Poultry World Pick of the Year 2020: Most-read articles

EU-27 poultry market struggles with Covid-19
After years of growth, the EU-27 chicken meat sector is expected to contract moderately in 2020 before rebounding in 2021, although at a slower growth rate than pre-Covid. Further development of non-conventional production schemes (organic, free-range and GMO-free chickens) remains strong.

Click here to read the full article

Australian chicken meat industry celebrates AMR awareness
The Australian Chicken Meat Federation celebrated World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (18 – 24 November) noting that it is an opportunity for Australians to consider their role in helping to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.

Click here to read the full article

“…the Australian chicken meat industry is in an enviable position globally with low and improved levels of AMR…,” notes the Australian Chicken Meat Federation. Photo: Lex Salverda

Drive to be cage-free but 2025 commitment looms nearer
Companies need to speed up their rate of transition to cage-free production to meet their 2025 commitment, says Compassion in World Farming (CIWF). Releasing the findings of their annual EggTrack report, the global welfare organisation said progress had been made this year despite the Covid-19 pandemic, but firms needed to be careful not to opt for systems that were not future proof or which posed a risk to a truly cage-free future.

Click here to read the full article

Cage free is the way forward for the industry, but some (not in photo) are cutting corners with limited access systems. Photo: Koos Groenewold

Russia tests new domestic crossbreed
Russian breeding farm Smena begun testing a new domestic poultry crossbreed named Smena-9. The test is done at 2 breeding farms in the Chelyabinsk Oblast. The company plans to register the new crossbreed in the 2nd half of 2020. This would pave the way to get government approval for commercialisation.

Click here to read the full article

The Smena 9 crossbreed was described as a fast-growing broiler with a high yield of pectoral muscles, a lower fat content, a high feed conversion and uniformity. Photo: Ton Kastermans fotografie

Polish poultry industry is ready to grow again
The Polish poultry industry is recovering from a devastating 6-month period. First, its exports were hit by the AI epidemic when, a few months later, the Covid-19 pandemic inflicted even more damage. Now companies are ready to regain their position on the global poultry market and are even planning to expand into Africa and Asia. Some challenges remain, however.

Click here to read the full article

After 6 hard months the Polish poultry sector is back on track, aiming for further growth. Photo: Vladislav Vorotnikov

Covid and bird flu set to cause ongoing issues
Market volatility and change will continue to impact the global egg industry over the next year as the ongoing impact of Covid-19 and issues linked to avian influenza affect production.

Click here to read the full article

Nan Dirk Mulder reflects on market conditions (stock photo). Photo: Fabian Brockotter