By Zahrah Imtiaz – 20 October 2024
Mycotoxin prevalence in feed samples in Asia is increasing. It is becoming commonplace to find more than one mycotoxin contaminating the feed. Asian Agribiz talks to Dr Sangita Jalukar of Arm & Hammer about why this might be so and the need to move beyond testing to actively deal with the massive challenge ahead of us.
In this podcast you will learn:
• Mycotoxin risks as the use of alternative ingredients rise.
• The impact of mycotoxins at a cellular level and its secondary effects on bird performance.
• Strategies to combat rising threats of mycotoxins in feed.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 17 July 2024
Several new and old players in the Indian poultry sector are investing in processing plants as they want to tap into the growing demand for chicken in India. Asian Agribiz talks to Alok Raj, Principal Consultant at Aptec Technology Consulting on growth in the industry and what pitfalls many must look out for when investing in processing.
In this podcast, you will learn:
• The trend in poultry processing in India
• Automation in processing
• The challenges in starting a poultry processing plant in India
• What the future of Indian processing looks like

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By Arief Fachrudin – 26 June 2024
Eggs can come into contact with bacteria such as Salmonella during the laying process or via environmental sources such as feces or feathers. Therefore, egg washing reduces the risk of contamination and makes eggs safe for consumption.
Although egg washing is not a common practice worldwide yet, Paul Buisman, Head of Innovation at Moba, tells Asian Agribiz that he believes this will be trending in Asia. In this podcast, he discusses the reasons, drawing on his extensive experience and knowledge in the field.
He also explains factors influencing the decision to wash or not to wash eggs and offers solutions from Moba for egg washing.

By Isa Q Tan – 19 June 2024
Interest in crate-free gestation, or sow group housing, has increased recently due to animal welfare concerns. In Southeast Asia, most gestating sows are still confined in stalls that limit their movement during pregnancy. However, some key regional producers have already started converting parts of their operations to sow group housing. Asian Agribiz speaks with Nigel Godde, Director of Sales for Big Dutchman Asia, to learn more about crate-free gestation systems and their viability in the region.

By Arief Fachrudin – 5 June 2024
Doug Korver, Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta and President of Alpine Poultry Nutrition Inc in Canada, is doing a study on layers that are kept longer. As these are high producing birds and are relatively small, the practice puts pressure on their skeletal system and shell quality.
In this podcast, Dr Korver discusses with Asian Agribiz the nutritional interventions for these birds, including calcium and phosphorus supply, enzymes, and the physiology and bone biology as they go through a long production cycle.

By Meliyana – 29 May 2024
Demand for duck meat in Indonesia has surged over the past decade and continues to grow annually, but the production system is struggling to keep up.
In this second podcast with Dr Hardi Prasetyo, a consultant for duck breeding companies in Indonesia, learn about:
• his insights on the duck meat industry in Indonesia
• the challenges facing the industry
• his recommendations for duck meat producers on developing their business.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 22 May 2024
Some countries rely heavily on imported food and raw materials to grow food locally. With supply chain and climate change-related disruptions, real-time solutions need to be explored and implemented. Rupert Claxton, Meat and Livestock Director at Girafood highlights the problems and solutions for this by addressing the following:
1. Examples of Asian countries at risk of food security.
2. How can they navigate supply chain and climate-related disruptions.
3. Collaborative efforts that governments can embark on within the region.
4. What would be the basis of strengthening food security?

By Meliyana – 15 May 2024
Indonesia’s layer duck industry has the potential to grow since the per capita consumption of eggs remains low. However, only a few are investing in breeding and production.
Asian Agribiz speaks with Dr Hardi Prasetyo, a consultant for duck breeding companies in Indonesia, about the industry’s status and future opportunities.
In this podcast, he discusses:
• the industry’s growth potential;
• the available layer duck strains;
• factors to consider in raising layer ducks;
• challenges encountered by the industry.

By Somhatai Mosika – 8 May 2024
Food security remains a critical issue for Asean nations as uncertainties grow, populations rise, and climate change intensifies. To address this challenge, each government needs to develop targeted policies.
Asian Agribiz talks to Dr Pushpanathan Sundram, CEO of Public Policy Asia Advisors in Singapore, to explore potential solutions. Tune in to the podcast to gain insights into:
• The current food security situation across Asean
• Strategies for tackling the multifaceted challenges
• How sustainable agriculture and technological advancements can help achieve food security goals

By Arief Fachrudin – 1 May 2024
Gut health and moving away from AGP is a broiler research project that Doug Korver, Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta and President of Alpine Poultry Nutrition in Canada, and his team are undertaking. They developed a necrotic enteritis challenge model, which is a natural exposure model that mimics the normal development of the disease. Asian Agribiz talks to Dr Korver about how they are trying to control the subclinical type of the disease and use the model to assess different candidates for antibiotic replacement.

By Isa Q Tan – 24 April 2024
Transportation biosecurity is paramount for safeguarding the health and safety of livestock and poultry during transit. It involves implementing measures to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases among animals and into farms. Yet, it frequently gets overlooked within biosecurity initiatives.
Mike Button, a global consultant in veterinary health, delves into transportation biosecurity, its challenges and ramifications, and offers insights on enhancing consistent implementation for producers.

By Ha Thu – 17 April 2024
Vietnam’s livestock industry has undergone a significant level of specialization, but the slaughtering subsegment seems to lag behind. Michael Patching, CEO at Alta Food and Agriculture, suggests prioritizing worker training programs to improve meat processing standards. Currently, Vietnam lacks such courses, but companies can look beyond the country or partner with equipment suppliers and professional trainers for necessary training.

By Meliyana – 10 April 2024
Porcine circovirus (PCV) is a widespread virus globally. While PCV1 has long been known as a common contaminant in laboratory cell cultures, it is generally non-pathogenic. However, the emergence of PCV2 has led to the postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome, affecting pig populations worldwide.
Asian Agribiz speaks with Dr Roman Krejci, Veterinary Services Manager for Swine Vaccines at Ceva Santé Animale, about PCV prevention and control strategies.
In this podcast, he discusses:
• the current status of PCV infections in Southeast Asia;
• how is PCV2 diagnosed;
• the current vaccine development; and
• the challenges in dealing with the disease outbreak

By Isa Q Tan – 3 April 2024
Systematic culling of male chicks is common in many poultry-producing countries. This is done since male chicks are considered redundant. However, in recent years, the practice has been frowned upon as cruel and unnecessary. In Europe, some countries have begun phasing out this practice, citing animal welfare concerns.
One technology that can help achieve this is in-ovo sexing, which will allow hatcheries to identify and remove male chick embryos before they are hatched. Martin Enderink, Global Sales Director at In Ovo, talks with Asian Agribiz about this technology, its advantages, and how it can be a cost-effective measure for hatcheries.

By Arief Fachrudin – 27 March 2024
Asian governments say that broiler feeds should have a minimum crude protein level to ensure quality. In this podcast with animal nutritionist Dr Budi Tangendjaja, Asian Agribiz digs deeper into the background of the regulation, the impact if we keep using minimum levels, and why industry players are now formulating broiler feeds based on digestible amino acids rather than crude protein. In the last part of this podcast, Dr Tangendjaja also shares some constructive suggestions for governments in the region.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 20 March 2024
When it comes to animal welfare, small details like lighting can influence how birds behave and perform. Asian Agribiz quizzed Kim Hendrix, Product Manager of Hato Agricultural Lighting, about professional lighting for poultry and learned that:
1. Birds perceive light differently from humans, and farmers must put themselves inside the barn to understand this and their birds.
2. Though conventional fluorescent lights may seem cost-effective, they are not recommended because their flickering may adversely affect the birds.
3. In the long run, conventional lighting can lead to negative behavior like pecking or fighting and disrupted feed/water intake, hurting performance.
4. Professional lighting is designed for bird welfare and enhances bird behavior and performance, improving their ROI.
5. Professional lighting can be adapted according to stages, controlled properly, and is energy efficient, offering cost-savings.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 13 March 2024
The Indian piggery sector has received much attention in recent years as the government has turned its attention towards this neglected sector. Asian Agribiz talks to Dr C P Gopakumar, Managing Director at DLG Farms, to understand the history of the industry and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
In this podcast you will learn about the:
• The nature of the Indian piggery sector
• Challenges and opportunities in commercial piggery
• The trends in pork consumption among Indian youth

By Somhatai Mosika – 28 February 2024
Meat quality is critical for both producers and consumers. Factors like genetics, nutrition, and management during production and processing all contribute to quality. Asian Agribiz talks to Dr Chaiyapoom Bunchasak, Nutritionist and Professor at the Department of Animal Science at Kasetsart University in Thailand how to enhance meat quality with proper feed formulation.
In this podcast you will learn about:
• meat quality preferences in Asia
• nutritional modification to improve meat quality
• importance of ingredient quality
• how to address boar taint
• proper pH level

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 21 February 2024
As tensions in the Red Sea impact movement of goods to and from Europe, Asian Agribiz talks to Mohammed Al-Ansare, Senior Pricing Specialist and Melvin Kwok, Agriculture Specialist from S&P Global Commodity Insights on how this would impact grain flow to Asia. Mr Al-Ansare also takes a deep dive into what to expect in the shipping markets going forward as the crisis drags on.
In this podcast you will learn about:
• market trends in container prices as the Red Sea heats up
• how Asia is buying grains and what impacts it is facing with the crisis
• key predictions on grain shipping markets in the next few months

By Ha Thu – 14 February 2024
When feed producers develop formulations with the intention of reducing in-feed antibiotics, they need to ensure the optimization of the ingredients to support animal health. Kurt Wegleitner, Managing Director, and Waraporn Kraitavin – Regional Technical Support Manager at Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH, shared with Asian Agribiz that phytobiotics are a proven and feasible solution. With clear plant material designs for specific animal health aspects backed by scientific facts, the results can be rewarding, realizing good performance without AGP.

By Meliyana – 7 February 2024
Good hatchery management is crucial to produce high-quality chicks and to maximize hatch rates and ensure successful in-ovo vaccination.
Asian Agribiz speaks with Gerd de Lange, Senior Poultry Specialist at Royal Pas Reform, about how in-ovo vaccination works for effective vaccine delivery.
In this podcast, he discusses:
• advantages of in-ovo vaccination
• vaccine administration
• the reasons why in-ovo vaccination might fail, and
• the hatchery management strategies recommended by Pas Reform.

By Isa Q Tan – 31 January 2024
Soybean meal (sbm) is the main source of plant-based protein that contains all the essential amino acids necessary to maximize animal growth and development. However, when ordinary sbm is used in starter feed, young animals have difficulty digesting it because of its anti-nutritional factors (ANFs).
In this podcast, Dr Glenn Ferriol, Area Manager – Indonesia, Malaysia & Philippines at Hamlet Protein, discusses what ANFs are, the harm they cause to animals, and strategies to minimize or remove them in young animal diets.

By Meliyana – 24 January 2024
Each feed ingredient has pros and cons when used in aquafeed formulation. DDGS stands out due to its high protein content, well-balanced essential amino acids, and lack of anti-nutritional factors.
Asian Agribiz talks with Dr Romi Novriadi, Vice Chairman of Indonesia’s Aquaculture Society and lecturer at the Jakarta Technical University of Fisheries on why DDGS is a viable alternative shrimp feed ingredient.
In this podcast, he discusses:
• the properties of DDGS as an alternative ingredient for shrimp feed;
• the challenges facing the aquafeed industry; and
• the industry’s expectations in the future.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 17 January 2024
Producers wanting to meet the demand of younger consumers for different types of sausages do not need extra equipment. Attagorn Pongthep, General Manager of Handtmann Thailand, explains to Asian Agribiz how co-extrusion technology allows producers to:
1. Offer sausages with viscous fillings like cheese and sauces.
2. Acquire new market share.
3. Create new opportunities for developing, designing, and marketing innovative meat, cheese, fish, vegetarian, vegan, kosher, and halal products.
4. Have excellent potential to broaden their product range efficiently.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 10 January 2024
Infectious Laryngotracheitis which is a highly contagious upper respiratory tract disease in chickens often opens door to other illnesses once it infects a flock. Asian Agribiz talks to Dr K S Prajapati Retired Professor from the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry in Anand, India on why this particular disease is hard to control and vaccinate for.
In this podcast you will learn:
• What to lookout for when ILT is around the corner
• How do avoid disease spread
• The best ways to vaccinate or avoid the disease altogether.

