real facts and figures, such as research evidence gathered by Battilani et al. in 2016 which showed Aflatoxin B1 contamination in European maize increasing ‘due to climate change factors’. I know. Surely not, Mr President! Other headline sessions at the Forum include: a presentation by


Dr Johan De Meester of Cargill’s Belgium operation, which will focus on an ‘in-depth analysis’ of how to manage the cereals food production chain in a way that mitigates mycotoxins; plant breeding innovations to enhance Fusarium resistance in wheat, presented by Professor Curtis J. Pozniak of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada; and a host of company solutions to mycotoxin contamination, which are simply too numerous to list here. The point is, however, that real businesses, in the real world are


striving to get to grips with real business, health and food safety issues, in all forms, not merely waiting for the reopening of an institution that has failed to resolve a crucial issue for the past 1000 days, or so.


FEFAC LEADS ON BIOSECURITY European feed firms have also been reminded by FEFAC that, in addition to producing quality feeds on which farmers can depend for high productivity, they also have a responsibility to ensure that the industry’s delivery systems are in tune for the high stress biosecurity demands of modern agriculture. “While the livestock farming community is put under stress by the


prospect of outbreaks of viral diseases, in particular African Swine Fever and Avian Influenza, minimising the risk of incidental dissemination of pathogens is everybody’s business,” said FEFAC in a late-August note to its members. “That includes the agro-supply industry, grain collectors and farm visitors (advisors, service providers, etc). “The potential devastating impact of African Swine Fever, in


particular, shows that operators connected to livestock farms cannot afford any shortcomings when it comes to biosecurity and in most European countries effective biosecurity measures are already implemented by feed manufacturers, based on guidance developed by the sector.” Well, FEFAC has now built on such national guidelines and


knowledge, as gained by its members, in the production of a new list of ‘recommendations for the development of a biosecurity plan at feed manufacturer level’. “The purpose of the new document is to secure the maximum


dissemination of best practices, bearing in mind that the starting point for an effective biosecurity plan is commitment from operators and adaptation to the local context,” said FEFAC. As such, the focus of the document is on biosecurity measures


for the sourcing of feed ingredients, transport, storage, manufacturing and the delivery of final feed products to farms. It also covers visits to farms by feed company personnel.


AFRICAN SWINE FEVER A timely document certainly, given that FEFAC’s biosecurity guidance arrived in my in-box less than half-a-dozen spam items after I’d opened Rabobank’s latest update on how African Swine Fever is affecting pig farmers around the world. Not that the bank’s analysis of the disease and its spreading


PAGE 14 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 FEED COMPOUNDER


influence is all negative. Having said that, we should start with the bad news. “Hog losses in China have reached critical levels,” says Rabobank, “surpassing the world’s ability to make up the difference.” As such, looking at China, the rest of Asia and Europe, the bank’s


assessment if that there is now no way of stopping the spreading of the disease, only mitigating its impact. “We expect production losses of 25% in China in 2019, along with losses of 15% to 20% in Vietnam,” it states. On Europe, meanwhile, the Rabobank verdict is that “managing the spread of the disease is challenging in most geographies.” “It remains our view that it will take years, at least five years, for


herds to be rebuilt and for production to recover in the worst-affected countries,” concludes the bank. As for the upside, for pig farmers in unaffected areas, and their


feed suppliers, of course, the reduction of pigmeat supplies in China this year is one of the key reasons why pork prices in August exceeded previous records, beating the peak totals set in 2016. That means more money is flowing into countries and businesses which have, so far, succeeded in keeping themselves clear of infection. The bank also points out that other protein producers will benefit


from China’s disease problems with the poultry sector standing to gain most. “We expect production and prices from all animal proteins to


rise in 2019 and 2020,” states Rabobank, adding that the poultry sector can expect a 10% year-on-year increase as a result of China’s misfortune. So, there we have it. Proof again that the real world doesn’t stop for


holidays, the political conference season or even Brexit. And business leaders don’t stop either.


ADRIAN’S £5 HARVEST Maybe, in the midst of expressing such angst concerning the state of UK and EU politics at present, it’s good to finish with an account of someone whose 2019 breakthrough resulted in a crop harvest income boost of £5.17, and that was for his total harvest not just a part of it. Absolutely nothing to do with feed compounding, but Adrian’s story still seems worth telling. Farming a small plot of land in Northern Tanzania, Adrian recently


took part in a training programme run by the UK-based Livingstone Tanzania Trust. The programme was designed to help him learn essential production and business skills, so he could improve his income and better provide for his young family. Inspired by learning how to produce organic vegetables, he duly


established a small garden, growing produce in former cement bags to reduce water loss. As a result, his family was able to start eating home-grown vegetables on a regular basis, saving the household budget approximately 15,000 Tanzanian Shillings (Tsh) a week. That’s equivalent to about £5.17. The story doesn’t end there, however. Boosted by his success,


Adrian and a friend set up a market garden to produce tomatoes, using organic pest control methods to maximise their yields. At their recent first harvest, they generated an income of 1,755,000Tsh (€675). Clearly, everything is possible, given the right mindset.


Comment section is sponsored by Compound Feed Engineering Ltd www.cfegroup.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68