Canada's poultry processing industry gains research boost

The Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC) is to benefit from an additional CA$4 million (US$3.6 million) in funding.
The additional money will be used to help fund research into helping the poultry processing industry remain competitive, while addressing consumer concerns about poultry welfare and environmental preservation. This will include developing new vaccines, reducing the environmental footprint of poultry farms, and providing poultry farmers with access to high-caliber training opportunities.
The Canadian Poultry Research Council was formed in 2001 to provide research funding on behalf of its five members: Chicken Farms of Canada, Canadian Hatching Egg Producers, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council, Egg Farmers of Canada, and Turkey Farmers of Canada.
This latest investment builds on research funding previously received through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Chair of the Canadian Poultry Research Council Roelef Meijer commented: "Canada's poultry industry has made embracing innovation part of the industry's vision in recognition of the need to be dynamic and to foster efficiency for farmers and our industry partners.
"This announcement of funding for a second Poultry Science Cluster is a substantial contribution to the sector's future. It will enable researchers to find more immediate answers to industry issues and to provide important information to farmers, stakeholders and consumers." 

American Egg Board elects new executive committee

New American Egg Board chairman Paul Sauder, left, accepts the gavel from outgoing chairman Roger Deffner.
The American Egg Board (AEB) elected the 2014 executive committee at its March 13 board meeting. Paul Sauder of R.W. Sauder Inc., based in Lititz, Pa., was chosen as the newly elected chairman of American Egg Board.
"Every decision, every action, we take as a board should be made through the lens of whether the effort will help drive egg consumption during my term as chairman," said Sauder, who has served on the board during varying years since 1990 with more than 20 years of total service. "Immediate Past Chair Roger Deffner and his predecessor, Chris Pierce, left big shoes to fill, and I charge this group of board members and alternates with the task of earning the confidence of every egg farmer in America. We'll be looking at all AEB's expenditures and programs to make sure our return-on-investment continues to increase while driving egg consumption."
Others elected to the American Egg Board executive committee included:

• Blair Van Zetten, vice chairman, Oskaloosa Food Products, Oskaloosa, Iowa
• Scott Ramsdell, secretary, Dakota Layers, Flandreau, S.D.
• Clint Hickman, treasurer, Hickman's Egg Ranch, Buckeye, Ariz.
• Andrew Reichman, Parker & Reichman, Andrews, N.C.
• Tom Hertzfeld II, Hertzfeld Poultry Farms, Grand Rapids, Ohio
This meeting also was the first for Tim E. Floyd, L&R Farms, Hartwell, Ga., as an alternate representing the South Atlantic states and Richard A. Patmos, Sunrise Acres, Hudsonville, Mich., as a member representing the East North Central states.
Larry Thomason of Larry Thomason Egg Farm, Calhoun, Ga., and Greg Herbruck, Herbruck Poultry Ranch, Saranac, Mich., rotated off AEB's board and were thanked for their service to the industry.
Immediate Past Chairman Roger Deffner, National Food Corp., Everett, Wash., expressed his appreciation to the board for the opportunity to serve since 2008 and to AEB's committee chairs  who provide their leadership throughout the year, and to all those who have shared input and feedback on AEB's programs.
"Stay focused, and don't lose sight of the big picture and its supporting details," said Deffner. "The details are where success is often found. If all our efforts answer the questions 'Are we wisely spending our investment? Will this result in more egg sales?' and answers are yes, then we'll exceed our mission to drive sales of eggs and egg products."
The board meeting included updates from each of AEB's Committees including details on the 2013 measureable objectives, 2014 Easter outreach, research, Dunkin' Donuts partnership, Good Egg Project and more. AEB's July board meeting will take place July 9-10 in Rosemont, Ill.