By Ha Thu – 3 January 2024
As farmers focus on lowering production costs, and feed makers are challenged with labels that meet regulations, home mixing appears to resolve both. However, home-mixers may face challenges such as technology, knowledge of animal nutrition, and extra investment in processing equipment as they pursue this idea. Matthew Clark, Director of FeedGuys Resources shares that home mixing can be simple. With some operational adjustments, training, and initial investment, the results can be rewarding with significant savings.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 20 December 2023
The Northern Soy Marketing (NSM) Board in the US, conducted a study on Southeast Asia to look at what matters to buyers most when it comes to soybean purchasing. A key outcome of the research was the knowledge people had on the usage of essential amino acids and critical amino acid value metrics when formulating poultry diets. Asian Agribiz talks to Seth Naeve, Prof at the University of Minnesota and Prof Bob Swick, Adjunct Professor of Poultry Nutrition with Poultry Hub Australia, to understand why these metrics can make a difference in the quality of soybeans you buy and what it means for better poultry nutrition.
In this podcast you will learn:
• Why the critical amino acid value in soybeans is important for poultry diet formulation,
• Why digestible amino acid values are more important than crude protein values when formulating diets,
• How to purchase the best soybeans for poultry diets.

By Arief Fachrudin – 13 December 2023
Asean’s first cage-free training center is up and running in Jogjakarta, Indonesia. Asian Agribiz talks to Jayasimha Nuggehalli, COO of Global Food Partners (GFP), about the new center, on:
• The reason for choosing Indonesia as the location
• Partners and their contributions to the center
• Programs offered at the center
• Ultimate goals of the center

By Meliyana – 29 November 2023
The global plant-based alternative protein market is growing annually. New companies are finding solutions to create alternatives to beef, chicken, pork, and even seafood. This phenomenon is also happening in Indonesia, where people are concerned about alternative protein that can impact their health.
Widya Putra, CEO of Meatless Kingdom, an Indonesian plant-based meat producer, discusses his journey in this industry and its prospects.
In this podcast with Asian Agribiz, he discusses:
• The Indonesian market for alternative protein
• How to introduce products to the market?
• What are the challenges faced?
• Future market opportunities

By Isa Q Tan – 15 November 2023
The animal protein industry is fraught with diseases. With the increasing push to reduce antibiotic use, disease management has become even more challenging.
In this podcast with Asian Agribiz, Mary Grace Alba delves into the crucial role of vaccination in preventing and controlling diseases. Dr Alba shares insights on the importance of vaccination, strategies for crafting effective vaccination programs, and how it aids producers in meeting demands for less antibiotic use in production.

By Somhatai Mosika – 25 October 2023
 As many countries have strict rules and controls on the use of antibiotics in the livestock industry, bacteriophage is emerging as an option to address on-farm bacterial infections.
Asian Agribiz talks to Dr Kitiya Vongkamjan, co-Founder and CEO of UniFAHS, an expert on phage technology about how this solution can help livestock producers tackle bacterial pathogen.  Listen to the podcast to learn:
• Developments in bacteriophage and its functions within the host animal.
• Benefits of bacteriophage technology compared to antibiotic treatment.
• Recommendations in implementing the technology.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 10 October 2023
In 2015, Korean company CJ Bio introduced a revolutionary product- L-methionine. It is said to have higher bioavailability than DL- methionine and is cheaper. But the journey towards wider acceptance of this has been slow. Asian Agribiz talks to Dr Jae Cheol Kim Head of Technical Solution Center at CJ Bio APAC about how L-methionine can change the feed sector and help producers achieve sustainability targets while reducing costs. Listen to the podcast to learn:
• How CJ Bio’s key product L Methionine can revolutionize the feed industry
• Ways in which producers can achieve that fine balance between sustainability and cost-effective pricing.
• The ways in which the right additives can help in a price sensitive feed market.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 27 September 2023
As meat consumption rises, producers and processors are mulling investing in new plants or extending existing facilities. But there are factors to consider. Manuel van’t Sant, Regional Director Sales, Poultry Asia & Oceania Marel Poultry, outlines some including:
1. Investing according to business goals
2. Factoring in the location of the plant for space constraints,
3. The environment’s infrastructure and accessibility to point-of-sale,
4. Cost which includes compliance with local guidelines and time for approvals, and
5. The current situation in other countries.
Mr van’t Sant has worked extensively in the Asian poultry industry and has a sound perspective of markets here.

By Ha Thu – 13 September 2023
Group sow housing is gaining ground in Asia, where animal welfare is growing in importance. The concept offers an environment for more than one sow to lie down, stand up, and turn around during their pregnancy instead of being confined to crates.
In this podcast, Mikael Kirk, CEO of Agrisys, a supplier of swine farm equipment from Denmark, discusses how group sow housing outperforms crate systems and how swine producers can adopt this system to advance animal welfare and their image in farming while optimizing their investment.

By Arief Fachrudin – 6 September 2023
Research has proven that clay is effective as a multi-mycotoxin binder. However, not all clay-based mycotoxin binders are the same.
In this podcast, Erika Kusuma Wardani, Clariant’s Regional Manager Asia Pacific for Feed Business, details what makes them different in terms of the mining and production process.
She also explains key parameters to determine the quality of a clay-based mycotoxin binder, as well as specific binders to bind specific mycotoxins.

By Meliyana – 30 August 2023
Weather remains a focus for US corn and soybean farmers, as overly dry or wet weather can impact final yields. Mac Marshall, VP of Market Intelligence at United Soybean Board, shares his insights on this dynamic and trends regarding corn and soybean demand.
In this podcast with Asian Agribiz, he discusses:
• Corn and soybean harvest for the current planting season
• The main markets for South America
• Long-term outlook on grain costs
• Factors affecting grain and oilseed supply for animal feed

By Somhatai Mosika – 16 August 2023
Asia is emerging as the main driver in restoring the global economy fueled by a vibrant food industry. Food manufacturers are expanding their operations and seeking new solutions to enhance the capacity and efficiency of their production lines. Asian Agribiz talks to Axel Arras, Chairman of FPT Food Process Technology, to learn about the demand for machinery and equipment in the region.
This podcast will touch on:
• Trends in food processing machinery and equipment in the Asian market
• Comparison between new and reconditioned machinery
• Tips for choosing the best solutions for food production lines

By Arief Fachrudin – 2 August 2023
Since several players in the Horeca industry in Asia have expressed their commitment to source cage-free eggs only, producers in the region are preparing to meet demand.
Asian Agribiz learns from Dietmar Tepe, Managing Director of KAT, the German Association for Controlled Alternative Animal Husbandry that provides a testing system for eggs from alternative husbandry systems, that shifting to cage-free egg production is “not as easy as turning the palm of the hand”.
But early birds will reap more benefits. Therefore, Mr Tepe suggests that producers be brave and drive this growing trend.
In this podcast, he offers advice to egg producers in the region who plan to transition.

By Alphecca Arriesgado – 19 July 2023
One of the main goals of producers is to lower production costs, and bulk of these costs are feeds. With that, many are looking into utilizing alternative ingredients. But is it really feasible? Can those really be an alternative to the typical ingredients? Dr Rommel Sulabo, Professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños talks about how we can properly utilize these alternative ingredients to reduce production costs while maintaining the integrity and efficiency of animal production.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 4 July 2023
Meat and seafood are being consumed in different ways in Asia, thanks to cultural openness, cuisines and preference. Suppliers are using technology to cater to precision portioning, as different cuts, weight measurements and shape of meats are changing. Eric Gohres, Vice President Asia Pacific of Marelec Food Technologies tells Asian Agribiz that:
1) Cultural exchange, urbanization and population growth are leading consumers to eat differently.
2) Meat product differentiation covers both home cooking and foodservices.
3) Big brands are heavily investing in secondary and further processing alongside changing trends.
4) Deboning, especially of dark meat is trending and is being used for foodservices products.
5) In terms of technology, x-ray and water-technology is trending for precision, accuracy and flexibility.
Eric Gohres has more than 20 years of experience and an extensive network in the meat and poultry processing industry covering the Asia-Pacific region. His understanding of the industry enables him to analyze and understand customer demands for the right application, to help them advance profitably.

By Isa Q Tan – 7 June 2023
Stress, caused by various factors, is a big issue in pig production. It is present throughout a pig’s life, and depending on the situation, may not be necessarily harmful.
Isa Q. Tan talks with Dr Karl Alexander Fabros, Technical Consultant-Swine at Elanco Malaysia, to better understand what stress is, what triggers it, when it becomes a concern, and how it impacts health and productivity. He also offers tips on how to mitigate stress.

By Meliyana – 7 June 2023 AM
The Pacific Northwest (PNW) is quite distinct in terms of logistics and the quality of the soybean from the area. The soybeans coming from the area have a specific quality profile. While lower in protein, they have a high concentration of amino acids.
In this podcast, Seth Naeve, Associate Professor and Soybean Agronomist from the University of Minnesota, discuss why the PNW is becoming more attractive to Asian buyers of soybean and soybean meal (sbm).
He also shares that PNW will remain important for Asian buyers and the challenges for area soybean producers regarding soybean and sbm exports and markets.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 24 May 2023
India’s alternative protein sector is on an upswing as new companies emerge by the day. Despite the backing of celebrities and international brands, the segment is yet to see mass commercialization. Asian Agribiz talks to Viscofan, Country Head, India, Pedro Sinues on the potential of plant based sausages in the country and whether they will revolutionize the convenience foods market in India.
This podcast will touch on:
• Potential and pain points of plant based meats
• Production issues
• Market capabilities of plant based meats

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 17 May 2023
On the sidelines of VIV Asia 2023, AB Vista, Managing Director, Juan Ignacio Fernandez talks to Asian Agribiz on the future growth strategies of the company in Asia. Mr Fernandez has always emphasised on Asia’s potential to drive growth in his company even as several countries struggle to cope with tough economic conditions this year.
This podcast will touch on:
• Challenges in the animal protein industry
• The potential growth points for AB Vista and Asia

By Ha Thu – 10 May 2023
Feed is the biggest cost on a farm, and the first component producers should check to see where money can be saved while ensuring sound production parameters.
In this podcast, Nigel Godde shares how intelligent feeding programs can help pig producers improve efficiency during this challenging time with historically high ingredient prices and fierce competitiveness.
Mr Godde is Sales Director for the Pig Division at Big Dutchman Asia.

By Arief Fachrudin – 26 April 2023
At the 2022 Broiler Feed Quality Conference, Dr Pradeep Krishnan, Technical Service Director at Evonik SEA presented how guanidino acetic acid (GAA) supplementation improved performance of vegetable protein diets and how GAA can compensate for low dietary energy in corn-sbm diet in Asia.
In this follow-up podcast, Asian Agribiz learns from him how GAA can also improve meat quality, reduce health issues, and improve animal welfare.
To learn more about GAA, visit guanamino.evonik.com.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 5 April 2023
As implementation of Environmental, Social and Governance or ESG goals gain momentum, livestock stakeholders must understand some basic things. Malaysia’s carbon-related agriculture analyst and researcher, Dr Chian Wen Chan told Asian Agribiz that among other:
• Ratings are mostly given by accounting companies instead of science-based research and analytical bodies, and ratings will vary.
• ESG standards must be specifically tailored for different industries and there are no general standardized criteria.

