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Dr Neil Auchterlonie GFFC – What do we need to do to get fish recognised as a world force in the feed industry?
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ne of the very fortunate aspects of working for the IFFO is that, in representation of the marine ingredients industry, we find ourselves attending very many interesting meetings in different locations around the world every year. March was an opportunity to attend the 6th Global Feed and Food Congress, held in Bangkok, Thailand, an event organised by the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF). The Congress is held every three years, this year having a theme of “The Future of Feed & Food – are we ready?” This was a really interesting event that afforded the opportunity, that sadly only happens occasionally given time constraints in the normal day-to-day business, to think strategically about where the ingredients sectors, the feed industry and the food that is produced across the world for humanity is produced. A series of very interesting sessions and presentations was held over three days, from intergovernmental organisation representatives such as the FAO, academics, and other thought leaders in the field. The audience was treated to a view of the fourth agricultural revolution – that of digitalising agriculture, which included strong reference to precision livestock farming, and the application of new technology such as Blockchain in securing the traceability of animal protein production systems. For some time, we at the IFFO have been considering how Blockchain may have a role to play in the fishmeal and fish oil sector, so it was interesting to see what the adoption level is like in other industries. One of the more regularly communicated messages about the importance of managing environmental impacts was raised, and there was a very strong quote from one speaker that “we can only manage what we can measure”. With an increasing focus on the adoption of approaches that align with or adopt life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, this is coming increasing to the fore. Having been involved with similar work for the fishmeal industry, it is clear that the sector shows some favourable results in some categories and, as usual for the feed manufacturers, it will be a case of looking at all available ingredients with which to formulate nutritionally complete feedstuffs with good environmental performance. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) also brings with it a very clear emphasis on the importance of customising nutrition. As has been discussed in this column many times before, that really drives forward a great opportunity for fishmeal and fish oil, which, although low in volume (comparatively), are high in impact through the nutrition they deliver in feeds, and especially aquafeeds. PLF really represents a fabulous opportunity for feed manufacturers to sue the materials strategically and to best effect in their products. One of the more, perhaps alarming, presentations was on the opportunity for lab-grown meats in the market. From the information presented, this looks to be close to commercial reality. It is going to be really interesting to see how the market for artificial meat and fish develops over time, if at all. Dr Neil Auchterlonie is the Technical Director at IFFO. He has managed aquaculture and fisheries science programmes in both public and private sectors. Academically he holds a BSc in Marine and Freshwater Biology from Stirling University, a MSc in Applied Fish Biology from the University of Plymouth, and a PhD in Aquaculture (halibut physiology) from Stirling University. 14 | May 2019 - International Aquafeed
MSD completes acquisition of Antelliq Corporation to become leader in emerging digital technology for livestock
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SD (tradename of Merck & Co, Inc, Kenilworth, NJ, USA [NYSE:MRK]), recently announced the completion of its acquisition of Antelliq Corporation from funds advised by BC Partners. The announcement positions the company as a global leader in animal health digital tracking, traceability and monitoring technology and complements the existing portfolio of vaccines and pharmaceuticals. Antelliq will be an operating unit within MSD Animal Health. “The animal health industry is rapidly evolving with revolutionary digital solutions to manage the health and well-being of livestock and companion animals with animal identification, animal monitoring and smart data management as critical components of this technology,” said Rick DeLuca, President, MSD Animal Health. “Through our commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals®, we are dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of animals and the people who take care of them. We are excited to take this step forward with Antelliq and its brands, Allflex Livestock Intelligence, Sure Petcare and Biomark, as we add market-leading technology and services, which extend the range of solutions we can provide to our customers.”