Effective poultry production with "Relax": Two separate nest roofs simplify nest and egg belt inspection

Another new feature is the egg belt with a three-point bearing design. This minimises contact surfaces between the eggs and the egg belt.

"Relax" is made of high-quality, durable materials which increases the nest acceptance and improves nest hygiene. The smooth surfaces facilitate cleaning and reduce the bacteria load as well as insect infestation during the grow-out. “Relax” has been designed as a nearly screw-less connector system and can therefore be installed easily and rapidly.

Broiler cage AviMax for efficient poultry production

Also featured is the broiler cage AviMax sliding with easy-to-operate sliding floors by means of which the broilers can be moved out, either row by row or section by section. Another asset is the fact that the broilers can be transported automatically or, if desired, semi-automatically.

For the moving out of the birds the sliding floor is pulled out of the system and the broilers gently slide onto the clean belt from which the manure has been removed. Once all animals have left the broiler cage the floor is pushed back. The flooring is made of flexible, soft plastic which prevents breast blisters and minimizes the risk of skin and feet injuries. Moreover, it allows for an optimum manure penetration and a hygienic bird area.

Hall 101/104, booth number J002

Dates and opening hours
Wednesday, 13 March 2013: 10.00 – 18.00 hrs.
Thursday, 14 March 2013: 10.00 – 18.00 hrs.
Friday 15, March 2013: 10.00 – 16.00 hrs.

Location
BITEC, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre
88 Bangna-trad Road, Bangna Prakanong
Bangkok 10260
Thailand

www.thepoultrysite.com

At this, the 11th edition of this event, the show will bring together companies, farmers, experts and media from all over the world including Thailand, Far East, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and Africa.

This year's event, which is to be held on 13 to 15 March 2013 at the BITEC in Bangkok, is introducing three special themes which focus on the latest developments in the feed to meat market.

VIV Animal Health Summit Asia 2013

A special feature of the forthcoming VIV Asia is the VIV Animal Health Summit on Thursday 14 March that will focus on reducing the use of antibiotics in livestock production.

Antibiotics are still widely used in food animal production in many parts of the world. Their use includes the prevention of bacterial infections and because of low costs and availability of some without prescription, antibiotics can be an often used medication. The widespread occurrence of multi-resistant bacteria is becoming a threat for future human and animal health. One consequence of this is that humans get scared and question whether it is safe to eat meat and eggs.

'How to deal with this problem and the safety of meat and eggs in Asian markets' is the theme of the VIV Animal Health Summit Asia.

MeatTech 2013

MeatTech Asia 2013 is a brand new feature, presenting international suppliers active in technology to slaughter and process pig and poultry meat.

Throughout Asia, the demand for equipment and new technology has experienced a massive boost as slaughterhouse operators and meat processors search for efficient systems to speed up processing, manage food safety and reduce costs in terms of manpower, floor space and energy. Opportunities associated with the launch of the Asean Economic Community in 2015 are also fostering increased investment and upgrading of processing and packaging lines. Already some equipment suppliers have seen of sales of cooking equipment in Thailand double as producers opt for complete solutions that offer better yields rather than stand-alone machines.

It is these advances that will be addresses at MeatTech Asia 2013. This special feature consists of a presentation of 25 suppliers at the exhibition, representing some 40 leading brands of equipment for slaughtering and meat processing.

In addition to the MeatTech Pavilion at the exhibition, 'Asian Meat' Magazine (a publication of Asian Agribiz) and VIV present a conference on 13 and 14 March, running each day from 14:00hr to 16:00hr. Topic for both conferences will be 'Automation in Action', with participating companies Ducool, Foodmat, FPT Food Process Technology, Linco Food Sytems, Lima S.A.S. and Marel Stork Poultry Processing.

On the same days, a selection of companies will present their vision on the contribution of automation to specific items of meat slaughter, processing and packaging equipment. Each company has 10 minutes to present its vision and solutions, followed by a closing 20-minute question session.

CropTech-FeedTech 2013

This event is dedicated for the Asia-Pacific feed milling industries.

Throughout Asia, investments continue in technology and equipment for the Milling, Processing, Storage and Handling of raw materials to produce Feed. The rapidly growing population, the increased level of income and the focus on food safety requires significant investments. In particular China, Viet Nam, India and Indonesia pose a world of opportunities.

With 4,917* visitors dedicated to Feed milling throughout Asia, Africa and The Middle East, the 2011 edition was a serious breakthrough. Feed milling has developed itself into a strong segment on its own whilst benefitting from VIV's complete 'Feed to Meat' concept. Of all VIV Asia 2011-visitors, 12,521* professionals indicated their interest in Feed milling technology. To conclude, international feed manufacturing professionals now clearly mark VIV Asia as their preferred industry event.

