Far Eastern Agriculture issue 1 2012

FEAG 1 2012 COVER_FEAG_COVER_MASTER_09 27/01/2012 10:12 Page 1

US$15.00 (UK£9.00)

VOLUME 29 ISSUE 1

ISSUE ONE 2012

Hatchery management Principles and practices

Victam Asia 2012 preview HPAI in Hong Kong Mycotoxins in animal feed The ‘money-making’ tree

Poultry Buyers’ Guide

Quality control in green coffee- p21

S01 FEAG 1 2012 Start_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:13 Page 2

S01 FEAG 1 2012 Start_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:13 Page 3

Contents

VOLUME 29 ISSUE 1

US$15.00 (UK£9.00)

Bulletin 4

A round-up of key developments in the regional market

ISSUE ONE 2012

Hatchery management

Agenda 6

Principles and practices

IFAD for southern grown development solutions; New projection shows global food demand doubling by 2050; Steady rise in fertilizer consumption expected in 2012; plus FAO Food Outlook

Events 10

Previews of VIV/ILDEX India 2012 and Victam, FIAAP and GRAPAS Asia; and an overview of other upcoming events Victam Asia 2012 preview

Livestock

HPAI in Hong Kong Mycotoxins in animal feed The ‘money-making’ tree

13

Tips for successful hatchery management

16

H5N1 HPAI returns to haunt Hong Kong

19

Mycotoxin control as an effective tool for successful demedicalization

Poultry Buyers’ Guide

Quality control in green coffee- p21

Crops 21

Quality control in green coffee

24

The Philippines’ money-making tree

26

Stop abusing insecticides in rice

Poultry Buyers’ Guide 28

An overview of the key players in the poultry market

Equipment 32

The latest innovations and agricultural technology

Moreover 35

Carbon crediting for restoring degraded grasslands

Advertisers Index AWILA Anlagenbau GmbH ................................................................................5

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

China Animal Agriculture Association (China Animal Husbandry Expo 2012)......9

OMEX Agrifluids Ltd ........................................................................................21

Compact Seeds and Clones S.A. ........................................................................7

PT Napindo Media Ashatama (Indo Livestock 2012) ..........................................2

Diamond Engineering Ltd.................................................................................29

PT. Global Expo Management (INAPALM 2012) ................................................27

Eurofeed Technologies ....................................................................................34

VNU Exhibitions Europe Bv (VIV/ILDEX India 2012) ..........................................11

Goizper Sociedad Cooperativa ........................................................................23

www.fareasternagriculture.com

Managing Editor: Prabhu Dev - feag@alaincharles.com Editorial and Design team: Bob Adams, David Clancy, Andrew Croft, Immanuel Devadoss, Ranganath GS, Prashant AP, Genaro Santos, Zsa Tebbit, Nicky Valsamakis and Julian Walker Publisher: Nick Fordham Advertising Sales Director: Pallavi Pandey

Head Office: Alain Charles Publishing Ltd University House 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place London SW1W 0EX, United Kingdom Phone: +44 20 7834 7676 Fax: +44 20 7973 0076

Middle East Regional Office: Alain Charles Middle East FZ-LLC Office 215, Loft 2A PO Box 502207 Dubai Media City, UAE Phone: +971 4 448 9260 Fax: +971 4 448 9261

Magazine Sales Manager: Richard Rozelaar, Tel: +44 207 834 7676, Fax: +44 207 973 0076 Email: richard.rozelaar@alaincharles.com

Production: Henrietta Cobbald, Donatella Moranelli, Nasima Osman, Jeremy Walters and Sophia White - Email: production@alaincharles.com

Country China India Nigeria Russia South Africa Qatar UAE USA

Subscriptions: circulation@alaincharles.com

Representative Wang Ying Tanmay Mishra Bola Olowo Sergei Salov Annabel Marx Saida Hamad Camilla Capece Michael Tomashefsky

Phone (86)10 8472 1899 (91) 80 6684483 (234) 8034349299 (7495) 540 7564 (27) 218519017 (974) 55745780 (971) 4 448 9260 (1) 203 226 2882

Fax (86) 10 8472 1900 (91) 80 40600791 (7495) 540 7565 (27) 46 624 5931 (971) 4 448 9261 (1) 203 226 7447

Email ying.mathieson@alaincharles.com tanmay.mishra@alaincharles.com bola.olowo@alaincharles.com mne@acpmos.ru annabel.marx@alaincharles.com saida.hamad@alaincharles.com camilla.capece@alaincharles.com michael.tomashefsky@alaincharles.com

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

Chairman: Derek Fordham Printed by: Times Printers Private Limited Far Eastern Agriculture (ISSN 0266-8025)

Serving the world of business

3

S01 FEAG 1 2012 Start_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:13 Page 4

Bulletin Korea to help fight FMD in Southeast Asia THE SOUTH KOREA government will spend US$2.61 million in the next four years to help fight foot-and-mouth disease in Southeast Asian countries, a main source of the disease that affects hoofed animals, including cows and pigs, according to a Yonhap News agency report.

Under a joint prevention program South Korea’s most recent FMD outbreak, reported late last year, was thought to have with the United Nations originated from Southeast Asia Food and Agriculture Organization, the money will help set up disease prevention and control systems in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, according to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The move comes after South Korea’s most recent FMD outbreak, reported late last year, was thought to have originated from Southeast Asia, where the disease is said to be rampant.

for the construction of a methionine complex with an annual capacity of 150,000 metric tons. In the completely backwardintegrated complex on Jurong Island, Evonik will not only produce the amino acid methionine, which is in high demand for animal feed, but also all the strategically important raw materials required for the production process. The new plant is scheduled to begin operating in the second half of 2014. The main engineering and raw material contracts have already been awarded and preliminary work has already commenced.

The new construction and the expansion of the four existing methionine production plants will raise Evonik's total annual capacity for this amino acid to 580,000 metric tons beginning in 2014—an increase of more than 60 percent in just five years (2010: 360,000 mt).

"Methionine is one of our core businesses, which we're now strengthening considerably in the Asian growth market by making this major investment. This also should bring us closer to our customers in Asia and makes us a solid, reliable, long-term partner," explained Klaus Engel, CEO of Evonik Industries. Evonik is already the market leader for methionine.

Arysta hires new global business development head

DR. KENNETH BAKER has been appointed Chairman of the Board of the World Agricultural Forum, succeeding Dr. Leonard J. Guarraia who held the post since he founded the Forum in 1997.

The World Agricultural Forum (WAF) seeks to create awareness and educate all stakeholders about the critical role agriculture plays in rural and economic development, and ultimately, national security.

Rt. Hon. James Bolger, Chairman of the WAF Advisory Board and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, said, “We are honoured that Ken has agreed to take on this position and to guide the WAF for the next few years. Ken led the delivery of the important WAF 2011 World Congress held in Brussels recently. I am sure we continue to be in safe hands.”

JAPAN-BASED ARYSTA LifeScience has announced that Bryan Koeppl has joined the company as global head of business development.

In his new role, Koeppl is responsible for analyzing the competitive dynamics in the agricultural chemical industry; recognizing new opportunities and identifying acquisition candidates; and implementing strategies for the company to achieve its acquisition and divestiture goals.

Koeppl reports to CEO Wayne Hewett. “Bryan brings a wealth of experience in corporate development and investment banking as we look to build on Arysta LifeScience’s previous mergers and acquisitions (M&A) accomplishments,” said Hewett.

“Arysta LifeScience remains committed to maintaining a strong M&A capability and continues to aggressively assess opportunities on a global basis. Bryan will be critical to this process and will be an asset to our leadership team.”

Topigs imports more breeding pigs to China

Novus appoints new regional sales manager

TOPIGS HAS IMPORTED 500 top breeding pigs into China. This second successful import comes just one month after a first import of 1000 pigs.

This time the pigs originate from the Topigs nucleus farms in the Meuse region in France. The great grandparent pigs are the top of the Topigs breeding pyramid and have the SPF health status, according to the company.

The imported pigs will be used to populate a new breeding farm in the Shanghai region that will become a satellite nucleus. This farm is part of a cooperative that has an integrated pork production chain.

With this second successive import, Topigs continues to build up its presence in China, the world’s biggest market for breeding pigs. China’s fast-growing professional pig industry needs genetics that enable high-level production.

NOVUS INTERNATIONAL INC., a leading animal health and nutrition company, recently appointed Ms. Wully Wahyuni as regional sales manager for Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei.

Wully Wahyuni completed her education at Bogor Agricultural University in Animal Nutrition and Feed Science in 2000. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Business Administration at ITB Business School in Jakarta, capital region of Indonesia.

“With a proven track record in Sales and Marketing Management and more than 11 years of experience, Wully Wahyuni has developed a strong ability to influence others and achieve goals, mainly through effective team work and accountability. She believes that leadership, coaching and discipline are essential elements for success,” a company official said.

New chairman for the Board of World Agricultural Forum

Evonik announces major investment in Singapore WITH THE LARGEST of its chemical investments to date, Evonik—a leading specialty chemicals company— plans to strengthen its core business with essential amino acids for animal nutrition.

The Group will invest roughly one-half billion Euros in Singapore

4

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S02 FEAG 1 2012 Agenda_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:14 Page 5

Events 2011 FEBRUARY 2012 6-7

RubberPlant Summit

8-10

Dairy, Pig, & Poultry Focus Asia 2012

Bangkok, Thailand

8- 9

ILDEX Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand

8-10

INAHGEN 2012

Pasay City, Philippines

15-17

FIAAP, VICTAM & GRAPAS Asia 2012

Bangkok, Thailand

22-23

International Veterinary Poultry Congress & Exhibition of Iran

Tehran, Iran

22-24

VIV/ILDEX India

Bangalore, India

www.viv.net

www.hortiexpo.com

Bali, Indonesia

www.cmtevents.com www.positiveaction.info www.ildex.com www.inahgen.com www.victam.com www.ivpc2012.com

MARCH 2012 3-5

Horti Expo 2012

New Delhi, India

22-24

ILDEX Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

www.ildex.com

MAY 2012 16-17

Pan Pacific Pork Expo

Queensland, Australia

18-20

China Animal Husbandry Expo (CAHE) 2012

Nanjing, China

www.caaa.com.cn

24-27

EuroCarne

Verona, Italy

www.eurocarne.it

www.australianpork.com.au

JULY 2012 4-6

Indo Livestock 2012

Jakarta, Indonesia

www.indolivestock.com

IFAD for southern grown development solutions WHILE THE FINANCIAL crisis still casts a shadow over many countries, the benefits of South-South cooperation are setting the stage for sustainable development.

Commenting on the occasion of the United Nations International Day for South-South Cooperation, Thomas Elhaut, Director for Statistics and Studies for Development, Strategy and Knowledge Management at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), said, “Development agencies and policymakers must seek ways to extend and sustain rapid expansion of South-South trade and investment flows in pursuit of lasting development gains. Creating policy space for government action and regional policy co-ordination is crucial.�

Until recently, South-South cooperation consisted primarily of sharing technical developments, ranging from improving livestock breeds and health, to food processing technologies to more efficient water use. Today, in addition to exchanges at the technical level, it involves dialogue on regional policy coordination and other government actions that are crucial to achievement of global development goals.

Being both donors and recipients of aid, middle-income countries have a unique perspective on the development process. Their increasing importance has been recognized by the recent High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea, where government leaders identified South-South cooperation as vital in the international development architecture.

Food insecurity is especially severe in the southern hemisphere, affecting around 95 per cent of the women and men living in South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural technologies and knowledge that have helped middle-income countries like China, Brazil and India to boost their development can be valuable for smallholder farmers in other countries with similar challenges.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

5

S02 FEAG 1 2012 Agenda_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:14 Page 6

Agenda

Food Outlook FOOD PRICES FELL in December 2011 with the FAO Food Price Index dropping 2.4 per cent, or five points from November.

At its new level of 211 points, the Index was 11.3 per cent (27 points) below its peak in February 2011.

The decline was driven by sharp falls in international prices of cereals, sugar and oils due to bumper 2011 crops coupled with slowing demand and a stronger US dollar.

Most commodities were affected.

However, although prices dropped steadily in the second half of 2011, the Index averaged 228 points in 2011 — the highest average since FAO started measuring international food prices in 1990. The previous high was in 2008 at 200 points.

Commenting on the new figures, FAO Senior Grains Economist Abdolreza Abbassian said that it was difficult to make any firm prediction on price trends for the coming months.

“International prices of many food commodities have declined in recent months, but given the uncertainties over the global economy, currency and energy

markets, unpredictable prospects lie ahead,” Abbassian said.

Among the principal commodities, cereal prices registered the biggest fall, with the FAO Cereal Price Index dropping 4.8 per cent to 218 points in December. Record crops and an improved supply outlook sent prices of major cereals declining significantly. Maize prices fell 6 per cent, wheat 4 per cent and rice 3 per cent. In 2011, the FAO cereal price index averaged 247 points, up some 35 per cent from 2010 and the highest since the 1970s.

The FAO Oils and Fats Price Index stood at 227 points in December, down 3 per cent from November and well below the level of 264 points one year ago. Larger than expected overall supplies of vegetable oil led to a rise in stocks (notably palm and sunflower oil), which, together with poor global demand for soybeans, deflated prices.

The FAO Meat Price Index averaged 179 points, slightly down compared with November. The decline was mainly driven by pig meat, whose price dropped by 2.2 per cent, with sheep meat also receding

somewhat. By contrast, poultry and bovine meat prices recorded mild gains. On an annual basis, meat prices in 2011 were 16 per cent higher than in 2010.

The FAO Sugar Price Index declined for the fifth consecutive month to 327 points in December, down 4 per cent from November and 18 per cent from its July 2011 peak. The Index’s weakness in recent months mostly reflects expectations of a large world production surplus over the new season, on the back of good harvests in India, the European Union, Thailand and the Russian Federation.

New projection shows global food demand doubling by 2050 GLOBAL FOOD DEMAND could double by 2050, according to a new projection by David Tilman, Regents Professor of Ecology in the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences, and colleagues, including Jason Hill, assistant professor in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.

Producing that amount of food could significantly increase levels of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the environment and cause the extinction of numerous species. But this can be avoided, the paper shows, if the high-yielding technologies of rich nations are adapted to work in poor nations, and if all nations use nitrogen fertilizers more efficiently.

Agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions could double by 2050 if current trends in global food production continue

6

“Agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions could double by 2050 if current trends in global food production continue,” Tilman said. “Global agriculture already accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions.” Much of these emissions come from land clearing, which also threatens species with extinction.

The report shows that if poor nations continue current practices, they will clear a land area larger than the United States (two and a half billion acres) by 2050. But if richer nations help poorer nations improve yields to achievable levels, that could be reduced to half a billion acres.

The research, published online recently by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that adopting nitrogen-efficient “intensive” farming can meet future global food demand with much lower environmental impacts than the “extensive” farming practiced by many poor nations, which clear land to produce more food. The potential benefits are great. In 2005, crop yields for the wealthiest nations were more than 300 percent higher than yields for the poorest nations.

“Strategically intensifying crop production in developing and leastdeveloped nations would reduce the overall environmental harm caused by food production, as well as provide a more equitable food supply across the globe,” said Hill.

In the paper, Tilman and his collaborators explore different ways of meeting demand for food and their environmental effects. In essence, the options are to increase productivity on existing agricultural land, clear more land, or do a combination of both. They consider various scenarios in which the amount of nitrogen use, land cleared, and resulting greenhouse gas emissions differ.

“Our analyses show that we can save most of the Earth’s remaining ecosystems by helping the poorer nations of the world feed themselves,” Tilman said.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S02 FEAG 1 2012 Agenda_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:14 Page 7

Agenda

Steady rise in fertilizer consumption expected in 2012 THE INTERNATIONAL FERTILIZER Industry Association (IFA) has released its short-term Fertilizer Outlook 2012-2013 to the public. The report shows that the fertilizer sector has now fully recuperated from the setback of 2008/09 and is maintaining a steady stream of investment in new capacity, capitalizing on the positive forecasts of a 3 per cent increase in consumption worldwide for the main nutrients – nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) – in 2012.

