Think Grain Think Feed May Issue

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EDITORIAL
ollowing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for Self-Reliant India
amidst the Corona crisis, the centre, through the Ministry of
FAgriculture and Animal Husbandry, has come up with many new
reforms and initiatives in the farming sector. In the 3rd?tranche of
measures on the mega economic stimulus to tackle the coronavirus crisis,
Finance Minister?Nirmala Sitharaman?has announced different plans to
strengthen Agriculture Infrastructure Logistics, Capacity Building,
Governance and Administrative Reforms for Agriculture, Animal
Husbandry and Dairying, Fisheries and Food Processing Sectors.
National Animal Disease Control Programme for Foot and Mouth
Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis launched with total outlay of Rs. 13,343
crores to ensure 100% vaccination of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and pig
population (total 53 crore animals) for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
and for brucellosis. An Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development
Fund of Rs. 15,000 crores will be set up, with an aim to support private
investment in Dairy Processing, value addition and cattle feed
infrastructure. Incentives will be given for establishing plants for the
export of niche products.
Another plan for fisheries sector development called Pradhan Mantri
Matsya Sampada Yojana, was also announced. It is expected to
revolutionise the fisheries sector as it will invigorate it with the latest
technology, infrastructure and ensure financial assistance. The scheme
will be implemented under two components namely, Central Sector
Scheme (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) at a total estimated
investment of Rs 20,050 crore comprising of Central share of Rs 9,407
crore, State share of Rs 4,880 crore and Beneficiaries’ share of Rs 5,763
crore. This will also give a boost to investments in the fisheries sector and
increase of competitiveness of fish and fisheries products.
The poultry sector looked missing in the schemes and to further
understand the funds allocation in different sectors from government
authorities, CLFMA of India organized a webinar in the 3rd week of May.
The government representatives were of optimistic view, they said it is
time to ponder over that in spite of the fact that Poultry is largely an
Integration business handled by larger players, only ~5% poultry is
marketed in processed form, the rest is wet market. Industry should add
more processing facilities and market the end-product on its own. As 70%
of the population of the country is non vegetarian, and wet markets will
remain an issue in future as well. Hence, it is proposed that there should
be large integrated poultry processing plants which might also provide an
opportunity to export if we may reduce the input cost. The authorities
have also proposed assistance for poultry sector to the concerned
ministry.
Government support is required by one and all, and various
associations and other authorities are trying to get their attention but
only time will decide which sector gets the support, how well various
schemes get implemented on ground and when we will be able to get
business back to normal. Till then let's keep working unitedly.
Prachi Arora TK Walli
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 6 | Issue 07 | May 2020
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R&D
05
INDUSTRY NEWS
ARTICLE
By-products of sugar can be
potential animal feed
08 How Artificial Intelligence
will reshape future of Poultry Industry
Financial plan to support Indian
fisheries sector announced
Poultry sector felt isolated from
government support, seeks loan recast
and interest relief
06
11
12
16
Rebuilding the foundation:
no more a luxury, but a necessity!
Understanding Colibacillosis for Better
Prevention and Control in Poultry
19
20
Agri industry seeks autonomous
body to use INR 1 lakh crore Agri
Infrastructure Fund
Kenya prepares to import maize in the
midst of COVID-19 pandemic
22
24
GM crops may bring food
security in Africa
USDA Projects Rise in World Oilseed
Production, Expects Higher Consumption,
Reduces Ending Stock Estimates
28
Technology driven companies
supporting Aquaculture industry
across the world

Global demand for animal products is
increasing, with significant growth in
demand in Asia, and Australian
agriculture is uniquely placed to satisfy
these demands. As a result, there is a
need to develop new feed ingredients
that cost less, are more widely available,
and have comparable or enhanced
nutritional characteristics relative to
existing feed ingredients. Sugar mills
burn bagasse to produce heat, steam,
and electricity to run their milling
operations. Sugarcane trash is left on
the paddock. It is possible to feed
sugarcane bagasse and trash to animals
but this is not done in Australia
because they are not very nutritious.
However, Queensland University of
Technology scientists are discovering
ways to develop new bagasse and trash
treatment processes, as well as probiotic and enzyme
supplements, to change the structure and chemistry of
bagasse and trash to improve their nutritional value and
transform them into quality feed ingredients for animals,
including chickens, pigs and cattle.
Benefits for agriculture
Australian agriculture is set to benefit from the outcomes
of the project, with the development of new technologies
to enhance the nutritional value of low value crop
residues. This will increase the availability and reduce the
cost of feed ingredients for animal producers.
Benefits for producers
To produce animal feed, biorefineries will need large
quantities of crop residues such as sugarcane, bagasse
and trash. Farmers will benefit as sources of these raw
ingredients. In turn, this will increase employment
opportunities as well as stimulate regional economic
development by providing a new income stream for crop
producers and processors.
More information about this project
By-products of sugar can be
potential animal feed
R&D
05
ImageSource:PlanETBiogas

06
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 6 | Issue 07 | May 2020R&D
Crop by-products like hay have always
been used to feed animals but crop by-
products like sugarcane bagasse and
trash in their native state are not very
nutritious therefore are not use in
animal feed. There is also room to
improve the nutritional value of crop
by-products that are used for animal
feed. The university develops the
processes to turn these crop by-
products into higher value feed
ingredients like dietary fiber, sugars,
and protein.
According to QUT senior research
fellow, Dr Mark Harrison, the research
to find efficient, economically viable
ways of transforming bagasse and cane
trash into animal feed is very much
about upcycling – reusing materials and
waste to create higher value products.
The aim is to produce animal feed
ingredients from crop by-products like
sugarcane bagasse and trash. This happens using three
different processes;
1. Pretreatment to change the structure and chemistry
of fibre so that digestibility improves.
2. Processing to dissolve the sugar polymers in the cell
walls and produce a feed syrup with similar properties
to molasses.
3. Solid state and liquid fermentation to produce single
cell protein crop by-products and pretreated crop by-
products.
Outcomes
·Development of chemical technology to improve fibre
digestibility and produce a potential substitute for
molasses
·Development of microbial technology for production
of high-quality feed protein using cheap feedstocks
·Demonstration of advanced animal feed production at
pilot scale
·Development of a new income stream for producers in
the Sugar Industry
Source: Queensland University of Technology
India's government has committed a
financial support plan designed to help
its fisheries sector survive the
difficulties caused by the lockdown
measures applied from 25 March to 18
May in response to the coronavirus.
The scheme is part of the relief package
of more than USD 260 billion (EUR 239
billion) announced on 12 May by the
government to mitigate impacts by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the package, Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 15 May
said more than USD 2.6 billion (EUR
2.39 billion) will be allocated via the
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada
Yojana (PMMSY) program to support
the integrated, sustainable, inclusive
development of marine and inland
fisheries. Of the total, around USD 1.45
billion (EUR 1.33 billion) will be used to
fund marine, inland fisheries and
aquaculture, with the remainder
dedicated to fisheries infrastructure
such as fishing harbors, cold chain, and
market development, News18 reported
on 15 May.
The allocation of funds for the fisheries
sector is expected to create jobs for
more than 55 million people and
double India's fisheries export value to around USD 13
billion (EUR 12 billion).
In a statement released on 18 May, India's Central Marine
Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) said the funds from
the package may be channelled to help reform local
marine fisheries. Fishermen are likely to be given
assistance to modernize their fishing vessels by upgrading
marine safety and navigation systems, such as VMS, and
adding fish-finding technology, as well as increasing the
ability and capacity of Indian fishing vessels to handle and
store fish onboard hygienically.
According to CMFRI, the package may put priority on
mariculture, particularly cage farming, given its ability to
absorb large capital investments. Projects under
consideration for funding include brood banks of marine
fish, hatcheries, and auxiliary facilities for cage fish-farming.
“Mariculture and coastal aquaculture also has the
potential to provide gainful employment to a section of
the jobless return migrants from other countries,” CMFRI
Director A Gopalakrishnan said. “Seaweed mariculture can
get a [boost] from the proposed reforms in contract
farming laws.”
Gopalakrishnan said additional funding may be allocated
to upgrade landing centers and wholesale facilities.
“[The] financial package needs careful tinkering and
strategic roll-out so as to achieve desired results in a
sector that is severely battered by the prolonged COVID
19-induced lockdown and associated multiple
ramifications,” Gopalakrishnan added.
Source: seafoodsource
Financial plan to support Indian
fisheries sector announced
INDUSTRYNEWS

