Ho Chi Minh seeks to trace pork origins
Starting yesterday, only pork with traceable origins is ostensibly allowed to enter HCM City’s two wholesale markets, but inspections by authorities found that only around 13 per cent of the pork in the markets actually had clear origins, according to the Department of Industry and Trade.
The department in collaboration with other agencies and the managements of Hóc Môn and Bình Điền markets checked the pork that was entering them.
Nguyễn Ngọc Hòa, deputy director of the department, said on July 30 night and July 31 morning, for instance, some 8,400 pig carcasses were brought in, but only 1,205 had traceable origins.
He said that 35 per cent had information entered in their rings by farmers, but the rate falls to 21 per cent when they leave slaughterhouses following lapses by veterinary staff, and falls further to 13 per cent when they reach the two wholesale markets.
The city’s programme to trace the origin of pork involves four locations – farms, abattoirs, wholesale distributors, and retailers.
It has a connected information system, and if any part of the chain does not record information, consumers cannot check the origin of the meat, Hòa explained.
Around 85 per cent of the pork consumed in the city market is supplied from other cities and provinces, and the city is the only locality in the country to have such a programme.
So the city can only request authorities in other provinces to help in this regard, he said.
To improve the situation, relevant city agencies should co-operate with their counterparts in other provinces to persuade pig farmers to record information about pigs and instruct abattoirs and traders to accept only pigs with clear origins, he said.
The department has called on the city government to take a tougher line with violators.
Hòa said pork sold through modern trade channels is properly regulated. Thus, if the portion sold through traditional retail channels -- which get their pork from the two wholesale markets -- is also tightly controlled, all the pork sold in the city would have traceable origins, he said.
Source: VNS. Date: 2017-08-02
US Ag Secretary urged to reopen poultry markets with China
Senators from across the US political spectrum have written to US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue calling for a swift reopening of poultry markets with China.
The Chinese authorities banned imports of chicken and turkey from the US following the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild duck in 2015 and the ban has been in place ever since.
In the bipartisan letter, the senators said US poultry producers continued to be negatively affected by the loss of the burgeoning export market.
“The poultry industry provides thousands of high quality jobs in our rural communities and the reopening of the Chinese market would provide a huge boost for these rural areas.
“We encourage you to remain focused on the next steps to officially reopen the Chinese market as soon as possible. Expanding market access in growing regions in the Asia Pacific, especially China, is essential for our poultry producers and will result in the creation of new jobs and higher wages in rural communities.”
Senators said in the letter that they were encouraged that China had begun its animal health audit of the US poultry industry: “Once this audit is completed, we encourage USDA to remain diligent in seeking final Chinese approval for US poultry’s first successful shipment as quickly as possible.
“Poultry products are often part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, and our farmers would very much like to be able to offer their products during that time.”
The letter was welcomed by the National Turkey Federation and National Chicken Council, which said they were pleased to see a third of the Senate call for swift progress to end China’s ban on US poultry.
“The Senate’s strong statement on behalf of American poultry products makes clear balance and fairness must exist for a two-way open market with China,” they said in a statement.
Source: Poultry World. Date: 2017-08-02
Vietnam promotes exports to Australia, New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand have huge potential for Vietnamese products like farm produce, aquatic products, coffee, cashew, computers, telephones and garments, said Nguyen Phuc Nam, deputy director of the Department of Asia-Pacific Market under the Ministry of Industry and Trade at a conference held in Hanoi on July 28.
The ASEAN-Australia- New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), which took effect from January 1, 2010, plays a key role in enhancing economic relations, trade and investment between ASEAN and Australia and New Zealand, Nam said.
Within the agreement framework, ASEAN countries can enjoy 90 to 100 per cent tariff reductions in Australian and New Zealand markets, and Vietnamese firms should take full advantage of this potential, he said.
He noted that Australia and New Zealand were among the biggest importers in the world since both economies are largely dependent on imported products.
