Elanco commits $500,000 to African dairy development project

Elanco celebrated World Hunger Day on May 28 by announcing a $500,000 commitment to Heifer International's East Africa Dairy Development Project (EADD), continuing the company's long-term partnership aimed at breaking the cycle of hunger for those most in need.
EADD aims to provide sustainable livelihoods for one million people in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya by 2018. Initiated in 2008, the EADD project has provided extensive training on dairy husbandry, business practices and operations as well as the marketing of dairy products for 179,000 farming families in the region. EADD has grown to be one of the leading market-oriented development initiatives in eastern Africa, earning the farming families more than $131 million.
The next phase will employ new technologies and practices around feed production, alternative energy sources and milk transport systems. The project will prioritize social capital and gender equity to increase impact, and will reach 136,000 primary beneficiaries. Elanco's commitment includes the donation of product to help dairy farmers improve the health of their cows, the talents of Elanco employees to provide on-site training in cow health, value-chain and policy engagement, and financial support through 2018, including $500,000 this year.
This continues Elanco's ongoing partnership with Heifer International started in 2007. To date, Elanco has contributed more than $3 million to Heifer, providing the gift of training and animals to break the cycle of hunger for families in Indonesia, Zambia and China. In fact, Elanco is currently active in efforts to break the cycle in nearly 40 communities around the world.
"Heifer International is very excited about this generous contribution to support the important work in Phase II of our East Africa Dairy Development project," said Pierre Ferrari, Heifer International president and CEO. Our vision is to provide 136,000 smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda with the opportunities to create financial independence and social equality. More than 1 million people will have better access to food, jobs, income, education, financial and medical service, breaking the cycle of extreme poverty throughout the region. With this gift, Elanco will have a hand in the success of these dairy farmers, and for that we are grateful."
“We’re particularly excited about the EADD project because it represents an evolution in sustainable development,” said Jeff Simmons, president of Elanco. “Moving beyond individual gifts of animals to offering connections to technology and marketplaces can deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits that will build stronger communities throughout the entire region. Not only will we help provide better diets with access to animal protein, but greater human potential will be realized as we improve livelihoods.”

South African white corn up sharply in 3 weeks

White corn in South Africa has risen the most in more than three weeks as a technical indicator showed its price had fallen too low. South Africa is Africa’s largest producer of the grain.
White corn for delivery in July increased 0.9 percent to 1,933 rand ($187) a metric ton by the midday close May 14 on the South African Futures Exchange, the biggest advance for a most active contract since April 17. White corn’s relative strength index is 22.9. Readings lower than 30 indicate a potential impending increase to some analysts who study technical charts. The gauge has been below 30, or oversold, since April 23.
“We were strongly oversold and there was a correction by the market,” Thys Grobbelaar, an analyst at Klerksdorp-based Senwes Ltd., said in a Bloomberg report.
South African corn prices have declined 31 percent this year after reaching a record in March. Prices plummeted after the South African Crop Estimates Committee said in March that the next harvest may be the biggest in 33 years.

JSR Genetics delivers pigs to Nigerian agriculture institute

Ayodele Oniku, JSR Genetics agent for South Africa, worked with the Institute of Agriculture Research and Training to deliver 20 pigs.