ARTICLE
08
Introduction:
Artificial Intelligence is an essential part
of computer science which help create
the smart machines capable to perform
task that typically require human
intelligence. It is a wide-ranging tool
that enables people to integrate
information, analyse data, and use the
insights to improve decision-making
thus improving efficiency of any
Business. Let's take the example of
Google Search Engine, it is programed
and developed by human intelligence
to give you a platform from where you
can get any information related to
anything by typing the exact keywords
in search box. Google Search Engine
uses artificial Intelligence to reduce the
human effort in getting any information
available on internet.
There are several parts we need to
know in order to completely
understand the concept of Artificial
Intelligence. Please find the table below for a brief
overview about Artificial Intelligence.
It will be difficult to explain all the components
individually in a single article. Above table just give us
brief Idea that Artificial intelligence is a very broad topic
and have multiple components and parts. Scope of AI is
very broad and has multiple application across different
industries.
Artificial Intelligence in Poultry Industry:
Artificial Intelligence can help address many challenges in
poultry industry. Human interference in farm can be a
source of infection plus in many processes machines and
robotics can be much more efficient as compared to
Humans. Artificial Intelligence can very well reduce the
error, improve efficiency of farming and maximize profit of
a farm. We will cover one by one how AI can create an
impact in Poultry Industry.
1) Farm Management
Big Data has a huge role to play in improving Farm
Management practices. Large amount of data in our
Industry is manual and in recent time computers are used
to store all the information about the farm. Various
parameters are being collected and information is stored
How Artificial Intelligence
will reshape future of
Poultry Industry
Kanhhaiya Verma & Dr Ashish Arya, Artius Technologies
ImageSource:ETGovernment

09
Learning and Data Analytics. AI will help to monitor these
activities all the time which sometime becomes very
tedious task for humans to perform.
Many universities have started evaluating Poultry farming
control system to monitor and control the environment
inside poultry farm. Technologies like Zigbee and
Raspberry Pi integrated with wireless sensors and GPRS
are currently in evaluation phase and will soon enter on a
larger scale in poultry industry.
Other activities like Feeding, Watering, Sanitization etc.
can be done via Artificial Intelligence. Data Analytics will
also help in future projection of outcome by collecting
and Analyzing the present data. One can easily be able to
project the weight of birds after 30 days by monitoring
and analyzing current data. AI will bring efficiency and
accuracy into the system and will help to take better and
faster decisions.
in form of excel or software's. With the
help of Big Data, a large amount of
information can be stored in cloud
spaces which can be utilized by
Machine or robotics to control
parameters like Humidity, temperature,
light etc. Machine Learning is one such
tool which will have a major role to
shape the future of farm management
practices. Via Machine Learning
Robotics can be used to monitor large
number of parameters which are
essential for Farm Management.
Artificial Intelligence can not only
collect this Parameters but can also
process the data and process the result
with the help of Data analytics using
prestored data in cloud. After
processing the result AI can be used for
instant decision making thus improving
efficiency of the Farm.
For Example- Robots can be
programmed to collect information like
Temperature, Humidity, Ammonia levels
inside the farm, this information can be
further processed and results can be
produced. These results will now allow
the machines to take decision related to
ventilation by itself. This process which
is repetitive yet very important for the
efficiency and profitability of the farm
can be managed efficiently by Machine
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Statistical
Learning
Speech
Recognition
NPL Natural
Language
Processing
Convolutional
neural networks
(CNN)
Chatbots/Digital
Assistants Image/Video
Recognition
(Recurrent) Neural
Networks (RNN)
Deep Learning
Reinforcement Learning
Unsupervised
Learning
Supervised Learning
PUBLIC CLOUD
BIG DATA
Table 1: Artificial Intelligence- an overview
2) Disease Management
Disease Management is most essential part of farming
practices. Each and every activity which we perform in
farm is linked to disease management by one way or
another. Managing Disease through machines can be a
very complex process knowing the variation in symptoms
and possibility of N number of diseases. AI however can
simplify the process in near future by assisting in
diagnosis. Here also we will talk about machine learning
and Big data which can play a decisive role in disease
management. Some of the problems like huddling and

ARTICLE
10
cannibalizing can be very easily
identified with the help of Camera
installed in farms and can be send to
the caretaker of farm so that faster
decision can be made and loss can be
reduced. Birds produce different kind of
voices and show unusual behavior
during diseases. Data regarding the
unusual voice and behavioral changes
can be fed to the machine system and
machines can be programmed in such a
way to alarm the veterinarian regarding
any such behavior within seconds of its
occurrence. Similarly, for a pathologist
or consultants, in order to do
confirmatory diagnosis mobile
application can be designed in such a
way that with the help of mobile
camera and application they will be
able to make diagnosis in a better way.
Large amount of Data will be required
to come up with such application.
Similar data can be utilized by the in-
farm machine system to diagnose any
kind of disease and alarm the care taker
of the farm.
One such experiment was done in 2012
by scientists at oxford university known
as “Chicken Time Warp”. They
concluded that collective motion of
flock can help identification of disease
week before onset. This prediction can
help to counter many disease related
losses incurred by farmers and can be
replicated for many deadly diseases in
poultry.
(https://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/diagnostics/
machine-vision-sees-into-chickens-futures)
3) Trials and Evaluation of Nutrition
and Medicinal Products/ Genetics
Studies:
AI can be very efficient in collecting
data and processing it while conducting
trials or comparative studies of various
products. Through Machines and
sensors large number of data points
can be monitored at single point of
time which will take a lot of time for
humans to evaluate. AI will not only
help to collect data but also to evaluate
results through analytics and provide
with comparative results with statistical
analysis. Similarly impact of different
kind of feed formulations can be
evaluated at a pace which is impossible
for humans to perform. Programming
and robotics can also help in improving
genetics of the breed. It can help in
identifying breed characteristics and ease off the decision
making in selecting right breed characteristics while
studying genetics. These processes can reduce the trial
cost significantly and provide with accurate trial results.
Research and development is one of the costliest affair in
any industry and Artificial intelligence can help to manage
that cost efficiently and also allow company to do multiple
studies in single trial that would otherwise take multiple
efforts when performed by humans.
4) Post Farm Activities
This is one area where AI is already been used in many
developed countries and have created huge impact in
efficiency of poultry processing industry. Technology like
Artificial Vision/Machine vision are evaluated by meat
processing companies for sorting of Broiler parts, for
identifying diseased carcass. Machines can easily
differentiate between density of bones and muscle mass
thus process like Deboning are perfect for Artificial
intelligence to operate. Layer Farmers are using AI for
grading of egg and to identify quality eggs at much
higher speed. Machine vision when combined with smart
automation has allowed processing industry to improve
the quality of carcass and packaging of broiler meat. Many
successful studies have been done by using spectral- line
Imaging system for presorting application of Broiler
chicken with high accuracy.
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20460672).
Global Giant Tyson food has already installed computer
vision system – consisting of cameras, Machine-Learning
Algorithm and edge computing at three of its plants with
aim to track the quantity of chicken moving through their
production lines. They have already decided to move to
smart automation and artificial intelligence to improve the
efficiency of overall value chain. They have further
announced that it will install these technologies in all its
plant across the country in coming time.
(https://www.foodmanufacturing.com/capital-
investment/news/21115586/tyson-to-count-its-chickens-with-computer-
vision)
As global Protein demand is increasing at much higher
pace both in India and other parts of the world. these
technologies will surely create big impact in providing
good quality protein through chicken and egg at low cost.
Poultry industry is suffering from many challenges like
high raw material prices and diseases like Avian influenza.
AI can positively impact whole industry to improve
efficiency of process and make chicken and egg affordable
for large proportion of population.
5) Miscellaneous uses
AI is a vast technology and have multiple use which can
directly or indirectly impact poultry industry. Technologies
like smart automation and machine vision can be used by
Nutrition companies, Feed manufacturers, Vaccine and
medicine manufacturer to improve accuracy, efficiency
and further enhance the quality control in their
manufacturing facilities.
It can help overcome challenges of data collection and
analytics faced by large integrators due to scattered