Agricultural commodity prices peaked at the beginning of 2011 and remained high throughout the first half of the year due to tight market conditions in 2010/11. Last year’s global cereal harvest reached a new record of 2.3 billion metric tonnes. However, this increase in production will be entirely absorbed by rising demand for food, feed and biofuel uses. As a result, the global stock-to-use ratio is seen as remaining stable but still relatively low at the end of the 2011/12 campaign. More worryingly, the ratio for coarse grains is expected to decline for the third consecutive year, to a very low level, due to a disappointing maize harvest in the United States (according to USDA crop forecasts).

Stimulated by the sharp rebound of world

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

economic activity, particularly in developing countries, and strong agricultural market fundamentals, IFA estimates that global fertilizer consumption increased by 6.2 per cent in 2010/11, to 173 million metric tonnes (Mt) of nutrients.

Responding to attractive agricultural commodity prices, world fertilizer demand is anticipated to rise steadily in 2011/12.

“World demand would increase by 3 per cent in 2011/12, to a record 178.2 Mt,” says Patrick Heffer, Director of the IFA Agriculture Service. By the end of the 2011/12 campaign, world fertilizer demand is expected to have fully recovered from the economic downturn for the three macronutrients. N, P and K fertilizer demand in 2011/12 would surpass their 2007/08 levels by 7.2, 2.7 and 0.5 Mt, respectively.

Forecasts for 2012/13 are highly speculative in view of the rapidly deteriorating economic context in advanced economies. Tentative forecasts point to 2.3 per cent growth.

“World nutrient supply, in 2011, expanded in response to such robust fertilizer demand. The global production of ammonia, phosphate rock and potash reached record levels,” confirms Michel Prud’homme, Director of the IFA Production and

International Trade Service. However, global nutrient capacity grew at a slower rate than production, confirming the tightness of supply seen throughout 2011, because of delays in new capacity commissioning and stronger than expected demand.

IFA estimates that global sales prospects point to 2.6 per cent overall growth in 2012, reaching a record level of 232 Mt nutrients, with production increases of about 2.5 per cent for nitrogen, 3.5 per cent for phosphate products, and up to 4 per cent for potash. Global trade prospects appear positive for virtually all products.

“Massive investments in new capacity projects since 2009 have now started to add significant new supply of urea, DAP and potash,” adds Michel Prud’homme. However, several factors have the potential to change the supply landscape and impact current trade flows and investment decisions in the near term. These include the continued shortfall in the supply of natural gas in a few large nitrogen producing countries, such as China, Iran, Pakistan, Trinidad and Venezuela; the implementation of export taxes on fertilizers; delays in the completion of new capacity projects; and increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

7

S02 FEAG 1 2012 Agenda_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:14 Page 8

Agenda

DeLaval introduces ISO identification for all VMS barn systems

Japan to open robot farm in tsunami disaster area

DELAVAL VOLUNTARY MILKING System VMSTM units can now be offered with ISO identification.

The product which is based on several years of development and testing is in line with expected lifetime traceability legislation and will enable Delaval Voluntary Milking System farmers to take advantage of the cost efficiency of the ISO identification system.

In recent years, animal lifetime traceability has become an important issue in dairy farming. In a number of countries legislation has already been passed that requires cows to be fitted with ISO ID ear tags. Furthermore, animal lifetime traceability legislation is expected to be implemented in more and more countries the coming years.

DeLaval VMS Business Development Manager, Jouko Tiainen said, “In order to launch the system we had to make sure that it works at the same performance level as our existing identification systems as nothing else is acceptable with a robotic milking system. After several years of development and testing at large scale farms, we are now in a position to release it onto the market.”

JAPAN IS PLANNING a futuristic farm where robots do the lifting in an experimental project on land swamped by the March tsunami.

Under an agriculture ministry plan, unmanned tractors will work fields where pesticides will have been replaced by LEDs keeping rice, wheat, soybeans, fruit and vegetables safe until robots can put them in boxes.

Carbon dioxide produced by machinery working on the up to 250hectare (600 acre) site will be channeled back to crops to boost their growth and reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers, the Nikkei newspaper said.

The agricultural ministry will begin on-site research later this year with a plan to spend around four billion yen (US$52-million) over the next six years, a ministry official said.

Land in Miyagi, located 300 km north of Tokyo—has been earmarked for the so-called “Dream Project”. Miyagi was one of Japan’s three worst-hit prefectures in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which left more than 19,000 dead or missing and triggered the world’s worst nuclear crisis in decades.

Farming was hit particularly hard by the disaster, with tsunami water leaving soil laden with salt and oil deposits, as well as radiation contamination as a result of the leaking Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. More than 59,000 acres of once fertile farmland were damaged as a result of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear fallout, with the agricultural industry still struggling to recover.

Vietnam chalks out plan to draw investors to agriculture AN APPROPRIATE POLICY on the publicprivate partnerships would attract more private investors to the agricultural sector, Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai said in Hanoi recently.

Speaking at a meeting organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to discuss policies to improve the agriculture sector during the period 2012-2015, Hai said more cooperation was needed from people to achieve targets set for 2012-2015, particularly between enterprises and farmers to promote production and sustainability.

Cao Duc Phat, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said although the agricultural sector faced many difficulties, the country yielded 41.5 million tons of rice in 2011, an increase of 1.5 million compared to last year. Vietnam can now guarantee food security within the country and meet its target for export of over 7 million tons of rice per year.

Hai asked the sector to develop plans of action to cope with climate change which is negatively impacting agricultural production and rural development. He said the sector also faces other challenges, including epidemics, low productivity, poor infrastructure and low incomes for farmers, which must be overcome to

8

Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai

ensure sustainable development.

The Deputy PM said that MARD should examine its list of priority projects that need investment and call for capital from other economic sectors. He also suggested that aquaculture projects follow the public-private partnership (PPP) model to attract more investment capital.

Delegates proposed raising agro-forestryfishery exports in 2012 to US$28 billion, US$3 billion more than the 2011 target, and prioritizing capital for dyke and dam reinforcement projects.

Cao Duc Phat reported that in 2012 the

sector has set targets to achieve a growth rate of 2.3-2.6 per cent, exporting 6.5-7 million tonnes of rice, earning US$24 billion from exports and raising the national forest coverage to 40.5 per cent.

Vietnam is currently one of the world's largest exporters of farm produce, including rice, coffee, pepper and cashew. But earnings from exports have not been high because the country mainly exports raw or preliminary processed products. Publicprivate partnerships could prove to be indispensable in improving the sector's comparative advantage.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S02 FEAG 1 2012 Agenda_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:14 Page 9

Agenda

US Corn Mission sees potential in Vietnam THE RAPIDLY INCREASING entrepreneurial spirit witnessed in Vietnam encouraged participants of the U.S. Grains Council’s Corn Mission about future opportunities for U.S. agricultural products.

Nine U.S. producers and corn organization staff traveled to Japan, China and Vietnam recently for a firsthand look at the challenges of developing and defending export markets and to share insights on the U.S. 2011 crop supply and quality. Participants met with international customers, key foreign government officials and the Council’s foreignbased international staff.

Vietnam is the fastest growing feed market in Asia. Although Vietnam mostly fills its corn needs with domestic and nearby country imports, the group still felt encouraged by the market potential.

“The drastically changing consumer habits will increase grain demand in Vietnam. We need to continue to educate Vietnamese buyers and farmers on benefits of buying from the United States,” said Pat Feldpausch, mission participant and president of the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan. “The United States has a dependable system that provides transparency and risk management. We are a consistent supplier and buyers get better value for their purchases. Buying corn from nearby countries or from Ukraine is a risk. You may get a bargain but it’s a gamble.”

The group had the opportunity to see a Council program in action at the local feed mill where USGC Consultant Dr. Budi Tangendjaja was conducting a seminar on the use and application of U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS).

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

Vietnam is the fastest growing feed market in Asia

Paul Herringshaw, mission participant and vice chairman of the Ohio Corn Marketing Program, said, “Vietnam has agile users of U.S. DDGS. It’s a good product that helps every diet. It’s a great way to move protein at lower moisture, and it’s replacing Indian soybean meal and other competitive ingredients. We need to continue market education to increase the product moving into the country.”

In 2010, Vietnam became the 15th largest market for U.S. agricultural products. U.S. agricultural exports to Vietnam grew fivefold from a mere $216 million in 2006 to $1.3 billion in 2010. Vietnam is the 8th largest market for U.S. feedstuffs, doubling over the past two years and valued at $151 million in 2010.

9

S03 FEAG 1 2012 Events_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:15 Page 10

Events

One-stop expo for feed and grain professionals

Previous edition attracted nearly 6,000 industry professionals from various parts of the globe.

T

HE 2012 EDITION of Victam, FIAAP and GRAPAS Asia will be held from February 15-17 at the exhibition and conference centre of the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), in Bangkok.

The expo, billed as Asia’s largest dedicated international feed and grain event, will have a similar format to that of its previous 2010 edition that attracted nearly 6,000 industry professionals from various parts of the globe.

A number of new products will be launched at the event, and there will be specific technical conferences on aquafeed, animal feed ingredients, pet food, biomass technology and grain processing.

All three trade shows—Victam, FIAAP and GRAPAS Asia—will be co-located within one hall at BITEC, enabling visitors to view the products and technology needed to formulate and operate safe and economic animal feed production and grain processing facilities.

Victam Asia 2012 Victam Asia is region’s largest exhibition for animal feed specialists and for the ancillary equipment and technology necessary for the production of animal feeds, aquafeed and dry pet foods. Visitors will see the latest innovations from the world’s leading designers, manufacturers and suppliers of this

10

industry. A range of products and services, including mills, upgrades to existing systems or formulation programmes and re-conditioned equipment will be showcased at the event.

Nutritionists and formulators also are encouraged to attend to see how the new technology will impact current formulations.

A series of conferences at the event including The FIAAP Asia Conference 2012, Petfood Forum Asia 2012, The GRAPAS Asia Conference 2012, Biomass – Pellets Update Asia, Aquafeed Horizons Asia 2012, The Thai Feed Conference, GMP+ seminar Feed safety and sustainability in the global market, et al will also be held.

FIAAP Asia 2012 FIAAP is touted as Asia’s only show and conference dedicated to the specialist ingredients and additives used in the safe and cost-efficient formulation of animal feeds, aquafeed and dry petfoods. Exhibitors will be displaying the latest products from within this important sector of the feed industry.

GRAPAS Asia 2012 The GRAPAS show profiles the latest technology and systems for rice and flour milling, grain processing, preservation, storage and movement, and noodle, breakfast cereal and extruded snack production. Major international companies will be displaying the latest equipment used in these processes.

There will also be a number of companies that supply ancillary equipment for the feed, biomass and grain industries, with equipment ranging from silos, conveyors, bagging machines, magnetic systems, quality control, computers and programmes and trucks.

Reaching BITEC Panittha Buri, Director of Marketing and Sales, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre said, “BITEC is very pleased to welcome the extension of BTS Sky Train Sukhumvit Line from On Nut to Bearing.

Visitors will be able to get off at Bang Na Station and gain easy access to Sukhumvit Entrance. A shuttle service that transports passengers from the Sukhumvit Road Entrance to Exhibition Halls is also available for all events held at BITEC.” “To enhance our visitor accessibility, whilst also meeting the demands for additional space; BITEC Sky Walk will provide access from Sukhumvit Road via an elevated walkway, complete with travelators which will ferry visitors to a new, air-conditioned Welcome Hall covering a space of over 1,700sqm and also connect with the main building which is planned to complete soon this year.” Panittha added. n

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S03 FEAG 1 2012 Events_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:15 Page 11

Events

Pig, Poultry & Dairy Focus Asia 2012

Meeting technology needs of Thai livestock sector NEO IS ORGANIZING ILDEX Bangkok 2012 on 8-9 February 2012 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, to underline the technology needs of the Thai livestock industry. The show will run concurrently with Pig, Poultry & Dairy Focus Asia 2012.

Teerayuth Leelakajornkij, Senior Project Manager of N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer Co., Ltd., said, “The main objective of ILDEX Bangkok 2012 is to cater to the demand for technology of Thailand livestock industry. Thailand’s livestock sector has to see major developments to respond to both rising demand and stricter consumer requirements. ILDEX Bangkok 2012 fills the gap in the absence of VIV Asia that particular year; and the industry also has a recurring need for continuous technological improvement.”

“ILDEX Bangkok 2012 will be an alternative technology platform for a sector which is focusing more and more on animal health and nutrition. The show will linger on the past successful ILDEX events and focus on the concept ‘Bringing International Expertise To Satisfy Local Needs’. ILDEX Bangkok 2012 will provide sound solutions for Thai producers trying to find competitive advantages—this so as to be ready for AFTA and the resulting new global trade environment,” said Leelakajornkij.

PIG, POULTRY & Dairy Focus Asia 2012 will offer topical technical information for producers, veterinarians, nutritionists, advisers and government personnel in the pig, poultry and dairy sectors.

'Productivity through Health & Nutrition’ is the theme of Pig, Poultry & Dairy Focus Asia 2012, to be held at the Queen Sirikit Center in Bangkok, Thailand on 8-10th February 2012.

About 90 international experts from different countries across the world will throw light on the latest developments that livestock producers should be harnessing to improve the efficiency and profitability of their businesses.

The four keynote speakers will focus on sustainable animal production, improving productivity and performance through genetics, new vaccines and enzymes in animal nutrition in an opening joint session. The pig, poultry and dairy programmes run in parallel providing three leading species specific conferences with a wealth of information relevant to Asian producers.

VIV/ ILDEX India 2012 February 22 - 24, 2012

Register now fo r free entrance!

Special theme

Feedtech Croptech

www.viv.net The dedicated event for the Indian Milling industries

Your portal to India’s Feed to Meat trade Bangalore, India FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

11

S03 FEAG 1 2012 Events_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:15 Page 12

Events

VIV/ILDEX India to focus on ‘feed to meat’ supply chain VNU Exhibitions and NEO will bring their respective brands of VIV and ILDEX together in India. Both parties, together with Indian partner Inter Ads, have one single objective in mind: establish India’s largest professional “Feed to Meat” platform.

V

IV/ILDEX INDIA— the country’s largest professional “Feed to Meat” platform organized by VNU Exhibitions Europe and N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer (NEO), together with Indian partner Inter Ads— will take place from February 22-24, 2012 at BIEC in Bangalore.

VNU Exhibitions Europe and NEO have been long-term partners in Bangkok for VIV Asia. Within India, VNU Exhibitions and Inter Ads India have joined forces to establish VIV India, with editions in 2007 and 2010.

Through their co-operations and own events, the three partners have set up profound databases as well as valuable networks with institutions, media and associations.

VIV/ILDEX India 2012’s focus on

incorporating knowledge sharing within the event is reflected by the high level two-day conference programme in parallel with the exhibition. With over 100 exhibitors, the total size of VIV/ILDEX India 2012 is set to reach 3,000sqm.

For the conference programme, a wide range of topics are selected, enabling professionals throughout the various parts of the production chain to improve their business for tomorrow. Farmers, investors, integrators and manufacturers can choose from best technical practices and key trends, presented by institutions and international suppliers.

Official Opening During the Official Opening, key personalities from Indian national and state governments will

share their vision on the Indian meat production and processing industries. A special keynote will be presented by Rabobank, knowledge partner of VIV Worldwide.

Rabobank’s Associate Director Commodities, Feed and Animal Protein, Mr. Nan-Dirk Mulder, is the editor of Rabobank’s latest report: “Crossroads for growth. The International Poultry Sector Towards 2020”. Mulder will present both the main outcomes of the report and the likely impact on the Indian industry.

