantly
that can thrive positively
changes. It's essential to
because of the community
always be on top of all the
of like-minded people.
About the author
Ms. Vinny Madhuri, currently working as Grower Digital Connect
various trends. Don't be
Women around the world
afraid to take risks at work
want and deserve equal
and ask for constructive
opportunities for a brighter
feedback.
future. To achieve this, there
Also, to the women in the
should be women at every
industry, it is our
table where decisions are
Manager - India,
responsibility to make sure
being made.
Bangladesh & Sri Lanka at
the next generation of
Finally, remember being able
Bayer Crop Science
women are educated,
to carry many hats as
Vinny has completed MBA
encouraged, and empowered
daughter, sister, wife,
in Agri Business
to meet the challenges of
manager, colleague, a
Management and has over
meeting the world's growing
mother is a strength!
11 years of experiecne with
food, fuel, and fibre needs.
This International Women's
organisations such as Axis
Organizations must align
Day, I encourage each one of
Bank and Alltech. In her last
their business objectives to
you to #ChooseToChallenge
assignment she worked as
help develop women leaders,
– to commit to learning
Marketing Manager, Aqua
improve education and
more about the role of
& Social Media (South Asia
awareness, and increase the
women in the ag industry, to
) for Alltech
pipeline of female talent.
remove barriers, and to
Her twitter handle is
Many organizations have
enable equitable workplaces,
@VinnyGandham
diversity but not an inclusive
both on and off the farm,
workplace culture.
offices, production facilities
Embracing inclusion and
for years to come.
equity also makes good
20
Dietary Protein meals fed to animals are degraded to the extent of 70-75% in the rumen (RPD). Large Portion of Protein from expensive cake/meals is wasted. Parkash Bypro Bypass protein is specially processed & treated at state of the Art Plant at Jalandhar, Punjab by M/s. Raunaq International so that degradation in the rumen can be reduced to around 30%. Parkash ByPro ByPass Protein are digested more efficiently in the small intestine (around 7075%) (UDP) and result in extra Protein being available for milk production and growth. Milk production increases by 10-15%. For further details, you may please refer to the recent article contributed by Dr TK Walli, Former Head, Dairy Nutrition Department, NDRI, Karnal at https://benisonmedia.com/success-story-of-bypass-protein/
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
Image Source: The Economic Times
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ARTICLE
Feeding strategies for profitable dairying V. Sridhar and Pritam Kishore Saikia Animal Nutrition Group, National Dairy Development Board Introduction Optimizing milk production and reproduction are imperative for sustainable dairy farming. This can be achieved through the adoption of scientific feeding practices. Interventions pertaining to 'Feed and Fodder' can play a pivotal role in making dairying more remunerative to the milk producers in both, the short term as well as the long-term situations. These interventions need to be targeted towards the achievement of the following: maximizing milk output at every stage of lactation, optimizing feeding cost, achieving the desired 'age at sexual maturity', maintaining reproductive efficiency throughout the productive life of the animal and maintenance of health and immunity in the face of metabolic stress and challenges V. Sridhar
by pathogens. 1.0: Feeding strategies for maximizing milk output during the lactation period In the production cycle of a dairy animal, a 100 day period of critical importance exists. This period begins 30 days prior to calving and continues up to 70 days post-calving. During this period, it is vital to ensure the birth of a healthy calf, maintain the health of the dam without
22
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Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
any incidence of metabolic disorders during the transition period, achieve
specifically formulated
Mobilization of body
nutrient-rich feed to the
reserves, though normal,
animal, to fulfill its energy
should be gradual and not
demand and prevent
more than 0.5 kg/day. Higher
metabolic disorders such as
loss of body weight may lead
ketosis and milk fever and at
to metabolic disorders
the same time minimize the
resulting in long-term impact
incidence of retained foetal
on production and
membranes, metritis and
reproduction.
mastitis post-calving.
In addition to the
NDDB has formulated a
supplementation of
specific 'pregnancy feed' to
specifically formulated 'early
fulfill these requirements.
lactation feed' to the animals
This feed is being
the maintenance of the
manufactured and supplied
concentrate to roughage
to the dairy farmers by the
ratio at 50:50 and the
milk federations/unions in
adoption of 'challenge
Punjab, Gujarat, and
feeding' are other
Karnataka with the active
recommended practices
support and guidance of
during the early lactation
NDDB. In dams receiving
phase.
pregnancy feed, the birth
2.0: Adoption of 'Strategic
weight of the calf born was
Animal Nutrition Plan' for
24% higher and the calf
optimizing the cost of
mortality rate was 50% lower
feeding
in comparison to the control group animals.