11
Left out of the government's Rs 20-
lakh-crore package, the poultry
industry has sought immediate succour
in terms of restructuring of loans and
100% interest subvention for two years
so that the current credit of about Rs
20,000 crore by the sector does not
turn NPAs. Sales of poultry meat have
come down to just a tiny fraction of the
normal in the wake of Covid-19.
“Poultry is a low-margin commodity
product. It will take about 10-12
production cycles to recover the losses.
Extending an interest-free working
capital for two years on all the
borrowings is the need of the hour to
save the industry as it is suffering
massive losses,” said Vijay Sardana,
advisor, Poultry Federation of India
(PFI).
After the lockdown was announced in
March, most of the people have
stopped eating non-vegetarian food
and sales also plummeted following
closure of retail outlets as well as hotels
and restaurants. The continuous losses
by the poultry sector will have
multiplier effects on agriculture
economy since a major chunk of
soyabean and maize is used as feed.
Various foodgrains produced by small
farmers, which are not fit for human
consumption, are consumed by the
poultry sector as feed, Sardana said. “If
poultry farmers will not buy oilmeal, no
edible oil industry can run regularly
because they will not be able to recover
their cost and will not be viable just by producing cooking
oils.”
The industry had earlier written to the government
demanding one year moratorium on all term loans and
complete interest waiver for one year. According to PFI
president Ramesh Chander Khatri, the poultry farmers
have cut production by 80% due to slump in demand and
closure of supply chain. Unless they get some immediate
relief, default is not ruled out and 60-70% of the outstanding
may become non-performing asset (NPA), he said.
Prices of rabi-grown maize in Bihar, the key producer, are
currently hovering Rs 1,000-1,150/ quintal against Rs
1,500-1,700 a year ago, said Khatri.
However, there has been little impact seen on prices of
egg, mainly as its supply line was not affected. In Barwala,
Haryana, main trading centre in north India, the egg
prices hover in the range of Rs 290-312 per 100 pieces
this month with an average of about Rs 294, against Rs
278 in April. The prices were also around same levels in
the year-ago period.
Retailers started reporting slide in chicken sales from last
week of January as demand abruptly reduced after
“rumour on spread of coronavirus” surfaced in social
media. “Though consumption is safe in India, rumour on
spread of coronavirus from chicken has reduced the
demand sharply by over 50% in just one month and as a
result ex-farm gate prices have also fallen by 70%,” Godrej
Agrovet's managing director B S Yadav had said on
February 27.
Chicken sales had come down to 35 million birds a week in
February from 75 million birds a week across the country in
January, while farm gate prices have dipped to Rs 35/kg
from Rs 100/kg during this period. Though the industry was
expecting the consumption to rise after the rumour fizzles
out, the rise in corona positive cases and subsequent
lockdown from March 25 dashed any hope of revival.
Source: Financial times
Poultry sector felt isolated from
government support, seeks loan recast
and interest relief
distribution of farms across
geographies. AI will enable them to
fetch analyzed data from multiple farms
located at different location and also
allow them to monitor them from
distance. This will help them to better
control the complete production
system be it Breeder farms, Layer Farms
or Broiler farms. AI will also help to
propagate any new technology at a
much faster pace as demonstration of
technology will become much easier,
and convincing new stake holders to
adapt technology will take less time.
Conclusions
There is hardly any doubt on application of Artificial
Technology in Poultry industry. In coming future AI will
reshape Poultry industry and will have a positive role to
play in bringing efficiency and accuracy at every level of
Poultry Industry. In last few years many companies have
started evaluating use of AI at various levels of value chain
and have adopted them. Artificial Intelligence has great
potential in poultry industry as there are numerous
challenges which Cannot be solved without the
involvement of Machines and Robotics. Further use of new
technologies will make Chicken and Egg affordable for all
by improving the efficiency of whole Production system.
References are available upon request
INDUSTRYNEWS

12
ARTICLE Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 6 | Issue 07 | May 2020
I am writing this at a time just when the
COVID-19 news cycle is making way
for African swine fever (ASF) which has
been reported in India for the first time
and the political manoeuvre declaring
'we are ready' to companies looking to
exit China and making their way into
India! Do I lament or do I cheer? I've
time for neither, because I've a house to
put back in order, and I better get a move on it.
I am not sure what percentage of Indian companies had
an existing framework or a policy to 'work from home'
before the lockdown precipitated by COVID-19. Since our
industry is so people centric and real time, and of course,
because 'who does sales from home?', we didn't have one!
When the lockdown was announced, I think the feeling
was like when in school, an unexpected 'off day' would be
announced and you would go home, only difference
Rebuilding the foundation:
no more a luxury, but a
necessity!
OP Singh
OP Singh, Huvepharma Sea Pvt. Ltd.

13
being, in this case you weren't returning
the next day, far from it.
Since no one knew what was
happening, the first potential challenge
we expected was flagging employee
motivation and engagement. The
management team rallied and put
together a daily interface consisting of
technical training, marketing sessions,
business reviews, updating data etc.
Wellness of our team - physical and
mental was a priority for us, for one, the
business climate has been cloudy for a
time now and for another, COVID
brought a fear of the unknown and
uncertainty. The regular engagement
ensured that the team remained anchored.
The second challenge was how to protect the business
itself that was rendered handicapped. One team was
constantly working on finding ways to deliver products to
its customers to make sure we had a business to get back
to on the other side of COVID-19.
The third challenge was how to continue paying salaries to
our workforce. I have been an employee myself at a point
in life and I understand how every penny coming in is
already spoken for, before it even hits your account. The
anxiety in the employees' minds was palpable. It was a
character defining moment for the organisation and we
managed to work our way through, making an
accommodating decision for all.
I won't be alone when I say that these past 6 weeks have
altered a lot of things for us. It made us think of things we
otherwise never would have had to. It was a realisation of
what was important in life and what was not. For the first
time, we were left to our own devices at a time which was
clearly 'make or break'. The team was looking at each
other for hand holding and support. We relied on each
other to bring experience and wisdom to the table, to
create our own model which helped to evaluate our
current situation, and also ensure that in the time to
come, we not only survive but thrive.
So far, it was like every player in the industry was working
on its own. But if you ask me, going forward, it is my firm
belief that the industry will have to act and work
collectively, because the revival of the industry is beyond
the scope of mere corrections. Our action areas will need
to be defined, because the future of this industry depends
on how we understand the actual position of the market
instead of how we want it to be. I expect the following
tenets to shape the industry:
How do I say this?
Post Covid-19, most certainly there will be a change in
consumption of animal protein. How consumers look at
the industry right now will also change. Its likely to
manifest itself through:
- Consumer behaviour
- Demand for food safety
- Demand for hygiene in supply chain & delivery
In India, social media and rumour mongering fanned anti-
chicken sentiments, resulting in a loss of approximately 15
billion in the past 5-6 weeks. During the lockdown,
demand has been low. Those still consuming have shown
a clear preference to packaged, branded poultry products
that vouch for high hygiene standards. It will not be an
exaggeration, if in time to come, consumers demand bar
coding of such products, scanning of which will give them

