World Poultry News

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Hong Kong Continues Ban on Local Chinese Poultry
10 January 2014


HONG KONG - The ban on live poultry from Shenzhen - the Chinese city to the north of Hong Kong - is to remain following confirmation of a third human case of H7N9 avian influenza.

The ban on live poultry imports from Shenzhen farms will remain in place in the near-term, the food and health chief said.

According to The Standard, Ko Wing-man said as human cases of H7N9 bird flu have been detected in Shenzhen, any scrapping of the ban on live birds from there will not be considered.

This comes as Hong Kong this week confirmed its third case of H7N9 bird flu, with a 65-year-old man in critical condition at Queen Mary Hospital.

Initial checks by the Centre for Health Protection show he travelled to Shenzhen with his family on 1 and 2 January, and they passed a wet market on New Year's Day. In Hong Kong, the patient did not visit any wet markets but sometimes walked past Pei Ho Street Market, Sham Shui Po.

Ko said health officials are investigating how the man became infected.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Malaysian Consumers Calls for Ban on Antibiotics in Feed
17 January 2014


MALAYA - A consumer group in Malaysia has called on the authorities to ban antibiotic use in animal feeds following the EU ban on antibiotics in animal feed.

The Consumers Association of Penang wants the Malaysian ministries of health and agriculture to create a national system to monitor antibiotic use in food animals.

This includes actions to improve and refine the collection of data on antibiotic use in the country.

The consumer group says that the quantities and classes of antibiotics used in food animals according to animal species need to be documented, which the group says is essential for risk analysis, interpreting resistance surveillance data and assessing the impact of interventions to promote prudent use.

The group believes that resistance should be monitored and changes in antibiotic resistance through on going surveillance at local, state and national levels must be tracke.

“This will identify emerging health problems so that timely corrective action to protect human health is taken,” the Consumers Association of Penang says.

“The containment of antibiotic resistance must be made a national priority. There is a need to create a national intersectoral body or task force comprising healthcare professionals, veterinarians, academics, agricultural scientists, consumers, the media, to raise awareness about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), prioritise research, collect data, recommend policy measures to contain AMR eg formulating principles for a new Animal Health Law.”

The group wants guidelines for veterinarians drawn up so that the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in food animals can be reduced.

And it says there should be education and training for livestock farmers on responsible use of antibiotics.

The group has called on the government bodies to encourage good farming practices and best practices in disease control including appropriate housing design for animals, good disinfection procedures, isolation of sick animals, use of vaccines and disease eradication programmes.

It adds that imported meat products must be checked for antibiotic resistant contamination and the rule strictly enforced.

Locally produced and imported foods that are responsible for outbreaks of Salmonella infections and other food borne contamination must be identifies and the spread of Salmonella among animals on farms has to be monitored to prevent their spread.

The group also wants to see education for consumers and food workers about safe food handling practices and how to avoid Salmonella infections.

“Several studies on our meats like chicken (both imported and local), beef, mutton and frozen burgers have found an alarmingly high incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in them,” the Consumers Association of Penang said.

“Eating foods contaminated with such bacteria can cause life-threatening complications as the treatment of such cases may be difficult.

“The indiscriminate use of antibiotics in animal feeds has caused the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in farm animals. The spread of such bacteria in our meats is alarming and poses a serious health threat to consumers.”

In a study carried out by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) in 2012, half of the domestic chickens were resistant to ampicillin, sulphonamide and tetracycline.

The situation was worse with imported chicken: 87 per cent ampicillin-resistant, 75 per cent nalidixis acid-resistant, and 50 per cent streptomycin- and sulphonamide-resistant.

The study also found 13.5 per cent Tetracycline-resistant Salmonella; 5.4 per cent Polymixin B and Erythromycin-resistant Salmonella and 2.7 per cent Chloramphenicol, Penicillin G and Trimethoprim-resistant Salmonella in local chicken.

Food samples such as beef, mutton and chicken had antibiotic-resistant Salmonella. About 6.28 per cent of the resistant Salmonella was isolated from imported products (44.2 per cent beef and 18.6 per cent chicken).

In another study of live chickens sold at wet markets in Selangor, of the 90 chickens examined 68 (75.6 per cent) were positive for Campylobacter. The most frequently observed resistance was to cephalothin (95.5 per cent) followed by tetracycline (80.8 per cent), erythromycin (51.4 per cent), enrofloxacon (42.4 per cent) and gentamicin (24.4 per cent). Multidrug resistance (resistant to three or more antibiotics) was detected in 35.3 per cent isolates (bacteria samples).

In 2005, the USFDA withdrew approval of fluoroquinolones used in poultry (currently used in Malaysia) as this class of antibiotics causes resistant Campylobacter in poultry which are transferred to humans and may cause fluoraquinolone resistant Campylobacter infections to develop in humans.

In addition, local researchers also found the presence of multidrug-resistant strains of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in frozen burger patties taken from supermarkets and other retail shops in the country.

Commonly found in raw foods, L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis. Common symptoms include gastrointestinal upset, headaches, fever and in severe cases, brain infection and or blood poisoning.

This study examined the susceptibility of L. monocytogenes isolated from raw beef, chicken and vegetarian patties to 11 different antibiotics. 28 out of 41 bacteria samples were resistant to at least one and 19 were resistant to at least two antibiotics. Tetracycline, followed by erythromycin resistance, were the most common forms of resistance.

The group said that because of the link between antibiotic use in food-producing animals and the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant infections in humans, antibiotics should be used in food producing animals only under veterinary supervision.

“It is clear the high incidence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in our meats that there are problems with the Livestock Farm Practices Scheme (SALT) which is to ensure that farms practising Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP) produce safe and wholesome food of good quality, in sustainable and environmentally friendly conditions,” said the Consumers Association of Penang.

“SALT certification is awarded to farms that meet criteria of GAHP, Animal Health Management, Bio-security, good infrastructure and prudent use of drugs. The certification scheme covers all types of livestock i.e. beef cattle, dairy cattle, broiler chicken, layer chicken, breeder chicken, deer, goat, sheep and pig.

“Yet more than half of the domestic chicken harvested from the SALT certified farm in the DVS study were resistant to three classes of antibiotics i.e. ampicillin, sulphonamide and tetracycline.

“The situation was worse with imported chicken,” added the Association.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Chickens Producing Fewer Eggs Due to Hot Weather
07 February 2014


AUSTRALIA - January's sizzling heat wave has left Australian egg farmers in despair over a significant decline in the number of eggs being produced.

According to The Age, Victorian Farmers Federation Egg Group president Meg Parkinson told the Ballarat Courier that a reduction of up to 15 per cent was fairly normal over a hot summer.

"But this heat we've had this year can certainly make that much worse," Ms Parkinson said.

"And the bird flu outbreak before Christmas in New South Wales also meant 400,000 chooks and 200,000 pullets were out of the system.

"It's affected everybody and has tightened up the market."