Poultry Master Class Following the successful Eggs! event at VIV Asia, the organizers bring Poultry Master Class to Bangalore. Eight international and Indian poultry personalities will share their latest noncommercial visions and solutions during 20minute walk-in sessions. Dr. Piet Simons, moderator of the Master Class, is looking forward to the presentations, which have already been confirmed by Aviagen, Big Dutchman, DSM Nutritional products, Fancom, Marel Stork Poultry Processing, Moba, Pas Reform, Sanovo and Salmet.

Aviagen’s Laboratory Manager Dr. Kavitha Natarajan will present “Bio-security and Maintaining Flock Health in a Challenging Environment”. Big Dutchman’s Philip Dye will exchange his ideas on “The Indian future for table egg production and broiler meat production”.

Feedtech-Croptech VIV introduced Feedtech-Croptech during its 2011-events. For the first time, VIV/ILDEX India will put the feed manufacturing industry in the spotlight. In addition to a complete exhibition pavilion, there will also be a conference.

CLFMA of India, one of the key supporters, will bring in a selection of Indian speakers who will address major challenges in the feed industry.

There will also be an international influx of quality speakers.

Natural solutions

Following the successful Eggs! event at VIV Asia, the organizers bring Poultry Master Class to Bangalore

12

India is well-known for its innovating power when it comes to the development of natural solutions. That’s why the organizers have selected the Bangalore-event to host four presentations. Leading manufacturers Ayurvet, Himalaya, Indian herbs and Natural Remedies will ensure you will be inspired by the latest products and ideas to improve animal performance. n

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S04 FEAG 1 2012 Poultry_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:16 Page 13

Livestock

Tips for successful hatchery management Long term success in hatchery management depends on having the right tools and techniques to monitor the requirements of both the egg and developing chick as well as having properly trained staff who can measure, react to and satisfy those requirements.

D

ESPITE HUGE ON-GOING advances in modern technology, the best tools available to hatchery workers are still their own observations and instincts through human senses of sight, hearing and smell. Prompt initial identification of any problem relies on individuals recognising warning signs and accepting that there is now a pressing need to investigate. This is where the new technology comes in as a support mechanism which allows the hatchery worker to fine-tune the whole incubation process.

Possessing the knowledge to identify and act on outstanding issues is also essential.

This is the view of Dr Nick French, Incubation Specialist at Aviagen, which has recently enhanced and extended its range of technical literature covering the all-important key areas of egg incubation and on which this article is based.

Key areas of egg incubation are: • The temperature of the embryo during incubation of the egg • Water loss from the egg throughout incubation and chick yield • Correct incubation time for the specific poultry breed and product

Embryo temperature Temperature of the embryo is the key and crucial trait of egg incubation and closely related to temperature of the eggshell. This can be easily measured in a completely non-

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

destructive way and without causing any harm to the embryo. Using eggshell temperature as a ‘marker’ for embryo temperature is essential because temperature within the incubation machine will not, and cannot, give an exact and accurate prediction of embryo temperature.

All that is required is an infra-red thermometer such as the Braun ThermoScan 4520. With the temperature of the eggshell successfully measured, the operator now has an accurate guide for temperature of the embryo itself. Eggshell temperatures must be measured at the equator of the egg because over the air-cell the reading will register lower than the true embryo temperature.

Operators must make sure they are using eggs with live embryos because an infertile egg does not generate heat.

Once the eggs have been monitored for temperature, it is time to collate and interpret the data. Use of thermal imagery shows how temperature can vary across the range of eggs in a single tray, including increased heat in the eggs in the centre of the tray, as well as the inherent occurrence of a relatively lower temperature above the air cell.

Optimum embryo temperature for ideal hatchability and chick quality is between 37.5°C and 38.3°C. Temperatures in excess of 39°C may prove dangerous and the middle period of incubation is especially critical and sensitive because there is a well-established risk to the embryo if temperatures rise even

slightly above 38.3°C. Delayed hatch may be the consequence of temperatures which are too low (i.e. below 37.5°C).

Acting on the information Firstly, operators should make sure the incubation machine is working correctly with temperature probes calibrated correctly and all fans working properly. If, under singlestage conditions, the temperature is too high or too low at any stage during the incubation period operators should make small incremental adjustments to the temperature programme to bring the eggshell temperatures into the correct range.

With a multistage setting there is less scope for making adjustments and the most likely situation is that either the eggs at the end of incubation are too warm or the eggs at the beginning are too cool. After checking the operation of the machine, make sure that the multistage loading pattern is correct.

Since multistage machines will hold eggs at different stages of incubation only one single temperature setting applies to all of the eggs. This means that it may be necessary to ‘negotiate’ a compromise between the requirements of the eggs at the start of incubation and those at the end of incubation. Where possible, operators should adjust settings to keep egg temperatures out of the danger/delay area at all times.

Incubator temperature As with the checking of eggshell temperature against setter temperature, it is equally important, indeed crucial, to ensure that temperatures across the incubator are uniform. This can only be achieved by making regular and exhaustive checks on egg temperature. The objective of such testing is to sample eggs from locations on the left and

13

S04 FEAG 1 2012 Poultry_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:16 Page 14

Livestock

Maintaining the right humidity in the setter is crucial to a successful hatch

right, front and back, and top, middle and bottom of the setter. The exact locations will vary with machine design, but all areas of the setter should be sampled. Do not monitor the eggs in the very top or bottom trays but do monitor eggs in the centre of the tray because these will be warmer than the eggs at the edges.

Maintaining optimum humidity The second important consideration during egg incubation is the humidity. Maintaining the right humidity in the setter is crucial to a successful hatch as it controls the amount of water lost from the egg during incubation. Eggs lose water because they have porous eggshells.

Around 11 per cent to 12 per cent of egg weight is typically lost in this way during chick development. The actual rate of loss depends on the definitive porosity of the eggshell and the humidity of the air within the incubator.

Different egg types will lose different amounts of water and flock age, breed and shell quality will also affect the rate of water loss. It is therefore important to adjust incubation conditions accordingly to optimise water loss from the egg. Water loss from an egg allows the air cell to form, which gives room for air sac inflation when the chick is about to hatch. Too small and this cannot happen, too big and the embryo will desiccate.

Ideal method to ensure humidity levels are correct is to weigh the eggs at the start of incubation and then re-weigh them at 18 days.

Weight of water lost is calculated by subtraction and finally expressed as a percentage of the initial egg weight. If that percentage is outside the 11-12 per cent range, then the humidity requires adjustment.

Chick yield Chick yield, which is a measure of how hydrated the chick is at hatch, is the chick weight expressed as a percentage of the initial egg

14

weight*. The optimum percentage yield should be between 67 per cent and 68 per cent. Less than this, the chick is likely to be dehydrated with little yolk reserve which will subsequently show up as over-active and noisy behaviour.

Higher than this, the chick is likely to be lazy and may not perform well on the farm. The common causes of low chick yields are incubating the eggs for too long, low humidity or a high temperature. Conversely, high yields are produced by too short an incubation period, low temperature or high humidity.

Hatch timing Hatch timing is crucially important. All the time and hard work that invested in making sure that temperature and humidity are correct and at optimum levels will count for nothing if hatch times turn out to be incorrect. Taking chicks out of the hatcher too early can result in some loss of hatch or result in immature chicks on the farm that will not perform well and therefore be more susceptible to disease. Holding chicks in the hatcher for too long can also create problems. Such developing chick embryos may overheat leading to poor yolk reserves, dehydration and ultimately poor broiler performance.

There are sure signs which tell operators that they are not achieving optimum hatch timing. First and foremost, there should be a maximum of two per cent chicks per tray hatched around 30 hours ahead of the expected take-off time.

In excess of that means the incubation time is too long and future hatches should be delayed by the appropriate amount.

Operators should additionally look out for the following: • Meconium-stained shell in the hatch debris will mean that the chicks have been out too long. • If take-off timing is correct dampness

should be visible on the back of the necks of 5 per cent of the chicks. • The incubation time is too long if the feather blade has formed at hatch time.

Importance of data collection Dr Nick French at Aviagen says that carrying out regular, thorough checks will help eliminate problems and make any investigations that much quicker to carry out and complete. All hatchery staff should be trained to spot the potential problems and issues outlined above, and use the data collected to make informed decisions.

In summary, comprehensive and continuous data should be collected on around three crucially key factors which are eggshell temperature, egg water loss and chick yield. Information thus collected will give a clear idea of what is happening in the hatchery and accurately pin-point where action is required. The quicker this information is gathered and acted upon, the quicker a successful hatching programme can be established. Monitoring performance means improving performance which in turn means taking action. The result is improved chick output and performance on the farm, says Dr Nick French. n Dr Terry Mabbett

*Formula for working out chick yield:

Reference: French, N. (2010) What the embryo needs. Incubation 2010. A one-day technical conference held on 19th April 2010 at Viv Europe 2010. Utrecht, The Netherlands

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S04 FEAG 1 2012 Poultry_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:16 Page 15

Livestock

Indian researchers discover micro-organism for chicken feather disposal DISPOSAL OF HUGE quantities of organism, which was later named chicken feathers could soon be Chryseobacterium species Research made easier following the Bio Technology. discovery of a new micro“Chicken feathers have to be organism that can disintegrate placed in a liquid mixed with the the protein in them in around 30 micro-organism. This mixture needs hours, according to a recent aeration. This is a simple method and report in India’s DNA newspaper. the technology can be easily Chicken feathers usually take transferred to laymen,” said Gurav. five to seven years to The microorganism secretes the disintegrate because of the enzyme keratinise, which breaks keratin component in them. The keratin into peptides and then into micro-organism was discovered amino acids. The liquid generated

by Jyoti Jadhav, head of the after the degradation of the feathers biotechnology department of is a good quality bio-fertilser. “The Shivaji University in Maharashtra, liquid residue after the degradation of India and her research student, the feathers contains natural amino Ranjit Gurav. acids, which are much better bio“We were collecting microfertilisers than chemically made organisms from the soil and Chicken feathers usually take five to seven years to disintegrate because of amino acids. The trials of this liquid the keratin component in them found six of them capable of remains on plants has shown good disintegrating chicken feathers in various timeOf the six, one was found to be potent and was results,” Jadhav said. frames,” said Jadhav, who had been working deposited with the International Database Bank in Jadhav was recently honoured with the Young with Gurav on this project for the last three-and- the US. Little did Jadhav and Gurav know that they Woman Scientist Award of the Biotech Research a-half years. had chanced upon a new species of microSociety, India.

New poultry tonic to boost producer profits ANIMAL HEALTH COMPANY Elanco has launched a new poultry product, which, it claims, could prove just the tonic for the poultry industry in the face of rising fuel and feed costs.

Following the acquisition of Janssen Animal Health, Elanco has improved the former company’s existing poultry tonic. Elanco Poultry Tonic HD Plus contains new ingredients – a vitamin D3 metabolite and a natural antioxidant blend – that aim to support birds during the most demanding periods of productivity, during growth and peak laying, according to the company.

One study has demonstrated as much as a 5:1 return on investment can be made as a result of supplementing the D3 metabolite alone. The vitamin D3 metabolite has been shown to increase egg weights (by around 2 per cent) and improve feed conversion and feed intake. It is more available to the body than vitamin D3, which plays a role in calcium metabolism (and therefore egg production). The benefits are significant for commercial egg producers but also for hatcheries, as egg size correlates with chick weight. The metabolite can also improve bone strength, potentially resulting in healthier, more robust poults.

The new antioxidant blend contains natural preparations of vitamins that are better absorbed and used in the body, as well as more complex antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables, such as flavanoids, polyphenols and carotenoids. Antioxidants mop up free radicals produced by day-to-day metabolism, which would otherwise cause cell damage or play active roles in the development of some diseases. The requirement for antioxidants can be increased in certain physiologically stressful situations – such as when additional demands are placed on the body by production.

Elanco’s new Poultry Tonic HD Plus is suitable for layers, broilers, breeders and turkeys.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

Chicken’s resilience begins in the egg: Research CHICKENS ARE MORE resistant to infection if they are hatched at the right temperature. Feeding them straight after hatching also strengthens their resilience at a later stage, according to Wageningen UR PhD researcher Irene Walstra.

Walstra looked for ways of increasing the adaptive capacity of laying hens, so as to enable them to respond to pathogens more effectively.

She hatched eggs at the optimal eggshell temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius, after which the chicks had immediate access to food and water. They were then kept in a free-range barn with a dust bath for seven weeks.

Another batch of eggs was hatched at temperatures of between 36.7 and 38.9, did not get immediate access to food and drink, and were kept in a cage. These conditions are common in the poultry sector. When the chicks were exposed to an intestinal parasite at the age of 53 days, the chicks in the first group were affected much less severely.

“All the chicks fell ill, but the first group lost less weight than the second group”, says Walstra.

Poultry farmers obtain more resilient laying hens if more care is taken at the hatchery over the temperature in the hatching machine and the living conditions for the young chicks, concluded Walstra.

It can be difficult to make the second improvement because standard hatcheries do not have space for chicks to free-range before they are delivered to the poultry farmers. Walstra calls her experimental research a first step towards an alternative method of improving animal health without using drugs.

Source: Wageningen UR

15

S04 FEAG 1 2012 Poultry_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:16 Page 16

Livestock

H5N1 HPAI returns to haunt Hong Kong The Department of Health tested workers at the market, farmers and other people who may have come into contact with infected birds but did not find any human H5N1 infections

N

O COUNTRY IS more on guard against the H5N1 HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) virus than Hong Kong (HK) and there is strong reason behind it. HK suffered the very first major outbreak in 1997 resulting in depopulation of the territory’s entire poultry flock and death of one-third of the 18 persons infected.

A further outbreak occurred in February 2003 with several human cases and a fatality, all tied to Fujian Province in mainland China where the affected family had visited. In 1997, the government had ordered all 1.3 million birds comprising HK’s poultry flock to be culled. Many families in rural areas had kept chickens in back-yard, wood-and-wire hutches that can still be seen today lying empty and rusting in villages across the territory. Ducks, geese and pigeons are also widely consumed in HK. Since 2004, the HK authorities had found H5N1 HPAI in a range of dead wild birds including crows, herons, hawks and passerines (finches) but not in poultry until detection of H5N1 in a Kowloon poultry market in June 2008, followed quickly by another outbreak at a HK chicken farm in December of the same year. HK’s last confirmed human case of H5N1 HPAI was in November 2010 in a 59-year-old woman who came down with the disease after returning from a trip to mainland China.

With no further outbreaks in poultry since 2008, the HK authorities must have been breathing a ‘sigh of relief’ until the virus returned to haunt HK in December 2011 after H5N1 HPN1 was identified in the carcass of a bird at a HK poultry wholesale market. This had quickly followed the finding of a dead oriental magpie and a black-headed gull at HK secondary schools and with both testing positive for H5N1.

16

Photograph: BMJ

Public hospitals in Hong Kong city have activated their ‘serious’ response level and enhanced surveillance after the government recently discovered the H5N1-infected chicken carcass in a wholesale poultry market More than 19,000 birds were subsequently culled and the sale and import of live poultry was banned for a brief period. HK’s 30 chicken farms were promptly tested, with all samples found free of avian influenza, said the city government on 20 December 2011. HK’s Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it would conduct further testing.

HK has traditionally taken a tough line on all flu-like viruses ever since the 1997 outbreak of H5N1 HPAI, which has since spread throughout Asia, Europe and Africa resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of birds.

HK, a city of 7 million people was also hit by an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 in which 299 people died. During the 2009 swine flu scare, Hong Kong quarantined almost 400 people in a downtown hotel who may have come into contact with a Mexican visitor confirmed as having the caught the flu strain.

“Hong Kong has the best H5N1 contingency plan of anywhere in the world,” said Yuen Kwok-yung, chairman of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong’s department of microbiology. “We should not panic.

Every winter there is increased H5N1 activity in poultry and migratory birds.”

December 2011 saw public hospitals in HK city activating their ‘serious’ response level and enhanced surveillance after the government discovered the H5N1-infected chicken carcass in Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market, in the western part of Kowloon.