14
ARTICLE Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 6 | Issue 07 | May 2020
access to the different stages of the
supply chain of the product. Millennials
and Generation Z are the demographic
driving meat consumption in our
country. They are more aware who
understand and demand 'food safety'
and are sophisticated in their choices.
I don't see consumers lining up outside
chicken shops for their Sunday special
lunches at least in near future. And
here, the spotlight shifts to poultry
processing. Currently about 5% of
poultry meat is sold in processed form,
of which only about 1% undergoes into
value-added products (ready-to-
eat/ready-to-cook). The poultry
processing industry in India was
expected to expand at a CAGR of ~12%
between 2018 and 2023. However,
taking into consideration consumers
preference for packaged meat, this
could go as high as 20%. Poultry is a
major source of meat in our country, its
share in total meat consumption is
about 28%. And since we cannot allow
this to change, we will need to look at
the processing requirement, recalibrate
our existing capabilities and capacities
to prepare to match the demand.
Job losses and pay cuts are bound to
lower the disposable income in the
hands of urban and rural consumers
alike. Over 70% of the Indian
population is non-vegetarian. Eggs are
the cheapest source of protein and
chicken is the most loved meat! Will
this change post COVID-19? While
there are no statistics to support at this
time, in this scenario chicken might
become a luxury or once in a while
eaten commodity. It will be natural
behaviour for consumers to keep the
focus on filling their bellies. Imagine the
daily wage workers, those who are the
customers for entrails, there are not
earning any daily wages anymore! The
strata of society which can still afford it
is not likely to fill the consumption gap.
In this likely scenario, the industry will
need to 'restructure' itself in ways more
than one. Future production will have
to be rationalised by reassessing the
market size to establish a figure of eggs and chicken that
can be sold. We might have to look at price & product
customization to keep poultry and products attractive for
all consumers for inclusive growth.
On another front, institutional buyers like hotels constitute
40% of poultry and products sale. This demand has been
close to non-existent since mid-March. There have yet no
clear indications when this will change. This is a big hit to
the industry and we have no idea where to make up for
this gap. Even when this section is back on its feet, for
patrons to flock to their favourite eateries could take 6-8
months. And this is provided they are satisfied about
hygiene and safety standards followed at these
establishments. 'Biosecurity' hitherto not applied in this
context, will become the new normal for institutional
business. It will be expected and it will have to be
delivered.
Chicken growers and egg producing farmers will have
additional responsibilities, to include that they adhere to
and comply with food safety, biosecurity and hygiene
standards in operations. And it cannot only be claimed.
The claim will have to be legitimised in order for the
product to be acceptable. They will be expected to be able
to prove the quality of the protein, with full traceability.
This will undoubtedly add to production cost and
consequently transferred to the cost of protein
delivered/kg body weight. A lot of small players might
succumb to the pressures of the current situation and
either perish or aggregate. If a company is in the poultry
industry today and continues to see itself as part of it 10
years from now, this has to be considered as an
investment.
The industry will have to step up to this challenge.
Communication will be key. What worked against us, must
be made to work for us. Distribution channels have to be
sensitised to the need for higher degree of sanitisation.
Production has to be calibrated to demand, to be
managed very effectively and efficiently not just in the
short term, but also in the long term. There can neither be
surplus nor shortage. Availability in the right number will
be key. Any mismanagement will only further perpetuate
pricing issues and losses to each and every stakeholder in
the integrated operation, which we can hardly afford.
It's time to come out of our silos and put on a united front
and take on these challenges head on. Not all of us will be
of one mind, but this is an existential threat, which
requires us to rise above any differences. Our industry has
been put to and passed through several trying times. But
we came out on the other side stronger and smarter. This
time should be no different, and I only hope we can add
united to the words that are used to describe us.

17

ARTICLE
16
Understanding Colibacillosis
for Better Prevention and
Control in Poultry
Introduction:
Colibacillosis has put a major impact on
poultry industry today in the country. It
is characterized by air sacculitis,
omphalitis, salpingoperitonitis (egg
peritonitis), fibrinous pericarditis and
Escherichia coli (E.coli) Peritonitis
Syndrome (septicemia), also known as
EPS. Coliform Salpingoperitonitis (SPS) is
a chronic condition and results in normal
mortality and its economic impact is
limited. In contrast to SPS, EPS is a per
acute disease characterized by mortality
soaring up to 10-15%. Thus, distresses
the economies of poultry production to
a great extent. In order to prevent the
losses caused by this disease, an
overview of the disease and its
prevention and control practices has
been discussed in the article.
Etiology:
Escherichia coli is a normal inhabitant of bird's lower
gastrointestinal tract. It is also commonly present in the
pharynx and trachea. Most of E.coli strains are safe,
although some strains are virulent and able to induce
diseases in birds. Those ones were named APEC, for Avian
Pathogenic E.coli, with the intestine constituting their
reservoir.
Pathogenesis:
As the pathogen is the normal inhabitant of the gut micro
flora, but due to many predisposing factors the pathogen
flourishes and leads to disease condition in poultry.
Moreover, there are many routes of the agent to enter the
host and flourish it.
Epidemiology:
The organism is a natural inhabitant of the gastrointestinal
tract of animals and birds in a concentration of 105/g. Route
of infection could be-
?Faulty Farm managemental practices- improper
Pooja Rawal, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar
ImageSource:PoultryPunch

17
ventilation, feed and water
contamination, improper
disinfection of farm equipment and
premises as the dust in the poultry
house can contain up to 105-106/g
E.coli.
?Through Feed - Using mashed feed without acidifiers,
improper feed hygiene and feed without probiotics
would allow E.coli to flourish and gut health related
issues.
Avian colibacillosis was found to be widely prevalent in all
chicken age groups (9.52 to 36.73%) with an especially
high prevalence rate in adult layer birds (>50 weeks )
(Yuvraj Panth -2019)
Clinical signs and lesions:
In general, broilers >4 weeks of age are affected. Birds of
any age can be affected if resistance is reduced by
predisposing factors. Birds with colisepticemia can become
lethargic and stop eating and drinking. Further the disease
gets aggravated due to dehydration. Chronically affected
birds show signs of stunted growth and unthriftiness. E.coli
infections in poultry occur in two forms: systemic and
localized.
Localized forms of colibacillosis:
Omphalitis / yolk sac infection- Contamination of hatchery
and eggshell leads to omphalitis in young chicks and
concurrent infection further moves to yolk sac causing yolk
sacculitis (main cause of chick mortality.
·Affected birds show depression, swollen abdomen and
tendency huddling, dehydration, stunted growth, vent
pasting and an enlarged gall bladder
·Unabsorbed yolk sac
·The tissue around the navel is often moist and red
(inflamed); so, the disease is often called "mushy" chick
or poults disease
·Peritonitis and hemorrhage on the surface of the
intestine
APEC
Systemic
infection (avian
colibacillosis)
Localized
infection
By cloacal and
respiratory
route
Reproductive
tract
Omphalitis Egg yolk infection Colisepticemia
By deteriorated
environmental
condition, high level of
dust and ammonia
mycoplasma, IBD and
NDV infection
Penetrate into
submucosa of
respiratory
epithelium
Mortality and
Morbidity
Huge economical
losses
By fecal
contamination
of eggs
salpingitis
peritonitis
salpingoperitonit
is