Ms Parkinson said chickens lost some weight during hot weather as they ate and drank less, so in addition to fewer eggs being laid, the eggs could be smaller.

Major suppliers including Coles, Woolworths and Ryan's IGA have assured customers there are plenty of eggs available.

"We've not had any difficulty with our eggs during the hot weather over the last four weeks," IGA national council chairman Ben Ryan said.

Family Homestead managing director Vesna Luketic said their production costs had shot up, while egg production had dropped considerably at her farm in Myrniong, which houses 15,000 free-range chickens.

"It's horrible, it has been the worst summer. The heat hasn't affected us like this in the past 15 years. It is going to be difficult to get through this," Ms Luketic said.

"Usually the chickens can bounce back reasonably quickly from the heat, but not when it's consecutive days like this."

Ms Luketic has been forced to change her farming practices to respond to the hot weather, by applying reflective paint to sheds, turning on misters and altering the chickens' food rations.

"Farming in this country is very difficult in the heat. We have little support from the government."

[Mustang Sally Farm]

GLOBAL POULTRY TRENDS 2013: Goose Meat Output Slows
07 February 2014


Global Poultry Trends 2012



Global goose meat production, like that of all the other poultry meat sectors, has slowed in recent years, writes poultry industry analyst, Terry Evans.

For the period 2000 to 2011, however, an average annual growth rate of almost three per cent was achieved, output having risen from 1.9 million tonnes to 2.6 million tonnes (Table 1).

It is clear from this table and Figure 1 that Asia was the only region exhibiting strong growth over the review period. Indeed, because goose meat production in Europe has declined, Asia increased her contribution towards the global total from 94 per cent to more than 96 per cent in 2011.


Table 1. Indigenous goose meat production ('000 tonnes)
(Source: FAO)

Region

2000

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Africa 33.2 33.6 33.6 33.6 33.9 34.1 34.1
Americas 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4
Asia 1,767.5 1,955.7 2,149.0 2,200.3 2,342.9 2,449.9 2,456.7
Europe 79.1 68.3 58.4 58.4 60.3 49.6 55.9
Oceania 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
WORLD 1,881.9 2,059.9 2,243.3 2,294.8 2,439.6 2,535.9 2,549.2

A closer examination of the leading producing countries (Table 2) reveals that mainland China is totally dominant accounting for 98.5 per cent of Asia’s output and over 96 per cent of the world total.


Table 2. Leading goose meat producing countries ('000 tonnes)
(Source: FAO)

 

2000

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

AFRICA 33.2 33.6 33.6 33.6 33.9 34.1 34.1
of which:               
Egypt 19.7 20.5 20.5 20.5 20.7 20.9 20.9
Madagascar 13.1 12.6 12.6 12.6 12.6 12.6 12.6
               
AMERICAS 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4
of which:               
Canada 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4
               
ASIA 1,767.5 1,955.7 2,149.0 2,200.3 2,342.9 2,449.9 2,456.7
of which:               
China, mainland 1,726.9 1,917.0 2,113.0 2,166.0 2,310.0 2,415.0 2,420.0
China, Taiwan 25.9 24.7 21.6 19.0 16.9 18.5 20.2
Myanmar 1.9 3.6 4.6 5.3 5.8 6.3 6.7
               
EUROPE 79.1 68.3 58.4 58.4 60.3 49.6 55.9
of which:               
France 6.4 5.0 5.1 5.3 5.4 5.2 5.0
Germany 1.6 1.9 1.9 2.2 2.3 2.6 2.7
Hungary 48.0 27.2 25.8 25.9 27.2 16.8 24.0
Poland 6.9 18.4 18.5 18.3 18.6 18.5 18.4
United Kingdom 2.9 3.1 2.5 2.0 2.4 2.5 2.5
               
OCEANIA 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
of which:               
New Zealand 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Production in Europe is currently well below the year 2000 level although there are indications that the downward trend has been halted, output having stabilised during the latter part of the review period. Two significant features in this region have been the contraction of Hungary’s industry contrasting with the growth that has occurred in Poland, though even here output has levelled off since 2006.




Figure 1. Indigenous goose meat production ('000 tonnes)

Goose Meat Trade

Regarding exports and imports of goose meat, FAO statistics include the trade in guinea fowl though the latter will be tiny in relation to the quantities of goose meat.

The volumes of goose and guinea fowl meat traded in 2011 were nearly one-third lower than in 2000 (Tables 3 and 4). The slump in exports from Asia in 2010 and 2011 were the result of a dramatic fall in sales from mainland China from around 16,000 tonnes a year to nil.

Throughout the review period, exports from Europe were steady though, as with other forms of poultry meat, almost all the trade was conducted between European Union member countries.

Two countries dominate the export business, Poland selling 16,000 tonnes a year in 2011, and Hungary with some 13,000 tonnes.

As can be expected from the export data, the imports side of the business revolves around Europe, this area accounting for around 96 per cent of the global total.

Germany is the prime buyer taking around 23,000 tonnes a year or some 70 per cent of the Europe total, followed by Austria (2,500 tonnes), with Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the UK and France, each purchasing between 1,000 and 1,500 tonnes.


Table 3. Exports of goose and guinea fowl meat (tonnes)
(Source: FAO)

Region

2000

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Africa 1 2 0 2 1 0 122
Americas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Asia 24,473 13,689 14,036 17,745 18,785 2,114 1,969
Europe 23,639 28,071 30,056 27,917 31,879 30,673 31,151
Oceania 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
WORLD 48,113 41,762 44,092 45,664 50,665 32,787 33,424

 


Table 4. Imports of goose and guinea fowl meat (tonnes)
(Source: FAO)

Region

2000

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Africa 18 106 99 197 87 415 208
Americas 643 997 1,198 1,049 1,038 996 981
Asia 13,267 694 886 499 561 51 120
Europe 36,242 23,130 29,106 29,563 27,258 35,040 32,387
Oceania 43 0 1 1 1 1 1
WORLD 50,213 24,927 31,290 31,309 28,945 36,503 33,696

February 2014

[Mustang Sally Farm]

GLOBAL POULTRY TRENDS 2013: Asia Supplies 60 Per Cent of World's Eggs
03 March 2014


Global Poultry Trends 2012



Egg production in Asia accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the world total, according to industry analyst, Terry Evans.

In 2011, egg output in this region amounted to 38.3 million tonnes, which was 58.7 per cent of the global figure of 65.2 million tonnes.

While it looks as though 2012 saw little or no growth, Asia’s egg industries now appear to have embarked on the expansion road again with production estimated to have reached at least 39 million tonnes last year which would equate with around 58.5 per cent of a global forecast of a little below 67 million tonnes (Table 1).


