Philippines lifts Netherlands poultry import ban

The Philippines has lifted a ban on live birds and poultry products imported from a Netherlands province previously reported to have cases of the avian influenza virus.
The World Organisation for Animal Health has received a report that the province, Gelderland, is now free of the H7N7 low pathogenic avian influenza virus. “All import transactions of [poultry] products shall be in accordance with the existing rules of the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry and National Meat Inspection Service,” said Philippines Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala. “Based on the evaluation of the BAI, the risk of contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from Gelderland, Netherlands, is negligible.”
The ban was instituted in May.

South Africa poultry prices may increase 20% in 2012

South Africa poultry prices are expected to rise by 10% in December due to demand and may jump by an additional 20% in the new year as poultry feed input costs continue to rise, according to the South Africa Poultry Association.
Imports of duck, turkey, guinea fowl, geese and special chicken cuts may help offset the holiday increases, but local producers continue to struggle, according to reports. “The real problem is that maize import prices are not determined by local production costs," said Kevin Lovell, chief executive of the SA Poultry Association. "They are determined by the U.S. Chicago Board of Trade. We are expected to run out of maize...and we will pay R1,000 per ton (US$117.77) more than export parity prices.” At least 143,000 tons of white maize and 60,000 tons of yellow maize will need to be imported this season, according to reports.

US poultry live weight down in October

The preliminary total live weight of all federally inspected poultry during October 2011 was 4.86 billion pounds, down 3% from 4.99 billion pounds in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Young chickens inspected totaled 4.12 billion pounds, down 3% from October 2010. Mature chickens were up 6%, at 68.6 million pounds, and turkeys were up slightly, at 659 million pounds. Ducks totaled 14 million pounds, up 4% from 2010 numbers.
Poultry certified wholesome during October 2011 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.67 billion pounds, down 2% from the amount certified in October 2010. The September 2011 revised certified total, at 3.71 billion pounds, was down 1% from September 2010. The September revision represented an increase of 0.33 million pounds from the preliminary pounds certified.
Young chickens slaughtered during October 2011 averaged 5.88 pounds per bird, up slightly from October 2010. The average live weight of mature chickens was 5.72 pounds per bird, down 3% from 2010 numbers. Turkeys slaughtered during October 2011 averaged 28.3 pounds per bird, down slightly from October 2010.

US egg production up in October

In October 2011, total egg production was 7.78 billion eggs.

United States egg production totaled 7.78 billion during October 2011, up 1% from 2010, according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Total production included 6.74 billion table eggs, and 1.04 billion hatching eggs, of which 968 million were broiler-type, and 70 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during October 2011 averaged 336 million, down slightly from 2010. October egg production per 100 layers was 2,317 eggs, up 1% from October 2010.
On November 1, 2011, all layers in the United States totaled 337 million, down slightly from 2010. The 337 million layers consisted of 283 million layers producing table or market-type eggs, 50.2 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.94 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on November 1, 2011, averaged 74.7 eggs per 100 layers, up 1% from November 1, 2010.
Egg-type chicks hatched during October 2011 totaled 37.8 million, which is down 8% from October 2010. Eggs in incubators totaled 38.3 million on November 1, 2011, down slightly from a year ago. Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 266 thousand during October 2011, up 56% from October 2010.
Broiler-type chicks hatched during October 2011 totaled 717 million, down 7% from October 2010. Eggs in incubators totaled 575 million on November 1, 2011, down 7% from a year earlier. Leading breeders placed 6.29 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during October 2011, which is down 9% from October 2010.
For more poultry statistics and information, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

American Feed Industry Association to hold Education Forum at IFE/IPE 2012

The American Feed Industry Association’s International Feed Education Forum will be held on Wednesday, January 25, 2012, at the at the International Feed Expo/International Poultry Expo.
The International Feed Education Forum will address issues unique to feed manufacturers. Three speakers will be featured at 2012 program: Tim Lease, WL Port-Land Systems Inc., will present the opening session on Selecting the Proper Equipment to Maximize Efficiency; Richard Sellers, AFIA's vice president of feed regulation and nutrition, will provide an update on the Food Safety Modernization Act; and Keith Epperson, AFIA’s vice president of manufacturing and training, will conclude with an overview of Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.
The program will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Conference Hall A, Room 404 of the Georgia World Conference Center.

Container lines call for refrigerated cargo rate increase

Container lines serving raw meat industries involved in U.S.-Asia trade are calling for an across-the-board increase in refrigerated cargo rates in order to cover higher equipment and operating costs during the traditionally slow season.
Member carriers in the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement said the recommended guideline increase of $300 per 40-foot container is to take effect January 1, 2012, and will apply to all commodity segments and origin-destination pairs.
WTSA members say the increase is needed to ensure equipment availability by covering the network costs of redeploying refrigerated containers from other trades. Refrigerated equipment tends to be diverted out of the transpacific during winter months in the U.S., which adds to operating costs in serving U.S. export shippers of agricultural and non-agricultural commodities. The problem is compounded when equipment is pulled from more lucrative markets that pay higher rates for refrigerated and other specialized equipment, WTSA members say.

AFIA to hold Pet Food Conference at 2012 IFE/IPE

The 2012 Pet Food Conference will be held in Atlanta on Tuesday, January 24, at the International Feed Expo/International Poultry Expo, organized by the American Feed Industry Association and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.
The conference covers a variety of topics ranging from regulatory issues to the technical aspects of production, food safety, marketing and use of ingredients. Expert speakers will include: Svetlana Uduslivaia, Euromonitor International, addressing domestic and global pet food industry trends; Dr. Dale Hill, ADM Alliance Nutrition Inc., discussing ingredient variability; Douglas Marshall, Eurofins Scientific Inc., and Duarte Diaz, Novus International Inc., addressing petfood safety topics; a U.S. Food and Drug Administration update on the one year anniversary of the Food Safety Modernization Act; and Leah Wilkinson, AFIA, covering third-party certification programs.
The conference will also feature a number of panels. The FDA/AAFCO panel will include officials who will deliver a regulatory update of ingredient approvals, unapproved animal drugs, calorie labeling and the future of GRAS listings in the AAFCO Official Publication. An ingredient supplier question-and-answer panel will offer insight into establishing supplier relationships and issues facing the petfood ingredient sector. The concluding panel will highlight the future of food and feed safety.
The day-long conference, which will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., has an add-on registration fee of $40, in addition to the initial IFE/IPE registration fee of $40. After January 6, the rates for both increase to $60 each. Those interested in attending may register online.