18
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 6 | Issue 07 | May 2020ARTICLE
Swollen head syndrome- There is
accumulation of exudate in head due to
which head appears swollen. Coliform
Cellulitis- (Inflammatory Process)
Caseous exudates plaques in
subcutaneous tissues are commonly
located on the abdomen or between the
thigh and midline.
Salpingitis/ peritonitis/egg
peritonitis- Oviduct inflammation
(salpingitis) due to E.coli infection results
in reduced egg production with the
increase mortality of laying hens and
breeders. Infections can spread to the
peritoneum causing peritonitis. Oviducts
are presented with a firm mass or
masses of caseous exudate. Cloaca,
infected air sacs, vent pecking and
prolapse are responsible for infection.
When E.coli spreads from the oviduct to
the abdomen, salpingoperitonitis occurs.
Egg peritonitis is the inflammation of the
peritoneum caused by the presence of a
broken egg in the abdominal cavity.
Amorphous egg yolk in peritoneum is
observed in the given figure.
Systemic forms of colibacillosis:
Colisepticemia-
·Common form is Air sacculitis- signs are rales, cough,
·Fibrinous pericarditis- leads to Myocarditis
·Perihepatitis, pericarditis and septicemia are also
observed
·PM Examination- Air sac thickens, become opaque and
may contain caseous exudate.
·Chicks gets affected within 21-48 hours after hatching.
·Nervous signs are evident in chicks when bacteria
flourishes in nervous system, such as rowing &/or
twisting neck, unilateral panophthalmitis
Coligranuloma- (Hjarre's disease) is a sporadic form of
colibacillosis. Multiple granulomas occur in the liver,
proventriculus, ventricle, small intestine, cecum and
mesentery.
Diagnosis:
The diagnosis is based on the isolation and identification of
the E.coli organism of the typical colibacillosis lesions.
·Fibrinous pericarditis is highly suggestive of the disease.
·A presumptive diagnosis of E.coli infection can be made
if most of the colonies are characteristically dark with a
metallic glow on eosin-methylene blue (EMB) agar,
bright pink, with a precipitate around the colonies on
MacConkey agar, or yellow in tergitol-7 agar.
Prevention and Control:
As pathogenesis of Colibacillosis is complex, therefore a
more comprehensive approach is required to control the
disease.
Conclusions:
Colibacillosis is a major cause of morbidity, mortality and
economic loss for all types of poultry worldwide. Treatment
of colibacillosis is problematic due to widespread antibiotic
resistance among APEC. But proper preventive measures
such as management and nutrition have a major share of
this cake. So, it's better to shift the focus towards control
and investing on prevention rather than worrying about the
cure.
References are available upon request.
MANAGEMENT
PRACTICES
ESSENTIAL
NUTRIENT
NUTRITION
FEED
ADDITIVES
ANTIBIOTIC
TREATMENT
?Effiecient Biosecurity practices as
farm
?Feed hygiene using Propionic
acid/Formic acid/Lactic acid
based product especially in mash
feed
?Discard broken eggs, disinfect
eggs within 2 hours of laying
?Chlorination of drinking water
?Proper ventilation-to prevent
damage to respiratory mucosa
by exposure to dust and
ammonia
?Vitamin A-for immunity
?Vitamin E-Broiler fed with DLa-
tocopherol acetate from 0-87
mg/kg led to increase in T helper
cell population (Sunday A. et al
2019)
?Optimum trace mineral inclusion
like Cu, Mn, Zn
?Vitamin B and electrolytes
improves antibody production
?Bacillus subtilis and acidifying
agents- competitive exclusion
with probiotic & acidifying agent
in feed would be effective
?Combination of Lactobacillus and
yeast is effective in reducing the
impact
?Prebiotics like Fructo
oligosaccharides (FOS)
?Propolis/Bee pollen contain
flavonoids and phenolic acid that
are antimicrobial, anti-
inflammatory and
immunostimulant (lvana Prakatur,
et al-2019)
?Can be avoided if proper
preventive measures are
adopted. Used only for treatment
purposes
?Prior to prescribing any drug, an
antibiotic sensitivity test should
be done due to wide spread
antibiotic resistance

19
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 6 | Issue 07 | May 2020 INDUSTRY NEWS
Agri industry seeks autonomous body to use
INR 1 lakh crore Agri Infrastructure Fund
Indian agriculture can improve
dramatically and replicate the success
of co-operative dairies, if the Rs 1 lakh
crore fund for farmgate infrastructure is
effectively used and a strong body
similar to the National Dairy
Development Board (NDDB) is set up to
support farmers, top officials and
experts said.
RS Sodhi, managing director, Gujarat
Co-operative Milk Marketing
Federation (Amul), the largest and most
successful milk co-operative of India is
optimistic.
"It is a very good decision to create
such a big fund to develop
infrastructure that will help farmers gain
by value addition. However, we have to
remember that Amul could became a
success after dedicated efforts by
NDDB through Operation Flood over
many decades. Setting up a dedicated
organisation like NDDB for the
promotion of the FPOs can help in
taking this movement forward," Sodhi
said.
Vilas Shinde, chairman, Sahyadri Agro,
India's largest FPO, agrees. "We need to
create value chains for every
commodity in which FPOs can play a
crucial role. They also help reduce the distance between
growers in villages and the consumers in cities. Along with
availability of capital with low interest rate, FPOs need
technical, managerial and professional help to leapfrog."
Ahmedabad-based Sundhanshu Jangir, who has worked in
world's leading farmer co-operatives in Europe and is CEO
of Indiagro Consortium, a federation of FPOs from
Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana, also said FPOs needed
cheaper funds.
"Even simple grading of horticulture crops at farm gate can
increase the returns a farmer gets on his produce. However,
presently, FPOs get funds at 13% to 14% rate of interest. The
finance minister spoke about making funds available at 7%.
This will give a big boost to FPOs," said Jangir.
Yogesh Thorat, managing director, MahaFPC, the
federation of FPOs from Maharashtra, said infrastructure
was the biggest challenge. MahaFPC has been directly
procuring pulses, grains and onions on behalf of the
central government.
"This year, we do not have enough storage space to carry
out the procurement operations. This first dedicated fund
for aggregator model in agriculture and the targeted
funding was much needed," said Thorat.
This year's budget proposals included creation of 10,000
FPOs. Sodhi said the approach of keeping co-operatives
and FPOs central to the farm policies is the need of the
hour not only in India but across the world. "We have seen
that only farmers' cooperatives can help them get the
share of the value addition to their produce," said Sodhi.
Source: Economic times

INDUSTRY NEWS Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 6 | Issue 07 | May 2020
20
Kenya prepares to import maize in the
midst of COVID-19 pandemic
Kenya is set to import 4 million bags of
maize as the country loses its grain
reserves to aflatoxin, a toxin caused by
mold.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter
Munya told the Senate Committee for
Agriculture that maize in the country's
Strategic Grain Reserves is unfit for
human consumption as it has been
contaminated by aflatoxin, which is
known to cause cancer and other
health problems.
The loss comes when the country is still
struggling with a locust invasion and
the effects of the novel coronavirus
pandemic, both of which have
adversely affected the country's food
chain as markets are closed and
movement remains restricted in some
counties.
“The government is trying to ensure the
basic commodities are available for
everyone, and hence the need to
import maize, which is a staple food in
the country,” Munya said. “The maize in
the government stores will not be
sufficient for a longer period should the
pandemic push further.”
In response, Kenya plans to import 2 million bags of white
maize for human consumption and an additional 2 million
bags of yellow maize for animal feed between end of June
and mid-July.
The pending maize shortage is just one issue that Kenya is
contending with as it strives to maintain food security in
the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Small-scale farmers,
pastoralists, fishers and other vulnerable groups have
been hindered from working their land, caring for their
livestock and fishing. They also face the challenges of
accessing markets to sell their products or buy essential
inputs, while struggling with higher food prices and
limited purchasing power.
As the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has
noted, informal laborers have been especially hard hit by
job and income losses in harvesting and processing and
millions of children are already missing out on the school
meals they have come to rely upon.
Munya told the committee that the government needs to
import maize because the country's farmers have
insufficient grain to feed the nation. The government also
has stopped buying farm produce for storage and
redistribution as it's being hit with inflated prices due to
mark ups by middlemen. Instead, it will give the farmers e-
vouchers to buy subsidized farm inputs.
ImageSource:TheStar

