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Author: c001os

Shared main prize in our EURO 2024 Prediction Game

Written by c001os on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Our already traditional Agrofeed EURO 2024 Prediction Game, organized for our
partners and colleagues, brought great excitement. The players went head-to-head
until the finals, and we announced a shared first place in both the partner and
colleague competitions. The high-value Football Fanshop vouchers could also
motivate our partners, as nearly two hundred people played with us. The final result
was as follows, awarding the first ten places:

  1. Martina Mihály (Dunagyöngye Mg. Zrt.)
  2. Dr. Balázs Ásványi (István Széchényi University)
  3. Dr. Tamás Kecskés (Nagisz Group)
  4. Frigyes Fehér 110 points (Fehér Farm)
  5. Simon Krisztián (Jándtej Kft.)
  6. Aurika Rtakevica (Balticovo)
  7. Aleksandar Veselinovic (Dinamika)
  8. Gergely Nemes Lehel (Termo Srl.)
  9. Bence Horváth (Rábapordányi Mg. Zrt.)
  10. Róbert Laczi (Pigmark Kft.)

In two years, the 23rd FIFA World Cup will be organized by the United States,
Canada and Mexico. 16 European teams can make it here, we hope that Hungary
will also be included. According to our plans, we will also organize our guessing
game – which received a lot of positive feedback – in 2026. Thank you to all players
for participating!

Photo: Martina Mihály, head of the Duna Gyöngye 200 Mg. Zrt. pig farm, receives the
top prize of the Agrofeed tipping game from Ferenc Lankó, head of the pig
department.

Animal feed sales down in Germany

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo.

At 21.7 million tonnes, feed production in Germany in the 2023 calendar year was around 360,000 tonnes or 1.6% less than in the previous 12 months. This is according to the latest figures from the German animal feed association, DVT.

However, the year-on-year contraction represents a partial easing in the long-term contraction in the German feed sector. Figures from the European Feed Manufacturers’ Association FEFAC put the volume of feed produced in Germany in 2022 at just under 22.2 million tonnes. This was 5.8% lower than the previous year.

The decline in total national feed output is attributed by DVT President Cord Schiplage mainly to reduced sales of pig feeds. For this segment, production was down approximately 500,000 tonnes or 5.8% to 8 million tonnes for 2023. Fattening pig numbers in the November census had fallen significantly year-on-year by as much as 11.6%, he said. Overall in 2023, the country’s swine population contracted by 1.4% to 9.6 million.

In contrast, feed production in Germany expanded in 2023 for the other main market segments. For cattle, output volume was up around 100,000 million tonnes for the year to 6.5 million tonnes, while there was an 80,000 million tonnes increase in poultry feed production to 6.3 million tonnes.

In terms of revenue, DVT figures also indicate a drop in the value of feed sales in 2023 to EUR 9.4 billion. This compares with EUR 10.5 billion for the previous year. According to Schiplage, the increased availability of feed ingredients on global markets last year drove the decline in sales value — along with price and competitive pressures. During the comparative period of 2022, he said, raw material and energy costs had been exceptionally high.

In 2023, there were 276 compound feed companies in Germany, according to DVT. This was five fewer than 12 months previously.

Provisional figures for 2023 from FEFAC points to a further reduction in compound feed production in the EU-27 by 2% to 144.3 million tonnes.

Russia seems to be over the poultry crisis

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo, Poultry.

Russian authorities have managed to bring the domestic poultry and egg market back in balance using the carrot of generous state support measures and a stick of antimonopoly investigations, according to officials.

Recently, the average wholesale price of broiler meat on the Russian market decreased by 0.1% to 157 roubles (US$1.73) per kg. The average wholesale price of a pack of 10 eggs dropped by 1.3% to 89.7 roubles (US$0.99), the Russian Agricultural Ministry said in a statement. The price dynamics have remained predominately flat since January 2024, following unprecedented turbulence in the second half of 2023. The occasional shortage of broiler meat on the shelves, seen in some regions in September 2023 and January 2024, is no longer occuring.