At this point in time, all global market leaders have confirmed their participation, many of them with significantly larger booths. The space allocated for CropTech-FeedTech Asia 2013 has been extended as a result.

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Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service’s Agroecosystem Management Research Unit (AMRU) in Lincoln, Nebraska, are looking into better control and prevention methods so farmers are better equipped to beat stable flies.

Distinction from other flies is important urge the University of Nebraska extension team because by clustering together they make damaging inroads on cattle health which can result in milk yield falling in dairy cows.

Insecticide spray is effective but consider the effects of wet grass and wading through water courses on dose efficacy, urges Lincoln University entomologist, David Taylor .

Management of this pest is further complicated by the fact that larval development sites exist for only a short time, are difficult to find, and can produce huge numbers of the aggravating flies.
Stable flies, despite their name, have moved out into pastures over the last 30 years and Mr Taylor recommends feeding stations as places to target treatment.

“The accumulation of wasted hay, manure, and urine at these feeding sites creates an ideal habitat in the pasture for stable fly larval development,” Mr Taylor says.

Mr Taylor recommends growth regulators like Cyromazine are applied via automatic sprayers. Cyromazine has been used to control other flies in poultry farming and works by inhibiting development of the insect skeleton.

“It’s something producers can put in a pickup truck and don’t have to mix or spray,” adds Mr Taylor.

“They can quickly treat sites while doing other chores or checking on cattle.”

Up to 97 per cent stable fly reduction has been recorded on hay feeding sites. For each feeding site the method takes 10 minutes to apply, $10 to fund and lasts 10 to 20 weeks per site, says Mr Taylor.

The best tool is prevention and entomologist Jerry Zhu recommends catnip as a low toxic substance to confuse the senses of fly antennae.

“When gravid females—flies with eggs—reach an egg-laying site, we believe they use the olfactory sensors on their antennae to gather information related to nutrition.

“They then make a decision as to whether it is the right area to lay their eggs,” says Mr Zhu.
The active compounds- nepetalactones- are powerful repellents against stable flies, adds Mr Zhu, who also notes the qualities of catnip as a larvicide.

For Mr Taylor and Zhu the priority is to form a cultural solution rather than dependence on chemicals. Developing cattle production methods without providing larval development sites for flies is the main goal.

www.thebeefsite.com

The FSA has reported a total of 2501 results with 2472 of these (almost 99per cent) negative for the presence of horse DNA at or above the level of one per cent. At least 950 tests are still in progress.

The 29 positive results all relate to seven products that have already been reported and where the food business and the FSA have already taken appropriate action to remove the products from sale and notify consumers.

The FSA has been working with trade bodies in the food industry to collate these results as quickly as possible, to get an accurate picture of the testing being carried out across the UK food chain.

This testing follows the statement by FSA Chief Executive Catherine Brown earlier in the month, where she announced that the food industry had been instructed to conduct authenticity tests on their composite beef products, such as burgers, lasagnes and meatballs, in light of the recent horse meat issue.

The samples were carried out on both raw ingredients and final products, and taken from a range of manufacturers, catering suppliers, wholesalers, producers and retailers across the UK.

Where products have been found to contain horse DNA, they have been tested for the presence of veterinary drug phenylbutazone, known as bute. All of the tests for bute have come back negative.

Announcing the results, FSA Chief Executive Catherine Brown said: "Since this incident began on 16 January, businesses have been carrying out a large number of tests. We said that industry should share those results with us, and the public, and we asked for the first results to be with us today. The results so far date from when businesses began their testing four weeks ago. They include results which were received by companies up to around 10am this morning.

"It’s encouraging that we have received so many results from industry so quickly, which reaffirms their commitment to working with us to address the serious issue of consumer confidence in the UK food supply.

"More important for consumers, it shows that in the vast majority of cases the results so far are showing that no horse DNA is present in the foods tested. But this is still far from the full picture and we expect industry to continue to supply us with regular updates on their testing regime.

"We’ve asked industry to test for horse DNA down to a level of one per cent. There are two reasons for this. First, that’s a pragmatic level above which we think any contamination would be due to either gross incompetence or deliberate fraud; it’s not going to be accidental. Second, some laboratories can only test accurately down to a level of one per cent.

"But that does not mean that we’re not concerned with, or that we accept, levels below 1%. In terms of faith groups, there remains a significant issue about trace levels of other species below one per cent. So we have a separate programme of work under way with Defra to look at the issues around that, too.

"Further results are expected over the coming weeks."

Environment secretary Own Paterson said: "It's wholly unacceptable that if people buy products marked beef, they turn out to be horsemeat. That's why it was so important to undertake this intensive testing activity to gain a meaningful picture.