Table 1. World egg production (million tonnes)

Region

2000

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012E

2013E

Africa 1.9 2.2 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0
Americas 10.5 11.7 12.3 12.3 12.5 12.6 13.0 13.2 13.4 13.6
Asia 29.0 32.6 33.0 34.5 36.2 37.2 37.7 38.3 38.3 39.0
Europe 9.5 9.9 10.1 10.0 10.1 10.3 10.5 10.6 10.6 10.8
Oceania 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
WORLD 51.1 56.6 57.9 59.5 61.7 62.8 64.1 65.2 65.5 66.7
Sources: FAO to 2011; 2012 and 2013 author's estimates

The growing importance of Asia when compared with the other major regions is evident from Figure 1. Over the period 2000 to 2011 Asia’s egg industry grew by almost 2.6 per cent per year. As this was a little faster that the global total - which was a shade under 2.3 per cent - so Asia’s contribution actually rose from 56.8 per cent to 58.8 per cent.

world egg production regions

Figure 1. World hen egg production by region (million tonnes)

These Food and Agriculture (FAO) figures include all layers, both commercial and backyard flocks. Also, in most instances, hatching eggs are included. Globally, hatching eggs are considered to represent around five per cent of production but on an individual country basis the proportion of hatching eggs can range from an insignificant amount up to 12 per cent or more in countries which have a large broiler industry in relation to the size of the layer sector.

FAO data indicate that the total number of layers worldwide in 2000 stood at 5,004 million, of which 3,055 million (61 per cent) were in Asia. By 2011, the world total had risen to 6,617 million with 4,220 million (64 per cent) in Asia.


Table 2. Hen egg production in Asia ('000 tonnes)

Country

2000

2005

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Afghanistan 15.0 21.8 16.9 16.7 16.8 16.3 17.2
Armenia 21.4 28.8 28.9 31.7 34.7 38.2 34.7
Azerbaijan 30.4 49.0 52.3 69.6 72.9 70.9 60.9
Bahrain 2.7 2.0 3.0 2.7 2.9 3.0 3.0
Bangladesh 125.0 185.0 177.0 186.0 154.0 188.0 199.0
Bhutan 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
Brunei Darussalam 4.8 5.7 6.3 6.8 6.9 7.0 7.0
Cambodia 11.7 13.3 17.1 16.8 15.9 17.6 17.6
China, Hong Kong SAR 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
China, Macao SAR 1.0 0.6 0.9 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
China, mainland 18,547.0 20,724.0 21,499.0 2,296.8 23,311.3 23,653.0 23,897.0
China, Taiwan 363.5 315.7 333.0 323.5 321.6 336.4 334.0
Cyprus 10.6 9.5 8.6 10.0 9.8 8.6 8.3
Georgia 20.1 28.0 24.3 24.3 24.3 24.6 26.8
India 2,035.0 2,568.0 2,947.0 3,047.0 3,230.0 3,378.1 3,490.0
Indonesia 642.0 856.6 1,174.6 1,122.6 1,071.5 1,121.1 1,166.4
Iran Isl. Rep. 579.0 758.0 703.0 727.0 725.4 741.0 741.0
Iraq 29.6 51.7 40.4 45.8 35.3 46.3 50.9
Israel 87.9 92.4 93.5 96.3 100.8 102.5 120.9
Japan 2,535.4 2,481.0 2,583.3 2,553.6 2,507.5 2,515.3 2,482.6
Jordan 45.8 40.6 38.8 50.6 45.9 69.3 69.4
Kazakhstan 93.8 139.4 148.3 166.4 184.0 207.3 207.2
Korea Dem. Peo. Rep. 110.0 130.0 103.0 107.0 104.0 114.0 120.0
Korea Rep. 478.8 514.9 543.8 566.1 602.0 590.0 595.0
Kuwait 21.3 26.0 22.0 22.0 35.0 40.0 40.0
Kyrgyzstan 11.4 17.7 20.8 20.6 20.6 20.8 21.9
Lao Peo. Dem. Rep. 10.0 13.0 13.4 14.5 14.8 15.0 15.0
Lebanon 43.2 45.5 45.7 45.7 47.0 47.0 47.0
Malaysia 390.6 442.0 476.0 479.0 510.0 540.4 540.4
Mongolia 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.5
Myanmar 112.0 186.6 231.5 263.4 318.3 342.1 371.7
Nepal 22.2 28.8 30.1 30.9 30.8 31.5 34.6
Occ Palestinian Terr. 36.9 37.4 41.0 39.4 36.6 29.0 30.0
Oman 6.8 9.5 9.0 9.3 9.3 9.3 10.7
Pakistan 344.1 400.9 479.3 503.4 529.1 556.4 604.3
Philippines 243.4 320.3 335.1 350.8 368.5 387.3 403.4
Qatar 2.7 4.1 2.9 2.9 4.3 4.5 5.0
Saudi Arabia 128.5 169.6 170.6 170.0 191.0 193.0 193.0
Singapore 16.0 20.6 22.4 20.3 20.0 20.4 23.0
Sri Lanka 52.3 49.0 51.9 59.0 64.8 64.7 67.3
Syrian Arab Rep. 127.3 155.2 171.4 151.4 162.4 163.3 171.9
Tajikistan 1.5 5.5 6.2 8.5 10.6 13.1 14.3
Thailand 514.6 468.7 539.4 565.6 577.0 585.4 601.0
Timor-Leste 1.2 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1
Turkey 810.0 753.3 795.3 824.4 864.6 740.0 810.0
Turkmenistan 21.0 45.1 47.9 47.7 49.6 49.5 49.5
United Arab Emirates 14.6 17.2 25.4 25.4 30.0 26.1 26.1
Uzbekistan 68.9 107.8 121.2 132.9 148.7 170.9 192.3
Viet Nam 185.4 197.4 223.0 247.0 273.3 321.1 344.8
Yemen 31.1 48.4 53.6 56.4 58.6 60.6 62.0
ASIA 29,008.7 32,587.4 34,479.5 36,231.1 36,954.4 37,682.7 38,330.6
WORLD 51,048.6 56,559.6 59,518.2 61,655.5 62,751.1 64,085.5 65,181.3
Source: FAO

In 2011, some 31 million tonnes, or more than 80 per cent of Asia’s production, came from just four countries - China (24 million tonnes), India (3.5 million tonnes), Japan (2.5 million tonnes) and Indonesia (1.2 million tonnes).

An additional six countries, each producing more than 500,000 tonnes a year, accounted for a further four million tonnes (10 per cent), namely Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea and Malaysia. Thus, the 10 largest producers were responsible for almost 35 million tonnes or 91 per cent of the regional total (Table 4).