The strategic use of green fodder - comprising the right
1.2: Feeding of specially
mix of legume and cereal
formulated 'early lactation
fodders – in combination
feed' up to 70-90 days
with locally available
post-calving
concentrate materials/ cattle
achieve high fertility at first
The amount of milk
feed along with the usage of
breeding.
produced during the total
the right feed supplements
lactation depends primarily
can maximize productivity
peak milk production in line with the genetic potential, prevent excessive loss of 'Body Condition' as well as
1.1: Feeding of specially formulated 'pregnancy feed' to the dams During the final weeks of gestation, the nutrient requirement of the dam increases and this is accompanied by a simultaneous decline in appetite as well as rumen capacity, leading to low feed intake. It is therefore important to supplement
Pritam Kishore Saikia
on the milk yield during the
from animals while
early lactation as also the
optimizing production costs.
attainment of the peak yield
In line with this approach,
commensurate to the
NDDB has mooted the
animal's genetic potential.
'Strategic Animal Nutrition
During this early lactation
Plan' and the same has been
phase, the milk yield
adopted by some milk
increases more rapidly than
unions. Elements of this plan
the feed intake and the
comprise the evaluation of
animal starts mobilizing
nutrient requirements of
body reserves to meet the
animals in each physiological
energy requirements.
stage, assessment of the
23
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ARTICLE
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
farmer entrepreneurs, milk
Table: Strategic feeding plan for a cow yielding 11 liters of milk with 4% fat Existing feeding Particulars
Oat / Maize fodder Berseem/ Lucerne/ Cowpea fodder
Price (Rs/kg)
2
(Kg/ day) 25
Suggested feeding Suggested feeding during Rabi season during Kharif season
Amount (Rs)
(Kg/ day)
50
15
Amount (Rs)
(Kg/ day)
Amount (Rs)
30
20
40
unions, etc. Strategic use of feed supplements to address physiological and climaterelated challenges faced by milch animals
3
0
0
13
39
10
30
i. Feed supplement for improving Fat and SNF
Wheat straw (homegrown)
0
6.5
0
4
0
3
0
content in milk
Cattle feed BIS II
25
2
50
2
50
2.2
55
Fat and SNF content in milk
Mustard cake
25
0.5
12.5
0.5
13
0.5
13
Maize grain
23
1.7
39.1
1
23
1
23
Pulses & Chunni
40
0.6
24
0
0
0
0
of milk depends on many
Mineral mixture
60
0
0
0.1
6
0.1
6
factors such as species of the
Total
175.6
160.5
166.5
directly impacts the price realization by the dairy farmers. Fat and SNF content
animal, breed, lactation stage, season, milking
availability and price of key
example of such a plan
raw materials, planned green
implemented in the state of
fodder cultivation, fodder
Bihar.
conservation in the form of
Conservation of green
silage/hay and finally optimization of the dairy animals' rations by using Least Cost Ration Formulation software (which incidentally is available free of cost in the e-Gopala App and can be downloaded from Google Play Store).
'ready reckoner'.
energy-deficient rations, low Body Condition Score (BCS), improper rumen function,
fodder, particularly during
excessive concentrate
summer, increases the cost
feeding, improper roughage
of feeding and also hampers
to concentrate ratio,
animal productivity. It is
deficiencies of minerals, etc.
therefore important to conserve green fodder during seasons of surplus to lean periods.
farmers in the form of a
fat / SNF content in milk are:
The non-availability of green
every quarter by the Animal
communicated to the dairy
Several feeding strategies can be adopted for improving the fat and SNF content in milk. These include (but are not limited
NDDB has been rendering
to) the maintenance of an
continual support to dairy
appropriate roughage-
farmers and milk unions in
concentrate ratio,
all aspects of silage making.
supplementation of
Various models of silage
appropriate additives as well
In those areas wherein the
making – small scale,
as the avoidance of Negative
'Strategic Animal Nutrition
medium scale, and large
Energy Balance.
Plan' has been implemented,
scale with capacities of 5
the cost of production was
Metric Tons per day (MTPD),
reduced by about 8% with a
16 MTPD and 100 MTPD
commensurate increase in
respectively – have been
milk yield by about 12%. The
designed for the benefit of
table below details an
24
fodder in the form of silage
ensure regular supply during
the milk union and
Nutritional factors affecting imbalanced feeding, feeding
This plan is to be revised Nutritionists at the level of
practices, and nutrition.