"My concern is for consumers. The news for them today is that the vast majority of products tested are completely clear of horse DNA.

"Food businesses now have a lot of work to do. They need to move quickly to complete these tests and they need to show their customers they've taken the right steps to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Mr Paterson was meeting retailers and industry leaders this week to further discuss measures to ensure that meat products are fully traceable and labelling is accurate.

www.thebeefsite.com

Beef imports were 7.9per cent higher than in 2011, but were still the second lowest since 1996.Last year, the U.S. exported 2.45 billion pounds of beef and imported 2.22 billion pounds.

The top 7 foreign destinations for U.S. beef in 2012 were Canada, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Vietnam, respectively. Australia, Canada and New Zealand were the source for 76per cent of our beef imports with 11per cent coming from Mexico. Beef exports equaled 9.42per cent of U.S. production. Beef imports equaled 8.53per cent of production.

The value of beef exports was $4.8 billion, a record. Exports of beef variety meats totaled $703 million, also a record. The nation exported an average of $142.56 worth of beef and $20.85 of beef byproducts for each head of cattle and calves slaughtered in the U.S. in 2012.

Live cattle imports in 2012 were up 6.9per cent from the year before. In total, 1.5 million cattle were imported from Canada and 786 thousand from Mexico. The U.S. exported 191,064 live cattle last year.

Through Thursday, the 5-area average price for slaughter steers sold on a live weight basis was $122.79/cwt, down $3.73 from last week, but up 42 cents from the same week last year. On a dressed weight basis steers averaged $195.86/cwt this week, down $2.55 from the week before, but up 2 cents from a year ago.

Beef carcass cutout values were a bit higher this week. On Friday morning, the choice boxed beef carcass cutout value was $182.83/cwt, up 56 cents from last Friday, but down $7.39 from a year ago. The select carcass cutout was $180.71/cwt, up 64 cents for the week, but down $4.72 year-over-year.

This week's cattle slaughter totaled 596,000 head, up 0.5per cent from the week before, but down 2.3per cent from the same week last year. The average steer dressed weight for the week ending on February 2 was 872 pounds, down 1 pound from the week before, but up 12 pounds from a year ago. This was the 56th consecutive week with steer weights above the year-earlier level. The average steer dressed weight in 2012 was 2.2per cent heavier than in 2011. USDA has been increasing their estimate of 2013 beef production in part because of the expectation that weights will continue to run above the year-ago level.

Feeder cattle prices at this week's Oklahoma City auction were steady to $6 lower than last week. Their price ranges for medium and large frame #1 steers were: 450-500# $177-$185, 500-550# $173-$186, 550-600# $161-$173, 600-650# $154-$166, 650-700# $137.50-$154, 700-750# $143-$146, 750-800# $137-$143, 800-900# $133-$139.25, and 900-1000# $128-$135.50/cwt.

The February fed cattle futures contract ended the week at $126.50, up 5 cents from the week before. The April contract gained 33 cents this week to settle at $130.45 on Friday.

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The decision, which comes in the throes of the EU-wide horse meat scandal, has not gone down well with the French government, according to France Info.

"France is opposed to this European measure," Mr Garot said in an interview on Friday (15 February), the day after the decision.

EurActiv.comreports that according to the Commission, the feed could "improve the long term durability of the fisheries sector," adding "these PAPs could be a precious substitute for fish flours, which are a rare resource."

The EU executive banned the use of processed animal proteins (PAPs) for use in farm feed in 1997 for cattle, and in 2001 for all animals, after they were linked to the spread of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or mad cow disease.

The Commission says that their reintroduction does not pose a health risk, as long as it does not involve cannibalism.

"It complies with the latest scientific opinions which say that risk of transmission of BSE between non-ruminant animals is negligible, provided there is no recycling between species."

www.thepoultrysite.com

According toStandard Digital News, Kuku Masters, which will be the point man for Sichuan Emon Import and Export, said it planned to sell at least three egg incubators — which have a capacity of hatching 8,000 chicks every 21 days — to every county. The firm is eyeing co-operatives, youth and women groups that want to explore poultry farming at commercial level.

The co-founder of Kuku Masters, Raymond Njoroge, also said they are targeting individual farmers that are able to afford the initial cost that is upwards of Sh500, 000 for an incubator.

"The initial cost is high, but one can recoup their investments in a little over a year. And there is a market locally and even in the region as commercial production of poultry products has not caught on really well," he said.

The country’s egg per capita consumption stands at 36 per year, against the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard of 182 per year.

"The per capita consumption of poultry products in the country is still low and since people are increasingly aware of the health benefits of the products compared to beef and other red meat, there is a huge opportunity," he said.

