Asian Agribiz podcasts – Pork Sector

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 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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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 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.

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 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.

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.

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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 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.

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 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 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

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