Table 3. Asian egg production ranking in 2011 ('000 tonnes)

Country

Production

China, mainland 23,897.0
India 3,490.0
Japan 2,482.6
Indonesia 1,166.4
Turkey 810.0
Iran Isl. Rep. 741.0
Pakistan 604.3
Thailand 601.0
Korea Rep. 595.0
Malaysia 540.4
Philippines 403.4
Myanmar 371.7
Viet Nam 344.8
China, Taiwan 334.0
Kazakhstan 207.2
Bangladesh 199.0
Saudi Arabia 193.0
Uzbekistan 192.3
Syrian Arab Rep. 171.9
Israel 120.9
Korea Dem. Peo. Rep. 120.0
Jordan 69.4
Sri Lanka 67.3
Yemen 62.0
Azerbaijan 60.9
Iraq 50.9
Turkmenistan 49.5
Lebanon 47.0
Kuwait 40.0
Armenia 34.7
Nepal 34.6
Occ. Palestinian Terr. 30.0
Georgia 26.8
United Arab Emirates 26.1
Singapore 23.0
Kyrgyzstan 21.9
Cambodia 17.6
Afghanistan 17.2
Lao Peo. Dem. Rep. 15.0
Tajikistan 14.3
Oman 10.7
Cyprus 8.3
Brunei Darussalam 7.0
Qatar 5.0
Bahrain 3.0
Timor-Leste 1.1
Mongolia 0.5
China, Macao SAR 0.4
Bhutan 0.3
China, Hong Kong SAR 0.3
Source: FAO

Although when compared with 2000, the total produced by these 10 nations increased by nearly one-third, the variation in the performance of the individual countries was wide ranging from Japan and Turkey where output showed virtually no change, to Indonesia (+82 per cent), Pakistan (+76 per cent) and India (+72 per cent). Outside this Top 10, several countries reported excellent growth. Output in Myanmar more than trebled, reaching 372,000 tonnes in 2011, while production doubled or more so in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan (Table 2).

Not surprisingly, mainland China’s industry dominates the scene, accounting for almost 24 million tonnes (62 per cent) of the regional total of 38.3 million tonnes in 2011 (Tables 2 and 3) and almost 37 per cent of the world total of 65.2 million tonnes. However, a little surprising, is that mainland China’s contribution to the Asia total in percentage terms actually declined a little from 63.9 per cent to 62.3 per cent between 2000 and 2011. During this period China’s average growth rate was 2.3 per cent per year.

One series of figures quotes egg production in China in 2012 at more than 28.6 million tonnes. However, this total includes some 4.2 million tonnes of eggs other than hen eggs.

Data published by the International Egg Commission (IEC) indicates that output in China in 2012 had contracted from 24 to 23 million tonnes although this might have been due in part to the 2012 figure being based on an average egg weight of 62g compared with 63g which was used in the 2011 calculation.

Some 90 per cent of China’s commercial flock is considered to be in cages with nine per cent on free range and one per cent in a barn system. Around 90 per cent are white-egg layers. Short-term forecasts point to continued growth of about two per cent per year to 2017.

All the data on the egg industry in India point to strong growth over the past decade or so with an average of between five and six per cent per year. However, estimates of output vary greatly according to source. FAO statistics indicate that production has increased from 2.0 million tonnes in 2000 to 3.5 million tonnes in 2011. In terms of the number of eggs produced these tonnages translate to 36.6 billion in 2000 and 63.5 billion in 2011.

India’s ICRA (formerly Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited) estimates  egg output in 2012 to have been 66 billion, while the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) puts production in that year at 75 billion with a forecast for 2015 of 95 billion eggs.

India’s reporter to the IEC maintains that egg production has risen from 3.34 million tonnes in 2009 to 4.16 million tonnes in 2012. At an average egg weight of 55g, this latter figure equates with 75.6 billion eggs.

Despite these differences, the general consensus is that the industry has exhibited rapid growth and will continue to do so though the forecasts range between four and eight per cent per year.

The ratio of brown to white eggs in India is considered to be 8:92 with 100 per cent of the commercial flock housed in cages. However, the Humane Society International/India claims that it has persuaded the top-egg producing states to declare that confining hens to battery cages validates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 and that the Animal Welfare Board of India has issued an advisory notice to all state governments stating that no new battery cages should be installed and that existing cages should be phased out by 2017.

With the increased costs involved in switching to less intensive forms of production, if cages were to be banned, it could have a drastic effect on the industry’s future growth rates.


Table 4. Leading egg-producing countries in Asia ('000 tonnes)

Country

2000

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

China, mainland 18,547.0 20,724.0 21,499.0 22,968.0 23,311.3 23,653.0 23,897.0
India 2,035.0 2,568.0 2,947.0 3,047.0 3,230.0 3,378.1 3,490.0
Japan 2,535.4 2,481.0 2,583.3 2,553.6 2,507.5 2,515.3 2,482.6
Indonesia 642.0 856.6 1,174.6 1,122.6 1,071.5 1,121.1 1,166.4
Turkey 810.0 753.3 795.3 824.4 864.6 740.0 810.0
Iran Isl. Rep. 579.0 758.0 703.0 727.0 725.4 741.0 741.0
Pakistan 344.1 400.9 479.3 503.4 529.1 556.4 604.3
Thailand 514.6 468.7 539.4 565.6 577.0 585.4 601.0
Korea Rep. 478.8 514.9 543.8 566.1 602.0 590.0 595.0
Malaysia 390.6 442.0 476.0 479.0 510.0 540.4 540.4
Total of above 26,876.5 29,969.4 31,740.7 12,685.5 33,928.4 34,420.7 34,927.7
Source: FAO

Although Japan is the third largest producer in Asia, its annual output has shown little movement since 2000 at around 2.5 million tonnes a year. Just over 60 per cent of the eggs are white-shelled, while 96 per cent of the flock is housed in cages.

While egg production in Indonesia grew by 82 per cent - or 5.6 per cent per year - between 2000 and 2011, in the last three years of this series the gains slowed to 1.3 per cent. The level of egg consumption per person is low, pointing to considerable potential for future growth although even if the uptake per person fails to expand, total consumption will rise in line with population growth which is expected to average around one per cent per year in the near future.

According to FAO figures, Turkey’s egg industry has shown no significant growth between 2000 and 2011. However, data provided by the IEC point to a higher level of annual production, and a sharp recovery in 2012 when output rose to almost 1.1 million tonnes from 874,000 tonnes in the previous year. All birds are housed in cages with some 75 per cent of the eggs being white.

Between 2000 and 2010 egg production in Iran grew by 2.5 per cent per year. Although the FAO data for 2011 shows no change over the previous year, there are occasions when if the official figures for a year are not available, the previous year’s figures are inserted in order to arrive at a regional total. IEC figures put the 2010 total a little higher than the FAO (Table 4) at 766,000 tonnes. Output then declined in 2011 as a result of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks to 700,000 tonnes but then rebounded to 912,000 tonnes in 2012. All production is in cages and almost entirely white-shelled.

March 2014

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Broiler Breeder Feed Changes Save Money in Wageningen Study
18 March 2014


THE NETHERLANDS - A low-protein diet increases reproduction efficiency in modern broiler breeders, according to Rick van Emous of Wageningen UR Livestock Research.