At the end of 2023, the Russian government adopted a decree allowing Russian regional authorities to take steps to lower poultry and egg prices. Maxim Shaskolsky, head of the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service said that at the time of the meeting 34 regions utilised this tool, signing agreements with 2,200 food manufacturers, under which they promised to constrain the rise in wholesale prices in exchange for certain benefits. In addition, the authorities’ investigation revealed that in particular cases, the upward price dynamics were not justified by a corresponding growth in production costs or change in business marginality. In total, FAS kicked off 10 cases against Russian poultry and egg manufacturers for breaking antimonopoly law, Shaskolsky disclosed, not providing further details.

Thanks to generous state aid, Russia is on track to expand egg and poultry production in 2024, Maxim Uvaidov, deputy head of the Russian Agricultural Ministry, said during a recent parliament session. He said 51 egg farms are due to expand egg production in total, thanks to bank loans with subsidised interest rates. In 2023, Russian egg production reached 46.6 billion units, adding 1.2% to the 2022 level, Uvaidov said.

Welfare issues resulting from feed restriction in pregnant sows

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo, Pig.

According to Council Directive 98/58/EC (1998) animals must be fed a diet that is appropriate to fulfil their physiological needs. However, pregnant sows are generally fed at a restricted level to avoid a high body condition score and the risk of farrowing problems.

With a review, EURCAW-Pigs aims to support inspectors of EU member states in understanding the science and regulations related to pig welfare concerning hunger induced aggression and stereotypies. Underlying mechanisms and causes of these behaviours in sows related to hunger are described. Furthermore, measures to reduce welfare risks related to aggression and stereotypies are discussed followed by suggestions how to measure these behaviours.

Restricted feeding of sows results in behavioural and physiological signs of hunger, including increased competition for access to feed (aggression) and an increase in stereotypic oral behaviours. Competition over feed may be reinforced by several management and housing conditions that are described in the review. Hunger leads to frustration, that may develop into stereotypies.

Inspectors can measure aggression directly, by observing behaviour, and indirectly, by assessing the resulting skin lesions. Stereotypic behaviours can be observed based on so called ‘ethograms’ which describe the different types of stereotypies.

There are several ways to reduce the welfare issues resulting from feed restriction. They divide into possibilities to reduce the underlying problem of hunger and those to mitigate the resulting aggression and stereotypies. To reduce the root cause of the problem, sows need to feel more satiated during gestation which can be achieved by e.g. a higher content of fibre in the diet. Possibilities to mitigate aggression and stereotypies relate to aspects of housing such as space, flooring, substrates, feeding system, and complexity of the environment.

Gas sterilisation of feed considered as alternative to heat treatment

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo.

A group of scientists from Siberia claimed it had developed a cost-effective technology for the sterilisation of feed with a gas mixture. Long-term feed storage bears the risk of bacterial contamination and the emergence of moulds, producing mycotoxins, the scientists have said. “These substances threaten the health of animals and birds, as feed spoils, also losing its nutritional value,” the researchers have warned.

To prevent mycotoxin containation, heat treatment is often used. In Russia, the existing technical regulations prescribed to perform it for at least half an hour at a temperature of around 70 C. The relatively high cost of heat treatment is believed to be the key problem. Some farmers opt not to perform it at all, seeking cost reduction.

The scientists claimed they built a pilot installation for treating feed with a special gas composition. “The cost of this unit, depending on the volume and tasks, will range between 200,000 ($2,100) and 400,000 ($4,200) roubles,” the researchers said. The unit is expected to run in experimental mode for the next 6 months, after which the scientist hopes to put the technology into industrial use.

Sergey Leonov, one of the authors of the study, emphasised that the technology is absolutely safe for animals and end users, and its use will help farmers mitigate costs. There is no information on the type of gas planned to be used. The only hint the scientists provided is that a similar approach can be found in other industries.