JSR Genetics has delivered its first shipment of pigs to Nigeria as part of a supply agreement established with the Institute of Agriculture Research and Training in Ibadan. The agreement saw JSR deliver 20 Large White, Geneconverter 500 and 750 boars to a boar stud in Nigeria at the end of June. The institute is part of the Obafemi Awolowo University and is one of the primary national agricultural research institutes in Nigeria.
The institute works closely with resource-poor farmers throughout southwestern Nigeria and aims to improve the genetic potential and yield of crops, livestock and other commodities. It also works to improve agricultural technologies, increase and maximize overall productivity and provide training for national agricultural development.
JSR agent for West Africa, Ayodele Oniku, worked alongside the team at JSR and the Institute of Agriculture Research and Training to oversee the delivery. JSR also provided two weeks of training to two members of staff from the institute, who will work at the stud. This included classroom training covering biosecurity, collecting and processing semen and serving and farrowing on farm.
Ben Rawson, key account manager at JSR Genetics, said he is pleased that this first shipment to Nigeria was a success and believes that a positive precedent has been established for the future. "When I joined the JSR Genetics team, I was presented with the task of completing a sale of boars to a Nigerian boar stud that had been in progress for some time. As Africa strives towards a more sustainable future, we deal with many enquiries from the continent, but with finances being very tight and controlled heavily by the government, many of these never get past the quote stage.
"However, working with the institute was different, and with perseverance and lots of hard work from Ayodele Oniku, we secured the finances and were able to deliver the boars to the stud in late June. With delegates from the Institute of Agriculture Research and Training having visited JSR Genetics for an intensive two-week training program, we feel safe in the knowledge that the boars will be well looked after and that this will create a blueprint for future orders going to Africa," said Rawson.
"We were all so pleased that the pigs arrived safely at their destination and can report that they are settled in and are doing well after their quarantine period. Everyone at the institute is very appreciative of the help and support received from JSR, and especially for their perseverance. We are very much looking forward to supplying semen from the stud across Nigeria and seeing the result of everyone's hard work," said Dr. Kingsley Adesehinwa from the institute.

African feed association launches after global congress

The Southern African Feed Manufacturers' Association was officially launched following an agreement at the Fourth Global Feed and Food Congress in Sun City, South Africa, under the auspices of representatives from the International Feed Industry Federation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The Southern African Feed Manufacturers' Association brings together representatives from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Mauritius as part of a regional feed manufacturers association that will have as their vision the harmonization of the feed industry in the region in order to further "safe feed for safe food."
Mario Sergio Cutait, the International Feed Industry Federation chairman, welcomed the establishment of the Southern African Feed Manufacturers' Association saying, "Africa will play a vital part in the global feed and food value chain in the years to come, and just like FeedLatina, this new feed organization for Southern Africa is an important International Feed Industry Federation supported initiative to strengthen the global feed industry and to start the process to provide Africa with one voice." Cutait added, "For example, the International Feed Industry Federation will be able to support the feed industry and regulators through the IFIF/FAO Feed Manual of Good Practices designed to increase safety and feed quality at the production level."
De Wet Boshoff, executive director of the South African Animal Feed Manufacturers' Association explains, "We envisage a regional feed manufacturers' body that can play a role in the harmonization of legislation and regulations in the region in order to enhance effective trade between member countries as well as creating a self-regulating regional industry with the same vision, namely safe feed for safe food."

Corn necrosis spreads to Uganda

Maize lethal necrosis, a corn disease first found in Kenya in 2011, has spread to eastern Uganda in a possible threat to the country’s food security, according to plant-disease researcher CABI.
Uganda produces about 2.7 million metric tons of corn per year and exports the grain to South Sudan, Tanzania and Kenya, so the disease’s spread could have an impact on other countries. Maize lethal necrosis was found in Kenya’s Rift Valley province in 2011 and 2012 and has also been observed in Tanzania, according to CABI.

South Africa corn futures reach three-week high

South Africa corn futures have reached their highest level in more than three weeks as the continued lack of rain raises concern about the harvest.
White corn for delivery in July, the most active contract, rose 1.1 percent to 2,057 rand (US$232) per metric ton, the highest since January 29, by the close on February 19 on the South African Futures Exchange in Johannesburg. The yellow variety for delivery in the same month gained 1 percent to 2,055 rand per metric ton.
There is no rain predicted until February 25 for Bothaville in the Free State, where 40 percent of the nation’s corn is produced, according to the South African Weather Service’s website. “The lack of rain situation continues to pose a threat,” said Andrew Fletcher, an independent trader. “The market is now looking at production factors and that is taking the price up.”
A median estimate of six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News showed that farmers may increase corn output by 5.9 percent to 12.5 million metric tons this season from 2012 numbers.

Zambia president calls for corn price drop on food riot fears

Zambia's president has called for corn millers to drop their prices on fears that current prices might start food riots among the local population.
Corn has nearly doubled in price since November, reaching 80 Zambian kwacha (US$15) per 25-kilogram bag from 45 kwacha (US$8.50), in spite of the fact that the country has had bumper crops for the past three seasons.

