China’s broiler producers challenged to be transparent

The white feather broiler industry in China is in what Christopher Langholz, president, Cargill Animal Protein China, called “a financial and consumer trust crisis.”
The rapid expansion of the industry has finally outstripped consumer demand, which has decreased somewhat along with consumers' trust in poultry as a result of some high profile food safety issues. As a result, broiler producers are experiencing financial losses while at the same time looking for ways to regain consumer trust in poultry products.
Langholz, speaking at the International Poultry Forum China, in Shanghai, said, “Consumers in China want global standards for food safety.”
He stressed that food safety is not a competitive advantage that one poultry producer can use to advance its business.
“Food safety is a shared responsibility,” he said. “A few bad actors can destroy value for everyone. If one company has a food safety problem with chicken, we all suffer. The entire industry must be brought up to the same standard.”
He went on to explain that the industry must have a commitment to public health. Business as usual won’t provide the change the industry needs.
“We have to think differently,” he said.

Transparency is vital

During the forum, the topic of misinformation spread through social media about poultry and how they are raised was discussed. Langholz said that transparency in how broiler producers conduct their business is the best way to avoid misinformation like “chickens with four or six wings” from gaining traction and going viral on the Internet. In a society where most people have smartphones with cameras, information about things people are concerned about, like how birds are raised and processed, will get on the Internet, right or wrong, eventually.
“In today’s world, you can’t hide anything, so you better have nothing to hide,” Langholz said.
Cargill has worked to be transparent in its broiler operation in China. Langholz said the complex has hosted more than 100 Chinese media people in their two years of operation. He encourages other broiler producers in China to do the same.
“It is something we have to do,” he said.

Global standard for food safety

Langholz said that Cargill has 12,000 locations around the world, but one food safety standard for all locations. The company’s broiler operations in China are Food Safety Certification System 22000 (FSCS 22000) certified and follow the same standards as the rest of the company’s operations. He said they have complete farm-to-table traceability for the company’s chicken products in China available within 2 hours.
“This includes everything the birds were fed,” he said.

Lowering protein levels paying off for European broiler producers

Lowering the level of protein -- one of the most expensive raw materials for the future -- is paying off for more broiler producers across Europe, according to James Truscott, director of Cobb Germany.
The practice is showing benefits in the company's market area of 21 countries with economic and bird health advantages for the Cobb500 broiler, Truscott told more than 40 participants at the company's annual pre-Christmas conference in the eastern German town of Dessau.
"Especially in Germany, most of the large integrations are increasing or have already increased significantly the percentage of Cobb," he said. "Broiler producers in Switzerland and Germany are now realizing they can earn a higher profit if they work with the Cobb500, following market leaders in Eastern Europe who already have moved to, or are maintaining, their 100 percent share of the breed. Germany and some other Northern European countries are a bit slower in recognizing this advantage compared with other countries further east, where financial investors already count on the highest profitability and moved to Cobb several years ago. In these countries customers also benefit from the breed’s higher meat yield and so reap double benefits."

Broiler producer Suguna to expand in south India

Broiler producer Suguna Poultry is partnering with franchise consultant Francorp International to expand in south India by opening new Suguna Daily Fressh outlets, according to reports. The company hopes to open 500 outlets by the end of 2012 in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. "Daily Fressh is an innovative venture of Suguna in the franchised retailing of poultry and meat products [that provides options] in all forms, such as fresh meat, frozen meat, ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat meat products, with allied products such as spice mixes and herbs," said P. Rajan Mathews, business head of Suguna. "Daily Fressh will create a new shopping experience for the poultry and meat lovers nearest to their home and create clean surroundings inside the cities." Suguna's processing plant has recently been certified as an ISO 20000:2005 company for poultry processing.

US broiler-type eggs down 6% first week 2012

U.S. commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 193 million eggs in incubators during the week ending January 7, down 6% from the eggs set the corresponding week in 2011, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 85%. Broiler growers in the program placed 162 million chicks for meat production during the week ending January 7, down 4% from the comparable week in 2011. 