The market was declared an infected area, said Secretary for Food and Health York Chow on 20th December 2011, adding how it wasn’t clear whether the chicken was produced in HK or imported. Most poultry imported into HK originates in mainland China.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S04 FEAG 1 2012 Poultry_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:16 Page 17

Livestock

Wild water fowl such as the wild geese shown here are thought to be responsible for long distance transmission of H5N1

A total of 15,569 chickens, 1,122 silky fowl, 1,950 pheasants and 810 pigeons were destroyed at the market. No live ducks or geese are sold in Hong Kong Chow and the government said it would pay compensation of HK$30 for each chicken destroyed. The Department of Health tested workers at the market, farmers and other people who may have come into contact with infected birds but did not find any human H5N1 infections.

This latest ban on live poultry came a day before the winter solstice (December 21 2011), when many Chinese families hold a traditional feast that includes chicken dishes. “It is unfortunate that an avian influenza case is detected before the winter solstice,” said York Chow. “I understand that it will cause inconvenience to the public. However, to safeguard public health, we need to adopt decisive and effective measures to prevent and control the spread of the virus,” he said.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, avian influenza is a serious public health concern with the potential to cause a deadly pandemic. Since 2003, as many as 573 people have been infected with H5N1 HPAI worldwide of which 336 have died. At its peak in 2005-2006, H5N1 HPAI was recorded in 60 countries and although most have since managed to stamp out the disease it remains endemic in Bangladesh, India, Egypt, Vietnam, Indonesia and China. HK imports huge quantities of poultry from mainland China.

Outbreaks, having reached 4,000 in 2005, had fallen to 302 by 2008 but have since increased progressively to reach 800 plus in 2010-2011.

August 2011 saw OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) describe the evolution of a new strain of the H5N1 virus designated

2.3.2.1 which is a sub-clade of the Fujian clade 2.3. This sub-clade has been evolving since 2008 and by 2011 had invaded large areas of Asia including China and most of the northern and central parts of Vietnam.

The OIE reported how its reference laboratory in Harbin, China had developed a new vaccine seed strain that experimentally protected poultry from H5N1 2.32.1. OIE said registration and manufacture of a new poultry vaccine was underway for eventual field use in affected areas of Asia and elsewhere. However, the ability and capacity of the current crop of human flu vaccines to confer full protection against H5N1 2.3.2.1 is less certain.

The Hong Kong outbreak is clearly not a one off but part of a real resurgence of H5N1 HPAI concentrated around Sub Clade 2.3.2.1.

During 2011 there were outbreaks in poultry right across Asia including Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, China, Bangladesh and Myanmar. This pattern has continued into 2012 with outbreaks already reported by Bangladesh at a commercial poultry farm in the Jamalpur District of Dhaka and in India in Khorda District of Orissa State. Additional outbreaks have been reported by Bhutan and Iran.

There has also been an upsurge in human deaths from H5N1 HPAI including two 39 year old men in China, in Guangdong Province (31 December 2011) and Guizhou province (22 January 2012). In South East Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia have already recorded three, one and one deaths, respectively, in 2012. Vietnam’s last human fatality from H5N1 HPAI was two years ago. n Dr. Terry Mabbett

Eggs are the new ‘low carbon protein’ NEW AUSTRALIAN EGG Corporation Limited (AECL) research suggests that egg production has the lowest carbon footprint of all the main protein foods.

AECL Managing Director, James Kellaway, said the research was another good reason for consumers to include eggs as part of their daily diet.

“This study has highlighted some surprising results, including suggesting that the humble egg is now the highest quality protein food with the lowest emissions. But the research also highlighted that there is still scope for refinements to current practices in egg production to allow further reductions in emissions. AECL wishes to conduct further

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

studies on this important topic,” Mr Kellaway said.

“With greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions front of mind for many, this research provides consumers with the information they need to help reduce their carbon footprints when buying foods,” he said.

The research project, conducted by Steve Wiedemann and Eugene McGahan (and commissioned by AECL), used Life Cycle Assessment to study the GHG emissions from three egg farms over one year.

The researchers also found that: Cage production delivered a lower carbon footprint than free range egg production; greenhouse gas emissions from cage egg production was

1.3kg of CO2-e per kg of eggs (carbon dioxide equivalence, including methane and nitrous oxide); emissions from free range egg production was found to be 1.6kg of CO2-e per kg of eggs; Australian egg production had a lower carbon footprint than several European egg studies; the largest carbon impacts in the supply chain were: feed grain production, then manure management and energy use at the layer farm; free range egg production’s carbon footprint was found to be about 20 per cent higher than caged production due to the fact that it uses more feed per kilogram of eggs produced compared to the feed efficiencies of cage egg production.

17

S05 FEAG 1 2012 Livestock 2_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:16 Page 18

Livestock

China bans ractopamine growth promoter used in pig feed

Reduced mortality and higher weaning weights with RescueMilk

CHINA'S MINISTRY OF Industry and Information Technology has announced that the country has banned the production and sale of ractopamine, a controversial feed additive used to promote lean meat growth in food animals.

The ban became effective from December 5, 2011, according to a document posted on the ministry's website.

The order came after a major pork contamination scandal hit China this spring when the Shuanghui Group, China’s largest meat-processing company, was found to be purchasing pigs that had been fed with adulterated pig feed, prompting a national crackdown on the use of what's called as "lean meat powder."

Yu Kangzhen, China's chief veterinary officer, said that "lean meat powder" includes around ten kinds of categories such as clenbuterol and ractopamine.

Major markets, including the US and the EU, banned the use of clenbuterol in late 1980s due to its dangerous side effects such as nausea, dizziness and headaches.

Later, US firms developed another kind of growth promoting chemical, ractopamine, which carries minor toxicity.

Currently, ractopamine is still allowed to be used as a feed additive in around 20 countries, such as the US, Canada, and Mexico.

RECENT TRIALS AND research data using Provimi’s piglet milk replacer RescueMilk shows that piglet mortality can be reduced and weaning weights increased.

Developed by Provimi, RescueMilk is fed using an automated system and fed through RescueCups which are installed in the farrowing pen or in a RescueDeck.

On farm trials compared feeding RescueMilk through the RescueDeck system with relying on the sow’s milk in a range of litter sizes. Results consistently showed a reduction in mortality of five per cent and an increase of 0.5kg in weaning weights.

“The number of live born piglets per litter has been steadily increasing in many EU countries. For example, the national average in the Netherlands now stands at 13.5 piglets per sow,” says Stephen Cassidy, Provimi pig product manager for the UK and Ireland. “It is expected that this trend will continue.”

The consequence of increased litter sizes is an increase in the number of weak and small piglets. Normally, these piglets are transferred to other sows but this reduces performance with less uniformity, lower litter indexes and a potential increase in disease.

Also, more farrowing house space is required to accommodate these foster sows.

“Providing RescueMilk in the farrowing room, through RescueCups or in RescueDecks, is an ideal solution,” adds Mr Cassidy. “It ensures that all piglets born have access to adequate amounts of milk and it gives the weaker piglets chance to catch up, making the litter more uniform in size. The system also encourages the intake of dry feed so that post weaning dips are minimised.”

China teams up with IBM to enhance pork safety IT MAJOR IBM and China-based Shandong Commercial Group Co. Ltd. (Lushang Group) recently announced that they have designed a system that will help ensure the safety of pork products in eastern China's Shandong province, while also improving the efficiency of the food supply chain in the region.

In 2010, Lushang Group began working with IBM to create the new system, which is currently being tested by six selected slaughterhouses, six warehouses, and about 100 Inzone hypermarkets and supermarkets

18

across Shandong. The system, to be completely deployed in 2013, will allow Lushang Group to monitor and trace the movement of meat across all phases of the supply chain.

Wang Guo Li, Director, National Agricultural Research Center for Modern Logistics Engineering, said, “When fully deployed, this system will give consumers in Shandong province confidence in the pork products they serve to their families. As an agricultural powerhouse within China, our

province is committed to improving food safety, and this system marks a significant step toward that goal."

Using IBM WebSphere software running on IBM System x Servers, experts from IBM China Development Lab and China's National Engineering Research Center for Agricultural Products Logistics have created a pork monitoring and tracking system that can extract and store actionable business information from the millions of interconnected sensors that make up the 'Internet of Things'.

Matt Wang, Vice President, IBM China Development Lab, said, "Based on our experiences in building food and pharmaceutical tracking systems in other countries, IBM has helped to create a system that traces pork through the entire supply chain from pig farms all the way to supermarkets. Using this system, Shandong Province's pork products will be safer and thus, more desirable to consumers.

Governments and pork producers in other countries should take note of what Lushang Group is doing."

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S05 FEAG 1 2012 Livestock 2_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:16 Page 19

Livestock

Mycotoxin control as a vital tool for demedicalization

The gut and the immune system form a complex integrated structure that has evolved to provide effective digestion and defense against ingested toxins and pathogenic bacteria. Nowadays, animal health has major implications for the food supply, public health and international trade.

Nutrition is being more widely used as a practical solution to maintaining animal health.

T

o develop a positive nutrition-based health strategy it is necessary to consider the basic interactions between health and nutrition and to challenge the current concepts of nutritional requirements based on avoidance of deficiency symptoms. Feed components and nutrients influence health in many different ways. By manipulating or selecting them, feed quality may be maintained and risk of mycotoxin contamination may be reduced. Nutritional components have a positive effect in maintaining the gastrointestinal tract and alleviating the threat of enteric diseases. They influence many non-infectious diseases through control of oxidative stress. It is becoming evident in raising animals for food that nutrition is all there is and a nutrition-based health strategy must play a major role in the future development of animal production.

Mycotoxins and their effects on the gastro-intestinal tract Contamination of feed commodities by moulds and mycotoxins is considered to be one of the most important negative factors in crop production and animal feed quality. It is well documented that mycotoxin consumption causes a decrease in performance including decreased growth rate and poor feed efficiency (Pestka, 2007; Hanif et al., 2008).

There has been extensive research addressing the different causes by which mycotoxins can alter animal productivity. In the current article, emphasis will be given to the effects of mycotoxins and endotoxins

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

within the intestine that may contribute to an impaired health and immune status of the animals.

The gastrointestinal tract represents the first barrier against ingested chemicals, feed contaminants, and natural toxins. Following ingestion of mycotoxin-contaminated feed, intestinal epithelial cells can be exposed to high concentrations of toxins. Direct intestinal damage can be exerted by the biological action of mycotoxins. There are direct effects of trichothecenes on protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells. This is due to interaction with the ribosomal units preventing either initiation of protein synthesis or elongation of the polypeptidic chains (Ueno, 1984).

Trichothecenes affect actively dividing cells such as those lining the gastrointestinal tract. Another relevant effect of some mycotoxins (fumonisin B1 and ochratoxin A) is that they alter the barrier function of the intestinal epithelium measured as a decrease in the transepithelial electrical resistance. Poults fed grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins had decreased villus height in the duodenum, and decreased villus height and apparent villus surface in the jejunum, during the starter period. In addition to the morphological changes induced to the intestinal villi by DON it is suggested that this mycotoxin inhibits Na+ transport and Na+-D-glucose co-transport in the jejunum of layers resulting in a reduction of glucose uptake when the intestine is exposed to DON (Awad et al., 2005, 2007). Aflatoxins fed to broiler chickens decreased the production of pancreatic secretions whereas

19

S05 FEAG 1 2012 Livestock 2_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:16 Page 20

Livestock

aflatoxins fed to layers produced an increase in the production of pancreatic enzymes (Osborne and Hamilton, 1981; Richardson and Hamilton, 1987).

Even though some bacterial strains are affected by mycotoxins, there is evidence that mycotoxins increase pathogenic bacteria colonization of the intestinal tract in several animal species. Fumonisin B1 (0.5 mg/kg BW) challenge in pigs made them more susceptible to pathogenic E. coli colonization (Oswald et al., 2003). Similarly, layer chickens treated with ochratoxin A (3 mg/kg) had higher susceptibility to a Salmonella challenge compared to the control group (Fukata et al., 1996). E. coli challenge in broilers receiving an experimental diet containing 2 ppm of ochratoxin more than doubled the mortality compared to birds that received the bacterial challenge and a diet without mycotoxins. No birds died in the treatment receiving the diet with mycotoxin alone demonstrating that it is the combination of mycotoxins and pathogenic bacteria what causes the most devastating effects (Kumar et al., 2003). Gross and histopathological lesions of birds inoculated with E. coli were also more severe in birds receiving a diet containing 2 ppm of ochratoxin than in birds receiving a diet with no significant levels of mycotoxins (Kumar et al., 2004). Parasitic infections are more severe in combination with mycotoxins. It has been demonstrated that birds treated with lasalocid do develop clinical coccidiosis when the levels of T-toxin exceeded 0.5 ppm (Varga and Vånyi, 1992). Moreover, chronic ingestion of DON— comparable to concentrations occurring in contaminated food and feed — was reported to impair the intestinal transfer and uptake of nutrients.

Endotoxins and their effects on the gastro-intestinal tract Endotoxins are lipopolysaccharides (LPS) derived from the cell membranes of Gramnegative bacteria and are responsible for its organization and stability. In pharmaceutical industries it is possible to find endotoxins during production processes or in the final product. Although endotoxins are linked within the bacterial cell wall, they are continuously liberated into the environment. The release does not happen only with cell death but also during growth and division. A single Escherichia coli contains about 2 million LPS molecules per cell.

Since bacteria can grow in nutrient poor media such as water, saline, and buffers, endotoxins are found almost everywhere.

Endotoxins are present in dust, feed, drinking water as a part of a bacterial cell wall or as fragments of whole bacteria. The mucosal

20

Nutritional components have a positive effect in maintaining the gastrointestinal tract and alleviating the threat of enteric diseases

surface of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is covered with a one cell layer, the mucosal epithelium. Intestinal epithelium is constantly exposed to gram negative bacteria, which are able to directly deposit their toxic and proinflammatory constituents such as LPS at the intestinal epithelial apical surface. LPS is a potent toxin that elicits several immediate proinflammatory responses in mammalian cells. Despite the density of these bacteria and their toxins, the intestinal epithelium does not activate proinflammatory responses to these organisms. Both innate and acquired immune systems protect the GIT against microbial endotoxins. In conditions where the body is exposed to LPS excessively or systemically (as when small concentrations of LPS enter the blood stream), a systemic inflammatory reaction can occur, leading to multiple pathophysiological effects, such as endotoxin shock, tissue injury, and death (Anspach, 2001 Erridge et al., 2002 Ogikubo et al., 2004). However, endotoxin does not act directly against cells or organs but through activation of the immune system, especially through monocytes and macrophages, with the release of a range of proinflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1 (Magalhaes et al., 2007).

Although ultimately beneficial in treating the infection, antibiotic therapy has been hypothesized to initially increase the circulating load of free endotoxin by killing or lysing the infecting bacteria (Shenep et al., 1984, 1985, 1988 Simmons and Stolley, 1974).

Antimicrobials have been used for more than 50 years to enhance growth performance

and to prevent disease in livestock feeding environments (Gustafson and Bowen, 1997).

There is growing concern about the potential of antimicrobials in livestock diets to contribute to the growing list of antibiotic-resistant human pathogens (Corpet, 1996 Williams and Heymann, 1998). Although the use of antimicrobials for growth promotion in livestock diets is still allowed in the United States, most countries in Europe are implementing strict guidelines and regulations for the use of dietary antimicrobials (Regulation (EC), 2003).

In the event that restrictions are placed upon the use of antimicrobials in commercial swine feeding operations, many animal scientists have begun to investigate natural alternatives to conventional chemotherapeutic agents.

Several drugs have been investigated to counteract endotoxins. Antibiotics differ in potential for endotoxin liberation according to their bacteriostatic or bactericidal effect.