Gas sterilisation is widely used in the Russian healthcare system, where almost always it is performed with ethylene oxide. The prepared gas mixture is launched into a special chamber, disinfecting medical tools under low temperature and pressure for a few hours. The technology is believed to kill all pathogenic microorganisms and, indeed, is associated with low costs. During the process, ethylene oxide is not wasted and can be used over and over again.

However, there is no information a similar approach has ever been tried in the feed industry.

Blood biomarkers could drive broiler nutrition decisions

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo, Poultry.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning could analyze poultry blood biomarkers to detect potential performance and health challenges, leading to more proactive, data-driven decisions about bird nutrition.

“This technology uses machine learning to take all the data that’s collected – not just blood data, but also seasonality, the breed, the sex of the bird and other metrics – and feed it into the neural network technology that makes predictions and then beyond that even prescriptive type of diagnostics,” explained Matthew Livingston, Verax business development manager, dsm-firmenich.

Machine learning and AI can monitor trends and changes in blood biomarker levels, which serve as an early indicator of potential diseases of the bird. Examples of blood biomarkers include calcium, sodium chloride, protein, hemoglobin, etc.

The neural network learns on a model or blood biomarker dataset, it can then highlight and even predict when indicators of broiler health issues nutritional deficiencies start to appear in a flock in real-time. The technology can also recommend nutritional strategies to help manage bird health based on that data.

Producers can use this early warning system to proactively make feed and other management changes to prevent outbreaks before they start.

“In an ideal world, we do this about four times a year. We do know that we have seasonality differences, especially with thins like electrolytes and heat stress,” Livingston said. “The machine will show us the pattern. It may be things that are obvious, but there’s always a handful of things that we didn’t even think of logically.”

Challenges of using RNA vaccines in poultry

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo, Poultry.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) vaccines could provide a breakthrough in vaccine technology and offer a rapid response to pathogens in the poultry industry. Unlike conventional vaccines or vector vaccines, RNA vaccines, which together with DNA vaccines are classed as nucleic acid vaccines, utilize a small piece of the pathogen’s genetic material to prompt an immune response.

Poultry producers and veterinarians are facing challenges in launching RNA vaccines into the industry. Among those challenges is the licensing process that RNA vaccinations must be approved through.

“It currently takes a range of 3-7 years to license a poultry vaccine. If a platform license is first attained for RNA technology through U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) licensing, then adaptations in vaccines to the field can now take weeks to months rather than years,” explained John El-Attrache, Ph.D., Ceva Animal Health Global Director of Science and Innovation at the 2023 Poultry Tech Summit.

When creating RNA vaccines, developers must take the genetic sequence from an isolated event.

“To conduct integrated RNA vaccine development, companies need producers to provide vaccine developers with samples and farm information so that clinical and disease diagnostics can be performed. However, it is critical that the information is collected in a standardized manner,” explained El-Attrache. 

The analysis of metadata is a tool that can support the production of an RNA vaccine, however, it can be difficult for productions managers to collect that data on the farm. “In order for us to obtain metadata we have to make it easy for the production manager and the veterinarian to get the information to put it into an application,” El-Attrache stated.

“Production veterinarians are well attuned to the differences between the various vaccine types and know how to utilize them to optimize the balance between safety and efficacy. RNA vaccines will become another tool available that further optimizes this balance” he said.

El-Attrache believes that future poultry vaccines will consist of all three types of vaccines and that technologies such as whole genome sequence analysis and artificial intelligence will help the industry produce safer and more efficacious vaccines.

Turns out that “liquid gold” may not be gold

Written by c001os on . Posted in Cattle, Nutrinfo.

Colostrum has earned the unofficial moniker “liquid gold,” because of its typically golden color, along with the golden benefits it confers for calf health, growth, and lifetime performance. There’s a common misconception that colostrum’s gold color is indicative of its quality. That’s not necessarily the case, according to Hanne Skovsgaard Pedersen, a veterinarian, researcher, and calf specialist with Denmark-based ColoQuick.