By Isa Q Tan – 15 March 2023
For several years now, ASF has dominated the pig industry worldwide. However, there are other pig diseases that continue to hound the industry.
Dr Rolando Cruz talks to Asian Agribiz about the diseases that producers in Southeast Asia should be on the lookout for, and what strategies they can take to prevent and/or minimize their incidence and rebuild their herd.
Dr Cruz is currently Biochem Zusatzstoffe’s Regional Sales Manager for Asia Pacific and a veterinary consultant in Southeast Asia.
Get the latest information and more practical tips at Asian Agribiz’s Pig Health Conference in May 2023. Technical presentations will stream online on May 3, 10, and 17, and will be followed with live presentations and discussions at the Hotel Nikko Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City on May 22-23. Please email sutasinee@asian-agribiz.com for more details and to register.

By Meliyana – 1 March 2023
Modern probiotics are mainly bacteria that are selectively chosen to fight off pathogens, improve the immune system, and restore gut microbial balance. To select probiotics, we must follow certain guidelines to ensure that the product qualifies for animal use.
In this podcast, Nadia Yacoubi, Technical Marketing Director for Gut Health Solution at Evonik Animal Nutrition talks about the role and mode of action (MOA) of modern probiotics.
She also shares the advantages of modern probiotics and how these are applied to different livestock.
She explains it is possible to use more than one probiotic or strain at the same time, but we must first check their compatibility as they can also compete or inhibit each other.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 15 February 2023
Life cycle assessments in the feed industry are becoming a common phenomenon to measure the environmental impact of the business. Collecting data for this task however can be tedious and time consuming. Europe based not for profit, Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) is working on making things simpler by building a database on the impact each feed ingredient and process has within the animal protein industry. Asian Agribiz talks to GFLI on how they are going about it and why is it important for Asia.
This podcast will touch on:
• What is an LCA
• How LCA can reduce environmental impact of your business while saving costs
• How you can be a first mover in Asia with a LCA

By Ha Thu – 1 February 2023
Farmers in Asia have tightened biosecurity in response to stave off pig diseases. Yet mistakes still happen.
In this podcast with Asian Agribiz, Etienne Guérou, CEO and Founder of Pigstech, talks about how development of farming technologies can help swine producers minimize biosecurity errors and improve management at pig farms.
Mr Guérou also shares some thoughts on technologies that farmers should prioritize and invest in to improve farm biosecurity and management.

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By Arief Fachrudin – 18 January 2023
Farm management in cage-free egg production is more complicated. When it comes to flock health, producers should implement the right disease prevention and control program.
In this podcast with Asian Agribiz, Fernando Carrasquer, Global Technical Service and Veterinary Specialist at H&N International identifies the main diseases and behavioral problems to lookout for.
Dr Carrasquer also shares strategies to improve farm biosecurity and flock immunity.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 4 January 2023
Manipulating the nutrient content of DDGS and brown rice to use in broiler feed is easier than you think, according to Matthew Clark. In this podcast following through from the Broiler Feed Quality Conference 2022, he looks at the salient points of these two ingredients such as:
• Choosing the right location and producers of DDGS means better results
• understanding the true value of the DDGS
• using NIR tools, the variability and content of DDGS is better understood
• brown or co-rice is an excellent alternative, should be encouraged in production
• the nutrient profile of brown rice is almost the same as corn and why
Mr Clark graduated in Agriculture from London University and has since focused mainly on projects in the feed and farming business in Southeast Asia. He is a founding member of Genesis Feed Technologies, based in Fargo, North Dakota. He concurrently works on the development, sales, and implementation of formulation systems, starting with the Brill Corporation in Atlanta as Vice President of Product Development in 1990 and continued in that role as a distributor and consultant for Brill Formulation Systems.
Read more here:
DDGS, and rice co-products are good for broiler diets
Broiler Feed Quality Conference digs deep into broiler diets

By Arief Fachrudin – 21 December 2022
However, the paramount factor is human resource (HR) that runs the business.
Jaap ten Have, Managing Director of Nomilk2day Asia, lists HR challenges in the industry.
“We see many vacancies, but not many suitable candidates. Companies must be more creative to lure potential candidates. Inflation is a contributing factor, pushing people to stay in their jobs a bit longer for security,” Mr ten Have told Asian Agribiz.
“We also observe that loyalty is waning. We don’t see people working for the same company for 20-30 years anymore,” he added.
In this podcast, Mr ten Have addresses:
• tips for foreign employees to succeed in Asia,
• pain points of Asian candidates in moving up their career ladder,
• and ideas to attract the younger generation to join the animal protein industry.

By Isa Q Tan – 14 December 2022
For years, pork has gotten a bad rap as an ‘unhealthy’ meat, but is it really?
In this podcast, Darryl D’Souza, Executive General Manager for Technical Services at the Sunpork Group in Australia, says not so. On the contrary, pork has many benefits, but as with all good things, moderation is key.
He discusses these benefits and encourages producers to “tell our story” to counter the misconceptions about pork and encourage greater consumption. He also notes that the current slowdown in consumption is just a glitch caused by the reduced supply due to ASF. Despite the challenges posed by poultry meat and alternative proteins, pork’s hold on the Asian market remains firm.

By Meliyana – 7 December 2022
Amid supply disruptions and higher prices of corn and soybean meal, feedmillers and farmers in Asia are looking to leverage alternative feed ingredients from local sources.
In this podcast, animal nutrition consultant Peter Robson discusses the options available. He noted that feedmillers are more limited in the type of ingredients they can buy and use due to the equipment in the feedmill. Dry ingredients typically make up the bulk of the ingredients in the ration. 
Meanwhile, farmers who home-mix can utilize ingredients that feedmillers cannot use. However, Mr Robson pointed out that it is crucial to know the nutritional content of each feed ingredient.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 30 November 2022
Food security is a top priority for China and like many governments in Asia, they are keen on securing their own local supply. One of the main ways this can be achieved through is improving crop yields with GM seed. Asian Agribiz talks to Darin Friedrichs, co-founder of Sitonia Consulting to know how China is managing to get everyone on board with GM.
This podcast will touch on:
• The impact of GM policy in China
• How governments can convince the public on GM
• Long term grain market implications as China turns to GM

By Meliyana – 23 November 2022
Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD/Gumboro) is one of the most common diseases affecting commercial poultry in Asia. In the clinical acute form (vvIBDV), the disease causes significant economic losses due to mortality, reduced performance, and immunosuppression that lead to increased susceptibility to other diseases.
In this podcast, Leandro Ferreira, Poultry Technical Director Southeast Asia at Phibro Animal Health Corporation said biosecurity and vaccination are key to preventing IBD. Poor biosecurity, incorrect vaccination programs, and multi-age farms are the main issues confronting control of the disease.

By Ha Thu – 10 November 2022
The sow herd is a profitability driver of breed to finish swine farms. Maintaining the sow herd’s health status can help swine farms significantly improve pig survival and performance from birth to market weight, and therefore is crucial for a farm’s long-term profitability.
Watwarat Janjariyakul, Technical Sales Manager Southeast Asia at APC Inc believes that it is important to maintain a healthy culling ratio, at 30-40%, and a sow parity at 3-3.5.
He emphasizes that farms can improve the culling ratio by reducing the number of involuntary sows with better farm management and sow-care programs.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 9 November 2022
As animal husbandry best practices change across Asia, there are still some skills and features like standardized diagnostics that are needed to enhance care. Dr Roselle Cudal, Elanco’s Senior Technical Consultant for Swine said while veterinarians are well-versed in how to take care of livestock, especially pigs at a time when ASF is a challenge, farmhands still need training and guidance. This podcast discusses:
• How diagnostic structures are a still needed feature on farms. Expertise to be able to handle it is imperative.
• Why standardized procedures and harmonization is needed across labs and diagnostics entities for comparable results.
• Management systems for farms are vital, and training of those systems even more so.
• Investment in housing and climate control are part of good management systems.
Dr Cudal is a published, animal health practitioner with over 20 years of experience, both in the field as well as in academia. Her technical advice pertaining to AGPs and biosecurity for pig health is well-versed in the region.

By Arief Fachrudin – 26 October 2022
Marek’s (MD), infectious bursal (IBD) or Gumboro, and Newcastle disease (ND) are prevalent in Asia. Providing a strong immune foundation and optimized protection against the three poultry diseases is important.
Asian Agribiz speaks to Phang Yuen Fun, Technical Manager, Avian, at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, about the three viral diseases and a breakthrough in hatchery vaccination.
In this podcast, Dr Phang explains about:
• The current situation of MD, IBD, and ND in Asia.
• Boehringer’s 3-in-1 hatchery vaccine to protect against the diseases.
• Key advantages of the vaccine and the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of using it.

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By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 12 October 2022
Tanawat Damnernthong General Manager of Burger (Thailand), sees opportunities for business growth and expansion, backed by growing burger consumption. Burger King offers both premium and affordable options. It has diversified its product offering and sales channels to meet consumer demand. Apart from meat and plant-based burgers, it offers rice with meat, rice porridge with pork and fried chicken. The company is also investing and growing its digital touchpoints, including its own app, website, delivery services and kiosks.
In this podcast, Mr Tanawat addresses:
• Opportunities and challenges in the burger business in Thailand
• Burger King’s business strategy
• The value of product and channel diversification
• Why flavor localization is crucial and
• Opportunities in plant-based burgers and the company’s plan for this product category.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 5 October 2022
The feed additive industry has been facing several challenges with Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict which has disrupted supply chains into Asia. Asian Agribiz talks to Adisseo Regional Supply Chain Manager for Asia Pacific, Rudy Yeo on the status of the feed additive market and the challenges that lie ahead for the industry.
This podcast touches on:
• strategies to overcome high logistic costs in the supply chain
• trends in supply chain movement into Asia
• new investments in alternative feed proteins

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 28 September 2022
Meat producers are facing some of the toughest challenges currently with inflated production cost and prices. However, Dr Carmelo Ferlito of the economic think-tank Center for Market Education told Asian Agribiz that the problem started in 2020, when governments in the region implemented pandemic lockdowns.
His solutions included increasing productivity and producing efficiently, using austere measures and technology to safeguard consumer interests, to ensure purchasing ability is maintained.
Dr Carmelo Ferlito is an economist and a manager working and living in Malaysia since 2011. He is currently the CEO of the Center for Market Education and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is also a Research Advisor for Provalindo Nusa in Jakarta, Indonesia, and a Senior Fellow at the Property Rights Alliance in Washington, DC.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 19 September 2022
Asian pig producers are facing many challenges in production. One of these challenges is to grow the pig population in Asia post-ASF, and this is where technology can help, said Art Frio, Technical Director, 1st Ten Consulting Asia Pacific.
“There’s a huge deficit in terms of pork production and supply in pork-eating countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines post-ASF,” he noted. “Thus, farmers are looking at new and innovative ways to increase production. Doing so however can be costly, such as investing in evaporative cooling houses and using automation in feeding systems. But in the long run, it will be cost-effective as these systems help to save on water and keep infections at bay, contributing to lesser usage of antibiotics or medicines. Gone are the days we raise pigs in open spaces.”
On Day 3 of Asian Agribiz’s Pig Feed Quality Conference, streaming on September 29, Mr Frio will lead the session on ‘Solving the pain points in Asian pig production’. 