Industry officials attribute higher prices to higher transportation and energy costs, but government officials say millers are exporting cheap corn to neighboring countries instead of supplying the local market. In the past couple of years, high food prices have resulted in riots in countries such as Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique and Sudan, according to reports.

Ghana poultry industry calls for reinstatement of National Poultry Council

Ghana's poultry farmers have called for the reinstatement of the country's National Poultry Council in the wake of increased production costs and imports, according to reports. The council was dissolved by the government in 2009.
Seven out of 12 hatcheries in Ghana have shut down, and the remaining five are performing under capacity, said National Chairman Kwadwo Asante. The poultry industry is in danger of collapse if the government doesn't demonstrate a commitment to its protection. “It's not profitable because the production is around 80 to 90 percent," said Asante. "So any slight challenge we face leads to the collapse of the business. That’s why we’re advocating the re-institution of the council. We have to sit down with the minister and look at ways of minimizing the challenges.”

South Africa poultry importers may get tariff refunds

South Africa poultry importers bringing product in from Brazil may get a refund of the temporary tariffs they've been paying for the last six months unless the final duties are imposed by Aug. 10 and exceed the current charges, according to reports.
"If these final duties are not imposed on [Aug. 10], then importers will be refunded their money for the past six months,” said consultant Francois Dubbelman, who is representing the South African Poultry Association. “This will have a bad effect on South Africa’s poultry industry. It will mean importers can continue with what they are doing.” The tariffs were imposed after initial investigations revealed that Brazilian poultry producers were dumping product in South Africa. Brazil filed a dispute against South Africa in June over the anti-dumping measures.
If the final duties exceed the current provisional tariff, importers won’t have to pay the difference, they will only start paying the new higher duty, said Dubbelman. “However, if it is lower than what they currently pay, they will have to be refunded the difference.”

Zimbabwe poultry farmers losing $42,000 per month due to power cuts

Zimbabwe's poultry farmers are losing close to 1 million broiler-hatching eggs, worth US$42,000, per month due to prolonged power cuts or disconnections, according to a report by the country's agricultural industry.
Each 24-hour power outage causes the death of 700 out of every 10,000 birds, according to the report, and the power cuts are increasing production costs by 12 percent to 25 percent due to the buying, installation, running and maintaining of generators. Poultry producers say they are also facing an increase in power tariffs, which were supposed to be accompanied by an increase in improved supplies.
"There has been a decrease in productivity on layer flocks and breeding units as a result of insufficient light hours, especially during winter," said the report. "Abattoirs are experiencing live weight losses of 0.25 percent for every hour of delay in the slaughter of chickens when not feeding or drinking while in trucks. More than 30 minutes of disruption in slaughter leads to losses." The resulting increases in production costs can't be passed on to consumers, said farmers, because then they couldn't compete with imports.
The industry is asking the Zimbabwean government to direct power company Zesa Holdings Ltd. to stop disconnecting farmers and to do a forensic audit of Zesa bills on the agriculture sector. The sector is also recommending that Zesa institute a stop-order payment system for farmers while making the necessary effort to repair power transmission, measuring instruments and any other related infrastructure in the farming areas, and that Zesa provide the correct size of transformers, meters, accounts and charge actual consumption instead of relying on estimates.

Kenya poultry farming grows significantly in 2011

Kenyan poultry farmers in the Central province earned Sh 4.1 billion (US$47.3 million) in 2011 from the sales of chicken meat and eggs, as the industry grew significantly due to an increase in demand, according to Central Provincial Director of Livestock Production Mary Kanyi.
More farmers in the region are embracing poultry due to the current small size of farms as a result of a high population density. "A high demand for poultry products in the country's major urban areas greatly fuelled the industry to thrive, with local hatcheries struggling to cope with the current demand by farmers for day-old chicks," said Kanyi.
The current price for a day-old chick in the region is Sh 60 (US$0.69) for broilers and Sh 100 (US$1.15) for layers. It is expected, however, that high demand will push prices even higher. Poor quality of poultry feeds, lack of organized markets, shortage of breeding stock to improve indigenous chicken and high prices of day-old chicks continue to hamper the growth of the sector, said Kanyi, providing challenges to the industry. "As a result, my department had embarked on training farmers to prepare nutritious homemade poultry rations and encouraging the formation of marketing groups to get maximum returns as well as encouraging the establishment of more hatcheries in the area," she said.