A low-crude protein diet for broiler breeders changes body composition during the rearing period. This positively affects hatchability during the first phase and egg production during the second phase of the laying period.

Economical calculations show that these improved performance measures result in an increased profit of €0.53 per breeder or about €12,500 for an average broiler breeder farm per year.

Increased Hatchability and Egg Production

Poultry scientist, Rick van Emous, of Wageningen UR Livestock Research investigated the effect of two dietary protein levels (high and low) during rearing on, feed intake, body composition at the end of the rearing period and reproductive performance of broiler breeder females. A total of 2,880 one-day old Ross 308 broiler breeder female chicks were placed in 36 pens and followed until 60 weeks of age.

To meet bodyweight target at 22 weeks of age, average feed intake increased by 12.8 per cent for the pullets fed the low-protein diet.

At 22 weeks of age, birds fed the low-protein diet had 15 per cent less breast muscle but 86 per cent more abdominal fat than the high-protein-fed birds. This resulted in an 1.3 per cent increased hatchability due to a decreased embryonic mortality in the first phase of the laying period (23-45 weeks of age).

Moreover, low-protein fed birds produced 3.6 more hatching eggs during the second phase of the laying period (46-60 weeks of age).

Economical calculations show that feeding a low-protein diet resulted in an increased profit of €0.53 per breeder or about €12,500 for an average broiler breeder farm per year.

Changing Body Composition Affects Reproduction

Mr van Emous noticed that over recent decades, the genetic potential of broiler breeders increased due to selection on growth of the offspring. The growing period of broilers decreased from 84 to 33 days to produce a broiler weighing 1.8kg. Its feed conversion ratio decreased in the same period from 3.25 to 1.50 and the daily growth increased from 21 to 55g.

This selection on increased feed conversion, growth rate and body fat content has not only affected the offspring but also the parent stock (broiler breeders). Optimising body composition (more fat and less breast meat) of female broiler breeders during the rearing period might improve persistency of the reproductive performance.

The study is part of a PhD project on body condition and nutrition in broiler breeders. It was carried out by Wageningen UR Livestock Research and financed by the Dutch Product Boards for Livestock, Meat and Eggs (PVE), the Product Board Animal Feed (PDV) and Aviagen-EPI.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Animals Australia Advocates an Egg-free Australia
20 March 2014


AUSTRALIA - ANIMALS Australia is advocating Australians go egg free, urging consumers to “put the hen before the egg”.

Victorian egg producers say they’re disheartened by Animals Australia’s on-going campaign to restrict consumer choice and even dissuade them from eating eggs.

Victorian Farmers Federation Egg Group president Brian Ahmed said egg producers were delivering clean, healthy eggs to consumers – caged, barn and free-range.

“Yet Animals Australia just keeps moving the goal post, first advocating consumers only eat free-range eggs and ultimately wanting us all to abandon eggs altogether.

Under the banner “Re-thinking Eggs” the Animals Australia’s website advocates consumers go “egg free”.

The AA website states: “Help put the chicken before the egg, by choosing delicious, affordable, cruelty-free alternatives... You can help change the lives of these sensitive animals by eating fewer eggs or going egg-free.”

Mr Ahmed said Animals Australia seemed to be moving to a position of opposing all commercial egg production.

“I love my eggs as do most Australians,” he said “They’re a fresh, clean and invaluable source of affordable high-quality protein.

“But I’ve got to say I’m sick of animal activists pushing farmers and consumers into a corner.

“Australians have the right to choose between a full-range of quality eggs – from the more affordable caged eggs at $3.00 a dozen to those produced from barn or free-range hens at $5-$6/dozen.

“It’s time that the professionalism and hard work of the Australian egg farmers was acknowledged, rather than being condemned by animal activists.

“Professional egg farmers contribute to the Australian economy, through their efficiency and skill, providing eggs at a low cost that benefits families with tight budgets and the economy in general.

“We give consumers choice in the eggs that they buy and the price they pay. None of this is acknowledged by Animals Australia.

“Emotive appeals to stop eating eggs do not improve the conditions of any chook. It is the skill and professionalism of the Australian egg farmer which does that,” Mr Ahmed said.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Genetic Base to Disease Resistance Explored in Indonesian Native Chickens
04 April 2014


INDONESIA - Researchers have identified two out of three genotypes in native tolaki chickens that are more resistant to Newcastle Disease and also perform better than a third group.

Association of Mx Gene Genotype with Antiviral and Production Traits in Tolaki Chicken

Author Muhammad Amrullah Pagala, Muladno, Cece Sumantri and Sri Murtini

Source Int. J. Poult. Sci., 12 (12): 735-739, 2013
Tolaki chicken is a kind of Indonesian local chickens that show anti-viral responses. A research group including Muhammad Amrullah Pagala of Halu Oleo University explain that this ability is controlled by the presence of antiviral Mx (myxovirus resistance) gene. The Mx gene codes for a protein with anti-viral activity.

The objective of the study - together with scientists from Bogor Agricultural University and published in International Journal of Poultry Science - was to prove the tolaki chicken Mx gene genotype is associated with anti-viral and production traits. Resistance to Newcastle Disease (ND)  was the focus of their research.

Mx/Hpy 81 gene was genotyped in 103 tolaki chickens with PCR-RFLP. A total of 30 chickens were challenged with ND gen VIIb virus (104 CLD50)/chicken. PCR was used to amplify genomic DNA for Mx gene (299 bp).

The amplimer was cut by Hpy 81 produce three genotypes: AA, AG and GG and two alleles: A allele (299 base pairs, bp) and G allele (200bp and 99bp).

Frequency of A allele (0.74) was higher than G allele (0.26).

Production traits in the challenge test group were not significantly different in AA, AG and GG genotypes. The daily weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were significantly different in AA, AG and GG genotypes of chickens control group.

The parameters of anti-viral traits showed that vitality of AA (50 per cent) and AG (50 per cent) of chickens were better than GG (10 per cent) in challenge group.

The vitality of AA (100 per cent) and AG (100 per cent) were better GG (33.33 per cent) in control group.

The researchers conclude their e study postulated that Mx gene genotype could be associated with production and antiviral traits in tolaki chicken. AA and AG genotype are more resistant and were more productive than the GG genotype.

Reference

Pagala M.A., Muladno, C. Sumantri and S. Murtini. 2013. Association of Mx gene genotype with antiviral and production traits in tolaki chicken. Int. J. Poult. Sci.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

GLOBAL POULTRY TRENDS 2013 - Population Is Key to Egg Uptake Growth in Africa and Oceania
16 April 2014


Poultry industry analyst, Terry Evans, forecasts the likely trends in per-capita egg consumption in Africa and Oceania in the coming years.

Egg consumption is not measured directly in any country in Africa or Oceania, the published figures being based on estimates of production adjusted for exports and imports to give an estimate of supplies available for consumption.

Regarding individual country consumption, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) ceased making this calculation on a per-person basis in 2009 (Table 1).