Antibiotics can also bind endotoxins, Polymyxin B or Colistin being the example, but were shown to be toxic themselves. The most remarkable adverse effects of these drugs are nephrotoxicity (chiefly acute renal failure) and neurotoxicity (Mendes and Burdmann, 2010).

The use of antibiotics in farming operations (therapeutic use) clearly leads to the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

This causes problems when those antibioticresistant pathogens get into people. That is why a feed additive was developed for its positive effect on health and immune status of animals exposed to mycotoxins and endotoxins. n Radka Borutova, Biomin

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S06 FEAG 1 2012 Crops 1_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:17 Page 21

Crops

Quality control in green coffee Defects in coffee beans

Dr Terry Mabbett examines the factors of quality in green coffee beans and ways in which the quality of coffee can be improved

There are some 20 different ‘defects’ that may occur in green coffee and which must be removed prior to roasting. Well-established and potentially damaging bean defects determined and categorised by colour, size, shape or aroma/taste aberration and presence of foreign matter include: • Black beans – the main defect in green coffee and describing any bean that is 50 per cent black, externally or internally. ‘Black bean’ defect is caused by extended fermentation of fruits which have been gathered from the ground under the tree.

• Dark grey beans – a common colour defect caused by harvesting beans before full ripeness and also due to poor drying • Foxy beans – a rusty red colour caused by ‘over-done’ artificial drying • Glassy beans – also called the ‘white’ or ‘opalescent’ bean defect which is caused by insufficient drying or re-absorption of moisture after drying • Blotchy beans – external spots of different colours appearing on the bean and caused by oxidation reactions on the surface of the bean following physical injury • Drought affected beans – under-sized beans having a dull grey-green colour with tendency for the skin to stick This defect is caused by harvesting the coffee berries several weeks before full ripeness • Broken beans – classified as any piece of bean which is smaller than normal half bean size

Q

UALITY CONTROL IN crop commodities is as old as agriculture itself and has been practised ever since the phrase ‘separating the wheat from the chaff’ was coined. Coffee beans are no exception and require removal of several outer coverings before roasting can be carried out.

Coffee is unique in variety, range and intensity of post-harvest processing carried out in a well-established sequential order of right up to the roasting drum. The downside is a wide range of potential bean defects to match the wide spectrum of events experienced by the red ripe cherry before, during and after picking when processing does not proceed according to plan.

‘Defect’ is the term used in coffee industry to describe quality-related factors that determine the proportion of defective beans and the presence of extraneous (foreign) matter from coffee and non-coffee origins.

Particular type and nature of the defect, and the potential problems it may cause further downstream during storage, transit, roasting and cupping, may be due to: • presence of hard abrasive objects that can damage machinery • downgrading by buyers due to non-pleasing appearance (shape and colour of green coffee beans) • lack of uniformity in coffee bean samples and a range of chemical factors which interfere with the development of taste and aroma during roasting.

Photograph: Dr Terry Mabbett

Harvesting coffee berries at an inappropriate stage of maturity and ripeness can be the source of green coffee defect problems, later down the line during processing

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

J

21

S06 FEAG 1 2012 Crops 1_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:17 Page 22

Crops

Sorting coffee beans Coffee sorting is an extended, continuous process which starts with redrying of insufficiently dried coffee beans (arriving from the farm) to an optimum 11 per cent moisture level. Optimum bean moisture content ensures that outer coverings are removed more easily during the hulling and de-husking of, respectively, wet and dry processed coffee, thus reducing the risk of residual parchment or husk finding its way into cleaned and bagged green coffee.

Consignments of dry parchment coffee and especially dried coffee cherry, arriving from the estate, will invariably contain a wide range of dense foreign objects including stones, glass and metal, which can damage hulling machinery. This first stage cleaning can be performed using a hopper fitted with screens to ‘sieve out’ medium to large objects followed by a magnetic separator to remove metal objects and finally a cleaner-separator which combines sifting and pneumatic forces to remove dust.

Size grading of beans after hulling is a well-established practice used to maximise financial return on larger beans, including ‘peaberries’, and to ensure a uniform roast. In addition, it makes subsequent sorting of beans by differential density much easier. Beans are graded by size with either flat screen graders which retain the beans of the required size on a vibrating screen, or cylindrical drum graders where the size grades of beans pass through the revolving screen at different points along the drum.

Sorting by differential density Green coffee now at the post hulling and size grading stages still contains a significant amount of dust and other very low density particles together with varying proportions of light beans and others which are misshapen, discoloured or damaged by insect pests and mould fungi.

Sorting by differences in density is carried out using pneumatic (air pressure) or gravimetric (gravity flow) methods. This first stage in the final ‘sort’ before roasting depends on differences in density between normal healthy beans and those which are mechanically damaged, deformed, insect damaged or unhealthy. (Density is a comparative measure, which relates the mass [weight] of two objects having the same volume or size). Density sorting is efficient as far as it can go, because many defective beans, and especially those caused by external colour differences or bad internal chemistry, have virtually the same density as normal beans.

Pneumatic sorting hinges on two physical parameters of the coffee bean, its density and diameter. Size grading beforehand is essential because two spheres (approximate shape of a normal coffee bean) with different diameters can in fact have the same settling velocity when their density is different, which would prevent any separation on the basis of density to be made.

22

Fallen ripe coffee cherry picked up from bare soil under trees can be the source of mould defect problems during coffee bean processing

Photograph: OMEX

• Crushed beans – beans having a flattened shape with the median furrow laid open and caused by the processing of insufficiently dried beans • Pitted beans – bean surface riddled with holes due to insect damage • Elephant beans – large deformed beans.

• Aborted beans – flat under-sized beans with a dull, wrinkled surface • Stinker beans – beans look perfectly normal but they release a volatile and putrid odour when cut open. This is the most difficult defect to detect and now rivals ‘black bean’ in frequency of occurrence.

• Rancid or acid beans – beans are dark brown in colour and release an unpleasant odour when cut open • Musty beans – beans have an old musty smell due to surface growth of fungal moulds • Foreign matter – includes a wide range of coffee and non-coffee materials related to harvest and on-farm processing such as small stones, glass, metal, soil, dust, dry cherry, pulp, parchment, leaves, twigs and fragments of wood

Pneumatic sorting is embodied in the ‘catador’, dual-purpose coffee cleaning and grading equipment with its roots in the Brazilian coffee industry. The ‘catador’ uses moving air to differentiate between and separate beans of similar size but different density, or between beans with the same density but different size and shape. In practical language, the ‘catador’ can be used to ‘weed’ out normal looking beans with defective contents (light beans), broken or damaged beads and to separate normal beans of various densities into specific quality grade batches. For this reason, it is most successful with pre-size graded coffee.

The ‘catador’ comprises a vertical shaft that is divided longitudinally into two columns (shafts) with an aspirating radial blade fan, operating at 550 rpm, at the base of each shaft. Beans are fed via a hopper into the side of the first column where the heavy beans fall to the bottom, while the lighter fraction is carried upwards in the stream of air. The air, carrying dust and other fine particles, is expelled through a screen while the remainder of the fraction passes into the second column, where the force of air is less. A second separation into medium weight and light beans is made in this column.

The ‘catador’ is simple, practical and efficient. But the basic laws of mechanics, relating to the flow or air over objects (in this case coffee beans) and on which its operation is based, conspire to give imperfect separations. Because coffee beans are not perfect spheres, drag coefficient is variable and when subjected to turbulence the bean may present (display) itself differently in the flow of air. The velocity of the air is lower near to the walls of the column, the adjustment mechanism can cause deflection of the air flow and the velocity and flow rate of the air are affected by the resistance offered by the surface of the bean.

The net result of these scientific imponderables is that uncontrollable variations in airflow can shift the dividing line for separation of beans into light, medium and heavy grades. This problem of imperfect separation has been overcome to some extent by making differential density sorting an integrated process combining the use of pneumatic separators like the ‘catador’ with the use of gravity flow separators.

Gravity separators also harness the force of moving air but in this case to ‘fluidise’ an inclined bed or deck of green coffee beans. Force of the air combined with reciprocating movement (vibration) of the deck causes the dense particles to move progressively higher up the inclined bed, while the lighter (less dense) fraction ‘floats’ downwards.

Modern gravity separators are extremely versatile. With appropriate adjustment of deck speed, air volume, deck type and angle, as well as bed depth of green coffee, they will accurately achieve a variety of separations. These include separation of highly dense objects such as stones from the bulk of coffee beans, separation of defects from normal

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S06 FEAG 1 2012 Crops 1_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:17 Page 23

Crops

beans and sorting/re-sorting of normal beans into separate quality grades on the basis of differential densities.

Electronic colour sorting Sorting by density has little or no effect on the proportion of discoloured beans, unless the external discolouration is accompanied by internal deficiencies, reflected in a lower density and lighter bean. Discoloured and defective beans are traditionally removed by hand, where size and profitability of operation demands. But over the last 50 years, the human eye has increasingly been replaced with a more economic alternative in the form of an ‘electronic eye’ in the colorimetric sorter.

Monochromatic machines use the reflection of white light to detect and remove black beans, which reflect a much lower proportion of light.

They generally fulfil the sorting needs of robusta origins where removal of black and dark coloured beans is usually all that is required. But sorting discoloured defects in arabica beans is more difficult. It requires a bichromatic machine using a combination of two colours, usually green/red or blue red, selected by the operator to pin-point and take out the over-fermented and reddish beans, dark coloured/black beans, grassy green immature beans, and the yellow beans.

Defects eliminated by monochromatic sorters include black beans, grey or dull beans, and some beans attacked by insects. Bichromatic sorters can eliminate black, grey, brown, foxy and unripe beans, and some beans damaged by insects and dried coffee cherries. Some would argue that the well-trained human eye is at least as effective, if not as cost effective, as an electronic sorter. And there are situations where a very small operation producing a very high quality and high value niche origin, and where labour is no constraint, for which separation by eye/

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

hand co-ordination is still the most appropriate method of sorting.

But neither the monochromatic or bichromatic electronic sorter, nor the ‘human eye’, can deal with what has rapidly become the most destructive defect in coffee. The ‘stinker’ bean of wet processed coffee, caused by over-long fermentation and/or use of dirty water and due to the build-up of volatile chemicals in the bean, is by far the most damaging. The putrid odour becomes apparent during roasting and just one ‘stinker’ in a roasting cylinder is sufficient to affect the batch and come through to completely ruin cup quality. Electronic sorters that deliver a beam of Ultra Violet (UV) light are the answer to this problem.

Stinker beans passing through the beam fluoresce, and trigger a mechanism in the sorter (compressed air gun), which deflects the bean into a reject channel.

Sorting capability and capacity of electronic sorters may be adjusted to eliminate more or fewer defect types and numbers of defective beans.

Adjustments required will depend on the various types of defects present, the number of beans affected and also the profitability of the operation, with losses incurred by removal at least compensated for by extra value of the sorted product.

For monitoring and quality control by electronic sorting, and especially for ‘stinker’ and other taste/aroma defects, ‘proof of the coffee is in the cupping’. But growers and buyers dare not wait until this stage to find out whether an origin has been affected. Evidence can be recorded much further back along the line by comparative chemical testing in the laboratory of unsorted, sorted and rejected samples. In this way specific chemicals can be attributed to particular cup quality problems. For example, ‘cis-4-heptanal’, is responsible for the taste experienced in coffee infused from batches that contain immature beans. n

23

S07 FEAG 1 2012 Crops 2_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:18 Page 24

Crops

The Philippines’ money-making tree

With its seemingly endless products derived from its various parts, the coconut indeed deserves to be called the “tree of life”. From root to tip, the coconut tree can provide almost anything—from food to industrial needs.

I

The 1970s and the following decade ushered a new era of development with the imposition of the coconut stabilization levy to ease the inflationary effect of the high prices of coconut oil and copra in the world market. In 1973, the martial law regime merged all coconutrelated, government operations within a single agency, thus the creation of the Philippine Coconut Authority. The PCA was given control to collect a levy of PHP0.55 per 100 kilograms on the sale of copra to stabilize the domestic price of coconut-based consumer goods, particularly cooking oil. The levy was increased after a year to finance the planting of hybrid coconut trees.

The levy was also utilized to finance several development programs like coconut replanting, fertilization, scholarship program for deserving children of coconut farmers, acquisition and rationalization of coconut mills for the benefit of the coconut farmers, research and development, establishment of a coconut farmers’ bank and investments. The levy ended and indefinitely suspended in 1982 when coconut prices of began to fall. However, the levy has been controversial until now since farmers protested that they were not able to benefit from the levies and that only the officials at that time have reaped the rewards. The case is still pending in the courts.

According to the Institute for Development and Econometric Analysis, the local coconut sector is categorized into three main sectors: coconut farming, copra/coconut milling and copra trading.

Coconut farming includes all activities by the farm owner, coconut farmers and farm workers directly related to the production of the crop.

IDEA says this group has the highest level of employment among the

24

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

N THE PHILIPPINES, apart from being one of the most viable agribusinesses with annual exports reaching more than US$1 billion annually, the coconut also symbolizes the farming life of Filipinos.

The country is the world’s top exporter of coconut products such as coconut oil, desiccated coconut, coco shell charcoal and activated carbon. As a major agricultural sector, the coconut industry has historically shown more variability compared to the growth rates of both the agricultural industry and gross domestic product (GDP) in general.

Trade experts say production tends to be sensitive to economic shocks due to its dependence on the global market. In a paper by Ed Amistad, coconut industry chair of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc tells that the coconut sector is composed of 3.3 million hectares in 69 provinces at an average of 2.4 hectares. About 3.5 million coconut farmers and about 20 million are dependent directly or indirectly on the coconut.

Tracing its history, the coconut was a colonial crop that was forced on the natives by the Spanish gubernatorial edict in 1642. The crop’s significance grew when demand for products such as soap, margarine, copra and coconut oil—which need coconut raw materials—began to increase. The US and Europe were the first markets of Philippine coconut oil and copra.

After the era of Spanish, American and Japanese colonialism, the coconut industry’s golden years began with demand for copra and coconut oil from both the local and international market started to heighten, establishing the foundation of the coconut manufacturing and export economy.

S07 FEAG 1 2012 Crops 2_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:18 Page 25

Crops

three sectors as about 90 per cent of the total number of workers in the industry is employed.

There are 65 coconut oil mills with an installed copra crushing capacity of 4.54 million tons a year. There are also 45 oil refineries with installed capacity of 1.53 million tons of Cochin coconut oil—so named because this product was originally from Cochin, India. Ten desiccated coconut plants are likewise constructed with a output capacity of 132,700 tons a year and eight oleo-chemical plants making intermediate coconut-based chemicals like fatty alcohol, fatty acids, methyl ester and glycerin.

New products Exports are the industry’s primary trade as it closed the year 2011 with US$2 billion in revenue due to strong demand for various coconut products. According to PCA administrator Euclides Forbes, 80 per cent of the export earnings came from coconut oil wherein it grew by 34.74 per cent at US$1.22 billion for the first seven months of 2011 compared with the US$908.72 million earned in the same period of the previous year. Forbes said the export value soared due to high global demand and prices in 2011 as the average price of copra is US$1,063.10 per metric ton from US$754.59 on the same period of 2010.

With the increasing trend towards healthy stuff, virgin coconut oil (VCO) and coconut sugar are the products that are gradually becoming popular. Aside from being a beauty aide for skin and hair, VCO is also antiseptic, anti-infective, cholesterol-basher and a remedy for various aches and pains, based on a research by American physician Dr. Bruce Fife. Dr Fife’s recent research showed that VCO’s latest healing property is that of curing Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions. Dr Fife presented his evidence in last year’s 10th Coconut Festival held in Manila relating to the remarkable recovery of Steve Newport, 58, from five years of progressive dementia after just 35 days of taking VCO. Fife tells that Newport’s wife Mary, who is also a physician, discovered that VCO contains MCT or medium-chain triglycerides, an ingredient found in oils that is used to treat epilepsy and is also placed in hospital feeding programs for newborns. Dr Fife says the wonders of VCO are endless and its therapeutic abilities will still be stretched to dreaded maladies given the proper research and development.