Aviagen Australia fully invested in new facilities at Gouldburn

Construction of Aviagen Farms progresses at Gouldburn, Australia.
Aviagen Australia's plans to move its operations to Gouldburn are progressing well, with the project expected to be completed before the end of 2014. Aviagen broke ground in August 2013 on a recently acquired 850 acre block of land for a new five-farm facility designed to produce a growing supply of breeding stock for the future broiler industry in Australia.
The project has now progressed following the construction of a new 4-kilometer road and a complete power supply into the property. Multiple poultry sheds have sprung up all the way along the road with Farm 5 housing the future great grandparent stock set for completion in March and for the immediate placement of birds ready to go into production. This will be followed later in March by the three houses on Farm 2 and an additional three houses on Farm 3 during April. The project will reach completion when all the sheds on Farm 1 at the entrance of the property and the two sheds on Farm 4 are standing and equipped for the initial intake of birds. The company office will also be relocated and established in Goulburn over the coming months.
The new Braidwood Road farm is anticipated to be in full production in the fourth quarter of 2013 and will supply in time roughly half of the Ross 308 parent stock volume required for the local market. The planning has been extensive with the completion of an environmental impact report designed to ensure zero effect on the environment through effective management of water runoff and also extensive separation of houses with the purchase of over 4 times the minimum area land normally required for a commercial operation.  Setbacks are a minimum of at least 200 meters for the poultry sheds which consist of high quality design and components.  Poured concrete floors, sandwich panel walls filled with fire retardant foam and smooth easy to clean surfaces, completely housed cables and a curved ceiling designed to optimize ventilation all contribute to the new, efficient production facility.
Aviagen has a history of investing in the rural communities not only through the acquisition of land and construction of production facilities, but also in hiring and training local people to fill good quality jobs in production, hatchery, technical service and administrative functions in the company. The farm alone is planning to increase staff by recruiting for 14 new jobs and by the end of 2015 another 15 jobs are likely when the new hatchery in Goulburn is expected to be finished.
"We are pleased with the progress on the production unit and the location, The lack of any poultry production facilities in the nearby area, a short one-hour by road to the feed mill, two hours to Sydney and a strong interest in jobs from the local community all contribute to a desirable mix for running our day-to-day business," commented Peter Hanna, general manager of Aviagen Australia.

AB Vista launches technical swine blog series

AB Vista has introduced a brand new technical blog series for the swine industry covering both topical issues within the sector and the specific opportunities to improve performance through nutrition. Authored by Dr. Casey Bradley, AB Vista's technical swine manager for the Americas, the blog can be found on the AB Vista website and will contain content relevant to swine producers worldwide.
"I want readers to gain an insight into areas where swine performance and business profitability can be significantly enhanced through improved nutrition," explained Bradley. "Although we will be covering some technical topics, the aim is to keep the overall feel very informal, in keeping with the blog format."
The first post covers topics as wide-ranging as the current United States grain harvest, the results of a phytase superdosing nursery trial showing a 12.7 percent increase in daily gain, and an insight into Bradley's long-standing connection with pigs. Future topics include a look at the value of fibre-degrading enzymes in swine diets, on-farm comparative trial design, the value of betaine and highlights from the Inspire: International Non-starch Polysaccharide (NSP) Forum 2014.
"More than anything, I'm looking to get people involved in the discussion around these topics, to generate some debate and maybe open a few eyes as to the level of innovation that's currently driving swine nutrition forward," Bradley continued. "These are exciting times in the swine sector, but too often opportunities are missed through a simple lack of awareness or misunderstanding. If this blog helps open up those opportunities to a greater number of swine producers worldwide, then it will have had the positive impact I'm hoping for."

Vietnam spent more to import animal feed than it earned in rice imports in 2013

Vietnam earned US$2.95 billion from rice exports but spent US$4 billion to import animal feed and materials for feed production in 2013, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Vietnam spends the most on animal feed in the world. The country spent US$375 million on feed imports in the first two months of 2014, an increase of 4.7 percent over the same period in 2013. Ninety percent of the imports came from Brazil and Thailand, according to a report.
Rice exports reached 700,000 tons, yielding US$303 million in the first two months in 2014.
Vietnam consumes 12.5 million tons of animal feed but must import up to 9 million tons of materials per year, said Le Ba Lich, chairman of the Vietnam Feed Association. The country's dependence on imports is due to flawed agricultural policy throughout the past 20 years.
Animal feed occupies 70 percent in costs of breeding products, said Nguyen Xuan Duong, deputy head of the Livestock Department.