Table 1. Egg consumption (kg/person/year)

 

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Africa 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3
Americas 10.6 10.9 10.8 10.8 10.9 11.1 11.5 11.3 11.3 11.4
Asia 8.0 8.0 8.1 8.3 8.3 8.5 8.5 8.7 9.1 9.2
Europe 12.1 12.3 12.6 12.4 12.6 12.5 12.7 12.8 12.8 12.7
Oceania 6.2 6.3 6.21 5.6 5.6 5.9 7.1 6.5 6.5 6.4
WORLD 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.5 8.7 8.9 8.9
Source: FAO

Egg Consumption in Africa

For Africa, the average uptake per person showed a positive gain between 2000 and 2004 but then the level appears to have stabilised to 2009. Even if per-person consumption has remained unchanged, by 2013, the total quantity of eggs consumed will have been almost one million tonnes more than in 2000 as a consequence of the human population increasing from 808 million to more than 1.1 billion. However, there are indications that the quantity of eggs eaten per person has risen a little towards 2.4kg.

Between 2000 and 2030, the population of Africa will grow at more than twice the world average (Table 2 and Figure 1). Consequently, by 2030, this region with 1.63 billion people will account for almost 20 per cent of the global population compared with about 13 per cent back in 2000. If there has not been any increase in the uptake per person since the 2009 figure of 2.3kg, total egg consumption for the region will approach four million tonnes in 2030.


Table 2. Human population of the world (millions)

Region

2000

2010

2015

2020

2030


 

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Africa 808.3 13.2 1,031.1 14.9 1,166.2 15.9 1,312.1 17.0 1,634.4 19.4
Americas 841.7 13.7 942.7 13.6 991.2 13.5 1,037.5 13.4 1,120.1 13.3
Asia 3,717.4 60.7 4,165.4 60.2 4,384.9 59.9 4,581.5 59.4 4,886.9 58.0
Europe 729.1 11.9 740.3 10.7 743.1 10.1 743.6 9.6 736.4 8.7
Oceania 31.2 0.5 36.7 0.5 39.4 0.5 42.1 0.5 47.3 0.6
WORLD 6,127.7 100.0 6,916.2 100.0 7,324.8 100.0 7,716.7 99.9 8,424.9 100.0
Source: FAO

The per-person consumption data for the individual countries (Table 3) reveals a wide range around the regional average of 2.3kg with one-third of the population eating less than 1kg per person and, in many instances, uptake was lower in 2009 than in 2000 as industry growth failed to match population increases.

Nigeria, with a current population estimated at 174 million, saw egg consumption expand from 3.0kg to 3.7kg per person between 2000 and 2009. At an average egg weight of 60g this latter figure would be equivalent to around 62 eggs per person per year. Since then, consumption has trended upwards with one assessment putting the figure for 2012 as high as 71 eggs, of which 67 were eaten in shell and four as egg products.

It is generally considered that increased processing of eggs would reduce the level of wastage and approaches have been made for government to help in providing the necessary technology to convert eggs to products. However, this technology is expensive and there is concern that individual investors may not be willing to become involved in such schemes without government support.


Table 3. Human population of Africa and per-capita egg consumption

 

Human population (millions)

Consumption (kg/person/year)


Country

2000

2010

2015P

2020P

2000

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Algeria 31.7 37.1 40.6 43.8 2.8 4.7 4.7 5.1 4.7 4.6
Angola 13.9 19.6 22.8 26.5 0.7 1.0 1.2 0.9 1.1 0.9
Benin 7.0 9.5 10.9 12.3 0.8 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.2
Botswana 1.8 2.0 2.1 2.2 1.9 2.1 2.3 2.6 2.3 2.0
Burkina Faso 11.6 15.5 17.9 20.5 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3
Burundi 6.7 9.2 10.8 12.6 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
Cameroon 15.9 20.6 23.4 26.4 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5
Cabo Verde 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 4.3 3.6 3.9 4.0 4.2 4.3
Central African Rep. 3.6 4.4 4.8 5.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
Chad 8.3 11.7 13.6 15.7 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
Comoros 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0
Congo 3.1 4.1 4.7 5.3 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.3
Cote d'Ivoire 16.1 19.0 21.3 23.8 1.8 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.4
Dem. Rep. Congo 47.0 62.2 71.3 81.3 - - - - - -
Djibouti 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.2
Egypt 66.1 78.1 84.7 91.1 2.2 2.5 2.4 2.7 3.6 3.3
Equatorial Guinea 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.9 - - - - - -
Eritrea 3.9 5.7 6.7 7.7 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3
Ethiopia 66.0 87.1 98.9 111.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
Gabon 1.2 1.6 1.8 2.0 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.0
Gambia 1.2 1.7 2.0 2.3 0.9 1.7 2.1 3.3 3.8 0.9
Ghana 18.8 24.3 27.0 29.8 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2
Guinea 8.8 10.9 12.4 13.9 1.2 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.0
Guinea-Bissau 1.3 1.6 1.8 2.0 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7
Kenya 31.3 40.9 46.8 52.9 1.6 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.7 1.7
Lesotho 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.2 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7
Liberia 2.9 4.0 4.5 5.1 1.6 2.3 2.4 1.6 2.2 1.7
Libya 5.2 6.0 6.3 6.8 10.2 10.0 10.3 10.1 9.8 9.4
Madagascar 15.8 21.1 24.2 27.8 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8
Malawi 11.3 15.0 17.3 19.9 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1
Mali 10.3 14.0 16.3 19.1 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5
Mauritania 2.7 3.6 4.1 4.6 1.7 2.0 1.7 1.9 2.3 1.4
Mauritius 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 9.1 8.5 7.8 7.0 6.3 5.4
Morocco 28.7 31.6 34.0 35.9 6.9 6.4 6.6 7.0 4.9 5.1
Mozambique 18.3 24.0 27.1 30.6 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Namibia 1.9 2.2 2.4 2.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5
Niger 11.0 15.9 19.3 23.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
Nigeria 122.9 159.7 183.5 210.2 3.0 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7
Reunion 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.9 - - - - - -
Rwanda 8.4 10.8 12.4 14.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3
Saint Helena # # # # - - - - - -
Sao Tome/Principe 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 2.2 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2
Senegal 9.9 13.0 15.0 17.1 1.5 2.1 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.8
Seychelles 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 6.0 9.2 9.4 9.6 9.5 9.6
Sierra Leone 4.1 5.8 6.3 6.9 1.8 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.5
Somalia 7.4 9.6 11.1 12.8 - - - - - -
South Africa 44.9 51.5 53.5 55.1 5.4 5.8 6.7 7.0 7.4 6.7
South Sudan - - 12.2 13.9 - - - - - -
Sudan - - 39.6 44.5 - - - - - -
Swaziland 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2.7 6.6 4.7 2.6 2.6 2.5
Togo 4.9 6.3 7.2 8.1 0.9 1.0 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.0
Tunisia 9.6 10.6 11.2 11.8 7.4 7.3 7.1 7.4 7.4 7.5
Uganda 24.3 34.0 40.1 47.1 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5
United Rep. Tanzania 34.0 45.0 52.3 60.4 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7
Western Sahara 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.7 - - - - - -
Zambia 10.1 13.2 15.5 18.3 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.6 3.0 3.1
Zimbabwe 12.5 13.1 15.1 17.1 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.7 1.7 2.1
AFRICA 808.3 1,031.1 1,166.2 1,312.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3
WORLD 6,127.7 6,916.2 7,324.8 7,716.7 8.1 8.5 8.5 8.7 8.9 8.9
# less than 50,000; - no figure; P= projected
Source: FAO

Egg consumption in South Africa is estimated to have reached a record 153 eggs per person in 2012. However, rising feed prices have impacted negatively on producers’ actions. Indeed, from April to September 2013, the rate of feed cost increases was higher than that of egg producers’ prices putting pressure on profits.