On the other hand, the coconut sugar is a welcome development for diabetics and hypoglycemics because of its low glycemic index (GI) of 35, which is much lower than the 54 GI level that nutritionists consider safe for people who have to watch their blood glucose level. The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) affirms that coconut sugar is rich in nutrients and high in potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sulfur and Vitamin C. PCARRD said that flowers of coconut tree provide the sap that is made into sugar. Each tree in good stand can yield an average of two liters of sap daily and four coconut trees are needed to produce one kilo of sugar per day. The agency also explained that it doesn’t need much capital as production is a simple farm-level technology, using natural process of heat evaporation to convert liquid sap into solid form of sugar granules. It will not need complicated and high-cost machine for equipment nor a huge capital. The agency added that coconut sugar holds a lot of promise for farmers since this can be an ideal export to the US and Europe where there is a distinct market for the commodity.

The PCA is also placing its bet on coconut wood since this is the best material for furniture and other handicrafts. According to Forbes, the agency is reviving its timber utilization to utilize coconut wood for furniture and can give a competitive edge to countries such as Fiji, Indonesia and India that are dominating the global furniture market (out of coconut lumber).

Other maiden coco-based products such as coco wine, biodiesel, coco flour, coco chocolate and many others are expected to make waves in the international trade.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

Predicaments Despite these good developments, around 44.8 million of coconut trees are aging and dying and needs to replace a huge chunk of coconut plantation. Forbes says the senility of trees is due to weather aberrations and diseases and should be cut to lumber. According to Amistad, coconuts can now only produce 43 nuts per year from the ideal 80 to 120 nuts brought about by unabated cutting of coconut trees (about 220,000 trees/year). Low genetic potential of planting material, optimal use of labor inputs and planting of coconuts in marginal lands are also the reasons for the declining productivity, tells Amistad.

In the last five years, Amistad said coconut production per year was 2.4 million tons of copra or 1.5 million coconut oil, compared to Malaysia’s production which increased by 45 per cent to 35 million metric tons of palm oil. For this reason, coco oil has lost its dominant position in the international vegetable oils market, only capturing 2 per cent in 2007 from 12 per cent in 1960.

With the increasing trend towards healthy stuff, virgin coconut oil (VCO) and coconut sugar are the products that are gradually becoming popular

Aging coconut farmers are also a problem, tells Amistad, as the average age of a coconut farmer is 60 years old which implies that fewer and fewer of the younger generation are going into coconut farming.

Amistad adds that further studies show that the level of educational attainment of coconut farmers as well as training programs extended by the government are lower than those of their counterparts in rice, corn and sugar. Amistad says this makes it difficult to get coconut farmers to accept and apply new technology and farm practice. Low income also discourages farmers to plant coconut since the annual income only ranges from PHP5,000 (US$115.08) to PHP15,000 (US$347.42).

Moreover, farmers still do not own the land they till or work on.

Nonetheless, Amistad believes that these obstacles can be hurdled as the coconut industry remains to be an important pillar of the Philippine economy due to its huge greenback receipts every year.

Amistad emphasizes that the industry will assume even greater importance in the light of the increasing global trend towards sustainable development which places importance on the use of renewable, non-polluting resources.

Amistad is confident that the industry will continue to enjoy growth potentials with market demand expected to remain strong not only for traditional products but also for new products which are deemed as healthy alternatives. n Gemma Delmo

25

S07 FEAG 1 2012 Crops 2_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:18 Page 26

Crops

Stop abusing insecticides in rice: IRRI The IRRI’s action plan recommends increasing biodiversity on rice farms and regulating the marketing and use of insecticides – including banning certain insecticides in rice.

T

O PREVENT DEVASTATING insect pest outbreaks in rice that cause millions of dollars of damage, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has called for a ban on certain insecticides in rice production as part of its new Action plan to reduce planthopper damage to rice crops in Asia.

At the recently-held international conference on “Threats of Insecticide Misuse in Rice Ecosystems – Exploring Options for Mitigation” in Hanoi, Vietnam, IRRI brought together leaders in the rice industry to advance towards a “greener game plan” to manage brown planthoppers, which, without exaggeration, are one of a rice farmer’s worst fears.

“We need to seriously rethink our current pest management strategies so we don’t just cope with current outbreaks, but prevent and manage them effectively in the long run,” says Dr. Bas Bouman, head of the Crop and Environmental Sciences Division at IRRI and leader of the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) program

on sustainable production systems.

“At the conference we engaged policymakers, agricultural scientists, researchers, extension workers, and the private sector that have a direct stake in Vietnam's agricultural industry and can make a positive contribution to a long-term planthopper management strategy,” said Dr. Bouman.

Considered a major scourge in riceproducing countries, planthoppers in large numbers cause considerable damage by sucking sap from rice plants, causing them to wilt and die. They also transmit three viral diseases that stunt rice plants and prevent grain formation.

“Planthopper outbreaks occur when there is a breakdown in ‘ecological resilience’ of a rice farm,” explains Dr. K.L. Heong, an insect ecologist at IRRI. “Beneficial predators such as spiders and bugs that feed on planthoppers are part of a natural system of ‘checks and balances’ that keeps planthopper populations below outbreak levels,” he added. “When this

Fighting planthopper outbreaks calls for promoting natural planthopper enemy diversity and cutting down on pesticide use

26

natural balance is disrupted, however, planthopper outbreaks occur.”

Many beneficial insects that prey on planthoppers are killed inadvertently when insecticides are misused or are used indiscriminately. Also, growing three rice crops a year or using the same varieties over a large area and for a long period can lead to pest outbreaks due to the adaptation and buildup of pest populations.

The Action plan recommends two major principles – first to enhance biodiversity and second to regulate the marketing and use of insecticides, including the banning of certain outbreakcausing insecticides in rice.

With IRRI’s support, just three months ago, Thailand banned the use of two insecticides in rice – abamectin and cypermethrin – because they are known to be major causes of planthopper outbreaks.

Also, in March this year, the Vietnamese province of An Giang started adopting ecological engineering practices such as growing flowers in nearby paddies to nurture planthopper predators.

"It’s a first step and there’s a lot more to go, but openness to change is nothing new to Vietnam,” cited Dr. Heong.

The country, having seen dramatic changes in its rice production over the last 26 years, went from being a struggling rice importer to becoming a strong rice exporter now by adopting a country-wide reform policy called “Doi Moi” in the late 1980s. Doi Moi was the underlying force behind Vietnam’s rice success today, and it literally means “change and newness.”

Willingness to embrace change has also been the reason behind the success of two campaigns by IRRI and the Plant Protection Department (PPD) of Vietnam in 1994 and 2003 to better manage rice crops and rice pests. “No Early Spray” and "Three Gains, Three Reductions" won several awards from different organizations and became renowned models for participatory learning in agriculture.

“With the two leading rice-exporting countries, Thailand and Vietnam, showing such leadership in better pest management, we remain optimistic that, in the future, planthopper outbreaks will lessen in their frequency and severity,” Dr. Bouman concluded. n

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S07 FEAG 1 2012 Crops 2_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:18 Page 27

S08 FEAG 1 2012 Buyers Guide_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:18 Page 28

Poultry Buyers’ Guide

Poultry Buyers’ Guide 2 0 1 2 Section One - Listings by categories Section Two - List of suppliers Section Three - Contact details of agents in Asia

PLEASE MENTION FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE WHEN CONTACTING YOUR SUPPLIERS

Section One All Equipment Diamond Engineering Ltd. Henke-Sass, Wolf GmbH Salmet International GmbH

Breeding Equipment Diamond Engineering Ltd. Plasson Ltd.

Egg Collection, Handling and Transport Big Dutchman International GmbH Lubing Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG

Evaporative Cooling Systems

Fogging Equipment

Medicators

Veterinary Instruments

Big Dutchman International GmbH Goizper, S Coop Lubing Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG Plasson Ltd.

Diamond Engineering Ltd. Henke-Sass, Wolf GmbH

Handling Equipment

Big Dutchman International GmbH Henke-Sass, Wolf GmbH Lubing Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG Plasson Ltd. Poultec nv

Diamond Engineering Ltd.

Mould Inhibitors

Veterinary - Vaccinators

Eurofeed Technologies S.r.l.

Diamond Engineering Ltd. Henke-Sass, Wolf GmbH

Cages - breeder

Big Dutchman International GmbH Lubing Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG

Big Dutchman International GmbH

Exports

Hatchery Supplies and Services

Cages - broiler

Henke-Sass, Wolf GmbH

Diamond Engineering Ltd.

Big Dutchman International GmbH

Feed

Health Control

Cages - brooder and rearing

Intraco Ltd. nv

Big Dutchman International GmbH

Eurofeed Technologies S.r.l.

Intraco Ltd. nv Protexin

Diamond Engineering Ltd. Goizper, S Coop Henke-Sass, Wolf GmbH

Feed Additives

Nests and Nesting Systems

Pest Control/Disinfection Equipment Goizper, S Coop

Henke-Sass, Wolf GmbH Protexin

Pork Processing

Heat Control Systems

Salmonella Control

Goizper, S Coop

Eurofeed Technologies S.r.l.

Protexin

Diamond Engineering Ltd.

Climate Systems

Feed Ingredients

Housing

Diamond Engineering Ltd. Eurofeed Technologies S.r.l.

Big Dutchman International GmbH

Poultec nv Salmet International GmbH

Sanitation

Big Dutchman International GmbH

Eurofeed Technologies S.r.l.

Intraco Ltd. nv Protexin

Manure Treatment

Turnkey Operations

Disinfection Equipment

Feeding Systems

Goizper, S Coop

Plasson Ltd.

Plasson Ltd. Poultec nv

Disinfection Products

Feeds, Concentrates, Premixes

Big Dutchman International GmbH Poultec nv Salmet International GmbH

Big Dutchman International GmbH Salmet International GmbH

Clearing and Sanitation

Computer Systems

Goizper, S Coop Intraco Ltd. nv

Feed Additives, Natural

Diamond Engineering Ltd. Goizper, S Coop

Watering Equipment

Big Dutchman International GmbH Salmet International GmbH

Health Products

Cages - layer

Veterinary - Sprayers

Big Dutchman International GmbH Goizper, S Coop Igeba Geraetebau GmbH Lubing Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG

Poultec nv

Goizper, S Coop

Ventilation Equipment Big Dutchman International GmbH

Intraco Ltd. nv

SUPPLIERS Section Two Almex bv

Big Dutchman International GmbH

PO Box 150 Zutphen, 7200, The Netherlands Tel: +31 575 572666 Fax: +31 575 572727 Web: www.almex.nl E-mail: info@almex.nl

PO Box 1163 Vechta, 49360, Germany Tel: +49 444 78010 Fax: +49 444 7801237 Web: www.bigdutchman.de E-mail: big@bigdutchman.de Agents: Australia - Australasian Agricultural Services (Pty) Ltd. Australia - Stockyard Industries Australia - Werner Gundmann Bangladesh - AFS Enterprise China - Big Dutchman (Tianjin) Livestock Equipment Co. Ltd. China - Big Dutchman (Tianjin) Livestock Equipment Co. Ltd. Beijing Branch Com. India - Big Dutchman International GmbH Indonesia - Aneng Gunawan Lim (BD-ML) Indonesia - PT BD Agriculture Indonesia Japan - Masahiro Sumiya Japan - Tohzai Sangyo Boeki Inc. Korea - Ganong International Co. Ltd.

Awila Agrar-und Industrieanlagen GmbH

Dillen 1 Lastrup, 9688 Germany Tel: +49 4472 8920 Fax: +49 4472 892220 Web: www.awila.de E-mail: info@awila.de

28

Korea - Jeong Jin Soo Malaysia - BD Asia Sdn Bhd New Zealand - Landmore Agri Ltd. New Zealand - Mike McNaught New Zealand - Steve Cadwallader Pakistan - Eastern Veterinary Services Philippines - Asia Giant Enterprises Singapore - Morgan Enterprise Sri Lanka - JK Tradelink Pvt. Ltd. Taiwan - Bartholomew Lo, Siu-Man Taiwan - Global Ace Trading Co. Thailand - BD Agriculture (Thailand) Ltd. Vietnam - P & N Agro Business Co. Ltd. - Vietnam

China Animal Agriculture Association

9F, A Building, Times Fortune Center No.6 Shuguang Xili Jia, Chaoyang District Beijing, 100028, China Tel: +86 10 58677700 Fax: +86 10 58677809 Web: www.caaa.org.cn E-mail: caaa@caaa.cn

Diamond Engineering Ltd.

Compact Seeds and Clones

PO Box 30-1000 San Jos, Costa Rica Tel: +506 2257 2666 Fax: +506 2257 2667 Web: www.asd-cr.com E-mail: asdcrsales@gmail.com sales@asd-cr.com

Shirehill Industrial Estate Thaxted Road, Saffron Walden, CB11 3AQ United Kingdom Tel: +44 1799 523588 Fax: +44 1799 513381 Web: www.diamond-engineering.co.uk E-mail: sales@diamond-engineering.co.uk

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S08 FEAG 1 2012 Buyers Guide_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:18 Page 29

Poultry Buyers’ Guide

Eurofeed Technologies S.r.l.

Omex Agrifluids Limited

Via L. Einaudi, 12 Loc. Bettolino Brandico (BS) Italy Tel: +39 030 6864682 Fax: +39 030 6866560 Web: www.eurofeed.it E-mail: info@eurofeed.it

Saddlebow Road Industrial Estate King’s Lynn Norfolk PE34 3JA United Kingdom Tel: +44 1553 817500 Fax: +44 1553 817501 Web: www.omex.co.uk E-mail: agrifluids@omex.com

Perkantoran Mutiara Taman Palem Block C5 /28-29 Jl. Kamal Raya Outer Ring Road Jakarta Barat 11730 Indonesia Tel: +62 21 54358118 Fax: +62 21 54358119

Plasson Ltd.

PT. Napindo Media Ashatama

Maagan Michael D.N. Menashe 37805 Israel Tel: +972 4 6394711 Fax: +972 4 6390887 Web: www.plasson.com E-mail: sales@plasson.co.il Agents: Australia - Outback Environmental Controls (Pty) Ltd. India - Dhumal Plasson Pvt. Ltd. Japan - Tohzai Sangyo Boeki Inc. Japan - Yamamoto Corporation Malaysia - Edaran-Ispro (M) Sdn Bhd Malaysia - PT Gemilang New Zealand - Sonoma Enterprises Philippines - Belmont Agricorp Philippines - First Citylink Enterprises Philippines - Jemcy Enterprises Thailand - Kasethpand Industry-KSP Equipment Co. Ltd.

Jl. Kelapa Sawit XIV Blok M1 No. 10 Kompleks Billy & Moon Pondok Kelapa Jakarta 13450 Indonesia Tel: +62 21 8650962/8644756 Fax: +62 21 8650963 Web: www.napindo.com

Goizper, S Coop

Antigua, 4 Antzuola Gipuzkoa 20577 Spain Tel: +34 943 786000 Fax: +34 943 766008 Web: www.goizper.com E-mail: goizper@goizper.com

Henke-Sass, Wolf GmbH

Keltenstra e 1 Tuttlingen 78532 Germany Tel: +49 7462 9466118 Fax: +49 7462 94665208 Web: www.henkesasswolf.de E-mail: stefan.knefel@henkesasswolf.de Agents: Indonesia - Pesona Scientific Iran - Eamon & Saba Shiraz Co. Ltd. Korea - Yushin Corporation Philippines - P & J Agricultural Trading Taiwan - Ennchih Co. Ltd.

Intraco Ltd. nv

Meir 24 Antwerp, 2000 Belgium Tel: +32 3 2269850 Fax: +32 3 2269852 Web: www.intraco.be E-mail: intraco@intraco.be

Lubing Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG al !