"Marketing products to Government offices and institutions as well as schools should make a good market for local farmers. There is no point why a school in a particular county should ‘import’ what can be produced in that county. Poultry can be reared in almost all parts of the country."

Other than incubators, Kuku Masters will be selling and serving equipment that are associated with poultry farming, including rice and maize threshers that prepare feed for chicken and feather plucking machines.

But while increased production might meet result in adequacy in poultry products locally, there is also a risk of saturating the market, which might result in farmers getting little or no returns from their investments.

"There is always a risk of oversupply, but we currently run a risk of relying on imported eggs. But if we shore up our production, we can tap into other markets in the region. South Sudan relies heavily on poultry products imports. Given the country’s proximity to Kenya, it should be easy that market."

"There is also the need to diversify from chicken rearing to doing other birds. For instance, there are farmers that are rearing quails and though it needs a bit of marketing, the market for quail meat and eggs is growing."

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The deal will be funded with cash on hand and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Terms of the letter of intent were not disclosed. Smithfield expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to earnings.

"With our strong ongoing focus on building our packaged meats business, and with 15 per cent of the United States sow population, this joint venture is a logical fit for Smithfield. It will provide a growth platform in two key packaged meats categories — breakfast sausage and dinner sausage — and will allow us to expand our product offerings to our customers. These categories represent over $4 billion in retail and foodservice sales annually. This is a big opportunity for Smithfield to grow in two categories that have not historically been a focus for the company," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield.

"Kansas City Sausage is one of our largest live sow customers today. This joint venture will enable us to move raw material up the value chain from commodity live sows to branded packaged meats. We will merge Kansas City Sausage's low-cost, efficient operations and high-quality products with Smithfield's strong brands and sales and marketing team to continue to grow our packaged meats business. This combination should allow us to fill existing plant capacity and dramatically increase the joint venture's sales in a relatively short period of time," he continued.

With sales of approximately $200 million, Kansas City Sausage is a leading US sausage producer and sow processor. The company has operations in Des Moines, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri. In Des Moines, the company produces premium raw materials for sausage, as well as value-added products, including boneless hams and hides. The Kansas City plant is the newest and most modern sausage processing facility in the US and is designed for optimum efficiency to provide retail and foodservice customers with the highest-quality products.

John Stadler, founder and chairman of Kansas City Sausage, said: "We are excited to partner with the largest packaged pork company in the US to grow our business by joining our state of the art operations and expertise in sow processing with Smithfield's portfolio of leading consumer brands and sales and marketing capabilities. We believe that this joint venture will create significant value for both Kansas City Sausage and Smithfield."

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Half page adverts highlighting the traceability and provenance of fresh beef, lamb, pork and bacon bearing the Red Tractor and Quality Standard Mark (QSM) assurance scheme labels appeared in all national newspapers on Saturday, 16 February. A further advert will run in the Evening Standard today, February 18.

,br> Anecdotal evidence from retailers has suggested that consumer demand for assured fresh meat has remained robust during the horse meat scandal and consumers are increasingly looking for assurance marks when buying meat products. A Kantar poll also revealed that 20 per cent of consumers have indicated that they would buy more fresh meat and 13 per cent would buy more locally sourced meat.

Karen Hughes, interim head of marketing for BPEX, said: "We know that from the anecdotal evidence we are hearing from multiple and independent retailers that consumer confidence in fresh meat is still strong.

"Our advertising reiterates that by looking for the Red Tractor assurance marks on packs of pork and bacon, consumers can rest assured that what they are buying is fully traceable.

"Provenance of products is important for our consumers and independent auditing, which is already a key requirement of the Red Tractor scheme, will be central to ensuring consumer confidence."

BPEX is the organisation for pig levy payers in England and is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

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The Ministry of Agriculture and the Colombian Agricultural Institute have warned that serious livestock diseases, such as Foot and Mouth disease, could re-enter into the country which would mean losing FMD free status.

Economic impacts have caused worry. Important trade links to Lebanon, Venezuela, Egypt, Angola and Russia could be jeopardised if border control security is not improved.

Venezuela has been reported to have lower standards in disease control. Statesmen have said the smuggling of cattle and other agricultural products has been rising through the last quarter of 2012.

"We are concerned about the smuggling increase in the last quarter of 2012 and the threat that criminal activity poses to the health status of the country and the livestock outlook,” said the Minister of Agriculture, Restrepo Salazar.

Mr Salazar is proud of the animal health work that has been done in Colombia resulting in major advances in brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis. He stated that ground lost in the fight against cattle disease due to criminal smuggling would be intolerable.

The Ministry has requested for Border controls to be stepped up. Farmers and traders on the border have been requested to increase efforts to combat smuggling.

www.thebeefsite.com