Based on estimates of a cut-back in layer numbers and egg production, it appears that per-person uptake has declined in 2013 and may well do so again in 2014.

The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) is working closely with schools and health organisations to stimulate egg consumption through promoting the health benefits of eggs.

Based on FAO data egg production, egg consumption and also consumption per person accelerated from 2000 to peak in 2008 when uptake per person was assessed at 7.4kg. Since then, according to an International Egg Commission report, it appears that the average has increased to 8.9kg per person in 2012.

Bearing in mind the room for error in compiling consumption data there appears only a few instances where the uptake per person in Africa is growing although total consumption is expected to expand in line with population increases.

world human population

Figure 1. Global human population by region (millions)

Egg Consumption in Oceania

Egg consumption per person in Australia escalated by some 30 per cent from 164 eggs in 2003 to 214 in 2012 (Table 4). This emphasises the point that egg production growth at some 3.6 per cent per year outpaced the population increase of 1.5 per cent.

During 2013, the Australian Egg Corporation Ltd (AECL) maintained its promotional strategy under the tag headline 'Eggs, Easy As', investing in both above- and below-the-line campaigns directed at consumers and healthcare professionals.

It is estimated that possibly 10 per cent of all eggs are consumed as products. That in many other developed economies the proportion of eggs eaten in product forms is 20 per cent or more hints at possible future growth possibilities in this sector in Australia.


Table 4. Human population of Oceania and per-capita egg consumption

 

Human population (millions)

Consumption (kg/person/year)


Country

2000

2010

2015P

2020P

2000

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

American Samoa 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 - - - - - -
Australia 19.3 22.4 23.9 25.4 5.9 5.2 6.8 6.2 6.0 5.8
Cook Isl. # # # # - - - - - -
Fiji 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.9 4.1 3.9 3.9 3.6 2.3 2.8
French Polynesia 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 4.8 7.8 7.6 7.4 7.8 8.6
Guam 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 - - - - - -
Kiribati 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 2.1 2.4 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.3
Marshall Isl. 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 - - - - - -
Micronesia 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 - - - - - -
Nauru # # # # - - - - - -
New Caledonia 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 6.7 7.4 7.8 8.0 9.9 11.5
New Zealand 3.9 4.4 4.6 4.8 9.5 10.4 10.6 9.5 10.6 10.7
Niue # # # # - - - - - -
N. Mariana Isl. 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 - - - - - -
Palau # # # # - - - - - -
Papua New Guinea 5.4 6.9 7.6 8.4 - - - - - -
Samoa 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.2 3 3.7 2.8 2.8 3.2
Solomon Isl. 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.6 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2
Tokelau # # # # - - - - - -
Tonga 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 - - - - - -
Tuvalu # # # # - - - - - -
Vanuatu 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 1.4 1.7 2.0 3.0 3.6 3.6
Wallis/Fortuna Isl. # # # #   - - - - -
OCEANIA 31.2 36.7 39.4 42.1 6.2 5.9 7.1 6.5 6.5 6.4
WORLD 6,127.7 6,916.2 7,324.8 7,716.7 8.1 8.5 8.5 8.7 8.9 8.9
# less than 50,000; - no figure; P= projected
Source: FAO

In New Zealand, egg consumption has been fairly stable at around 230 eggs per person per year although there are some indications that it has now slipped to 223.

It is estimated that some 15 per cent of eggs are consumed in products.

The egg industry has to move production out of conventional cages by 2022, almost certainly increasing production costs. As this will impact on profits, production could well be cut, which will increase prices. However, retail price increases in developed economies do not have anywhere near the negative impact on demand as in developing nations. Nevertheless, as the total supply could well be cut back, so the quantities of eggs consumed in total and per person could decline.

April 2014

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Californian Chicken Blocked by Hong Kong
24 April 2014


HONG KONG - The safety department of Hong Kong has banned the import of poultry and poultry products, including eggs, from Stanislaus County in California, it said on Thursday.

The ban was imposed after the department was notified by the World Organization for Animal Health about an outbreak of low- pathogenic H5 avian influenza on a quail farm in the county, reported Shanghai Daily earlier today.

The department has contacted American authorities and will monitor the situation, it said.

About 150,000 tonnes of frozen poultry meat, eight tonnes of chilled poultry meat and 600 million poultry eggs were imported to Hong Kong from the United States last year.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Weekly Overview: High Feed Prices, Trade Agreements Hit Poultry Farming Profits
01 May 2014


GLOBAL - Feed ingredient prices are down from their peak but feed costs continue to hit farmers' margins in countries across the world, according to reports in the last week's news, writes Jackie Linden. Some of the large poultry companies, on the other, have reported improving results.

Delaware is one of the leading broiler-producing areas in the United States but new national statistics show that while chicken output grew slightly in 2013 and production value jumped 23 per cent, high grain and energy prices blunted growers' returns last year.

In Bangalore, India, local players in the poultry business in Koramangla report experiencing a tough period with slow business and margins severely hit by high feed prices.

Chicken producers in Pakistan, however, are blaming unfair competition resulting from Free Trade Agreements with Malaysia and China for their financial woes.

More positive news came from Russia, where Cherkizovo reports sales for its pork, poultry and grain divisions higher in the first quarter of the year.

In Mexico, the CEO of Industrias Bachoco commented in the latest quarterly report that sales volume increased compared to the first quarter of 2013. Although prices of the company's products declined, a decrease in the price of raw materials more than offset the price reduction and resulted in an improvement in the operating performance of the company.

BRF of Brazil also reported good poultry meat sales growth in the most recent quarter.

A session on injurious pecking in poultry and measures to address the issue was among the highlights of a poultry science meeting this week.

The annual meeting of the UK branch of the World's Poultry Science Association in Nottingham began with a focus on poultry nutrition, followed by the session on pecking - particularly laying hens - and the current status of beak trimming, which is already banned in some European Union countries and looks likely to cease in the UK in the coming years.