The Origin

Lubingstrabe 6 Barnstorf, 49406 Germany Tel: +49 5442 98790 Fax: +49 5442 987933 Web: www.lubing.com E-mail: info@lubing.de Agents: China - Lubing System Engineering (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. India - Lubing India Pvt. Ltd. Indonesia - PT. Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Japan - Hytem Co. Ltd. Thailand - Kasethpand Industry-KSP Equipment Co. Ltd. Vietnam - Dong A Material-Veterinary JSC

PT. Global Expo Management (GEM Indonesia)

Salmet International GmbH

Assar-Gabrielson-Str. 19a Dietzenbach 63128 Germany Tel: +49 6074 37600 Fax: +49 6074 376049 Web: www.salmet.de E-mail: info@salmet.de

VNU Exhibitions Europe

PO Box 8800 3503 RV Utrecht The Netherlands Tel: +31 30 2952788/2719 Fax: +31 30 2952809 Web: www.viv.net

Poultec nv

Meir 24 2000 Antwerp Belgium Tel: +32 3 2269850 Fax: +32 3 2269852 Web: www.poultec.net E-mail: info@poultec.net

Protexin

Lopen Head Somerset TA13 5JH United Kingdom Tel: +44 1460 243230 Fax: +44 1460 249543 Web: www.protexin.com E-mail: info@protexin.com Agents: Australia - International Animal Health Products (Pty) Ltd. Malaysia - Agritech Enterprise Sdn Bhd Taiwan - Nedtex Co.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

29

S08 FEAG 1 2012 Buyers Guide_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:18 Page 30

Poultry Buyers’ Guide

AGENTS Section Three Australia Australasian Agricultural Services (Pty) Ltd. 34 Millennium Place Wellington Point, Queensland, 4160 Tel: +61 7 33960166 Fax: +61 7 33960266 E-mail: peter@ausagservices.com.au

International Animal Health Products (Pty) Ltd. 18 Healey Circuit NSW 2148 Tel: +61 2 96727944 Fax: +61 2 96727988 E-mail: info@iahp.com.au

Outback Environmental Controls (Pty) Ltd. 2/32 Billabong Street Stafford, Brisbane Qld 4053 Tel: +61 7 33526677 Fax: +61 7 33562805 Web: www.oex.biz/poultry E-mail: sales@oec.biz

Stockyard Industries King Street Clifton, QLD 4361 Tel: +61 746 973344 Fax: +61 746 973532 E-mail: marcusj@cefn.com.au

Werner Gundmann PO Box 54, InverleighVIC 3321 Tel: +61 418552776 Fax: +61 352651486 E-mail: werner@bigdutchman.com

Bangladesh AFS Enterprise House #70 Road #21 Block B Banani Dhaka, 1213 Tel: +880 2 8858404 Fax: +880 2 8815210 E-mail: wasusalam@hotmail.com

China Big Dutchman (Tianjin) Livestock Equipment Co. Ltd. No. 21, Shuang Yuan Road Beichen EDZ Tianjin 300400 Tel: +86 22 26970158 Fax: +86 22 26970157 E-mail: bdchina@bigdutchman.com

Big Dutchman (Tianjin) Livestock Equipment Co. Ltd. Beijing Branch Com. 13/FI, Tower A Wangjing Building No. 9 Wangjing Zhonghuan Nan Road Chaoyang District/Beijing 100102 Tel: +86 10 64761888 Fax: +86 10 64761999 E-mail: bdcnsales@bigdutchman.com

30

Lubing System Engineering (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. Song Ming Industrial Park Gongmin Town, Guangming Distr.,Shenzhen City Guangdong Province 518106 Tel: +86 755 27411888 Fax: +86 755 27411124 Web: www.lubcn.com E-mail: tjlim@lubing.cn

India Big Dutchman International GmbH No. 8-2-L/26/A MLA Colony Road No. 12 Banjara Hills Hyderabad A.P. 500034 Tel: +91 40 23551192 Fax: +91 40 23551183 E-mail: pdye@bigdutchman.com

Dhumal Plasson Pvt. Ltd. E36 D Road Midc, Satpur Nashik 422007 Tel: +91 253 2350684 Fax: +91 253 2351584 Web: www.dhumal.com E-mail: sales@dhumal.com

Lubing India Pvt. Ltd. 271/P/B, Ingawale Patil Estate Bhugaon Paud Road, Tal Mulshi Pune, Maharashtra 411 042 Tel: +91 20 2952404 Fax: +91 9890996030 Web: www.lubingindia.com E-mail: info@lubingindia.com

Indonesia Aneng Gunawan Lim (BD-ML) Taman Palem Lestari Blok D 5A, No. 27 Jakarta, 11730 Tel: +62 21 54391968 Fax: +62 21 54399284 E-mail: anenglim@cbn.net.id alim@bigdutchman.com

Pesona Scientific Komplek Kopo Mas Regene Block 8-j Bandung ID-40225 Tel: +62 22 5430583 Fax: +62 22 5430314 E-mail: cvpesona@bdg.centrin.net.id

PT BD Agriculture Indonesia Pergudangan Prima Center 2 Blok E No. 9 Jl. Pool PPD Pesing Poglar RT 010/002 Kel. Kedaung Kali Angke, Cengkareng Jakarta 11710 Tel: +62 21 29031020 Fax: +62 21 29030955 E-mail: bdai@bigdutchman.com

PT. Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Poultry Equipment Division Jl. Raya Serang Km. 30 Balaraja Tangerang 15610 Tel: +62 21 5951187 Fax: +62 21 5951013 Web: www.lubing.com E-mail: antoni@cp.co.id

Korea Ganong International Co. Ltd. 349-1 Cheonhyun-dong Hanam-shi Kyunggi-do, 465-816 South Korea Tel: +82 23 4366790 Fax: +82 23 4366792 Web: www.ganongbio.co.kr E-mail: ahnchw@empas.com

Iran Eamon & Saba Shiraz Co. Ltd. Jamal Zadeh Shomali 5-Hayat Avenue Teheran 14198 64951 Tel: +98 21 66434539 Fax: +98 21 66929720 E-mail: eamon@live.be

Jeong Jin Soo 486-18 Ui-green villa 6-202 Ssangmun-dong Dobong-ku, Seoul South Korea E-mail: jeong@bigdutchman.com

Yushin Corporation 7F, 751 Bldg.

203 Nonhyon-Dong Kangnam-Ku KR Seoul 135-010 Tel: +82 2 5682525 Fax: +82 2 5693113 E-mail: ryushin@netsgo.com

Japan Hytem Co. Ltd. 2-10 Techno Plaza Kakamigahara City Gifu 509-0109 Tel: +81 5838 50505 Fax: +81 5838 51230 Web: www.hytem.com E-mail: info@hytem.com

Malaysia Agritech Enterprise Sdn Bhd

Masahiro Sumiya 5-18-3-1402 Minamikasai Edogawa-Ku Tokyo 1340085 Tel: +81 3 59397061 Fax: +81 3 59397061 E-mail: sumiya@bigdutchman.com

Tohzai Sangyo Boeki Inc. 2-chome 17-8 Yushima Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-0034 Tel: +81 3 38154491 Fax: +81 3 38154456 Web: www.tohzai-sangyo.co.jp E-mail: it@tohzai-sangyo.co.jp

Tohzai Sangyo Boeki Inc. 2-chome 17-8 Yushima Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-0034 Tel: +81 3 38154491 Fax: +81 3 38154456 Web: www.tohzai-sangyo.co.jp E-mail: it@tohzai-sangyo.co.jp

Yamamoto Corporation 66-2 Kamihina-Shi Hozu-cho Kameoka-Shi Kyoto 621 0005 Tel: +81 771 251451 Fax: +81 771 251453 Web: www.yamamoto-corp.jp E-mail: k-shimoo@yamamoto-corp.jp

22 Jalan SS 4C/5 47301 Petaling Jaya Selangor Tel: +60 3 78033226 Fax: +60 3 78033911 Web: www.meyn.com E-mail: agritech@tm.net.my

BD Asia Sdn Bhd No. 20, Lorong Keluli 1B Kawasan Perindustrian Bukit Raja, 40000 Shah Alam Selangor Tel: +60 3 33615555 Fax: +60 3 33422866 E-mail: bdasia@bigdutchman.com

Edaran-Ispro (M) Sdn Bhd 27 A Lorong 20, Taman Peteni Jaya Sungai Patani Kedah Tel: +60 4 4292058 Fax: +60 4 4292059/4231779 E-mail: tankengkooi@unifi.my

PT Gemilang 27 A Lorong 20 Taman Patani Jaya 08000 Sungai Patani Kedah Tel: +60 4 4217834 Fax: +60 4 4231779 E-mail: tankengkooi@unifi.my

New Zealand Landmore Agri Ltd. 4 Ranfurly Street Otorohanga 3900 Tel: +64 7 8738900 Fax: +64 7 8738905 E-mail: johnm@landmore.co.nz

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S08 FEAG 1 2012 Buyers Guide_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:18 Page 31

Poultry Buyers’ Guide Mike McNaught

First Citylink Enterprises

Ennchih Co. Ltd.

86a Hastings Road Mairangi Bay 0630 North Shore City, Auckland Tel: +64 21893333 E-mail: mikemc@bigdutchman.com

299 Tandang Sora Avenue Kalaw Hills, Quezon City, 1116 Tel: +63 2 5917046/9319477 Fax: +63 2 9319477 E-mail: first_citylink@yahoo.com firstcitylink@eyp.ph

No. 310 Chung Shan S. Rd Taoyuan Hsien Tel: +886 347 58168 Fax: +886 347 53803 E-mail: ennchih3@ms6.hinet.net

Jemcy Enterprises

11-F-1, No. 239 I Hsin, 1st Rd, Kaohsiung Tel: +886 7 3335481 Fax: +886 7 3314190 E-mail: e0904@ms10.hinet.net

Sonoma Enterprises 50 Hakanoa Street Grey Lynn Auckland Tel: +64 9 3611060 Fax: +64 9 3611061 E-mail: sonoma@xtra.co.nz

Steve Cadwallader 43 McCallum Drive RD2 Sandspit, Warkworth Tel: +64 9 4223476 Fax: +64 9 4223475 E-mail: scadwallader@bigdutchman.com

Pakistan Eastern Veterinary Services Office 7, 2nd Floor Allied Commercial Plaza Chandi Chowk Murree Rd, Rawalpindi Tel: +92 51 4421771 Fax: +92 51 4421776 E-mail: estrnbio@dsl.net.pk

Philippines

609 Brgy. San Miguel Sto. Tomas Batangas 4234 Tel: +63 917 5040095/916 6066757 Fax: +63 43 7782290/3182490 E-mail: info@jemcyenterprises.com medinajess_25@yahoo.com.ph

P & J Agricultural Trading 184, St. Antonio Ave. Pasig City, Metro, Manila Tel: +63 2 6400053 E-mail: bobby@p-and-j.com.ph

Singapore Morgan Enterprise Bedok Centre, Singapore 914614 Tel: +65 93832534 E-mail: tanchinleong2001@yahoo.com.sg

Sri Lanka

Asia Giant Enterprises

JK Tradelink Pvt. Ltd.

Unit 403 Goldhill Tower No.5 Annapolis St., Greenhills San Juan 1500 Metro Manila Tel: +63 2 7236347 Fax: +63 2 7253942 E-mail: bengo@asiagiantgroup.com

No. 44 Thalawathugoda Road Pitakotte, Colombo Tel: +94 1 12878243 Fax: +94 1 12774280 E-mail: admin@jktradelink.com

Belmont Agricorp

Bartholomew Lo, Siu-Man

Legaspi Tower 100 148 Legaspi Street Legaspi Village, Makati City Tel: +63 2 8159861 Fax: +63 2 8127905 Web: www.belmontagri.com E-mail: belmont@belmontagri.com

Taiwan #50, Floor 8-1, Chung Ching 1 Street Jen-Te Shiang - 717 Tainan Hsien Tel: +886 939375876 Fax: +886 6 2709332 E-mail: bamy55@ms16.hinet.net

Global Ace Trading Co.

Nedtex Co. 5th Floor, Tung Sheng Taipei Tel: +886 2 27352233 Fax: +886 2 27328834 E-mail: su2@nedtex.com.tw

Vietnam Dong A Material-Veterinary JSC 62, Ho Tung Mau, Caudien Tuliem Hanoi Tel: +84 437632583 Fax: +84 437632602 Web: www.lubing.com E-mail: dmvjsc@fpt.vn

P & N Agro Business Co. Ltd. 220/158/26A Le Van Sy St. Ward 14, District 3 Ho Chi Minh City Tel: +84 8 38465765 Fax: +84 8 39350687 E-mail: pcvan@pnagrobusiness.com

Thailand BD Agriculture (Thailand) Ltd. Block F7 & F8 41/76 - 77 Moo 6 Bangna Trad Rd. Km 16.5 Bangchalong 10540 Bangplee Samutprakarn 10540 Tel: +66 2 3496531 Fax: +66 2 3496535 Web: www.bigdutchman.co.th E-mail: bdt@bigdutchman.com

Kasethpand Industry-KSP Equipment Co. Ltd. 100 Mu 3 Soi Suksawad 76 Suksawad Road Bangjak Prapadang Samutprakam 10130 Tel: +66 2 8176410 Fax: +66 2 8176439 Web: www.kpithailand.com E-mail: vorowut@kpithailand.com

New all-natural brine system targets poultry THE GLOBAL LAUNCH of a new brine system offers an all-natural solution for the replacement of phosphates in poultry applications.

Developed through a collaboration between three companies— Marigot, AllinAll Ingredients and Naturis— the product delivers a specific functionality in the components of the system that is not currently available elsewhere.

Referred to as ‘All Natural Brine System,’ the new product consists of a blend of natural ingredients formulated to improve yields and enhance taste in poultry meats. These benefits are achieved through increased mineral and binding activity, compared to synthetic alternatives such as sodium phosphate, as well as reduced cook loss.

“Phosphate reduction is a growing issue for meat producers under pressure from retailers and consumers for more natural products particularly in the markets we are targeting,” comments Daniel Hickey, MD AllinAll Ingredients; “As an e-number free product, the All Natural Brine System offers the sought-after clean label declaration, as well as the important functional benefits traditionally delivered by phosphates.”

The three companies offer complementary expertise as David O'Leary, commercial manager for Marigot, said, "The collaboration brings together our formulation knowledge with the market insights and meat sector expertise of our partners.

"By combining our multi-mineral Aquamin ingredient with the natural components supplied by AllinAll Ingredients and Naturis, we are able to

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

All Natural Brine System consists of a blend of natural ingredients formulated to improve yields and enhance taste in poultry meats

optimise activity within the brine system; providing poultry processors with an added value, high-performance, all-natural phosphate replacer."

"This is a positive development and one which will support poultry processors looking to capitalise on global demand for clean labelling," added Frantz Smet, MD for Naturis.

All Natural Brine System will be marketed by AllinAll Ingredients as part of its functional ingredients portfolio for the international meat market.

31

S09 FEAG 1 2012 Equipment_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:19 Page 32

Equipment

MF 900 Series LCS loaders launched MASSEY FERGUSON’S LATEST MF 900 Series front-end loaders combine robust construction and simple operation with the advanced new Loader Control System (LCS). This new generation of tractor loaders builds on the success of previous models’ reputation for performance and ease of use.

The wide range provides plenty of choice – including six standard models and 13 with parallel levelling linkages. This means there is a model to suit every user and conceivable application from livestock and mixed farmers, vegetable and arable growers through to all municipal, amenity, groundscare and sportsground operators.

Built to the highest standard, they are designed in close cooperation with Massey Ferguson engineers to ensure the loaders are ideally matched for work with the full range of Massey Ferguson tractors.

The new MF 900 Series offers high lift capacities and heights and employs new hydraulic valves designed specifically for use with front-end loaders and a novel flat-face coupler, which connects under pressure and is leak free. Three new joysticks – Ergo, Easy and ElectroDrive – offer superb levels of control and automation.