Korea US broiler imports up 22% due to avian influenza, domestic demand

Korea's U.S. broiler imports may rise 22% to 110,000 tons in 2011, due to the combination of a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak and increased domestic demand, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report.
The country's overall chicken imports for January through March rose 38% from the same period in 2010, most of which were U.S. chicken sales — 20,000 tons; a 118% increase.
As of April 25, 2011, a total of 6.4 million birds had been culled in Korea due to the HPAI outbreak; just under 1 million (935,373) of those were broilers. In spite of that, broiler consumption has risen, due to a shortage of local pork, high red meat prices and fears about radiation-contaminated seafood from Japan, according to the FAS.

House of Raeford Farms cuts broiler production by 10%

House of Raeford Farms Inc. has announced a decrease in broiler production by 10%, along with a reduction in the number of egg sets and other adjustments to improve profits and cash flow. 
The cost of corn and indicators from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that corn supplies are at their tightest levels in 15 years have contributed significantly to this decision, according to the company. In addition, high unemployment continues to negatively influence foodservice sales, resulting in an oversupply of chicken that has caused the market price to decrease dramatically. “We decided that acting now was a responsible action for our company in light of continuing unstable economic conditions,” said Bob Johnson, CEO. “Hopefully the chicken prices will begin to increase later this year."

Major integrator in Australia promotes poultry wholesomeness

Steggles, a major producer of broilers in Australia, has launched a TV campaign to refute the widely held consumer perception that hormones and steroids are used in the production of poultry meat. Studies conducted in Australia confirmed that 75% of consumers believe that their chicken meat was adulterated with additives such as hormones and steroids.
Most industrialized countries including the U.S., Australia and the EU banned the use of these additives over half a century ago.
According to the managing director of Steggles, the company is hoping the TV campaign will reinforce their message that broilers are raised without either hormone or steroid additives in feed or at any point in the production process.

Aviagen holds broiler seminars in Czech Republic, Slovakia

Aviagen held seminars in the Czech Republic and Slovakia for over 100 of its broiler farmers.
The seminars focused on practical advice to improve broiler performance. "Sharing experience is something we believe is extremely important at Aviagen," said Neil Clark, area technical manager. "These events brought together customers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who enjoyed the opportunity to share their expertise and experience." Nigel Joice, vice chairman of the UK National Farmers Union Poultry Board, was one of the speakers.

EU broiler production to remain stable

EU-27 broiler production will grow less than 1% in 2010 to 8.7 million metric tons, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
Imports could increase from 710,000 in 2009 to 720,000 in 2010. The report said that some observers predict EU broiler imports from China will increase from 3,800 metric tons in 2009 to 10,000 metric tons in 2010.
The European Union’s top poultry-consuming countries are expected to be the United Kingdom (1.5 million metric tons), Spain (1.1 million metric tons), France (895,000 metric tons), Germany (835,000 metric tons) and Italy (694,000 metric tons).
Exports from the European Union are expected to fall slightly from 777,000 metric tons in 2009 to 770,000 in 2010, but that’s still higher than the 737,000 metric tons exported in 2008. The higher numbers in 2009 and 2010 can be attributed to the weakening of the euro.

Warm attic air cuts broiler house heating costs

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service have found that broiler producers can reduce heating costs by circulating attic air into their chicken houses.
According to their research, the air in broiler house attics is at least 5F warmer than outside temperatures 70% of the time and can reach 20F higher than outdoor temperatures. They created a ventilation system that sources air from the attic instead of outdoors, so that less fuel is needed to heat the air to the desired temperature. In a study on a Missouri farm, they found that the system reduced heating fuel use by 20% to 35%, depending on weather conditions. It also improved air quality.
The ARS said in a press release this is the first time this type of technology has been applied in broiler houses.