NDDB has designed a specific feed supplement for the improvement of fat/SNF in milk. Studies have shown an average 7.2-9.6% increase
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ARTICLE
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
in fat and a 1.8-2.4% increase
production of this
than animals in the control
in SNF when this supplement
supplement with NDDB's
group. The 'age at first
was fed to cows. Similarly, an
support and are supplying
calving' in such calves were
average 2.4-3.7% increase in
the same to their pourer
31 months in Kankrej cows,
fat and 1.6-1.8% increase in
members during the summer
29 months in Murrah
SNF in buffaloes was
months.
buffaloes and 24 months in
3.0: Feeding management
Crossbreds.
ii. Feed supplement for
of calves to address the
4.0: Real-time monitoring
mitigating 'heat stress' in
issue of high 'Age at First
of critical parameters in
cattle and buffaloes
Heat' and 'Age at First
animal nutrition for
'Heat Stress' is a common
Calving'
profitable dairying
occurrence in most parts of
observed.
One of the important aspects
Real-time monitoring of
India. Dairy cattle start
of profitable dairying is the
parameters such as feed
experiencing heat stress at a
regular 'replacement' of low
intake, fat and protein
Temperature Humidity Index
productive/ unproductive
content in milk, feed residue
(THI) of 72 and above.
animals with high producing
in a manger, BCS, and dung
Beginning in the month of
animals. It is recommended
score enable the dairy farmer
April and extending up to
that dairy farmers raise their
to evaluate the rations being
September moderate (72
own replacement animals
fed and take up corrective
rather than procure from
actions expeditiously to
THI) to severe heat stress (85 THI) has been reported in
outside to enable accurate
maintain the desired levels of
assessment of milk yielding
milk production and milk
Heat stress can lead to
potential and mitigate the
quality.
substantial economic losses
disease burden.
most states in India.
for farmers owing to reduced
recording the feed intakes
program for the rearing of
and BCS of animals and
calves on the farm can
juxtapose the same with data
reduce mortality rates in new
pertaining to milk / fat
born calves, reduce the 'age
yields, ration composition,
at sexual maturity and
etc using simple
mitigated by nutritional and
ensure the desired 'Age at
spreadsheets. Analysis of this
management strategies.
First Calving (AFC)'.
data could throw light on the
NDDB's scientifically
causal factors for many a
designed 'Calf Rearing
problem facing the farmers
Programme' (CRP) has been
and enable appropriate
operational in three states of
remedial action.
India for more than four
The 21st-century dairy
years and covers both
farmer is faced with both
indigenous cow breeds,
challenges and
cross-bred cows, and
opportunities. There is ample
buffaloes.
scope to improve the
Calves reared under this
profitability of dairying if the
program have recorded
methods and techniques
higher birth weights and
listed above are adopted by
higher daily growth rates
the dairy farmers.
milk production - by up to 20% - in the immediate term and sub-optimal fertility in the medium term. 'Heat stress' can be
Supplementation of appropriate nutrients/additives can reduce the negative effect of heat stress on animals and stabilize the income of dairy farmers during the summer months. NDDB has developed a specific feed supplement for mitigating 'Heat Stress' which has been widely appreciated. Many milk unions have taken up the
26
Farmers could start
A properly managed
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Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
High time to look at the threats of bird flu Dr. Ibne Ali, Founder Ali Veterinary Wisdom (Livestock and Poultry Consultant) The?Indian?poultry market has been marred twice during this year ending in March 2021. First by corona rumors and second by bird flu outbreak. The industry has been shattered to the ground and ?a major jolt on the supply front is ?felt recently, i?ts effect can be seen around t?he festive season of H ? oli and beyond. By end of the November last year, the i?ndustry start?ed? showing signs of recovery due to persistent demand and a high sale prices. Suddenly?, news of bird flu start?ed?floating in ?around D ? ecember and its severe consequences ?are f?aced by the poultry Industry. Bird flu is enzootic in India, every year 2-3 small outbreaks occur in isolated pockets. Usually, the deadliest outbreaks are seen - near t?he end of w ? inter or in spring. It is well-known fact that this season is the breeding time of the wild migratory birds which essentially puts stress on?the Dr. Ibne Ali
immune system of birds. Through epidemiological studies, ?it is found that flu mainly attacks during fall and springtime of the year. When these 2 factors combined viruses could spill over in such susceptible populations. Migratory birds, especially the gallinaceous family are reservoirs of viruses but more than 90 species of birds are susceptible to Avian Influenza (AI). Wild waterfowl and shorebirds are the major natural reservoir of AI viruses. Wild waterfowl are asymptomatic, may excrete virus in the feces for long periods, may be infected with more than one subtype, and often do not develop a detectable antibody response. AI virus has been recovered directly from lake and pond water used by infected wild ducks. A single gram of infected soil can infect a million birds. Contact of these birds with range-reared commercial ? ocks is an important factor in some outbreaks. This
27
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ARTICLE
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
source of infection often
circulating in wild birds
should be outlined as
results in a seasonal
without affecting them. In
follows:
incidence in some states.
reservoir birds, viruses do
1.