21
“This will see small scale farmers grow
their income if we give them such
incentives instead of buying produce
from them at a very low rate,” Munya
explained.
Food prices have been affected greatly
by COVID-19 and the government is
not in a position to fix them, due to
high production costs associated with
the desert locust invasion, which
wreaked havoc in many grain-
producing areas of the country.
Munya said the government has
implemented measures to help mitigate
the effects of the locusts, with nine
planes conducting frequent surveys
and spraying the affected areas and
500 National Youth Service officers
doing ground spraying to control
resurgence.
FAO records indicate that over 58,000
acres of land already have been
affected by locusts in Kenya and the
agency raised concerns about a second
wave of attack. Munya said an
assessment will be done in the next
three-to-four weeks to determine how
much damage has been done and how
much money will be required to
mitigate the effects of the invasion and
ensure that the food basket has not been greatly affected.
However, the pandemic and locusts still pose a serious
threat to food security in the country, with more than 1.8
million Kenyans facing starvation, according to a report by
Famine Early Warning System Network. It predicted that at
least 17 counties would be food stressed between the
months of February and May this year.
Several leaders have condemned the idea of importing
maize, stating that it is sad to see maize rotting in stores
due to poor preservation while Kenyans are hungry and
looking to the government for food aid.
Last year, the government destroyed 124,486 50-kilo bags
of maize, blaming the losses on aflatoxin contamination,
and this year a similar scenario is bound to happen.
Munya said the affected maize will be sold to cement
manufacturers to be used as biofuel.
Jeremiah Munguti, a member of the Machakos County
Assembly, has urged the government to buy grains from
farmers in the Lower Eastern part of the country, which
previously registered great losses of grains to aflatoxin.
“It will be useless to ask farmers to go to the farms, yet the
produce from the previous [harvest] is rotting in the
granaries,” he explained. “We do not have large storage
facilities so if the government will not buy from these
farmers, everything will go to waste.”
Source: cornell.edu

22
Though only a few African countries
are now growing genetically modified
(GM) crops commercially,
governments across the continent are
increasingly recognizing the crucial
role that biotechnology can play in
improving food security.
In response, African governments are
moving to establish an enabling
policy framework to support
adoption of biotechnology, including
GM crops and derived products,
according to a paper published in
Frontiers in Plant Science by John
Komen and five other scientists
working in Africa.
“While modern biotechnology and,
specifically, genetic modification are
subject of debate in many parts of
the world, an increasing number of
countries in sub-Saharan Africa are
making important strides towards
authorizing general releases of
genetically modified (GM) crop varieties for use by
farmers and agribusinesses,” the paper noted.
“Our review confirmed that an increasing number of
African governments are making steady, in some cases
rapid, progress in establishing science-based,
functional biosafety systems,” Komen, an advisor to the
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI),
told the Alliance for Science.
Documented economic and environmental benefits
from planting GM crops — based on a track record of
over two decades — are a major driver in the decision-
making process, the paper said.
Currently, only farmers in South Africa, Swaziland and
Sudan are growing GM crops commercially. Ethiopia,
Malawi, Nigeria and Kenya have approved the release
of GM crops, but just the latter two countries have
begun the rollout to farmers. About a dozen other
African countries have GM crop research projects
under way, with some of the experiments ongoing for
more than a decade now.
Case studies from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and
Uganda highlighted in the paper show broader
GM crops may bring food
security in Africa
ImageSource:UnitedNationsUniversity

23
agricultural policies in these
countries are encouraging support
for GM crops on the continent
because the policies are science
focused.
The Nigerian government's new
agricultural roadmap — launched in
2016 as the “Green Alternative” —
aims to build “an agribusiness
economy capable of delivering
sustained prosperity” and has
encouraged the country's recent
decisions to authorize the
commercial release of two GM crops
— insect-resistant Bt cotton and
cowpea.
Ghana's “One-District-One-Factory”
industrialization policy and its
“Planting for Food and Jobs”
program, which is making improved
seeds and other inputs available to
farmers, have also provided clear
guidance to technology developers
who are testing and planning the
release of GM crops in the country.
Kenya's “Vision 2030,” an overarching
development policy aimed at helping
to lift the country's population into middle-income
through agriculture, accelerated the recent approval of
Bt cotton.
Uganda's “Plan for Modernization of Agriculture,”
adopted some 20 years ago, also recognizes the
potential of GM crops, the paper said. However, the
nation's president has waffled in approving the
biosafety bill adopted by Parliament.
In addition to the supportive policy initiatives sketched
above, these countries have invested in establishing
functional regulatory frameworks for GM crops,
allowing decision makers to weigh potential benefits
against potential adverse effects on the environment
and human or animal health, the paper noted. A
science-based and practical regulatory framework has
become an important enabling factor for countries
researching and adopting GM crops, the authors said.
“In countries that were selected as case studies for this
article, there has been progress in recent years in
establishing functional national biosafety frameworks
and growing expertise in GMO decision-making,” the
paper said. These examples confirm that, increasingly,
governments in Africa can adjust their regulatory
decision-making processes based on accrued scientific
evidence.
Political challenges
Despite the above potential, actual progress has so far
been slow. Some African countries are having to deal
with pressure from groups opposed to modern
biotechnology, which are advocating against the
introduction of GM crops.
“Many governments experience political opposition to
GM crops and modern agriculture generally,” the paper
observed. “Political opposition is in most cases fuelled
by anti-GM activism, which has slowed down or halted
the adoption of biosafety legislation.”
There are many examples where, in the final stages of
the decision-making process, political support for the
introduction of GM crops often wavers, Komen said.
“This is not only because different government
agencies need to cooperate and coordinate around
commercial release decisions… but also because
pressure increases from activists and anti-development
NGOs who stir up controversy on GMOs in local media,
in politics, and even in courtrooms,” he explained.
An uncertain regulatory environment discourages
private and public sector investment into development
of the pro-poor crops and traits that farmers need the
most, the paper noted. Additionally, many of these
countries lack capacity to design and implement
biosafety regulations. This creates a significant barrier
to testing and adopting new crop varieties, including
those developed by genome editing and other plant
breeding innovations, which would open new
opportunities to grow more food, enhance incomes
and reduce the environmental impact of agriculture.
SOURCE: CORNELL.EDU

24
Algorithm makers and data scientists
rally solutions for farmers, even when
they're not able to be near the farm
As the coronavirus pandemic continues
to disrupt, can technology and artificial
intelligence (AI) help aquaculture find
the way forward?
Market disruption, reduced or
suspended production and declining
seafood demand are among the many
impacts on aquaculture as COVID-19
carries on. Innovative companies, many
of them still bearing the “startup” label,
are offering support with a host of
initiatives.
In India, full-stack aquaculture
technology startup Aquaconnect has
launched a COVID-19 helpline for
shrimp farmers. The company is
providing remote support on farm
management and helping farmers
navigate supply, demand and logistics.
It's also joining forces with processors
and exporters to put farmers in touch
with those who are still buying shrimp.
“We're aiming to provide complete
assistance and information to farmers
during this pandemic. We believe that
our collaborative effort with other
industry stakeholders will help them mitigate the
challenges from the country-wide COVID-19 lockdown,”
Aquaconnect CEO Rajamanohar Somasundaram told The
Advocate.
With many restaurants closed or with fewer customers
practicing social distancing according to applicable health
guidelines, sales in Japan are declining. Because seafood
products are often more expensive, customers are cutting
back discretionary spending or purchasing more non-
perishable foods.
In light of this, aquaculture technology provider Umitron is
helping fish farmers in Japan adjust to new market
conditions. A crowdfunding campaign with Akasaka
Fisheries, a red sea bream farmer, is connecting
consumers directly with farmers to raise awareness about
sustainable farming methods. When Japan lifts its state of
emergency, customers will be able to visit restaurants
serving Akasaka Fisheries products, watch videos and
obtain information on the fish they're eating. This will
offer some relief to participating farmers and restaurants,
said Andy Davison, product manager at Umitron.
“We want to share farmers' stories and open customers'
eyes to the hard work and dedication that goes into
growing high-quality seafood. Making customers aware of
farmers' struggles is the first step in generating more
help,” he said.
As more farmers stay at home to comply with social
distancing regulations, Umitron's automated smart feeder
CELL is proving advantageous. The device collects data to
Technology driven companies
supporting Aquaculture industry
across the world
ImageSource:Alltech