The new generation MF 900 Series loaders are operated by a unique hydraulic control valve that is available for both load-sensing and open-centred tractor systems. It is the only valve in the industry dedicated for use with tractor loaders and uses a regenerative system that provides total control when handling heavy loads. This is because the oil flow is independent of the load so the lower and raise speeds are virtually the same, whether the loader implement is

MF 900 Series front-end loaders

full or empty.

This novel system provides operators with a much better ‘feel’ during operation, which is optimised to provide precise proportional control – with the system reacting exactly to the how fast and far the operator moves the joystick. This provides much better control when operating two functions, for example when simultaneously lowering and crowding.

Another unique feature introduced on the new generation MF 900 Series is the MultiCoupler MC4, which connects all the hydraulic hoses, under pressure, as well as the electric cables in one movement of a single handle.

John Deere introduces four new tillage solutions FOR THE 2012 tillage season, John Deere offers three new 2600 Series Disks and one new vertical tillage tool designed to provide everything from more muscle for penetrating, chopping and mixing soil and crop residue in a single pass to creating a uniform seedbed.

The beefier new 2600 Series tillage lineup includes the 2625 Disk, 2623 Disk, 2620 Disk and 2623VT (Vertical Tillage).

According to Patrick Sikora, marketing manager at John Deere Des Moines Works, the 2600 Series Disks and 2623VT give customers more high performance, heavyduty options when it comes to selecting the right tillage tools for their farming operations.

John Deere 2623VT

32

“Tillage preferences vary from farm to farm depending on a number of factors such as cropping programs, field topography, soil conditions and residue requirements. The new 2600 Series allows customers to match the right tillage tool – from a one-pass primary tillage disk to a seedbed finisher – while giving them plenty of versatility and years of durable performance,” Sikora says.

In addition, Sikora says that John Deere has built the 2600 Series Disks to even tougher industry standards, with a full 2-inch diameter gang bolt, increased weight per machine by 60 per cent, and sealed maintenance-free bearings.

The tillage workhorse in the 2600 Series lineup is the 2625 Disk. Designed to be a heavyweight primary tillage tool, the 2625 sizes and buries heavy corn and other crop residue, resulting in 30 per cent or less residue cover on fields. The 2623 Disk is engineered for its dual flexibility as either a primary or secondary tillage tool. It features 24- and 26-inch disk blades set on 9-inch spacing, C-spring standards with weights per blade ranging from 201 to 243 lbs. depending on the selected blade size and width model. It provides a working tillage depth of up to 6 inches, making it ideal for use in post-harvest residue chopping or preparing spring seedbeds for planting.

For customers looking for the ideal disk for tilling lighter soils and creating the ideal seedbed for planting, the 2620 Disk is designed to loosen the top 3 to 5 inches of soil. It features 22- or 24-inch blades on 7.25or 9-inch spacings with weight per blade of 179 to 209 lbs. (base blade and spacing), which allows it to be customized to a producer’s soil type and planting practices.

For producers looking to size residue, mix residue and soil, and create a level soil profile, the new John Deere 2623VT offers the latest in technology and toughness with its unique angled gang and blade configuration.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S09 FEAG 1 2012 Equipment_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:19 Page 33

Equipment

CLAAS creates own subsidiary in China CLAAS IS SIGNIFICANTLY increasing its activity on the Chinese agricultural machinery market. After the German manufacturer of agricultural equipment achieved a considerable boost in worldwide sales in 2011, a new subsidiary for sales and service will come into operation in Beijing at the start of 2012. Until now, CLAAS has been active in China with its own representative, supplying the huge market through local sales organisations.

The headquarters of the new Chinese CLAAS company will be located in the business district of Chao Yang in the capital Beijing – in the direct vicinity of the foreign embassies. In parallel to this, a branch is currently under construction as the central spare part store, as well as for training and service, outside Beijing.

CLAAS has now for a long time been investing in the modernisation of Chinese agriculture. The German provider of agricultural technology specialises in particular in the area of forage harvesting. CLAAS is thus the undisputed market leader for self-propelled forage harvesters for green forage, which also function as producers of biomass – especially in Europe and the USA. For a long time, CLAAS has also been very successful as a partner in a German-Chinese joint project, a sample and demonstration farm in the north of China. The green machines made in Germany (tractors, forage harvesters and combine harvesters) are considered to be state-of-the-art agricultural technology, and are much more efficient than locally produced agricultural machinery.

CLAAS Sales Manager Jan-Hendrik Mohr explains the huge step on the Chinese market with the growing importance of agricultural technology in the country. "It can only be possible to ensure the supply of sufficient food for a growing population by means of the latest technology. Furthermore, for a long time we have observed an increasing migration of people from the countryside to the big cities. The lack of an adequate human workforce in agriculture must thus be compensated for by machinery."

Advanced workstation for food industry PRODUCTION MONITORING AND control have taken on a whole new look, with the launch of the new Marel M6215 food industry workstation.

“Designed for use on all Marel equipment, this highly economic, cost-effective and extremely robust touch screen display/indicator has been developed for use in a whole range of applications, including reporting, quality checks, data collection and production control. Constructed from FDA-approved materials and encased in a water-resistant stainless steel housing, the M6215 is specifically designed for use in the harsh conditions of the production plant floor,” a company official said.

Built on Windows 7-compatible architecture and operated via a spacious user-friendly touch screen, it provides the operator with direct access from the plant floor to Innova or other production management systems.

The M6215 comes available with an optional MU1 internal W&M-approved weighing module that connects directly to all Marel platforms, in some cases eliminating the need for M1100 or M2200 terminals and making packing and QC stations smaller and compact.

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

Web-based irrigation controller launched LINDSAY CORPORATION, MAKER of Zimmatic by Lindsay irrigation systems, has introduced FieldNET PRO with GPS – a Web-based irrigation controller designed for existing electrically-driven pivots with programmable or mechanical panels.

FieldNET PRO combines GPS positioning and wireless communication to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of existing center pivots. Growers who install FieldNET PRO with GPS gain remote monitoring and control, even on mechanical panels, according to the company.

“By retrofitting an existing pivot with FieldNET PRO with GPS, a grower will be able to manage it using the FieldNET Wireless Irrigation Network,” says Reece Andrews, New Technology Product Manager at Lindsay. “Control over FieldNET is easy, and the added convenience and efficiency can result in significant savings on water, labor and energy.”

Additional product features include water rate adjustments, end-gun control and shutdown alerts, as well as smartphone access with FieldNET Mobile.

New Holland unveils new powerful livestock tractors NEW HOLLAND PREVIEWED its T5.115, part of the completed reinvented T5 range of tractors for the livestock and mixed farming segments, at the recently-held Agritechnica event in Germany.

The T5.95, T5.105 and the T5.115 offer increased engine powers of between 99 - 114hp. The new T5 models will be making their debut this summer.

Pierre Lahutte, Head of Tractor Product Management said, “The new T5 is set to become the default choice for mid-sized livestock and mixed farmers with an eye on the future. Today’s T5 is the distillation of an extensive New Holland T5.115 customer consultation, and offers outstanding visibility, ergonomic controls, an ultra-comfortable cab and segment leading performance.”

“New Holland knows that operator comfort is a prerequisite for optimum productivity, especially during long and demanding days. The new VisionView cab has been designed around the operator using advanced virtual reality techniques to offer unparalleled ergonomic excellence. All controls fall perfectly to hand for operators of all shapes and sizes. The principal controls, including the electronic draft control (EDC) mouse, PTO speed selection and hydraulic remote levers, amongst others, have been placed to the right of the operator in an ergonomic ‘Command Arc’ to reduce fatigue and increase precision,” Lahutte said.

33

S09 FEAG 1 2012 Equipment_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:19 Page 34

Classified

Make sure you visit our new website with updated news coverage in Asia-Pacific.

You can also view our digital edition of this issue on www.fareasternagriculture.com

For details of advertising in the classified section please contact:

ADVERTISE HERE!

Serving the world of business LONDON OFFICE: University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London SW1W 0EX, UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 7834 7676 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7973 0076 E-mail: post@alaincharles.com Web: www.alaincharles.com

# Reader Information Service

Subscription form 2012 I wish to subscribe to Far Eastern Agriculture for 1 year (6 issues) starting with the next copy.

Issue 1 2012 This is a free service, readers who wish to receive urgently further information about any product or company featured in the magazine, please complete this form and fax to: Far Eastern Agriculture on +44 (0) 20 7973 0076 or e-mail to: feag@alaincharles.com or post to: Far Eastern Agriculture, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London, SW1W 0EX, United Kingdom.

Surface Rates:

Page No.

Euro e95 Euro e160 Euro e213

Enclosed is my cheque/draft for ............................................................................................................................................

Please invoice Please charge to American Express/Diners Club/Access/Mastercard (please circle) My number is

Name of product and/or company

1 year: £57 US$111 2 years: £97 US$189 3 years: £129 US$251

...................................................................................

Expiry Date

........................................................

(please note we debit your account in sterling)

Name

...................................................................................... .............................................................................................

Position

.................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Organization Address

........................................................................ .............................................................................................

................................................................................. .............................................................................................

.................................................................................

Signed

Country

....................................................................................

.............................................................................................

Date

...................................................................................

Send this form together with your remittance to: Far Eastern Agriculture, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London, SW1W 0EX, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7834 7676 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7973 0076 Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Job title:

...................................................................................................

Company:

.................................................................................................

Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..............................................................................................................

Subscription order can also be made via the Internet: www.alaincharles.com or email at feag@alaincharles.com Please TICK most relevant box

4. Type of produce

01 Government: municipal services, diplomatic,

(UN, International Agencies) 03 Educational/Research Institutes

..............................................................................................................

Tel:

......................................................

Fax:

.............................................

Your organization’s product/service: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..............................................................................................................

Number of employees in your organization:

.........................................................

06 Commercial Services: banking, finance, insurance 08 Import/Export Agents and Distributors 09 Farms and Plantations 11 Food Processing: poultry, dairy, cereal, fruit, vegetables, etc 12 Aid Organizations 13 Agricultural Equipment and Material Manufacturers: irri-

gation, agro-chemicals

Signature: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date:

34

.............................................

16 Others: please specify:

01 Rice

11 Feedstuffs

02 Grain

12 Groundnuts

03 Fruit

13 Vegetables

04 Cocoa

14 Cassava

05 Coffee

15 Dairy Cattle

06 Cotton

16 Beef Cattle

07 Rubber

17 Sheep/Goats

08 Palm Oil

18 Pigs

09 Palm Kernels

19 Poultry

10 Sugar Cane

20 Fisheries

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

S09 FEAG 1 2012 Equipment_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:19 Page 35

Moreover

Carbon crediting for restoring degraded grasslands FAO helps herders earn money for the carbon they sequester when rehabilitating damaged ecosystems

T

HE VAST POTENTIAL of grasslands to support sustainable livelihoods while trapping atmospheric carbon and helping slow down global warming is one step closer to being realized thanks to a new methodology developed by FAO in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the World Agroforestry Centre.

Large swathes of the world's grasslands are moderately to severely degraded — restoring them to a healthy state could remove gigatonnes of carbon from the atmosphere and improve resilience to climate change.

So far, however, carbon crediting schemes that pay projects for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sequestering carbon have largely ignored agriculture, including grazing-based livlihood systems.

One key challenge has been finding reliable and affordable ways to measure how much carbon is being trapped in agricultural mitigation projects. FAO's new Methodology for Sustainable Grassland Management could help overcome this obstacle.

"We think we have cracked the problem and come up with a reliable way for herders who are investing in restoring grasslands to prove they are sequestering measurable amounts of carbon, and fund their activities by accessing mitigation finance," said Pierre Gerber, an FAO livestock policy specialist who works on the project.

Measurement is the challenge The breakthrough of FAO's new methodology is that it provides an affordable way to reliably estimate the amount of GHG emissions removed from the atmosphere through

FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue One 2012

improved management of grasslands.

"Our approach allows not only for direct measurement of carbon sequestration through soil sampling but also computer modelling of sequestration based on soil types and activities undertaken," explained Leslie Lipper, an FAO economist involved in the project. "Being able to demonstrate reliable monitoring is a must for projects wishing to participate in carbon markets, and modelling reduces monitoring costs, making it possible for small-scale herders and livestock raisers to participate."

The methodology is being applied to a pilot project in Qinghai Province, China, which will eventually be able to deliver significant carbon offsets for a period of 10 years. After that point, the restored grasslands will have stored as much carbon as it is possible for them to do, and incomes from carbon trading will wind down. But the lands involved will have been brought back to full productivity and livestock systems will have shifted to a sustainable model capable of sustaining the livelihoods of herders for generations to come.

The Qinghai project started in 2008, when FAO, the World Agroforestry Centre, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Provincial Government began working with herders to jointly design improved grazing and land management practices which can restore soil health, improve milk and meat production and generate ecosystem services such as reducing run-off and flash floods and conserving biodiversity.

The end game, though, was to develop a cost-effective means of estimating and crediting the extent to which such practices result in GHG reductions via carbon sequestration in soils and reduced methane generation by

animals, so herders can earn money from selling carbon offset credits on emission trading markets. This added income is key to helping overcoming the barriers herders face in restoring ecosystems — such as short-term reductions in livestock revenues.

Returns are invested in further restoring the long-term health of the lands upon which they depend and building up marketing associations to improve their profits from traditional animal raising.

"The project in China is just an example of what this methodology can do. It can readily be used in other places, and scaled up to achieve similar results in most degraded grasslands," said Gerber.

Mitigation finance FAO has just submitted its methodology for approval by the non-profit Verified Carbon Standard (VSC) a greenhouse gas accounting programme used by projects around the world to verify and issue carbon credits in emissions markets.

Once approved, any grassland project using the methodology will be eligible for the creation and trade of carbon credits in voluntary carbon markets throughout the world.

"And just as significantly, this methodology now gives countries a clear-cut option for including sustainable grassland management in their Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) to reduce GHG emissions, which they are developing in line with national climate strategies and in light of the UNFCCC Cancun Agreements of last December," added Lipper. "So far, there have been few options for doing so." n Source: FAO

35

S09 FEAG 1 2012 Equipment_Layout 1 27/01/2012 10:19 Page 36

nal !

i The Orig

Drinking-Systems With a LUBING Drinking-System you are always on the safe side.

Completely equipped with innovative technical details LUBING‘s DrinkingSystems asure a reliable water supply for cages as well as for floor management.

Conveyor-Systems The worldwide leading position of LUBING Conveyor-Systems is based on the high level of safety and the individual adaptability of all sytems.

• Rod Conveyor – for long straight distances • Curve Conveyor – for curves and turns • Steep Conveyor »Climber« – for steep climbs up to 60°

Top-Climate-Systems The LUBING Top-Climate-System is a highly effective cooling system.

Special high-pressure nozzles (70 bar/1000 psi) spray a fine fog of evaporated water into the house.

Humidity rises, the temperature falls.

The floor stays dry. The animals feel better.

Germany

LUBING

India

Indonesia

Pakistan

Thailand

LUBING INDIA PVT. LTD.

PT. CHAROEN POKPHAND INDONESIA

Ample Trade Impex

KSP Equipment Co. Ltd.

49406 Barnstorf (Germany)

271/P/B, Ingawale Patil Estate Bhugaon, Pune Maharastra (India) Tel.: +91 20-229524-04 / -05 Fax: +91 0-98909 96030 surinder@lubingindia.com

Jl. Raya Serang Km. 30 Balaraja 15610 Tangerang Tel.: +62 215951187 Fax: +62 215951013 antoni@cp.co.id

Sarjah Centre 62-Shadman Market Lahore Tel.: +92 427584400 Fax: +92 427532102 ample@nexlinx.net.pk

Suksawad Road 10130 Prapadaeng Samutprakarn Tel.: +662 8176410 Fax: +662 8176439 kannika@cpf.co.th

Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG

Tel.: +49 (0) 54 42 - 98 79-0 Fax: +49 (0) 54 42 - 98 79-33 info@lubing.com