By Isa Q Tan – 14 September 2022
For many years, the production of colored birds, sometimes referred to as ‘kampung’ or native chickens, was relegated to small and independent backyard farmers. Systems were unscientific, with birds allowed to roam free and eat what they could find in their surroundings and whatever feed they were given.
Today, however, raising these birds has become more science-based, with upgrades in genetics, nutrition, and management practices.
In this podcast, Isa Q Tan, Asian Agribiz’s Regional Correspondent in the Philippines, talks with Dr Erwin Joseph Cruz, about how the raising of colored birds has changed over the years and where colored bird farming is heading today.
Dr Cruz is an independent poultry veterinarian who since 1987 has been helping raise the standard of colored bird farming in the Philippines.

By Ha Thu – 8 September 2022
With pressure led by disease and feed cost, the focus in pig production should be on health and efficiency, in addition to growth.
At this year’s Pig Feed Quality Conference, Dr Theerawit Poeikhampha will discuss “How can you build a robust pig, fit to face the nutrition and health challenges?”
He will share three practical strategies in nutrition that help pig producers improve the performance and efficiency of their pigs. Dr Theerawit Poeikhampha is Assistant Professor at the Department of Animal Science, Kasetsart University, Thailand.

By Meliyana – 5 September 2022
The feed raw material market is currently volatile and unpredictable. The key to survival is to be knowledgeable about alternative ingredients and how to evaluate and manage them. However, it is important to keep the focus on the real issue: The cost to produce a kilogram of pork.
At this year’s Pig Feed Quality Conference, Dr Megan Edwards will lead the session on ‘Timely strategies to reduce feed costs’.
“We are going to look at alternative raw materials, alternative nutritional strategies, the value of functional feed additives and what drives up sow productivity,” she says.
Dr Megan is an animal nutrition consultant at Integral Nutrition, Singapore.

By Meliyana – 31 August 2022
A growing population and rising incomes are expected to double global demand for animal protein in the coming years. But climate change will likely affect output and derail supply.
In this podcast, Ageng Herianto, Assistant FAO Representative in Indonesia discusses the impact of climate change on animal production and FAO’s work on the issue.
According to Mr Herianto without collective actions and a proper program to respond to climate change, millions of people will go hungry, and livelihoods may be lost. Close collaboration with stakeholders at multiple levels will help minimize the negative impact on the livestock sector and ensure sufficient supply.

By Arief Fachrudin – 17 August 2022
No debate that taste, texture, and price are the main pain points of plant-based proteins that are currently available. However, healthiness and safety are also key factors.
In this podcast, Dr Diana Bogueva, Manager of the Centre for Advanced Food Engineering at the University of Sydney, Australia explains why healthiness and safety are important factors for the plant-based protein industry in designing the next generation of products.
Dr Bogueva, who was one of the speakers of Asian Agribiz’s Asian Meat Summit, also explains why plant-based products are a simple but powerful choice for consumers.

By Ha Thu – 3 August 2022
Feed is a major route for swine disease transmission. Feed that is contaminated with viral pathogens, even at trivial levels, could significantly increase the probability of infection with high morbidity and mortality rates.
In this podcast, Andrew Yersin and Alex De Leon from Kemin Industries discuss the use of formaldehyde-based feed mitigants as a feed additive to prevent diseases transmitted via feed.
They address:
• How organic acids offer safety to pigs and consumers
• The inclusion of organic acids in the feed do not present adverse effect on the pigs’ feed intake and growth performance.
• Using organic acids as pathogen mitigants can help enhance feed biosecurity.
Dr Andrew Yersin is Senior Vice President, Quality Assurance & Monogastric Technical Service, Kemin Industries in the US. Dr Alex De Leon is currently the Head of Technical Services at Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health, Asia Pacific. Both have strong backgrounds and knowledge of gut health, veterinary nutrition, and feed formulations.

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By Zahrah Imtiaz – 20 July 2022
As we hit the second half of the year and several markets see transitions between old and new crops with higher ending stocks predicted for the second quarter. Asian Agribiz talks to Amit Sachdev, Regional Consultant, South Asia for the US Grains Council to find out what this means for grain markets in Asia and how do buyers in the region get their hands on some much needed grain.
This podcast will touch on:
• what to expect in grain markets in Q2 2022
• trends in freight
• how to overcome high freight cost

By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 6 July 2022
Automation is on the rise in the meat and meat processing industry, with more companies in Asia investing in automated machines and solutions. While large multinational companies are investing heavily in technology to boost their productivity, smaller companies are not moving fast enough. Meanwhile, there are not enough professionals like veterinarians, animal husbandry workers and engineers who have knowledge of data analysis and technology. Hence, one of the major challenges facing the industry is technology education and digital upskilling.
In this podcast, Gordon Butland addresses:
• Automation and technology adoption in the meat industry
• Opportunities and challenges in adopting the technology
• Opportunities in online, direct-to-consumer protein sales
• Alternative protein market outlook
Gordon Butland is Director at G&S Agriconsultants.

By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 21 June 2022
Alternative proteins, especially plant-based options, are gaining traction in Asia and particularly in Thailand. Plant-based options are becoming mainstream due to the rise in pandemic-related food safety, health, and sustainability concerns. Thai Union (TU) is one of the companies, which see opportunities in this arena. The company launched its plant-based ‘OMG meat’ brand last year, tapping consumer demand for alternative proteins. TU is optimistic about the prospect of this product category, but notes that it is crucial to improve the taste, texture, and nutritional value of plant-based proteins.
In this podcast, Maarten Geraets addresses:
• Business opportunities for plant-based proteins in Thailand and Asia.
• The main challenges in the plant-based proteins market.
• Price gap between meat and alternative proteins and its implications.
• Thai Union’s plan for plant-based proteins and the company’s open innovation model.
Maarten Geraets is Managing Director of Thai Union Group’s alternative proteins division.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 7 June 2022
Managing the health of cage free layers is not that different from managing regular layers. According to Mike Button, Consultant of Veterinary Health International, a good health management system include:
• Balancing production costs – why although it is higher compared to commercial production, consumer demand translates to a willingness to pay a premium.
• Health management is a collaborative effort – from feed suppliers to transporters to biosecurity management at the farm.
• Training and labor costs are part of overall health management costs as cage free production requires different skill sets.
• Main challenges include the environment and how well the birds are trained. Litter handling, bathing, and pecking are part of health management to be considered and to avoid excessive floor or dirty eggs.
Mike has been in the livestock industry for over 35 years and is experienced in all areas of business management, sales, marketing, team leadership and production. He has been instrumental in developing new markets, new distributors and new products in the UK and international markets. In poultry, his in-depth knowledge covers breeders, commercial and cage free layers in rearing, health/husbandry management and bio-security sectors.

By Isa Q Tan – 24 May 2022
The most challenging part of animal protein production today is rising production costs which has been exacerbated recently by the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain challenges, and the Russia-Ukraine war.
With input costs often beyond the control of pig industry players, improving production efficiencies is critical to temper the impacts of rising production costs.
Yanbin Shen, Director of Technical Services at APC LLC discusses with Asian Agribiz on how producers can enhance efficiencies during these challenging times, and what solutions APC offers to help them achieve this.

By Meliyana – 10 May 2022
In this podcast, Dr Olivier Decamp, Group Technical Director at Grobest discusses the opportunities and constraints in reducing the aquaculture sector’s dependence on fishmeal.
Dr Olivier said the growth of this sector has created growing demand for fishmeal over the past decade. However, fishmeal production is facing many challenges. Hence, the need to replace fishmeal with alternative protein sources for sustainability.
According to Dr Olivier, it is important to understand fishmeal substitutes. It is not only about the nutrients provided by the substitutes but also the attractiveness and palatability and whether this is on par with or better than fishmeal.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 26 April 2022
The last two years have seen crisis after crisis affect global meat supply chains. Asia which is home to some of the biggest meat producers as well as consumers have been forced to adapt to change fast, simply to keep afloat. Asian Agribiz talks to Christopher Omiecinski, Meat Sale Director for the Asia Pacific at Marel to understand the challenges as well as the opportunities ahead.
This podcast will touch on:
• latest trends in investments into meat processing plants
• short and long term impacts of continuous supply chain disruptions
• trends in the primary as well as further processing meat products market

By Arief Fachrudin – 12 April 2022
In this podcast, Asian Agribiz talks to Benny Chng of SGInnovate to get a venture capitalist’s perspective about technology adoption in the animal protein sector in the region. He discusses drivers of growing meat consumption, new technologies (precision farming, blockchain, black soldier fly larvae, and alternative proteins), and challenges in adopting the technologies.

Note: This podcast was recorded in January 2022 and Mr Chng was interviewed in his capacity as Assistant Director, Investments at SGInnovate. He has since moved on to another role.

By Isa Q Tan – 29 March 2022
For many years now, PRRS has been one of the most economically devastating pig diseases globally. Despite the availability of vaccines and improving biosecurity protocols, pig producers worldwide lose billions of dollars annually because of the disease.
Thus, the development of a PRRS-resistant pig, announced by the University of Missouri in the US in 2015, is a breakthrough for the global pig industry. But seven years later, the PRRS-resistant pig remains under research, still at arm’s length from commercial production.
In this podcast, Asian Agribiz talks to David Casey, Asia Product Performance Director at PIC Inc to find out how the PRRS-resistant pig came about, where the current research is, and importantly, will the PRRS-resistant pig be found in commercial production soon.

By Arief Fachrudin – 22 March 2022
In this podcast, Budi Tangendjaja, Technical Consultant at US Grains Council, discusses how the Russia-Ukraine war has impacted the supply, demand, and prices of feed grains including corn, wheat, and soybean, in Southeast Asia.
According to him, the situation is complicated since logistics disruptions are still a concern. Besides, the US’ policy to increase biodiesel production has driven soybean meal prices up further.
Finally, Dr Tangendjaja recommends that feed producers in the region identify available alternative ingredients to reduce their feed production costs.

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By Zahrah Imtiaz – 15 March 2022
In this podcast, Budi Tangendjaja, Technical Consultant at US Grains Council, discusses how the Russia-Ukraine war has impacted the supply, demand, and prices of feed grains including corn, wheat, and soybean, in Southeast Asia.
According to him, the situation is complicated since logistics disruptions are still a concern. Besides, the US’ policy to increase biodiesel production has driven soybean meal prices up further.
Finally, Dr Tangendjaja recommends that feed producers in the region identify available alternative ingredients to reduce their feed production costs.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 1 March 2022
Keeping pathogens out of animal feed is an overwhelming task that needs a lot of planning and assessment. Asian Agribiz talks to Dr Simon Carlton from Anitox to demystify this process. He is responsible for customer technical support to help improve both feed biosecurity and milling efficiency in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia and Asia Pacific for Anitox.
The podcast will touch on:
• How bad feedmill design can contribute to biosecurity risks
• The use of in-feed mitigants to reduce the spread of pathogens
• Focusing on recontamination and cross contamination at the feedmill

By Ha Thu – 22 February 2022
The past two years have been tough for Asia’s livestock industry with many challenges resulting from the double scourge of ASF and Covid-19.
David John Whitehead, Chairman of Mavin Group, said the Group has survived thanks to many effective and creative solutions put in place during the pandemic.
However, he believes producers should learn from the challenges to prepare for the future, and adapt to the new trends that are driving the industry, such as consumer habits and environmental concerns.
Moving forward, he still has confidence in a positive future and progress for the animal protein industry.

By Arief Fachrudin – 15 February 2022
In this second part, Vincent Guyonnet, Managing Director at FFI Consulting and past speaker of Asian Agribiz’s Layer Feed Quality Conference, says the time is right for Southeast Asian egg producers to innovateand invest in branding and packaging.
Dr Guyonnet also suggests the producers invest in egg processing to enjoy price and supply stability. “The potential is great as there are only few egg-processing plants in the region,” he says.
On environmental sustainability, Dr Guyonnet says producers should address the issue beginning with feed because almost 70% of production emissions come from feed. Therefore, producers should find ways to improve the feed conversion ratio.
Finally, Dr Guyonnet addresses the importance of modern precision farming and automation and their link to production costs, animal health, food safety, and sustainability.