In short, i?t can be said that
not cause disease but they
the virus is everywhere and
have a tendency (although
cannot b ? e eliminated. So,
rarely) for cross species
this point is very critical while
infection and in this
discussing bird flu in any
susceptible species virus
mutations or possible
context. We cannot have a
shows visible disease which
outbreaks
solution to this problem but
is seen as outbreak. For the
we may p ? lan a ? wise strategy
present bird flu, the cross
least around hot spot
to reduce losses & to save
species was probably crows.
locations
the interests of stakeholders. Who are the ?stakeholders? There are 3 areas, Poultry, Wild birds and Human Health.
inhabit might have become an important source of infection. But this is natural cycle where we as a human
farms (farmer education) 2.
Regular sero-monitoring around farms to track
3.
Vaccination of flocks at
Vaccination is a very important part of the overall strategy which can have a positive effect on all three areas. Following advantages of AI vaccination are notable:
To find a solution we have to
do not need to interfere but
prioritize these three things
we have to remain vigilant
and then make strategy. First
about the outbreak in the
disease spread in
and foremost is human
commercial flocks. For this,
commercial flocks
health and while considering
regular serological surveys in
therefore reduce
this we should know the
and around potential
economic losses
following points:
locations is required. Like
·Not all bird flu viruses
o
o
Reduce chances of
Lesser chances of bird-
commercial farms near
to-human disease
can infect humans – only
natural water bodies need to
transfer as it blocks virus
H5N1 can
be surveyed regularly.
spillage and circulation
·H5N1 can rarely infect
Now, the most important
in commercial flocks.
humans, till now no
part which is most ignored
People who are handling
human AI infection is
i.e., poultry. Poultry represent
birds become relatively
reported in India since
at least 1.5% of national GDP
safe.
H5N1 found in 1997
which employed nearly 5-7
·No human-to-human
transmission occurs
o
A well-documented fact
lakh people directly. Besides
is vaccines lower down
providing employment it
the probability of
provides a relatively cheaper
generating HPAI from
consuming poultry
option of nutritional security
circulating LPAI
products and there is no
in a protein-deficient country
report till now
like India. So, we should not
·Nobody gets infected by
So, according to the above
consumption as it is
not be the first priority while
integrated in cultural and
formulating strategy.
economic fabric of India. It
Environment factor is consisting of virus circulation in wild birds. Virus is universal and continually
o
should only be managed
Vaccination is a cheaper option than culling
think to avoid poultry
points, human health may
Second thing is environment.
28
Ponds and lakes where infected ducks/waterfowl
Strict biosecurity at
which usually results in a market crash o
When virus circulation frequency is checked by
using a proper strategy to
making commercial
safeguard the interest of all
birds resistant then its
stakeholders. Below are the
wild bird cycle will be
three main areas of work that
easier to control.
MARKET PROJECTION
US Grains Price Report for week ending 12 Mar 2021
Amit Sachdev, U.S. Grain Council
It was a WASDE week and the report was released on 9 Mar 2021. For the US, no changes on production, supplies, ending stocks, but for the world production is increased to 1,136 MMT (up 2 MMT) and ending stocks increased by 1 MMT to 287.67 MMT. Production increased in India, South Africa and Bangladesh. Also, exports raised for India. For the year 2020 (Jan-Dec), India has exported 1.83 MMT of corn. For the Marketing year 2020-21 (Starting Oct 2020) exports are at 1.4 MMT, with more to go as new crop is starting to be harvested in Bihar and prices could be down. On Friday, 12 Mar 2021, the prices of US corn on the exchange were down in $5/MT for Mar and $2 for May-July. March closed at $216.20/MT; May $212.19/MT; Jul $208/MT and Sep $195.26/MT. FOB prices too were down, US Gulf down $4/MT at $246/MT; FOB PNW down $6 for spot at $268/MT and
down $4/MT for May at $270/MT. Other origins also were down. Argentina new corn indicated at $227230/MT' Brazil Mar down $23/MT and indicated at $243/MT and new crop down $3/MT at $235/MT. Black sea corn down $5/MT at $260-263/MT. Other grains, Sorghum prices on FOB basis (Texas) down $3/MT and indicated at $338-334/MT; Barley prices are mixed and the World barley production is expected to be higher with an increase for Australia. Barley exports in the WASDE report raised for Australia, with higher imports for Saudi Arabia, which has tendered for another 660,000 MT of Barley and also Algeria, which has recently tendered for 50,000 MT of Barley. India is also a net opportunistic exporter, with exports of about 100,000 MT recorded in first three months of the year. (JanDec 2020, exports were only 1,329 MT). Prices of French Barley down $2/MT at $262-264/MT; Argentina up $15/MT at $259-262/MT; Black Sea down $11/MT at $245-248/MT; Australian barley indicated up $2/MT at $251/MT and Russian barley up $1/MT at $245/MT.