“When I go out on farms, I often hear that we can evaluate colostrum by looking at its color and viscosity.” Pedersen stated on a recent colostrum webinar: “But we’ve learned that there is not a very strong correlation between color, viscosity, and antibody concentration.”

Pedersen shared an example of three first-milking colostrum batches harvested the same morning on a single dairy. They ranged in appearance from thick and bright, golden yellow; to relatively thin and nearly white. Evaluation for quality with a Brix refractometer yielded surprising results. The best sample was the thin, white batch, with a Brix reading of 27. The thick, yellow batch showed a Brix reading of 18, while the intermediate-appearing batch scored 21. In this example, true quality was actually the direct inverse of perceived quality by visual assessment alone.

In addition to measuring colostrum quality, Pedersen emphasized timely administration, explaining that the sieve-like permeations in the intestinal wall close rapidly in the hours after birth, so the time window in which antibodies can be distributed into the bloodstream is small.

Likewise, heavy bacteria loads can clog that distribution process, so hygienic harvest and handling of colostrum are also critical. Pasteurizing colostrum can help to ensure clean colostrum, but it also can be a cumbersome process. ColoQuick has developed a closed-loop system in which colostrum is pasteurized and frozen in the same liner bag that fits inside a sturdy, plastic cartridge.

Cost increases and investment: the Polish dairy sector

Written by c001os on . Posted in Cattle, Nutrinfo.

Although the Polish dairy sector’s financial performance remains under pressure, companies are showing willingness to invest in their operations, a report from the Polish Chamber of Milk indicated.

During the first three-quarters of 2023, the dairy sector in Poland generated a net revenue of PLN 38.3 billion (US$9.62 billion), down 10.1% compared with the previous year. Exports revenue dropped by 6.9% to PLN 6.8 billion (US$1.71 billion). The sector’s financial performance is mixed, with the cost of milk delivered to dairy plants totalling PLN 11.6 billion (US$2.91 billion), up 2% compared with the previous year. Meanwhile, the average purchase price dropped by 8.3% to PLN 2.07 (US$0.52) per litre, the Chamber of Milk reported.

Cheaper raw milk was one of the key factors bolstering the dairy processing segment’s profitability. Overall, operational costs stood at PLN 38.3 billion (US$9.62 billion), which was 6.2% below the previous year, while energy costs jumped 13.7%. Costs associated with external services like transport and logistics jumped 7.2% and wages and salaries increased 7.9%.

In the first half of 2023, the Polish dairy industry generated a net loss, laying the ground for negative forecasts about the industry’s future. However, new statistical data shows that the Polish dairy industry is back above the breakeven point. The Chamber of Milk calculated that only 49.5% of dairy companies generated a profit, which compares to 79% in the previous year.

Remarkably, the worsening financial results did not discourage dairy companies from keeping up with their investment plans. In the first three-quarters of 2023, Polish dairy businesses invested PLN 563.9 million (US$141.6 million), almost equal to the same period of the previous year.

New phytogens validated as safe for gut health of layers and pullets

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo, Poultry.

Feeding saponins and polyphenols made from plant products, also known as phytogenics, to pullets and layer hens has no negative effect on performance or egg quality, revealed a validation study conducted at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Recent research suggests that phytogenic feed additives can help improve poultry gut health, protecting against a variety of diseases. In particular, the combination of these saponins and polyphenols made from Quillaja saponaria and Yucca schidigera biomass are beneficial against coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis infections.

The results revealed that birds in the pullet phase given the phytogenic feed additive consumed less feed and had equal body weights compared to the control group. “We don’t know why because we didn’t look at intestinal histology, but we think it’s because the intestine is better able to absorb the nutrients they need,” explained Dimitri Malheiros at the 2024 International Poultry Scientific Forum (IPSF).

In addition, there were no statistical differences observed in performance or egg size, grade or quality for the laying hens compared to the control group. Malheiros noted that the hens in this study were unchallenged, meaning that the birds were not purposefully exposed to coccidiosis or any other diseases. “I would really like to see this trial done at scale with a challenge imposed,” he added.