By Arief Fachrudin – 8 February 2022
As home to 670 million people, Southeast Asia offers a huge opportunity for the egg industry. However, there are challenges for the industry to grow and develop.
In this podcast, Vincent Guyonnet, Managing Director at FFI Consulting and past speaker of Asian Agribiz’s Layer Feed Quality Conference, discusses opportunities in the region particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand.
In grabbing the opportunities, Dr Guyonnet suggests egg producers collaborate to increase market volume through nutrition and egg consumption campaigns, among others.
On challenges, he cites disease as a constant reminder for producers to keep strengthening and improving biosecurity.
Last but not the least, Dr Guyonnet offeres his analytical and objective view on the cage-free movement in the region.

By Meliyana – 25 January 2022
Producers blame vaccination failure when diseases occur in farms, but often, it is the handling/administration/procedures that are the cause. In this podcast with Meliyana of Asian Agribiz, Jessica Lee of Ceva Animal Health discusses:
• Why to vaccinate and how vaccines work
• The right time to vaccinate
• How should vaccines be handled/stored
• Why vaccination may not be effective
• Vaccine technology in the future
Jessica Lee is Veterinary Services Manager at Ceva Animal Health Asia, overseeing veterinary services related affairs in the region. She had experience in hatchery vaccination equipment, product registration, field veterinary services and vaccination support in hatchery.

By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 18 January 2022
Food waste in the meat industry has substantial environmental and economic impacts. Estimates suggest that 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed. Food waste is also a growing issue for producers and is one where decisions on production machinery can have a significant impact on overall efficiency.
In this podcast, Grant Parsons addresses:
• Food and meat waste issues in Asia amid the pandemic
• High technology equipment and packaging that reduce food waste
• Food waste management strategies
• How food waste reduction improves the company’s bottom line
Grant Parsons is APAC Leader – Protein Solutions, Primary & Secondary Processing at JBT.

By Isa Q Tan – 11 January 2022
The animal protein sector is said to contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions and therefore, climate change. But it is also a key component of food security.
This is especially true in Southeast Asia, where challenges continue to hound the animal protein industries where both big and small players play a crucial role. Understandably, improving productivity and enhancing efficiencies are key goals in achieving sustainability. But at the same time, resilience in the face of changing environmental and climatic conditions is also critical to survival.
Forum for the Future, a global sustainability non-profit, is working to help bring about a balanced system in Southeast Asia that could address issues facing animal protein producers in the region.
In this podcast, Lesley Mitchell, Associate Director for Sustainable Nutrition at Forum for the Future, talks to Isa Q Tan about what, through its Animal Protein Southeast Asia challenge, the agency is doing to help achieve this.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 4 January 2022
There is a new Asian consumer in the market, whose palate has changed thanks to education, awareness, and disposable incomes. These new eating behaviors are redirecting the food industry towards aspects such as nutritional and health values, food safety and traceability, together with animal welfare and sustainability.
Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University in the US and the President of Silvertip Management, Dave Donnan says producers have the capacity to steer the industry towards good food production practices according to changing consumer preferences. We captured these valuable insights in the podcast:
• Sustainability is not always at the forefront of purchasing decisions. Taste and price are key drivers of purchase decisions.
• Producers should offer consumers transparency through traceability and labelling.
• Purchasing and sourcing is shifting as producers/processors look for sustainable sources. The focus on commodity buying and cheapest source is shifting to reliable and quality supply.
• Nutritional value of food has become vital post-pandemic. Producers need to look at lean meats, less fat more protein and reformulate to win over health-conscious consumers.
• With e-commerce and the drive towards sustainability should be conscious of food waste and environment friendly packaging.
David Donnan is Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University and President of Silvertip Management. He has significant experience in the agriculture, food, and retail industries, having run companies, managed food plants and consulted to leading global retail and consumer product companies.

By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 21 December 2021
The poultry industry in Southeast Asia has been heavily impacted by the Covid pandemic. Poultry production declined in 2021, for the second year in a row. However, the outlook for 2022 signals improving production and consumption, Rabobank said. Supported by rising vaccination rates, reopening economies, and the resumption of international travel, market conditions are set to improve with higher consumption. Still, costs will remain high, with feed, labor, freight, and energy costs expected to rise.
In this podcast, Nan-Dirk Mulder addresses:
• The outlook for the poultry industry in Southeast Asia in 2022
• Opportunities and challenges of the poultry industry
• The outlook for chicken exports in Thailand and Vietnam
• How producers should adapt their business amid higher input costs
Nan-Dirk Mulder is Senior Global Specialist – Animal Protein at Rabobank.

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By Ha Thu – 14 December 2021
The pig industry is increasingly facing consumer concerns about the environmental impact of its current production system. This has forced producers to focus on sustainability.
In this podcast, Abe Huisman shares what factors enhance sustainability in pig production, and how this helps pig producers improve performance, especially during this period of high feed prices and logistics challenges.
Abe Huisman is Director R&D for the BU Swine of Hendrix Genetics and is responsible for gearing up the global breeding program, implementation of new technologies and realization of maximum progress of the full product portfolio.

By Arief Fachrudin – 7 December 2021
Egg handling systems were designed for egg producers to increase productivity and efficiency and add value to their eggs. End-consumers also get the benefit of buying uniform, graded, clean, and safe eggs.
Dimitri Goossens, General Manager at Moba Asia explains:
• The uptake of egg handling systems in Southeast and South Asia
• Initiatives and collaborations to raise awareness of the value potential which would in turn favor the adoption of egg handling systems
• Lessons learned from countries that have adopted egg handling systems
• Impact of Covid-19 on automation

By Meliyana – 30 November 2021
Disease prevention management is a priority for producers. There are multiple diseases, which contribute to economic losses. The availability of animal health data advances real-time tracking of diseases and enables outbreak prediction. With big data, producers can raise value by identifying actionable information, enabling decision making that promotes efficiency, reduces cost and potential risk.
Suresh Neethirajan offers Asian Agribiz’s community insight into how big data helps in detecting animal diseases. He addresses:
• A description of big data
• Its role in detecting animal diseases
• Tools commonly used for big data analytics
• Challenges in accepting and implementing big data programs
• How big data can revolutionize the animal health industry?
Suresh Neethirajan is Associate Professor in the Animal Sciences Department, Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands.  His background is in bioengineering and sensor technologies, and he is focused on solutions that improve animal health and welfare through digital technologies.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 23 November 2021
The focus on food safety coupled with intermittent Salmonella outbreaks in the region has prompted poultry producers to vaccinate their chicks, especially layers. Western supermarkets have also pushed egg brands to adopt Salmonella vaccinations. This is expected to catch on in Asia. Dr Nicholas Phuah of Elanco said Salmonella contamination can be minimized with early vaccination, which reduces the chances of contamination in the gut. Dr Phuah, Elanco’s Animal Health Technical Manager for Vaccines in Asia Pacific, has been active in the poultry sector for 20 years. He provides technical support and assists customers with trouble shooting, training and support services.
Key takeaways:
• Salmonella vaccinations are available for layer chicks and can reduce or eliminate different strains of the bacteria in the gut.
• Salmonella contamination can happen at any point in the egg or broilers journey to end consumers.
• A good vaccine program should have thorough pre and follow-up measures including biosecurity to reduce contamination.
• Modern Salmonella vaccinations for chicks can be less stressful with easier methods such as via drinking water or feed.

By Isa Q Tan – 16 November 2021
Sustainability is now a buzzword in animal protein production. Yet there remains some misunderstanding or misconceptions about what sustainability means and what it entails.
Peter Fisher, President of Aviagen Asia, sat down with Asian Agribiz to discuss the three pillars of sustainability—economic, environmental, and social—and the importance of balancing the three in broiler production.
“Sustainability is good for business,” he said. “I think [companies] have always looked at the various elements of sustainability, but more and more, industries across the board have been looking at it in a much more holistic way.”
For more details, listen to or download the podcast.

By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 9 November 2021
Poultry production is cost sensitive, and feed is the single biggest cost. It is prudent to remain flexible regarding feed ingredients. Both broilers and layers are adaptable and can utilize nutrients from a wide range of feedstuffs. In Southeast Asia, poultry diets traditionally have utilized corn and soybean meal. But they could perform equally with alternative grains. Still, producers need to understand the nutrient composition of the alternatives and formulate the diets accordingly. 
In this podcast, Tony Edwards addresses:
• Alternative options in poultry diets amid high prices of corn and soybean meal
• The benefits of wheat, barley, sorghum, canola, sunflower meal in poultry diets
• Feed formulation in broiler and layer diets
• Supply of alternative feed ingredients from Australia   
Tony Edwards is a feed grain technical consultant to AEGIC (Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre).

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 2 November 2021
Getting good quality feed is a constant concern for livestock producers and delivering the right feed according to what the customer wants is an even bigger challenge. One of the key tools in the armour of a feedmiller is a working ‘Feed Quality Control Program’ but this often needs to be updated and revised to keep the wheels on the mill rolling.
Asian Agribiz spoke to veteran feedmiller John Smillie formerly from the Canadian Feed Research Centre, to find out about what factors are crucial when measuring feed ‘quality’ in a feedmill. In this podcast, he touches on:
• Factors which determine feed/pellet quality
• The details that we miss when designing successful feed quality control programs
• Does your choice of machinery matter?
• Who holds the key to a successful program?

By Ha Thu – 26 October 2021
Disease and high costs hamper the competitiveness of the Asian shrimp farming industry. Still, it is at a stage where sustainability must be concerned.
In this podcast, Marc Campet shares how functional feed can alleviate disease and environmental challenges at shrimp ponds. He also addresses the savings shrimp producers can realize from using this new feed line.
Marc Campet oversees aquaculture commercial development for Asia at ADM. He has been with the company for 20 years and has been based in Vietnam since 1995. Marc has held various positions from the technical field to R&D, and he currently manages ADM’s aquaculture product portfolio and coordinates innovation in the region.

By Ha Thu – 19 October 2021
Higher shipping costs and longer delivery times have further fractured supply chains. Ports in Asia are congested amid logistics disruptions, container shortages, stringent checks and Covid-19 infections. Given this situation, some producers have tuned their focus to regional markets.
In this podcast, Rupert Claxton, a consultant discusses:
• Regional market potential in Asia
• Opportunities and challenges of the target markets
• The potential for regional trade
• Strategies to regain market share
• Future situation for the industry
Rupert Claxton is Meat Director at Gira. He has worked as a strategy consultant in the food sector since joining Gira in 2003, with a high level of specialization in global meat markets, especially in the developing world.

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By Rajeswari Ramanee – 12 October 2021
The way poultry meat is purchased and consumed in Asia is changing. Prompted by the pandemic, the shift away from traditional live bird markets has been swift. Consumers are leaning towards convenience, food safety and health. This has led to greater technology adoption in primary processing. In this podcast on how the poultry processing landscape is evolving, Pete van Poorten, Meyn Global Food Processing Technology’s Global Product Manager and Mukanjay Singh, Meyn India’s Director highlight how:
• There is a paradigm shift with wet market purchase being quickly replaced by clean, hygienic, processed retail products. Food safety has taken precedence for consumers.
• The Covid-19 pandemic made both producers and processors realize the volatility of the poultry market. Whether it’s Covid or other avian influenza, stakeholders cannot afford ongoing price fluctuations, thus an efficient processing and storage set up is needed.
• Lockdowns raised labor issues, leading to more demand and adoption of automation to stem acute supply shortage.
• Rapid increase in demand due to population growth is imminent and the best way to move forward is by adopting technology, which can also help control production wastage while offering value to less popular cuts.
Mr van Poorten’s vast background as process technologist and quality manager at meat processing plants makes him an expert in optimizing automation in this sector. Meanwhile, Mr Mukanjay’s broad network in India and Sri Lanka gives him an edge in international management, market access, strategic alliances and business development.