prices are down. FOB prices at US Gulf were indicated at $292-285/MT down $9/MT. FOB PNW also down by $8/MT at $297-294/MT for the period Mar-May 2021. Freight prices though remain high and the export market for DDGS remains slow and prices stable at $360/MT for delivered cargoes to South Asia and South East Asian markets. CGM prices however moved up by $15/MT to $810/MT on FOB basis and CGF prices down by $10/MT at $275-278/MT.
As ethanol production comes back, US DDGS
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Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 7 | Issue 5 | March 2021
Poultry sector eyes recovery on rising demand Live birds, egg prices rebound from lows After facing the double whammy of Covid pandemic and bird flu over the past one year, the poultry sector is eyeing a recovery on rising prices fuelled by pick-up in demand and shortage of birds in the market. Industry players such as Godrej Agrovet and Suguna expect prices to rule firm for next few months on shortage of both live birds and broiler chicks. “Demand has definitely picked up, but it is still around 75-80 per cent of the pre-Covid levels. The segments which consume in large quantities such as marriages, parties, hotels and restaurants are yet to come back to normal levels. My sense is that the demand will come back only when adequate vaccination takes place,” said Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director of Godrej Agrovet Ltd. Prices rise Yadav said poultry prices, which have skyrocketed in the past few days will remain high for next few months as well. Farm-gate prices of live birds are hovering between ? 85 and ? 100 per kg across various parts of the country, against a low of ? 45-50 about a month ago. Also, the prices of broiler chicks are ruling high at around ? 45-48 as placement has picked up amidst a shortage. “Consumption levels are coming back to normal,” said B Soundararajan, Managing Director, Suguna Holdings, a
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large poultry player. He attributed the shortage of live birds to the drop in placements by farmers during the early part of the year, when fears of bird flu had surfaced across many States. Also, the prevailing shortage of chicks is due to the impact of sharp decline in breeder bird placements during FebruaryApril last year, when the spread of Covid had impacted the poultry sector badly. “The shortage will get moderated in the next few months,” he said. “The bird flu scare is receding now as temperatures are on the rise,” said Ramesh Khatri, President of the Poultry Federation of India. “The demand is returning and prices could go up further as there is a huge shortage in the market as many players have suffered huge losses. The shortage is across many regions but felt more in North India,” Khatri said. During the pandemic, poultry consumption took a major beating in northern and western parts of the country, where the off-take dropped by 30-40 per cent, while eastern and southern regions witnessed a decline of 10-15 per cent. Retail prices have increased in tandem with the farm-gate prices. There is a sharp increase in the chicken prices in Hyderabad. The price, which fell to ? 130/kg a month ago, has inched up to ? 215 now. “Several small players had closed down their businesses as they suffered up to 40-50
per cent loss due to the bird flu fears. There has been a drop in production as many farms have cut down on the numbers,” Suresh Chitturi, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Srinivasa Hatcheries, said. The prices of eggs, however, are still ruling low. At the farm-gate, the egg is quoted at ? 3.50 a piece, while the retailers are selling at ? 5. Branded poultry Normally, the poultry sector sees improved prices during April-May every year. However, this year, the price improvement has come in early during late February and March, said Soundararajan. The Covid and bird flu scare are seen pushing consumers towards the branded poultry segment. “This year, the branded chicken segment, both value added and processed, will grow by about 20 per cent, even though the industry has shrunk by 5-7 per cent as consumers are seen shifting towards the brands,” Yadav said. Chairman of the Chhattisgarhbased IB Group, Bahadur Ali, said the industry has come out of the bird flu epidemic with prices of live poultry birds rising to about ? 80-95 per kg. As the prices of birds have increased, so have the prices of poultry feed derived from soyabean and corn. “The cost of feed is higher by about 5-7 per cent compared with the third quarter,” Yadav said. Source:HinduBusinessLine