Namib Poultry Industries aims for 95 percent market share

Namib Poultry Industries is aiming for 95 percent of Namibia's poultry market share with its new brands, saying that a 46 percent excise duty placed on all poultry products coming into the country will make imports less competitive.
Namib Poultry Industries' first poultry plant, a N$500 million (US$59.9 million) investment, will be operational on June 1. The project will enjoy the Namibian government's protection status for the next eight years, with the 46 percent levy active for the next four years, 30 percent for two years after that and 20 percent in the last two years.
The price of chicken is not expected to go up, however, even with the import levy. Our benchmark will always be the import parity price," said Namib Poultry Industries General Manager Gys White. "The price that you get in South Africa plus 1 percent for the additional VAT plus transport cost, which is on average N$1.20 (US$0.14) per kilogram."
The poultry plant is currently slaughtering 40,000 to 50,000 birds per day, and is expected to produce 2,000 metric tons of chicken per month by the end of June. The facility has the capacity to expand production to 500,000 birds per week.

Zambia makes deal to ease Zimbabwe corn shortage

Zambia has made a deal to sell 300,000 tons of corn to help ease food shortages in Zimbabwe, reducing Zambia's food surplus by half, according to the Zambian state Food Reserve Agency.
Zimbabwe needs about 2.2 million tons of corn per year, but there is currently a deficit of 800,000 tons due to depleted stocks and erratic rains. In November 2011, the United Nations said 1.5 million Zimbabweans would need food aid through 2012 and called for $258 million in donor funding. Since 2000, about 4,500 white farmers have been forced to leave their Zimbabwe properties because of a land redistribution program for blacks that Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe said was intended to correct colonial-era imbalances in land ownership. Prime properties were handed over to military and security chiefs and Mugabe party loyalists, and much of the land has been left to lie idle.
The Food Reserve Agency in Zambia said current harvests are expected to leave a surplus of more than 1 million tons of corn that the country no longer has the capacity to store, and that it is tapping regional export markets. Zambian corn sells for about $170 a ton. Imports into southern Africa in the past decade from as far away as Canada and Argentina have gone for more than $300 per ton.

Africa predicts poor spring rains

Spring rains in the eastern Horn of Africa are projected to begin late and be substantially lower than normal, according to projections from the Famine Early Warning Sytems Network, which monitors high-risk areas of the developing world with the most food insecurity and identifies critical situations in which food aid will be needed.
From March through May, the rains are expected to total only 60 to 85 percent of the average rainfall in the region, a significant deterioration compared to earlier forecasts, said the U.S. Geological Survey. Lower rain amounts would have significant impacts on crop production, rangeland regeneration for livestock and replenishment of water resources. “The concerning picture that emerged from [the warning system network] climate monitoring services was that despite the good rains of the past winter, the situation east Africa has deteriorated very rapidly, to a point that the water deficits and vegetation health looked as bad as this time last year,” said U.S. Geological Survey scientist Chris Funk, who led the research.
The resulting strain on resources would put greater stress on the region, particularly Somalia which is still recovering from a 2011 famine, as well as Kenya and Ethiopia which also experienced a severe food crisis, said the U.S. Geological Survey. An increase in food insecurity and in the size of the food insecure population is likely.

Nigeria establishes poultry waste technology

Nigeria has introduced a new technology that will transform waste from poultry farms into manure for crop cultivation, a method expected to curb the environmental hazards associated with the country's current waste disposal process and yield huge income for farmers, according to the government.
The technology was revealed during the opening of a new, 80-hectare poultry farm estate, Erikorodo, in Ikorodu, Lagos. “Waste from poultry is supposed to be managed properly," said poultry facilitator Saba Gbolahan. "What [poultry farmers] do is gather the waste and set it on fire when it is dry, which is not healthy enough. We are going to help them manage it properly with a new technology that will enable them transform the waste into manure, bag it and sell to crop farmers. The manure produced is even richer and better than fertilizer.”
The technology and the new farm are meant to revamp the poultry production business in the state of Lagos.