By Arief Fachrudin – 4 October 2021
Technology development and poultry producers’ need for higher quality day-old chicks have led to changes in the poultry hatchery industry in the region.
In this podcast, Bas Kanters discusses:
• The migration from multi-stage to single-stage incubation systems and factors driving it.
• New post-hatch feeding concept and its benefits.
• Asian market’s response towards the new concept.
Mr Kanters is Sales Director Asia at Royal Pas Reform.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 28 September 2021
Energy costs have steadily increased for livestock farmers across Asia, making this a good time to think about how better design and renewable energy sources can increase efficiencies and save money.
Asian Agribiz spoke to Jaap ten Have, Business Development Sales Manager of Big Dutchman Asia on how animal housing can be made more energy efficient.
This podcast touches on:
• Key areas in which energy efficiency gains can be made
• How better design can improve energy costs
• The ways in which farmers can choose the right renewable energy source that works best for them.

By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 21 September 2021
In Southeast Asia, there has been conservative use of corn and soy and pig producers have relied heavily on these grains. But the surge in corn and soybean meal prices has left producers looking for cost-effective alternatives. Barley, wheat and other grains have emerged as economic options. The pig is an adaptable omnivore, which can utilize a broad range of feedstuffs, but producers need to understand the nutrient content and know how to use them properly.
In this podcast, Tony Edwards addresses:
• Viable options in pig diets amid high prices of corn and soybean meal
• The benefits of barley and wheat in pig diets
• The role of enzymes in barley-based diets
• Growing demand for Australian barley from countries in Southeast Asia
• Barley supply in Australia
Tony Edwards is a feed grain technical consultant to AEGIC (Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre).

By Isa Q Tan – 13 September 2021
Studies have shown that feed and feed raw materials are potential vectors for viruses to spread to animals. Thus, a big challenge today is how to minimize the risks. In the last few years, viruses like ASF, PED, PRRS, pseudorabies, Classical Swine Fever, and even FMD, have been shown to survive in feed raw materials even during long-distance travel.
In this podcast, Scott Dee details the role feed and feed raw materials play in pathogen spread, which raw material presents the most risk, and how industry players can reduce these risks and keep their animals safe.
Dr Dee is currently Director of Applied Research at Pipestone Veterinary Services in the US. He has conducted many studies and authored papers on pigs and feed, including the initial publications on the proof of concept of PED virus transmission in feed and the transboundary survival of the ASF virus in feed. A multi-awarded industry practitioner, he earned his DVM, MS, and PhD from the University of Minnesota.

By Ha Thu – 6 September 2021
Pork demand is growing especially in countries where herds have been decimated by ASF. Supply is short and so is farmland to initiate greenfield projects with sound biosecurity
In this podcast, John Carr offers a high-rise solution for pig farms. A multi-level pig building can integrate many components from breeding, nursery, and finishing.  It is equivalent to a large pig farm with a larger land surface area.
Dr Carr believes that this pig farm can offer higher biosecurity efficiency than a ground-level farm. More importantly, it addresses food supply for a residential area in a sustainable way.
Dr Carr is a well-known swine consultant in Asia, Australia, North America, Europe, and Africa. He specializes in maintaining pig health by promoting excellence in stockmanship and production practices.

By Arief Fachrudin – 31 August 2021
With a growing number of outbreaks, Avian influenza has once again become a hot issue for Asian poultry farmers. In controlling the viral disease, good biosecurity is priority.
In this podcast, Dr Magali Charles, a biosecurity expert discusses:
• The definition of biosecurity.
• What poultry producers and farmers should know about avian influenza.
• Biosecurity measures to control the pathogen.
• Ways to convince farmers and farm operators to apply biosecurity measures.
Dr Charles is Regional (Asia Pacific) Veterinarian at broiler genetics company Cobb-Vantress.

By Meliyana – 23 August 2021
The duck industry in Asia has been growing in spots, in response to the ASF scourge in the pig industry. In China, official statistics show that duck production has increased faster than chickens. Of course, processing equipment suppliers see potential in primary and further processing.
Arjan Schrauwen offers Asian Agribiz’s community some insights into duck processing. He addresses:
• The potential in the duck processing business in Asia
• Investment in duck processing
• Obstacles in duck processing
•What the future holds for the industry
Arjan Schrauwen is Product Manager for duck and turkey at Marel. He worked for the poultry unit for 20 years, first as a specialist in broiler evisceration and in the last 10 years, as a specialist for duck and turkey processing.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 17 August 2021
Use of antibiotic growth promoters or AGPs is a controversial subject when it comes to residue causing antimicrobial resistance in humans. The scientific data on this has not been proven yet. But will eliminating or minimizing AGPs affect profitability of swine farmers? Asian Agribiz spoke with Elanco’s Dr Shabbir Simjee, Chief Medical Officer and Dr Roselle Cudal, Technical Consultant for Swine and discovered:
1) Residue does not necessarily cause resistance as the amounts present in the animal (or meat) would be extremely low due to several reasons such as its survivability through many processes.
2) There are different kinds of antibiotics which have been classified as medically important and non-medically important to humans. It is possible to administer non-medically important antibiotics in small doses for herds, but with good management systems.
3) Banning of AGPs in Europe was more of a precautionary measure. The US however, reclassified them and continues using non-medically important ones backed by WHO’s blessings.
4) With good awareness on how AGPs work, farmers can opt for the right antibiotics for their animals or minimize its usage (reserving for intervention purposes only), where good management practices, vaccination and holistic care are advised. The mixture of good management and the correct AGP usage will contribute to both herd and business longevity.
5) An example given was – when proper cleaning and disinfection is done in between batches of pigs occupying one building, disease transmission will become lower where the need to use medical interventions such as AGPs will also decrease.

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By Zahrah Imtiaz – 10 August 2021
Asia needs a whopping 130mt of feed grains a year to fulfil demand from the livestock sector. With traditional oilseed prices like soybean rising, the challenge to acquire needed stocks is becoming greater.                                      Asian Agribiz spoke to J Y Chow, Agri Food Sector Coverage Lead and the Senior Vice-President, Asia & Oceania Corporate Banking Department of Mizuho Bank to find out what feedmillers can do to cope with the changing dynamics of the feed industry.
The podcast touches on:
• The feed protein gap
• Factors which are narrowing and widening the gap
• The alternatives at hand to help ease demand

By Isa Q Tan – 3 August 2021
More than 60 years since it was first identified, Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD), also known as Gumboro Disease, remains among the most economically important diseases in poultry production. Because of its prevalence around the world, eradication may not yet be in the offing. Controlling the disease calls for a strategy to break the ‘Gumboro Cycle’ by preventing the IBD virus from entering a farm.
In this podcast, Mel Umandal talks about IBD in more detail and discusses how the disease can be prevented and controlled.
Dr Umandal is the Veterinary Services Manager for Layers of Ceva Asia. He is a veterinary medicine graduate from the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, from where he also received his master’s degree in veterinary epidemiology. He has been a poultry practitioner for over 20 years.

By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 27 July 2021
Asia holds enormous potential for egg producers. According to a market report, Asia Pacific accounted for 64% of the global egg market in 2020. Eggs have a good image in Asia, and they are nutritious. Moreover, eggs are an affordable and valuable source of protein and are child friendly. To grasp the opportunity, producers should add value to eggs.
In this podcast, David Hughes addresses:
• Business opportunities in egg industry in India, China and other countries
• How to add value to eggs
• The importance of branding and marketing/how to differentiate your brand
• Category management in physical and online channels
• Potential and limitations of plant-based eggs
David Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, United Kingdom.

By Arief Fachrudin – 19 July 2021
In this podcast, Jenny Tan, Sales Manager Asia Pacific at Provisur Technologies discusses:
• The ready meal trend in Asia prompted by pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Factors driving demand for growth and innovation in the ready meal space.
• Suggestions on how meat processors in the region can respond to the trend.
• Replicating the success of South Korea in traditional ready meal export.
• How processing equipment suppliers can help meat processors leverage the trend and innovate healthy and safe ready meals.

By Ha Thu – 13 July 2021
Asia is vulnerable to climate change and so is its agriculture industry. Still, it is at a stage where productivity rather than sustainability is key.
In this podcast, Siegfried Bank shares recent efforts made to tackle climate change challenge and greenhouse gas emission. He also discusses why livestock producers in Asia should take these issues into consideration, and what they could gain from doing so.
Dr Siegfried Bank is the owner of ChiPro GmbH, a German consulting and trading company focused on upcycling of food residues, value chain development and market access support for food and other life sciences products with sustainable origin.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 6 July 2021
As consumer awareness of animal welfare grows, group sow housing has gained acceptance. In Europe, group housing is obligatory but in Asia, conglomerates are pushing it. Moreover, group housing proves to be a better payoff in the long run. As producers like Betagro in Thailand move to end crate farrowing and invest in group housing, we look at the viability, investment and time required for such adaptation, creating a win-win situation. In this podcast Hans Hoevink, Business Development Manager Asia of Nedap Livestock Management tells the Asian Agribiz Community:
1. As consumer awareness on animal welfare and food safety grows, corporations such as Betagro and CP Foods are setting the pace for Asia by pioneering group housing. It registers high on assurance and credibility, especially post Covid-19. The consensus is that consumer influence on how animals are raised, will play a bigger part in farming practices.
2. Group housing strengthens pig health, as being in a group lowers stress and encourages good behavior such as better feed intake, more movement and increased social interactions – all together contributing to longevity in the long run.
3. Group size can start at five and be helped by the installation of electronic sow feeders. Dynamic groups can host more than 300 sows while smaller groups can take around 20-30 sows per pen.
4. Smart farming technologies that can be adapted into group sow housing include electronic sow feeding (ESF), and radio-frequency identification (RFID). ESF can optimize food intake and reduce waste. Meanwhile, RFID data collection enable micro-monitoring of animal health, revolutionizing farm management. These technologies raise standards of animal husbandry and ethical treatment of pigs at all stages of production.
5. Farmers contemplating transitions have abundant knowledge and training available from suppliers who are ready to show and tell how group housing has been successfully integrated in European countries.

By Meliyana – 29 June 2021
Precision feeding involves reducing feed and nutrient waste by only feeding the precise amount needed to reach optimum production. The pig industry has adopted this with significant results.
The process uses quality data and recipe management to ensure that each animal gets exactly what it needs. Nemie B Falconite discussed with Asian Agribiz his thoughts on how precision feeding impacts pig nutrition and how sustainability plays a role in this system.
He addresses:
• How precision feeding contributes to the efficiency of nitrogen
• How it optimizes efficiency and profitability
• The feeding program’s success parameters
• Challenges of precision feeding
• How it promotes sustainable pig production
Nemie B Falconite is part of the technical services team that supports the commercial team in the technical deployment of Cargill’s products and services. He also leads the Philippine deployment of Agriness S4 in key commercial farms.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 21 June 2021
Asia is home to 58% of millennials globally, and so represents a dynamic and captive market. They represent an important consumer group, begging the question ‘how will their meat consumption decisions impact livestock processors and how should processors adapt to stay relevant?’
In this podcast we talk to Amy Brooks, Marketing Manager of Stockyard Beef, a leading Australian exporter of grain fed beef.
Amy discusses:
• How beef processors need to adapt to sustainable practices to appeal to millennial consumers
• Why processors need to tell a better story about meat in the current market.
• How lab grown and plant-based meats are here to stay, but that does not mean, meat has had its day.

