August Business Update: What’s new in the world of poultry?
We’re keeping our finger on the pulse and bring you a comprehensive summary of the latest business updates from the global poultry industry this August.
Cargill and Continental Grain Company to acquire Sanderson Farms
Cargill, Continental Grain Company, and Sanderson Farms have reached a definitive agreement for a joint venture between Cargill and Continental Grain to acquire Sanderson Farms for US$203 per share in cash, representing a total equity value for Sanderson Farms of US$4.53 billion.
Blue Sky Family Farms launches Helpful Hens product line
Blue Sky Family Farms launches the Helpful Hens line of free-range, pasture-raised eggs sustainably farmed with regenerative practices, beginning with its 6 family-owned regenerative farms that are being unveiled in 2021.
Techniques being implemented across the farms include practices that create a rich environment for plants, pollinators, and hens, a 3-tiered vegetation programme in the pasture, 20 species of diverse vegetation and frequent testing of soil and bird behaviour. The product line will include 4 offerings, namely pasture-raised organic eggs, pasture raised non-GMO eggs, free-range non-GMO eggs, and free-range organic eggs.
AeroCollect and Indical Bioscience provide technology for veterinary diagnostics
With a new technology, AeroCollect, you can get a clear picture of the developing diseases in a herd of animals with one simple air sample. AeroCollect is a subsidiary of the Danish research and technology organisation, Force Technology. To expand internationally, AeroCollect is now joining forces with Indical Bioscience to handle sales and distribution in the global market.
The technology works by pulling a flow of air through a small sample chamber. High voltage is applied to the test chamber, creating an electric field across the sample chamber that captures and concentrates bacteria, viruses, and other microscopic particles. The sample chamber is then sent to the laboratory where the content is analyzed for pathogens using a qPCR analysis. The results are ready within 1-2 hours.
Menon’s MrFeed demonstrates success in sustainability
Menon Renewable Products has completed a trial exploring the effects of Menon’s new formulation of its proprietary ingredient, MrFeed, on broilers at the Poultry Research and Training Center of the Zamorano University in Honduras. The study demonstrated that the new formulation, which consists completely of renewable products, could be just as successful in increasing the weight of the broilers, while also increasing the animals’ viability without the use of antibiotics.
EuroTier 2022: ‘Transforming Animal Farming’
EuroTier will be held alongside EnergyDecentral, a trade fair for decentralised energy supply, from 15-18 November 2022 in Hanover, Germany, under the theme ‘Transforming Animal Farming’. New at the trade fair is an area for newly-founded innovative companies, and the launch of a new award category ‘Agrifuture Concept Winner’ to recognise innovative and pioneering concepts for the animal husbandry of tomorrow.
De Valk Wekerom and Bruekers make PoultryPlan available for more layer poultry farmers
An agreement in the Netherlands between compound feed manufacturer, De Valk Wekerom, and Bruekers, a layer and breeder feed brand of Voergroep Zuid, means that the PoultryPlan farmer management products available to all their customers. The PoultryPlan offers poultry farms 3 farmer management products that include a clear dashboard that presents the most important key figures from the various sheds. The dashboard also presents a comparison with standard and historic data and the benchmark with co-poultry farmers.
Moba and Meggson join forces
Moba has announced a collaboration with Meggson (formerly known as Cobot Automation) in the Netherlands to better serve the market with placed egg handling solutions.
CP Foods applies circular economy principles for sustainable egg production
Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP Foods) has implemented Circular Economy based programmes at laying hen complexes nationwide in an effort to become a low carbon organisation, reducing climate change impacts and thus producing sustainable foods. Initiatives ranging from resource efficiency project to waste reduction and green energy adoption have been implemented at the egg farms to ensure that food production and environmental sustainability can go hand in hand.
This waste-to-green energy technology can help the layer complexes to reduce electricity costs by 65-85%. Last year, the company had achieved to reduce 113,000 tons of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions and reducing unpleasant odour to community.
Trouw Nutrition and Wageningen University & Research strengthen collaboration on sustainability
Trouw Nutrition, Nutreco’s animal nutrition division, and Wageningen University & Research intend on strengthening their collaboration to enhance sustainability of livestock production by developing knowledge and accelerating innovations in animal nutrition to improve animal health and welfare.
Current and future projects focus on early life nutrition, precision nutrition, and nutrition in relation to health and welfare of livestock.
Lidl France commits to responsible plant proteins
Lidl France will ensure that by 2025, 100% responsible plant proteins are used to feed the farm animals in its animal products sector. Soybeans used will not cause deforestation or the conversion of natural ecosystems in Brazil, and the local planting of protein crops (soybeans, protein peas, field beans and alfalfa) will be encouraged.
Biomin publishes research book on mycotoxin
Biomin has published a book, The Zearalenone Compendium, which details the latest scientific knowledge about zearalenone, a mycotoxin that is commonly found in feed materials and associated with reproductive challenges in animals. The research also offers strategies available to overcome these challenges.