25
optimize feeding and is remotely
managed through a cloud-based
application on a mobile device. This
allows farmers to feed and monitor
their fish without being on their farm.
Remote access to data, forecasting and
integration with data logging hardware
and automatic feeding systems are
likely to go a long way to help reduce
farm dependency on human labor.
“Aquaculture may become even more
data-driven and adopt technology
which will benefit farmers and
consumers by ensuring traceability and
creating transparency. “
“We're happy that CELL can give
farmers added flexibility during this
challenging time, even if some in-
person work is still required during a
prolonged period of disruption such as
this,” said Davison.
Canadian smart-farming company
Wittaya Aqua is also helping to reduce
the requirement for farmers to be on
site as often. Its cloud-based Big Data
platform – Wittaya AquaOp – works for
multiple species by accurately
forecasting growth trajectories and feed
requirements. Farmers can make
decisions early to slow down
production until markets rebound,
while feeding strategies help them
reduce the amount they're feeding their
animals (thus reducing costs spent on
feed) and lengthen the growing period
by slowing the growth of their animals (reducing the need
to cull animals) until prices rebound.
“Our models and algorithms are accurate for long periods
of time with little input from farms,” said Evan Hall,
cofounder of Wittaya Aqua. “As well as helping farms run
as normal, we're looking to partner with other companies
that deliver smart-farming solutions to bring farms a more
holistic package.”
Difficulties in selling have left farmers with no choice but
to delay harvests, which means that they're sitting on
stocks that cost money to keep with a lot of uncertainty
about the future, said Flavio Corsin, Aquaculture Program
Director at IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative. But
technology and AI can also model production versus
prices so that advice can be given on the most profitable
strategies such as when to harvest or what would happen
if a farmer waits. It can also provide information on how to
reduce disease risks, data on market needs and prices, and
information for financial institutions so that they can
provide financing to farms.
“Some of the companies we work with provide services to
farmers and value chain players and are well-connected in
the aquaculture industry. They're now in a position to
support farmers in finding markets in these challenging
times, or to swiftly transfer information from the
government to farmers. This may increase the resilience
not only of the farmers but also of the aquaculture
industry itself,” said Corsin.
Juliette Alemany is a data scientist and project manager at
VerifiK8, a Bangkok-based consultancy that specializes in
improving supply-chain sustainability through technology.
Although farmers in Thailand are unable to sell as many
products as before, those who have adapted to
technology will have an advantage, she said. In addition to
identifying new, international sales channels by helping
stakeholders improve their supply chain sustainability,
VerifiK8's web and mobile application supports traceability
and audit readiness for certification. With a potential
long-term effect on consumer behavior and more
awareness of responsibly produced food, Alemany
believes that certification will play an increasing role in
aquaculture, and farms are likely to take swift action to
achieve it, or a certain level of compliance, to mitigate
potential risks.
“With auditors unable to carry out on-site audits, now is
the time to reflect on how technology can support
compliance. It can greatly contribute to reshaping the
certification landscape by providing solutions to remotely
verify data and increasing the efficiency of the auditing
process,” she said.
The coronavirus pandemic may not stop anytime soon.
But it could make aquaculture stakeholders reconsider a
host of areas such as hard-to-predict risks and biosecurity.
As new viruses commonly arise in aquaculture in the same
way that COVID-19 arose in the human population, the
pandemic should force farmers to come up with risk
management and crisis plans.

Customs duty hike on edible oil imports
may also perk up domestic prices
Encouraging returns last year and
normal monsoon outlook for this kharif
season has brightened the prospects
for soyabean cultivation starting next
month.
While the trade has pinned hopes on
the increased acreage this year for the
oilseed, it is also counting on
government assistance in terms of
hiking customs duty on import of
edible oils.
Davish Jain, Chairman, Soybean
Processors Association of India (SOPA),
underlined the need to hike the
customs duty on edible oils by 10 per
cent so as to support domestic oil
industry and encourage farmers to opt
for oilseeds.
“Next month we are starting plantation
(of soyabean) and the monsoon is likely
to be on time. Currently, prices are
below the minimum support price
(MSP). This is the time for the
government to hike the customs duty
on imports of edible oils, so it may lift
domestic prices,” said Jain.
Below-MSP prices
Soyabean prices were last quoted at
around ? 3,600-3,900 per quintal in
Bhopal markets, which is mostly below
the MSP of ? 3,710. The prices dipped
to ? 3,400 last year around the same
time and later hit a high of ? 4,176 in
January 2020. Last year, soyabean
provided better returns than other
commodities.
Jain said, “A hike in customs duty would
mean the government can look for about ? 7,500 crore in
additional revenues.”
Meanwhile, the trade body has estimated exports for the
year 2019-20 (October 2019 to September 2020) to fall by
one lakh tonnes to 6 lakh tonnes. “The Covid-19 has had a
serious impact on the poultry and soyabean processing
industry and many of our past estimates have gone
completely awry,” SOPA had said earlier. It also noted that
the crushing activity for the oil year 2019-20 has fallen by
8.5 lakh tonnes to 69 lakh tonnes with domestic meal
consumption reduced by 5 lakh tonnes to 45 lakh tonnes.
The trade body estimates carryover stock to rise to 13.26
lakh tonnes at the end of September.
The markets haven't opened in many regions. But as the
trade expects markets to resume operations after the
lifting of the lockdown, farmers are likely to flush the
market with the stocks available with them.
“As per our estimation, it is about 4 million tonnes as on
May 1. This is considerable quantity for the next five
months. And without exports we can't consume that
quantum till the end of the season. So, in this case, we
may be left with a good amount of carry forward stock for
the next season,” Jain stated.
In a research report on Tuesday, Kedia Advisory stated,
“Soyabean yesterday settled up by 0.21 per cent at 3,812
tracking firmness in overseas prices as purchases by the
world's top importer China underpinned the market and
due to supply concerns in retail markets because of the
lockdown.”
Chinese imports
Analysts have underlined that China's April soyabean
imports fell 12 per cent from a year earlier after bad
weather delayed cargoes from top supplier Brazil. China,
the world's top soyabean buyer, brought in 6.716 million
tonnes of the oilseed in April, down from 7.64 million
tonnes a year ago.
The analyst note stated Chinese buyers booked deals to
purchase 378,000 tonnes of US soyabeans.
Source: Business Line
Soyabean acreage rising amid normal
monsoon outlook, better prices
26
INDUSTRY NEWS
Stakeholders may also realize the issues
of disrupted supply chains, and the
need to strengthen bonds between
farms and processors, said Alemany.
“In Vietnam, we are seeing farmers
afraid of market fluctuation and
reluctant to stock,” she said. “This will
lead to a shortage of shrimp and fish
for processing plants, but each
stakeholder must connect to go
through the bad (and good) times.
Connection and trust among farmers,
processors and buyers is key. Hopefully the pandemic will
improve the relationship balance among supply chain
stakeholders and support better communication through
technology.”
“Aquaculture may become even more data-driven and
adopt technology which will benefit farmers and
consumers by ensuring traceability and creating
transparency,” said Corsin. “A better understanding of the
risk factors for disease and the need for biosecurity will
help control disease, and we may see an increasing
reliance of the local market on local production.”
Source: Global Aquaculture Alliance