By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 8 June 2021
Asia is the world’s largest market for packaging, accounting for over 40% of global packaging consumption. The region’s packaging consumption has been driven by population growth, urbanization and a rising middle class. Perishable food packaging has seen significant growth in recent years. However, consumers today are concerned about sustainability amid rising packaging demand. Producers are trying to find solutions and meet this demand.
In this podcast, Onat Bayraktar addresses:
• The growth of online food purchasing and the need for omnichannel packaging
• A greater push towards healthy living and food safety and hygiene, accelerated by Covid-19
• Different interpretations of eco-friendly packaging
• The advantages and limitations of recyclable, plant-based, and biodegradable packaging materials
• The benefits of vacuum skin packaging and modified atmosphere packaging
Onat Bayraktar is Vice President, Asia at Sealed Air Corporation. In leading the business for Sealed Air in Asia, Mr Onat is responsible for managing the business as well as providing strategic direction for the region.

By Arief Fachrudin – 31 May 2021
In this podcast, Dr Xabier Arbe, Global Business Unit Head of layer genetic company H&N International, discusses:
• How Covid-19 pandemic and avian influenza outbreaks have affected trade and delivery of GP and PS in Asia.
• Outlook of the region’s egg industry in the next decade in relation to farm expansion and demand for GP and PS.
• Disease and biosecurity challenge optimizing the genetic potential of modern layers.
• Adaptation by genetic companies for cage-free egg production.
• Helping Asian layer farmers operate in a sustainable manner.

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By Rajeswari Ramanee – 25 May 2021
It is not hard to introduce technology into poultry farming according to Evonik’s Kristof Mertens. It depends on the goals producers set to achieve like production scales, quality of products (broiler or eggs), and efficiency, while maintaining a bird’s eye view of the business using pure data. Mr Mertens is the creator of Porphyrio, an integrated management system for data collection, processing, and information analysis for modern poultry farming. In this podcast with Asian Agribiz, we find out:
• Smart farming involves using collected data to make better business decisions such as in feed strategies and even provide added value in sustainability, such as managing ammonia levels from manure. Setting business goals and achieving them is doable by using data collection and knowing how to manipulate them accordingly.
• Data information process can be easily used to adapt or diversify into different production methods, whether birds are going into live markets or for further processing, an issue in the post-pandemic market.
• Having your data in a cloud system is safe and secure. Reluctance to upload production information is unfounded, as most sensitive information from different corporations or legislative outfits together with individuals’ personal details are already in clouds.
• The difference between using data collected from self-made smart systems and using something like what Porphyrio offers is the ability to compare best practices. While collected propriety data is protected, general best practice parameters can be used as analytics for better performance in birds, translating into better profitability with the shared knowledge.
Kristof is an entrepreneur, animal, and data scientist with a mission to turn sensor data into profit for farm managers worldwide. He carries a Masters in Livestock Production and a PhD in Bioscience Engineering from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, focusing on a design for Early Warning System for Laying Hens. For his doctorate, he used advanced statistics to turn process data of livestock production to more profit with better performance.

By Meliyana – 18 May 2021
Accurate and consistent measurement is necessary to evaluate feed ingredients and assess the true value it offers end-user. By accurately assessing nutrition profiles, a baseline for improvement can be set by nutritionists. Dr Lihong Zhang and Dr Kevin Liu offer Asian Agribiz’s community some insights and experiences on NIR technology. They address:
• How product quality can be optimized through NIRS and the accuracy NIRS offers
• How feed ingredients are calibrated
• Investment in NIR instruments
• What the future holds for the feed industry
Dr Lihong Zhang is an NIR and analytical services specialist, while Dr Kevin Liu is Vice President, both from Adisseo Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.

By Ha Thu – 11 May 2021
Cage free farming is still relatively young in Asia. There are some challenges related to accreditation, health and food safety, and economic benefits in developing this model.
In this podcast, Robert Geerts discusses how these challenges can be addressed to help producers secure their investments. He also talks about the potential growth of cage-free egg production in Asia as animal welfare awareness is gaining attention in the region.
Robert Geerts is Vice President of Sales at Big Dutchman Egg Unit in Asia.
Big Dutchman has more than eight decades of experience in designing, testing, developing, and refining cage-free systems.

By Isa Q Tan – 4 May 2021
Even with ASF gripping the global pig industry, there is still much hope for the sector. Global population and disposable incomes are growing, and pork remains the preferred meat in many countries, especially in Asia where the biggest growth is expected to come. Robert Hoste, Senior Pig Production Economist at Wageningen Economic Research, talks with Asian Agribiz about the challenges producers face, and how by focusing on people, pig, planet, and profit—the 4Ps—they can rise beyond the challenges, achieve higher productivity, and become sustainable as they move forward.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 27 April 2021
Mycotoxins are a serious threat to poultry health globally. In Asia, we see the increasing frequency of two or more mycotoxins in feed samples. Moreover, poultry producers in the region now must deal with the threat of masked mycotoxins, which we are just starting to understand. In this podcast, Dr Swamy Haladi talks about:
• The increasing mycotoxin threat with climate change
• The nature of the toxin and how it affects poultry health
• The challenge of dealing with masked mycotoxins and
• The best methods to measure and minimize the threat
Dr Haladi is the Global Program Manager- Mycotoxin Risk Management for Trouw Nutrition. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the study of mycotoxins and animal nutrition.

By Meliyana – 20 April 2021
What trends shape the meat processing industry? Ernest Tan discusses this with MELIYANA of Asian Agribiz and offers his thoughts on significant technological advancements and what may influence the animal protein industry in the near future. He addresses:
• Technologies adopted by the meat processing industry
• What kind of investments are needed to support these technologies
• How to boost development in cold chain infrastructure
• What the future holds for the animal protein industry
Ernest Tan leads the Agribusiness and Animal Protein sub-sectors within UOB’s Sector Solutions Group where he determines the strategic direction of these sectors for the Bank across its key markets as well as develops the bank’s value proposition for clients in these sectors.

By Ha Thu – 13 April 2021
Food safety is an emerging issue in Vietnam as there is an increasing number of violations like water pumping in pigs at slaughterhouses, or using banned substances at farms. Elsewhere, the increasing severity of livestock diseases and epidemics is challenging livestock producers and authorities in controlling the spread.
In this podcast, Dao Ha Trung discusses how blockchain technology has opened an avenue for disease control and food safety. He also talks about the internal control over an integrated production chain that helps companies improve their efficiency and food safety.
Dr Trung is President of Ho Chi Minh City High Technology Association, and Honorary Consul of the Republic of Austria. He is the Co-founder and Chairman of Te-Food International based in Germany. Today Te-Food is the world’s largest farm-to-table food traceability system based on blockchain technology.

By Conny Pereira – 7 April 2021
Aileen Supriyadi Senior Analyst at Euromonitor International talks about some of the trends that are encouraging growth for the animal protein industry, despite the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. She addresses
• Innovation, convenience, technology adoption and food safety
• A behavioral reset and how consumers are moving from bricks to clicks and away from traditional markets.
• The emphasis on wellness, health, and safety and the many ways in which producers can leverage this shift.
Aileen is based in Singapore and at Euromonitor International she focuses on food and nutrition in Southeast Asia. She also specializes in alternative foods including plant-based products as well as on ingredients in Asia Pacific.

By Isa Q Tan – 31 March 2021
While the electronic sow feeding (ESF) technology is not new, its use in Asia is minimal. This may be about to change as producers look for ways to improve productivity and calls for better animal welfare in meat production increase. Asian Agribiz spoke with Hans Hoevink, Business Development Manager for Southeast Asia of Nedap Livestock Management to learn more about ESF, how it works, and the benefits it brings to Asian pig producers.

By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 22 March 2021
Biosecurity and disease control are a top priority for producers amid the ASF spread in several countries. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can play an important role in disease prevention in pig farms and other livestock farms.
Technology companies are seeing the potential and business opportunities. Sertis is a data science and AI research company that has worked with many large companies in Thailand including CP Foods (CPF). Sertis has developed the CPF AI farm lab, which issues alerts automatically if biosecurity is breached and thus compromising the safety of the livestock. The detection is automatically done via CCTV cameras and real-time notifications are sent to managers.
The AI farm lab technology is designed to optimize farm management with real time monitoring and violation detection and notification.
In this podcast, Tee Vachiramon addresses:
• How AI technology increases biosecurity and prevents diseases including ASF
• How AI software works in the CPF AI farm lab
• The difference between the AI farm lab and other farms, which deploy CCTV cameras
• Level of investment needed for AI in a farm
• What’s next for AI technology in the livestock business
Tee Vachiramon is CEO of Sertis. His areas of specialty include data science, artificial intelligence, and data strategy. Mr Tee had worked in London and Beijing in the technology sector.

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By Zahrah Imtiaz – 10 March 2021
Grain prices have been trending upwards for months and key factor is the surge in freight charges. Ng Bao Ying and Liz Thang from S&P Global Platts talk to Asian Agribiz about how this is affecting export and import of goods to and from Asia. They touch on:
• Factors driving up freight costs
• How China is driving demand for freight and grain
• Why premium shipping rates are becoming the norm
• What the future holds for the freight markets to and from Asia

By Arief Fachrudin – 3 March 2021
Matthew Clark, Specialist – Formulation Systems at FeedGuys, discusses:
• Corn and fat prices as two key factors when using barley as an alternative ingredient in poultry and pig feeds.
• Importance of adding beta-glucanase enzyme since barley contains beta-glucans which cause sticky droppings in poultry.
• Shadow pricing, supply and value of barley in comparison to corn.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 25 February 2021
Dr D Chandrasekaran is a reputed Indian animal nutritionist who obtained his post graduate degree in Animal Nutrition from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and doctoral degree from Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. He established the Animal Feed Analytical and Quality Control Laboratory at the University and has developed a user-friendly least cost feed formulation program, which is extensively used by farmers. He is committed to optimizing feed formulations for farmers. In this podcast with Asian Agribiz he discusses:
• Alternative feed ingredients to cope with rising feed costs
• Factors to consider when designing feed formulations on a budget
• Strategies to overcome price volatility in feed

By Arief Fachrudin – 22 February 2021
Valeska, Country Manager Indonesia of Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), discusses:
• The outlook for the industry this year amid a resurgence in Covid-19 infections.
• How the ‘5% breeder-feeder’ live cattle import policy and its suspension will impact supply and price.
• Intense competition, premiumization, and online market channels.
• Beef offal market and its growing trade volume.
• Value offered by the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) to industry stakeholders and consumers.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 4 February 2021
Traceability plays a vital role in food quality and safety management. This issue was put to test when a news story broke out in Malaysia about accountability over the source of imported meat and its halal status.
Current solutions for quality monitoring and traceability rely on centralized server-client systems that make it difficult for end-users (consumers) to access information. Asian Agribiz spoke to the Diana Sabrain, Founder of OneAgrix, a pioneer B2B e-commerce marketplace for Agricultural and Halal food integrating both blockchain and food traceability in an ecosystem. Ms Sabrain’s knowledge on how to address supply-chain, food security and safety challenges reveals:
1) How blockhain can add value to an existing ecosystem where traceability tools such as barcodes, RFID, scanning tools and others are already present, without the need to start from scratch.
2) That implementing traceability systems where data is transparent, protected without being tampered could save companies millions in product integrity and lawsuits.
3) How corporations and legislators are already moving into implementing this to safeguard all stakeholders interests
4) What blockchain is in its basic form and how it would secure the animal protein sector
5) That blockchain is not an end solution for traceability, but it can level up the supply chain to strengthen brand equity and development.
Diana Sabrain is the CEO/Co-founder of OneAgrix, a global B2B Agricultural and Halal e-commerce platform with supply chain traceability.  She has led B2B2G ( Business to Business and Business to Government) negotiations to facilitate large scale tendered projects and billion-dollar developments in agriculture, hard commodities and infrastructure.  She is also an authority on global trade topics, geoeconomics and technology, focusing on solving Agri-food and Halal food supply-chain, food security and food safety challenges.