Tanzania to launch indigenous poultry farming education program

Tanzania Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda is launching the Research into Use Programme knowledge outputs, lessons and recommendations gathered from implementing the initial program between June 2008 and June 2011. The knowledge outputs focus on developing indigenous poultry farming with an eye towards increased poultry productivity and competitiveness.
The main objective of the program in Tanzania is to explore and facilitate ways of improving local innovation capacity for increased use of research, new knowledge and technologies in developing profitable agribusiness enterprises. The program works towards improved communication and harmonization for effective sharing and influencing local, national and international policy agendas. It ensures that activities at country level are aligned with ongoing agricultural and natural resources development initiatives as well as relevant national and sectoral strategies in the country.
According to Vera Florida Mugittu, Research into Use Tanzania country coordinator, the available knowledge can create employment, reduce poverty and improve living standards as well as enhance nutrition. “We will present policy briefs that can potentially change the outlook of the poultry industry by promoting a wide-scale application of new knowledge for development of farms, hatcheries and input supplies,” said Mugittu.

South Africa corn output may reach two-year high

South Africa's corn harvest may increase by 13 percent in the current season to 11.7 million metric tons, the biggest since 2009–2010, according to the country's Crop Estimates Committee. The number includes 6.8 million metric tons of white corn and 4.9 million metric tons of yellow corn, and exceeds a previous average estimate of 11.4 million metric tons. More land was planted this season, with corn in the Northern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West and KwaZulu-Natal provinces boosting output, said Marda Scheepers, a spokeswoman for the committee. South Africa produced 10.36 million metric tons of corn last season.

Zimbabwe may produce 72 million day-old chicks in 2012

Zimbabwe poultry producers aim to produce 72 million day-old chicks in 2012, up from 2011's 52 million, as the country's consumers lean more towards domestically produced chicken, according to the Zimbabwe Poultry Association. The country has a combined hatching capacity of 76 million day-old chicks per year, but cheap imported chickens have competed with local farmers who are dealing with high production costs and a challenging economy. The rise in capacity is due to an increase in the number of farmers opting to raise chickens following a recent reduction in production costs, according to Solomon Zawe, Zimbabwe Poultry Association chairperson."New players are coming on board; those who sell their tobacco will also want to invest in the sector," he said. Thirty-five percent of the anticipated production will be coming from small farmers.

Zambia poultry sector supplying 60% of country meat requirement

Zambia's poultry sector is now supplying 60% of the country's meat requirement following a shortage of beef on the market, according to the Poultry Association of Zambia. The beef shortage has caused prices of the product to rise out of the reach of many consumers, leading to pressure on the poultry industry as those consumers turn to the more affordable meat. “We have seen the rise in consumption of poultry products which is good, as it will stimulate growth in the poultry industry," said Matthews Ngosa, Association executive manager. "The demand for poultry products will continue to increase as long as the beef situation does not improve." So far, according to Ngosa, the price of poultry has remained relatively stable, in spite of the high cost of production, 75% of which comes from stockfeed.

Kenya traders look to Uganda for affordable eggs

Kenya traders have turned to Uganda poultry farmers for affordable eggs in the wake of rising poultry feed and production costs, according to reports.
Traders are finding it cheaper to cross the border into Uganda and purchase eggs there for consumption or resale in Kenya. According to farmers, the cost of chicken feed is lower in Uganda due to ingredients like omena and maize being more plentiful. “Remains from maize and cassavas are easily available due to high production of the two crops compared to Kenya," said John Mugisha, an egg trader in Uganda. "This is used to feed chicks. This means one can make feed at the farm level and does not necessarily need to go for the processed product.”
Mugisha said the government has also subsidized the cost of poultry drugs and vaccines to encourage more small-scale farmers to engage in poultry production.