27
China has asked trading firms and food
processors to boost inventories of
grains and oilseeds as a possible
second wave of coronavirus cases and
worsening infection rates elsewhere
raise concerns about global supply
lines.
Both state-run and private grain traders
as well as food producers were urged
to procure higher volumes of soybeans,
soyoil and corn during calls with China's
Ministry of Commerce in recent days,
three trade sources told Reuters.
“There is a possibility of a breakdown in
supply pipelines due to the coronavirus
infections. For example, a port of origin
or destination might shut down,” said a
senior trader at one of China's leading
food processors, which was on a call
last week with authorities to discuss
purchases.
“They have advised us to increase
stocks, keep supplies higher than we
usually have. Things are not looking
good in Brazil,” he added, referring to
China's main supplier of soybeans and
a key meat exporter where the number
of coronavirus cases has surpassed
those in Spain and Italy.
A second source in China who was
briefed by a person who attended one
of the meetings said China's Ministry of
Commerce met with some state
companies on Tuesday to discuss how
to guarantee supplies during the
pandemic.
“One of the main concerns is how the
epidemic in South America might
impact supplies (of beans) to China,”
the source said.
China's Ministry of Commerce did not
respond to a fax seeking comments on
plans to increase food stocks.
SOY SHOCK
Brazilian shipments of soybeans were
delayed in March and April due to a
combination of heavy rains and
reduced manpower as coronavirus
containment measures took effect,
leading to a plunge in Chinese soy
inventories to record lows.
Arrivals from Brazil have since
rebounded, but authorities remain wary of fresh
disruptions.
China's state-owned agriculture conglomerate COFCO and
grain stockpiler Sinograin have been stepping up
purchases of U.S. soybeans and corn in recent weeks.
Chinese importers bought at least four cargoes, or about
240,000 tonnes, of U.S. soybeans on Monday for shipment
beginning in July, two traders familiar with the deals said.
Beijing has also increased its allocations of crop import
quotas to major grain buyers, paving the way for further
potential purchases.
China is under pressure to buy more U.S. farm products
under a trade deal signed between Washington and
Beijing in January, and trade sources expect more of
China's crops to come from the United States once the
South American export season ends and the North
American harvests approach in the autumn.
“The effort is to build supplies, not just from Brazil, but
from all over,” said the senior trader at the food
processing company. “U.S. beans are looking attractive
from September onwards,” he added.
U.S. crop export sales data show that Chinese buyers have
accelerated soybean purchases of the upcoming crop,
with new crop bookings of 374,000 tonnes already
registered, compared with an average of 60,000 tonnes for
this period since 2016.
China is also a top meat importer and is facing a large
domestic supply shortfall following an outbreak of African
swine fever which has decimated its pig herd, the world's
largest.
Imports from the United States - the top global pork
exporter - had been expected to surge as a result, but
widespread COVID-19 outbreaks at U.S. slaughterhouses
and processing plants have cut national meat output.
China has booked a record volume of U.S. pork shipments
already this year, raising concerns about fresh tensions
between the countries if U.S. meat production problems
curb domestic supplies at a time when shipments to China
remain strong.
Source: Reuters
China emphases on increasing its grain and
oilseed stocks amid supply chain concerns

28
INDUSTRY NEWS
The latest USDA (US Department of
Agriculture) demand and supply report
for has projected world oilseed
production is forecast to grow 5
percent in 2020-21. This estimation has
been done considering a jump in
production of South America and the
United States. Global oilseed
production is projected to reach a
record 605.9 million tons on record
plantings. Similarly, world Soybean
production is forecast to rise 26.6
million tons to a record 362.8 million
tons, less than 3 million tons above the
previous record set in 2018/19. The
department now expects Global oilseed
consumption to increase by 2 percent
in 2020/21, which would be the highest
growth rate since 2017/18. Scope for
feed demand in China following 2 years
of declining pork production due to
African swine fever, is improving.
Therefore, consumption is expected to
improve.
From trade perspective, the US
Agriculture Department has forecast
world oilseed trade to increase mostly
on higher soybean demand from China.
Trade in other oilseeds is expected to
be nearly same except for sunflower
seed and rapeseed where trade is
expected to rise modestly on larger exporter supplies.
Global ending stocks on the other hand are projected to
register marginal decline, considering fall in soybean and
peanut stocks. Sunflower seed ending stocks are forecast
to recover from low level forecast for 2019/20. Global
oilseed meal production is expected to grow in 2020/21,
and driving force considered by the USDA will be soybean
meal production. Due to robust demand from China,
global protein meal consumption is also forecast to
improve.
Similarly, world food oil consumption is forecast to expand
after a year of slower growth as the adverse impact of the
corona virus pandemic continues. The Department has
upgraded the forecast for Palm, olive, and soybean oils by
3 percent or more. Global industrial oil consumption is
also forecast higher in line with an expected recovery in
biodiesel production in major markets. Following a year of
declining global palm oil trade, global vegetable oil trade
is expected to recover. But global ending stocks are
forecast to decline considering recovery in world's food oil
demand. India's soybean crush is forecast to improve by
1.1 million to 9.4 million tons, since a larger crop is
expected in 2020. Therefore, India's soybean meal exports
are expected to gather pact and rebound by 4.2 Lakh tons
to 1.9 million tons. Meanwhile Indian soybean oil imports
are forecast to rise marginally to 3.2 million tons as higher
domestic supplies and slow vegetable oil consumption
growth will be negatively affecting import demand.
This year global soybean consumption is also expected to
increase and China is projected to account for over half of
global consumption growth in 2020/21 and roughly 85
percent of import growth. Argentina exports are projected
to decline in the face of strong competition from the
United States and Brazil and growing domestic crush. The
USDA has projected Global soybean meal consumption
growth to accelerate by 4 percent on growing China
demand. China accounts for nearly one-third of global
consumption and more than half of growth in
consumption. Global meal exports are forecast to grow 1
percent in 2020/21, near historic trends. Argentina and
India are projected to meet most of the growth in trade in
2020/21 as rising feed demand in the United States and
Brazil will account for nearly all of the increase in their
meal production. Similarly, World's Soybean oil
consumption is projected to rise 4 percent, mainly on
expectation of strong Chinese demand where increased
supplies of domestically produced oil will substitute for
other oils. Global Soy meal Exports are forecast to rise 2
percent in 2020/21 with total global volume projected to
reach 11.8 million tons, which shall be a new record.
Source: Krishijagran
USDA Projects Rise in World Oilseed
Production, Expects Higher Consumption,
Reduces Ending Stock Estimates

OPTIMA LIFE SCIENCES PVT. LTD.
1st Floor, 13th State Bank Colony No. 2, Shahu College Road, Opp. Bhagini Nivedita Bank, Parvati, Pune-411009
Ph.: 020 - 2442 0720 | Mob.: 83800 12872 | info@optimalife.in | www.optimalife.in

Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 6 | Issue 07 | May 2020CALENDAR OF EVENTS
30
2020
To list any industry event related to Grain & Feed industry please write us
at info@thinkgrainthinkfeed.co.in
JUNE
Feed Industry Institute (FII 2020)
Date: 8-11 June 2020
Venue: Hyatt Regency, Milwaukee, WI, United States
Email: ltucker@afia.org
Web: www.afia.org/events/fii-2020
Feeds & Nutrition
Date: 15-19 June 2020
Venue: The Inntel Hotels Zaandam near Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
Email: info@schothorst.nl
Web: www.schothorst.nl
Animal Nutrition Conference of Canada
Date: 26 May-11 June 2020
Venue: Webcast Series
Email: info@anacan.org
Web: www.animalnutritionconference.ca
VIV MEA 2020
Date: 31 Aug - 2 Sep
Venue: Abu-Dhabi National Exhibition Center -
Adnec
Email: viv.mea@vnuexhibitions.com
Web: www.vivmea.nl
AUGUST
Note: Please contact event organizers before planning your schedule to attend it.
SEPTEMBER
Feed Tech Expo
Date: 4-6 September 2020
Venue: Kingston Event Center, Kurukshetra, HR., India
Email: info@feedtechexpo.com
Web: www.feedtechexpo.com
OCTOBER
Dairy Industry Expo
Date: 16-18 October 2020
Venue: Auto Cluster Exhibition Center, Pune, India
Email: dairyindustryexpo@gmail.com
Web: www.dairyindustryexpo.com
VIV Meat & Poultry Russia
Date: 1-31 October 2020
Venue: Crocus Expo International Exhibition Center,
Moscow, Russia
Email: info@meatindustry.ru
Web: www.meatindustry.ru

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