By Meliyana – 28 January 2021
Dr Budi Tangendaja, a reputed animal nutritionist and feedmill expert in Indonesia shares with us his observations in the field, following the ban of antibiotic growth promoters or AGPs in Indonesia in 2018. In this podcast with Asian Agribiz, he discusses:
• The impact of the AGP ban
• Monitoring and control of the use of AGPs in the field
• Strategies to minimize the cost of production
• Consumer awareness of antibiotic-free products

By Payungsak Wiriyabunditkul – 21 January 2021
Thailand has long been a major exporter of chicken products. According to the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association, the country is expected to export 960,000 tons of frozen and processed chicken products in 2021, up 1% from last year. The industry is reputed for its high production standards, and competitive advantage. However, it is facing rising production costs due to higher feed prices.
In this podcast, Chaiwat Sowcharoensukan addresses:
• The outlook for Thai chicken exports inn the 2021-2023 period
• Competitive advantage of Thai chicken products and market growth
• FTAs and opportunities for intra-regional trade
• Thailand’s chicken meat production, costs, and feed prices
• Key risks for the industry
Chaiwat Sowcharoensukan is an analyst (Agricultural Products, Food) at Krungsri Research, Bank of Ayudhya.

By Isa Q Tan – 15 January 2021
An interview with Art Frio, head of FirstTen Consulting and an independent consultant on pig production and nutrition, discusses:
• How to establish a good pig flow management plan
• What causes pig flow problem on farms
• Advantages and benefits of having a good pig flow management plan
To get more information on the Pig Flow Manager app, please contact Art Frio at afrio@1sttenconsulting.com

By Arief Fachrudin – 11 January 2021
Asia has seen some layer farms transition to cage-free production to meet growing demand from the retail, f&b and horeca industries for ethically sourced eggs. Some NGOs have been actively supporting the movement for a smooth transition.
In this podcast, Luiz Mazzon addresses:
• Key drivers of the transition and challenges for both producers and consumers
• Success stories of Certified Humane egg farms in Asia and common challenges they faced during the certification process
• Humane Farm Animal Care’s egg-laying hen standards in local languages
Mr Mazzon is Director Asia of Humane Farm Animal Care. He is also President of Brazil’s Instituto Certified Humane. He founded this NGO that represents the American non-profit Humane Farm Animal Care in Latin America and more recently South and Southeast Asia.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 5 January 2021
Nathan Preteseille an Independent consultant and Co-founder of Asean Food and Feed Insect Association addresses the future of insect meal  in livestock feed production. In this podcast he offers insights into why more attention should be directed to this sector as it is a cost effective and sustainable alternative to plant based proteins and fish meal. Nathan talks about:
• Which countries are ahead of the curve in insect meal production
• How even small operations can be profitable
• What insect producers need to do to convince livestock producers to get on board
• Why we need to talk about insect welfare and standards from the start
Nathan has been based in Thailand since 2015 and has been actively working to promote insect meal for food and feed.

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By Rajeswari Ramanee – 17 December 2020
Nourredine el Molaka, General Manager for Asia with Sanovo Technologies addresses profitability with eggs. In this podcast with Asian Agribiz, he offers insights on how regional egg players can re-purpose their shell eggs to embrace a changing market and remain profitable as foodservices recover. We discovered:
• Why diversification is crucial to remain a steady player
• Growth in the egg industry is not only possible but essential as opportunities exist
• Diversification to processed products will raise consumption and profitability
• Food safety standards will only increase as consumers need traceability assurance
• Automation and robotics will play a greater role soon and why
Mr El-Molaka’s knowledge and experience in the regional egg industry is supported by the growing Sanovo client portfolio.

By Arief Fachrudin – 10 December 2020
The past couple of months has seen widespread avian influenza (AI) outbreaks in Asia. Our Avian Influenza Monitor page , details outbreaks in Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, India, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, China and Iran. These have been in commercial poultry farms, as well as in backyard farms and wild birds.
In this podcast episode, Dr Teguh Prajitno addresses:
• Highly pathogenic AI and low pathogenic AI cases in the region
• Vaccination strategy to control the disease
• Relation to live bird markets and the AI virus
• Transparency and openness in control of the global spread of AI
Dr Teguh Prajitno is a molecular biologist and Managing Director of Strategic Business Unit – Animal Health & Livestock Equipment (Vaksindo and Agrinusa) at Japfa Comfeed Indonesia.

By Conny Pereira – 4 December 2020
In our earlier podcast with JY Chow, we addressed DIGITALIZATION and DISPLACEMENT, the first two of the four key dimensions in agrifood post Covid-19, in his article similarly titled.
This podcast covers the next two dimensions – DISRUPTION and SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. He addresses:
• Funding opportunities and how to access them
• Agtech, Foodtech and Welltech innovations that have emerged and are working well
• The power of DISRUPTION and its positive impact
• How sustainability can this filter down to smaller enterprises to realize collective consciousness and a positive impact
• Ethical and environmentally responsible production and conscious consumerism
JY Chow, APAC Agrifood Sector Coverage Lead, Mizuho Bank, is an Agrifood Advisor and Financing Expert who loves to get his boots muddy! He has over 18 years of experience in Asia Pacific across operations, strategy, and banking. His food passion started in the kitchen of his family restaurant in France and evolved into engineering and finance. He is wide-eyed about how Foodtech and Agtech are reshaping our future.
Click here to read the article by JY Chow: ‘The four key dimensions in agrifood post Covid-19’.

By Meliyana – 1 December 2020
Newcastle Disease (ND) has been an ongoing scourge for Asian poultry producers, causing huge economic losses. In this podcast with Meliyana of Asian Agribiz, Dr Marcelo Paniago of Ceva Animal Health addresses how:
• Genotype VII ND circulates the most
• The symptoms and lesions induced by this virus vary
• Significant losses are inevitable
• To better prevent the virus, keep it under control and keep flocks protected.

By Ha Thu – 1 December 2020
As much as the industry wants to repopulate, the risk of reinfection is till a big obstacle that discourages farmers to get back to the business. In this podcast, John Carr, addresses:
• Safe downtime for ASF affected farms
• Reinfection – how to avoid it
• Restock, at what cost
• The possibility of compartmentalization
• The old habits – What are they, and how to change them
• Examples of farms already have biosecurity but ASF still breaks in
Dr Carr is well-known swine consultant in Asia, Australia, North America, Europe, and Africa, and specializes in maintaining pig health via promoting excellence in stockman-ship and production practices.

By Rajeswari Ramanee – 9 November 2020
Rabobank Singapore’s Ben Santoso lays it out plainly why and how brand development will become crucial for meat producers soon. Ben is Senior Analyst, Animal Protein Research for Southeast Asia. Some key points he raises are:
• Significant product differentiation will be needed for higher margins
• The growing trend towards ‘healthier meat products’
• The shift to automated slaughtering and higher processing capacities
• Brand development and vertical integration in the industry

By Isa Q Tan – 2 November 2020
An interview with Dr Carlo Maala on the other major pathogens affecting pig farms in the region. Dr Maala is Senior Technical Services Manager on Swine for Asia of Boehringer Ingelheim and fellow of the Philippine College of Swine Practitioners.
Among the topics discussed are:
•Three key pathogens (PRRS, PCV2, M.Hyo) and their effect on production
• Why these pathogens continue to circulate in farms despite the presence of vaccines
• How to mitigate their impact on pig operations
• Is eradication possible?

By Conny Pereira – 19 October 2020
In this interview with Jean-Yves Chow, we look at retailing models, the labor landscape, automation and re-engineering food-service, among others. JY also walks us through omni-channels and shop-streaming that is lending authenticity and rapport with the product, producer, and the consumer. He also addresses supply chains and paradigm shifts and the growing focus on food security.
JY Chow, APAC Agrifood Sector Coverage Lead, Mizuho Bank, is an Agrifood Advisor and Financing Expert who loves to get his boots muddy! He has over 18 years of experience in Asia Pacific across operations, strategy, and banking. His food passion started in the kitchen of his family restaurant in France and evolved into engineering and finance. He is wide-eyed about how Foodtech and Agtech are reshaping our future.
Click here to read an article by JY Chow: ‘The four key dimensions in agrifood post Covid-19’.

By Zahrah Imtiaz – 12 October 2020
Mr Chitturi is a veteran in the poultry industry in India and heads Srinivasa Farms as its Vice Chairman and Managing Director. In 2019, Mr Chitturi became the first Asian to take up the mantle of the IEC; a global network for the egg industry.
As the Chairman of the IEC, Mr Chitturi has been promoting a farmer first philosophy. He is also promoting modernization and sustainability of the poultry industry through the adoption of technology, good rearing practices and welfare of the livestock. He is also an advocate of nutritional deficiencies of women and children in India. Mr Chitturi is a regular speaker in many international forums on the egg industry.

By Arief Fachrudin – 2 October 2020
In this second podcast with David Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, United Kingdom, you will hear:
• Prof Hughes’ views on real meats and alternative meats
• His suggestions on how real meat producers should develop their brand
• Investments by food giants in alternative meat industry
• Prof Hughes’ views on investment in real meat, cell-based meat and plant-based meat
Professor Hughes has a wealth of marketing experience in the food and drinks industry. He is a much sought-after speaker at international conferences and seminars on global food industry issues, particularly consumer trends, and is a strong proponent of building vertical alliances between key chain members in the food industry; farmers, life science and input companies, ingredient firms, food and beverage manufacturers, retailers and food service. David works closely with senior management of food and beverage firms on business strategy development and with governments on food policy formulation. he has often presented at Asian Agribiz conferences.
Click here to listen to Prof Hughes’ podcast: ‘What does Asia’s 5.6 billion population in 2050 mean for animal protein producers?’

By Arief Fachrudin – 20 September 2020
An interview with David Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, United Kingdom on the meaning of Asia’s 5.6 billion population in 2050 for animal protein producers.
Prof Hughes is a much sought-after speaker at international conferences and seminars on global food industry issues, particularly consumer trends. In the podcast, he explains about:
Global and Asian meat consumption
How Asian producers can benefit the region’s population growth
Trade and investment, particularly in the meat sector, during and post Covid-19
Feeding Asia’s increasing population while at the same time being sustainable
Industrially produced chicken and fish, and alternative meats
Click here to listen to Prof Hughes’ podcast ‘Do traditional meat producers have reason to fear alternative proteins?’

By Conny Pereira – 1 September 2020
We have seen an uptrend in onboarding technology both at farm and processing levels prior to and during the pandemic. In this podcast, Gordon Butland addresses how:
• With consolidation farms are getting bigger and it is more prudent to operate with technology
• Biosecurity is more crucial both for the producer and consumer in terms of profitability and food safety
• The health crisis is making governments look inward and towards self-sufficiency and food security, while actively exploring local and regional markets.
• The labor shortage is pushing the agenda for automation.

Gordon Butland is Director of G&S Agriconsultants Co Ltd, Thailand. He established a career in accounting that saw him rise to become Chief Financial Officer for the Coca Cola Company for South Latin America. In 1989 he started his association with Rabobank International. In the mid-90s he started to visit Southeast Asia and in 1998 moved to Asia and became Rabobank’s Global Head of the poultry sector. In September 2004 he retired and is now concentrating on advisory assignments within the entire spectrum of the global poultry industry.

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