And finally, turning to bird flu news, South Korea has reported three new outbreaks of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian flu in poultry over the last month. A low-pathogenic avian flu virus was identified last week as the cause of increased mortality in a commercial flock of Japanese quail in California, US.



Jackie Linden - Senior Editor

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Chinese Bird Flu Leads to Boost in Brazilian Broiler Buying
06 May 2014


BRAZIL – China imported 1,900 tons more Brazilian poultry meat for the first quarter of 2014 than last year amid the bird flu outbreak.

Mandatory culling and other bird flu measures have led to almost 50,000 tons of broiler meat being bought into China to fill a void left by avian influenza.

This is according to Secex data which also showed a recent surge in Japanese buying, although first quarter shipments are down overall.

Analysts expect the continuing bird flu interruptions to maintain strong demand for Brazilian chicken.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Weekly Overview: UK Poultry Industry Looks to the Future
15 May 2014


UK - Whilst the country's egg and chicken meat industries face challenges ahead, visitors to the British Pig & Poultry Fair at the National Agricultural Centre this week seemed to be optimistic about the future of their businesses, reports Jackie Linden.

Industry optimism about the future was a theme of the British Pig & Poultry Fair this week.

At the ‘Growing your Business’ for the egg sector, for example, Mark Williams from the British Egg Industry Council [pictured above, left] explained that there is plenty to be positive about in the egg sector.

"We should be extremely proud of the fact we are 87 per cent self-sufficient in eggs, with 9.68 billion eggs being produced a year in the UK," he said.

He also touched on the challenge facing producers in the form of beak-trimming, saying: "This is the most important policy issue at this time facing the UK egg industry. There is on-going work underway to educate MPs about the implications, and the need to delay any potential policy until birds can be reared without beak trimming, with no impact on welfare. This needs to be based on proven science and genetics."

Representing the chicken meat industry, Steve Ellis of 2 Sisters Food Group [pictured above, right] also forecast a promising outlook for the sector in terms of the low cost of production per kilo of protein, growing global demand for meat and popularity of chicken with consumers.

Mr Ellis said that the greatest challenges to the industry right now are keeping chicken affordable, tackling Campylobacter and improving bird welfare based on science.

Another forum media consultant, Malcolm Munro said that speaking to the media offers the opportunity to unlocking the power of story-telling.

Also on the theme of broiler welfare, a former arable farmer in the UK has taken lessons learned from vegetable production and applied it to a broiler enterprise to monitor how contented his birds are.



Jackie Linden - Senior Editor

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Weekly Overview: Bird Flu and Other Challenging Issues for the Poultry Industry
29 May 2014


GLOBAL - Influenza of avian origin has been in the news this week with a new report on the transmission of the virus from animals to humans as well as new cases in Chinese patients and signs of infection in poultry workers. There has been a call from the poultry industry to cease referring to 'bird flu'.

Starting with bird flu news, seven new cases of H7N9 influenza have been confirmed in China, while evidence has been found of asymptomatic or mild infections of the virus in poultry workers in Shenzhen.

Nepal has been declared free of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in its poultry, and there have been no new cases of the H5N8 low-pathogenic virus in the United States.

The International Poultry Council (IPC) has called on the leading world health organisations to adopt neutral disease nomenclature to bring to an end market disruption as the result, for example, of influenza outbreaks linked to poultry.

Widespread use of such terms as 'bird flu' in media reports of incidents of influenza in poultry often create confusion and fear among consumers leading to reduced consumption of poultry, which can be costly to producers, according to IPC.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a new report examining the transmission of influenza viruses from animals to humans.

Turning to other news, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has become involved in both the meat and egg sectors in the last few days. It is proposing to grant authorisation to enable members of the New South Wales Farmers’ Association who grow chicken, turkey and duck meat, to bargain collectively with poultry meat processors. ACCC has also begun an investigation into allegations of cartel activity in the country's egg industry.

In India, volatile prices, wide supply-demand disparity and high feed costs remain concerns for the poultry industry. Nevertheless, an investment agency is forecasting improving returns this fiscal year (March 2014 to April 2015).

And in the United States panel of experts on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) gathered in Williamsburg recently to debate the risks and benefits of GM foods. The debate, sponsored by the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD), was one of the fair’s major draws.



Jackie Linden - Senior Editor

[Mustang Sally Farm]

We Can Feed the Poultry to Feed the World
11 June 2014


GLOBAL - "We need science to improve poultry productivity so that the growing demand for animal protein can be met in 2050 and beyond," said Peel Holroyd in his introduction to the latest study for the Temperton Fellowship for Poultry Research. Jackie Linden reports on the presentation in London this week.

Concerns about feeding the global human population are not new but, according to one of the leading lights of the UK feed industry, there are good reasons for optimism that poultry meat and eggs will play a leading role in the solution to the problem of meeting the growing demand for animal proteins.

Speaking at the presentation of his report for the Temperton Fellowship in London this week, Nick Major (pictured) said that with technical efficiency throughout the supply chain, the growing demand for poultry products can be met as the human population inches up towards nine billion in 2050.

Corporate Affairs Director for ForFarmers B.V. in the UK - a leading international feed company that includes BOCM Pauls in the UK - Mr Major outlined how increases in the human population, wealth and urbanisation are the key drivers behind the growing demand for animal proteins.

Projections indicate that by 2050, a per-capita energy consumption of 3,000 calories in achievable, he said. This is the current level in developed countries.

Focusing on poultry products, demand for poultry meat will double by that time and for eggs, the increase required is 64 per cent, according to Mr Major.

Looking at the UK's key feed ingredients of wheat and soybeans, he showed that projections for feed requirements for this level of production indicate adequate supplies of feed ingredients to support that level of poultry output.

Mr Major stressed that these increases will come from improved production efficiency throughout the supply chain rather than any significant expansion in the area of arable land.

Highlighting the improvements made in poultry genetics, feeding and management over the last 50 years or so, he said that the output targets can be met by the poultry industry.

In closing, he stressed the need for technical efficiency throughout the poultry supply chain to meet these goals.

Responding to questions following his presentation, Mr Major mentioned that the range of tools in the nutritionist's 'toolbox' includes:
•feed enzymes (already widely used but there is still further potential)
•making better use of food wastes, co-products and new feed ingredients, including biofuel by-products, insect protein, processed animal protein (PAP; meat and bone meal) as well as algae and yeasts.

Finally, Mr Major told that, whilst not referring to it specifically in his presentation,  he considers genetically modified (GM) feed ingredients to be among the technical solutions needed to meet growing demand for animal proteins.

Still an issue in western Europe right now, he added, there is a strong need for this new technology, not least as non-GM soybeans become ever harder to source, for example.

During his presentation, Mr Major had mentioned that the main soybean producing and exporting areas in Latin America have been identified as among those more likely to suffer adverse effects of climate change in the years ahead. This would increase the pressure to develop more drought-resistant feed crops.