New report on industrial enzymes market available

A new report is available from Markets and Markets. "Industrial Enzymes Market by Types (Carbohydrase, Protease, Lipase), Applications (Food & Beverages, Cleaning Agents, Bio-Fuel, Animal Feed) & Geography - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2018," defines and segments the global industrial enzymes market with analysis and forecasting of the global value for industrial enzymes.
The report also identifies driving and restraining factors for the global industrial enzymes market with analysis of trends, opportunities, burning issues, winning imperatives, and challenges. The market is segmented and the value is forecasted on the basis of major regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the rest of the world.
Industrial enzymes are specific catalysts that are utilized to accelerate a chemical reaction as well as to catalyze the chemical reaction that does not occur naturally. A few of these enzymes even improve the yield of process by optimizing output from the same raw material by 8% to 10%. Due to these novel features, the demand for industrial enzymes has catapulted to new heights from industrial manufacturers that are involved in constant research and development, to optimize their production and minimize resource costs.
The industrial enzymes available are carbohydrases, proteases, lipases, polymerases, etc., which are further sub categorized into a large number of enzymes extensively used in various industries. Carbohydrases form the major class of enzymes that catalyzes the breakdown of carbohydrates into simple sugar. They also account for the largest market share in the food and beverage, detergent and textile industry. Other sub-types of types of carbohydrases include amylase, cellulose, lactase, and pectinase.
According to the report, the global industrial enzymes market was fairly immune to the recent turmoil in the global economy and grew moderately in the past decade. The demand for industrial enzymes in matured economies such as the U.S., Western Europe, Japan, and Canada was relatively stable during the recent times, while the developing economies of Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, along with Africa, and the Middle East regions emerged as the fastest growing markets for industrial enzymes.

AFIA believes FDA’s changes will streamline Veterinary Feed Directive process

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD). AFIA applauds FDA's decision to issue the proposed rule, which addresses the organization's concerns with the administrative process of issuing VFDs, but AFIA also expressed concerns in the details of the rule that could potentially have a negative affect the feed industry.
"AFIA is pleased with FDA's decision to recognize and tackle many industry concerns about the administrative process of issuing VFDs in the proposed rule. After working with numerous producer groups, the American Veterinary Medical Association and others, our organization provided the agency with a letter on Feb. 25, which expressed our issues with the rule," said Richard Sellers, senior vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs. "We hope the agency takes our suggestions to heart when finalizing the rule, as AFIA feels this is a necessary step in making judicious use decisions regarding approved animal drugs."
AFIA commented that a major area of concern is the overall shortage of veterinarians, who will be needed to cover the large, expected increase in approved VFD animal drugs and the training needed as a result of the rule.
"Numerous incidents have been reported to AFIA regarding VFDs received by feed mills with grossly incorrect information. Calls to the veterinarians in these instances have yielded a serious lack of understanding about the VFD process. This seriously undermines the industry's ability to get these medications to the animal producers in a timely manner," AFIA commented.

Other requests
AFIA is also requesting FDA consider creating a program for integrating the new VFD products into the marketplace and that FDA should discuss how newly created VFD combinations will be addressed in the preamble to the final rule, noting there are no VFD combinations approved.
AFIA supports FDA's decision to include the reduction of time for recordkeeping from two years to one year, the allowance for faxes without a follow-up on an original VFD form from the veterinarian and VFD submissions via smartphones and related devices.
"Many of the changes FDA is proposing to the VFD process are those suggested by AFIA and other feed groups. AFIA believes they will lead to a streamlined process that will in no way compromise safety, recordkeeping or animal health. These changes will assist the feed industry in distribution of approved animal drugs with a valid VFD drug to producers in a more timely and safe manner than currently," the comments stated.