Hot Topic : Covid-19

How will the poultry industry look post-COVID-19?

How consumer trends, new technologies will shape the next five to 10 years.

In 2020, the poultry industry grappled with challenges associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic-from supply chain issues to changes in how and where people consumed chicken. Which emerging technologies will solve these problems?

And, perhaps even more importantly, how will consumer demands shift post-COVID-19?

Lingering effects of COVID-19

“COVID-19 will have a recession-like effect on the economy. There is a strong correlation between median income and meat intake. If median income drops this year – and I would be shocked if it didn’t – we should expect to see meat consumption go down,” explain Dr. Paul Aho, poultry economist and President of Poultry Perspective.

Aho will be the keynote speaker at the Virtual Poultry Tech Summit, scheduled for October 20-22, 2020. This one-of-a-kind online event facilitates the transition of innovation technologies from researchers and entrepreneurs into commercial applications for the benefit of the poultry industry. Make plans to attend and take a look at the future of the industry.

In 2021, experts predict that per capita chicken consumption will fall to 11.6 kg, down from 12.1 kg in 2019. Poultry should weather the downturn better than pork or beef, as most consumer typically turn to a lower-priced meat during a recession.

“I think COVID-19 has highlighted the need for automation, robotics and machinery in processing plants,” Aho said, citing the high number of workers who got sick with COVID-19 this spring.

Meat alternatives
Interest in meat alternatives – including plant-based proteins and cultured meat – will only continue to grow in the next five to 10 years, Aho predicts, although COVID-19 could change that.

“I’m not sure yet how COVID-19 will affect consumption of meat substitutes. It has accelerated some trends but slowed others. I do think that the people eating the Impossible Burger now will continue to do so,” he said.

Sustainability
Sustainability was a hot trend with consumers before COVID-19 and it will continue to be important in the next 10 years.

“Sustainability is one of those words that is hard to nail down,” Aho said. “There’s lots of different spins you can put on sustainability. If you look at the poultry industry over the last 50 years, we’ve become much more sustainable in terms of feed efficiency and land use. In the next five to 10 years, the poultry industry should plan on sharing the ways it has become more sustainable with consumers.”

The Poultry Times Bureau

Webinar on impact of corona crisis on poultry industry held in Ludhiana vet varsity

Vice-chancellor of GADVASU said that students should adopt poultry farming as an enterprise and become an employer rather than exploring government jobs.

The department of livestock production management at the College of Veterinary Science, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), organised a national-level webinar on ‘Global corona crisis: Impact and strategic measures to uplift poultry industry’ on Wednesday.

The webinar was conducted and moderated by head of department Dr Manish Chatli and former dean, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar, Dr N K Mahajan; and director, CPDO, Chandigarh, Dr Kamna Barkataki; and DGM-Punjab, Suguna Foods Private Limited, Dr GG Barley were the key speakers.

Dr Mahajan emphasised on the need for biosecurity on farms and on the restriction of use of antibiotics and hormones in poultry birds. Dr Barley highlighted the socio-economic impact of coronavirus on poultry industry and management strategies to make poultry farming capable of withstanding this global crisis, and emphasised on the importance of precision poultry nutrition to reduce the cost of production.

Dr Kamna highlighted the importance of backyard farming for the livelihood of the downtrodden rural population. She also detailed the government guidelines during this crisis.

Dr Daljeet Kaur conducted the question-answer session and extended a vote of thanks to all. Vice-chancellor of GADVASU, Dr Inderjeet Singh said that the students should adopt poultry farming as an enterprise and become an employer rather than exploring government jobs.

The Poultry Times Bureau

Nigeria: Poultry Farmers Push for Interest Rate Reduction, Other Incentives

With 60 per cent increase in the price of major raw materials being used by the poultry farmers and business failure of about 40 percent farmers, the National President, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Mr. Ezekiel Mam, has called on federal government, the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial operators to wade in and put framework in place to enable poultry farmers access loan at five per cent interest rate, to rescue the once flourishing industry.

Mam, who spoke to THISDAY at the weekend on how the lockdown has almost crippled the industry, expressed the fear that if nothing was urgently done to revive poultry activities, the entire business value chain would fall.

“To say poultry farming business is in comatose is like stating the obvious -we have not had it this bad. During the lockdown, demand for poultry needs; meat and eggs, dropped and many farmers had no other alternative but to destroy their eggs.

“As a result of the restriction, our major trade partners like the hotels, quick service restaurant and events centres were not allowed to open. There was also transportation problem because most of the farmers outsource the logistics arm of the business.

“In some cases, consumers look for alternatives. Hence, there was a sharp difference between the supply rate and demand rate. After the ease on the lockdown, when many would expect businesses to take shape, the price of raw material suddenly went up.

“For instance, a 100kg of maize which was N9, 000 before the lockdown now goes for N20, 000 and above. As I speak now, for any farmer to arrange feed (grains and corns), the farmer has to buy at exorbitant prices. We also have to pay high charges for transporting poultry to markets,” he said.

While speaking on how to curtail the high capital intensive outlook of the industry, the national president, who stated that the association was still discussing with the federal government over palliative for farmers, also advocated for other incentives that would attract young Nigerians to farming now that the country is desperate to be self-sufficient in food production.

“Poultry farming is capital intensive, we were already stabilising and meeting local demand well before the lockdown. Now, considering the fact that it’s capital intensive, we need government support for our members to bounce back.

“As I speak, many farmers have closed down their farms and laid off their employees, both permanent and ad-hoc. Though we are talking with federal government on palliative for members, I think the major solution to the industry’s misfortune and long term goal is for us to be able to access loan at five per cent interest rate.

“This is the only way poultry farmers can be sure of making profits and contribute well to the economy,” he added.

A former Chairman of Poultry Association of Nigeria, Eti Osa/Epe Zone of the association’s Lagos chapter, Wale-Ojo, though admitted that the industry was troubled, he however pointed out that a few farmers, especially those who produced the day old farmers, were smiling to the bank.

“I want to acknowledge the fact that the federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership with Lagos State Government, has assisted a few farmers but we hope for a bigger percentage,” he added.

Speaking further, the former zonal chairman, also stated that farmers, who rely on bank loan for their farming activities are currently facing a lot in the hands of their bankers. Though he didn’t put figure to the percentage of interest the industry require, Ojo was quick to say that Nigeria needed great thinkers to bail out the entire agric sector.

The Poultry Times Bureau

(Source: www.wattagnet.com)