The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs has awarded Nutreco companies with grants for research and development into emerging markets, including one project focusing on broiler research in China.
The project with China, called ‘Healthy Broiler’, is designed to help to select Yellow Broilers for increased disease resistance. About 50% of total broiler meat production in China is of Yellow Broilers, and this figure is increasing 10-15% per year. Yellow Broilers are raised in poor environmental circumstances, including a hot and humid climate, so they need a high disease resistance.
For this reason, effects of special diets on the reduction of climate stress will be studied, as well as the potential of alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters.
The project will be carried out as a joint study by Hybro, Agricultural University Wageningen, Trouw Nutrition International and Jiangsu Provincial Institute of Poultry Science in Yangzhou (China), with the possibility that another Chinese partner might join as well.
These projects will help Nutreco increase its knowledge of Asian animal production and environmental factors, smoothing its entry into the Asian market through assisting in the development of tailor-made products for sustainable farming.