Vietnam’s chief exports to these two markets include agricultural products, seafood, coffee beans, cashews, electronics parts, textiles, footwear and construction material.
If the AANZFTA was utilized well, Vietnamese producers could enjoy all the privileges contained therein, boosting export turnover and earning handsome profits, Nam said.
Statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade showed that trade between Vietnam and Australia hit 5.26 billion USD in 2016, up 6.5 percent year-on-year. Particularly, Vietnam enjoyed trade surplus of 480 million USD with Australia in the year.
According to Phan Thi Dieu Linh, expert from the Department of Asia-Pacific Market, although Australian consumers are favoured of locals products, they are still open with imported ones, which have high quality, good looking and rational prices. This factor also facilitates Vietnamese exports, she underlined.
Meanwhile, Trinh Thi Thu Hien from the Foreign Trade Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, stated that there is large room for Vietnamese shipments to Australia as export revenue is still humble, standing at 1.6 percent of total export values in Australia.
Hien said that the AANZFTA is being carried out in the context of deeper regional and global integration which supports the development in Vietnam-Australia and New Zealand relations. Domestic businesses should apply international standards to meet increasing demands of foreign customers and become more competitive with foreign rivals, she highlighted.
Source: VNA. Date: 2017-08-01
Chinese feed groups expand into pork output, despite waning margins
Feed companies are scrambling to get into hog rearing in China, adding the equivalent of Canadian output to capacity, even as some pork producers are expanding into processing to escape shrinking margins.
Total investment in animal farming by Chinese agriculture-related, stock listed companies soared 10 times to 49bn yuan, equivalent to $7.2bn, last year, the US Department of Agriculture bureau in Beijing said.
Of this, $6.1bn was invested in hog farming, of which China is already by far the world's biggest operator, boasting more than half the world's swine herd.
However, this growth was driven by feed companies expanding into hogs, rather than by traditional pork production group.
The equivalent of an estimated 27m head in annual pig slaughter added is not far short of the total 28.7m head slaughtered last year in Canada, the world's sixth-ranked pork producing country after China, the EU, the US, Russia and Brazil.
Feed market share
The expansion into hog rearing is being driven by a quest to secure share of the competitive animal feed sector, with China's soy crushing capacity, for instance, well ahead of the level needed to satisfy the country's huge demand.
"Industry analysts believe that by engaging in swine farming, the feed companies may enjoy an advantage in expanding their feed market share," the USDA bureau said.
Chinese feed output rose by 6.6% above 115m tonnes in the first five months of this year.
The bureau also noted that the investment in new hog production capacity, "showed a significant move to the north" of China, with Inner Mongolia alone receiving $1.86bn of the overall investment.
Heilongjiang, also a major corn and soybean producing province, was third in the list of investment targets.
Thinner margins
However, the shift by feed groups into pork producers comes as many traditional hog groups are complaining of margins weakened by an upturn in output, encouraged by higher prices last year, besides from resilient imports.
China's top pig farmer Guangdong Wen's Foodstuff Group, in May revealed it was pushing into processing meat, in an effort to escape the margin pressure on pork output, and following a similar move by rival WH Group, the company which bought US giant Smithfield Foods.
The USDA bureau said that Chinese swine production profits had fallen from "high" levels to about 300 yuan ($45) a head last month.
"Industry insiders believe swine inventory will continue on a moderate recovery and swine profits are expected to stabilise or lower slightly from the current level during the second half of 2017."
Pork import implications
Rabobank last week said that China's hog output, which it forecast rising by 2% over 2017, "was faster than expected in the first half of the year, as many producers shared a positive view of the market and made rapid herd replenishments".
The dynamic, and a fall in Chinese pork prices to 30% below last year's record levels, was reflected in "flat" imports in the January-to-May period, "which contrasts with the significant growth seen in the first half of 2016".
Source: Agrimoney. Date: 2017-08-01
6,600 NZ dairy cows en route to China aboard world’s largest livestock carrier
Around 6,600 dairy cows from New Zealand are currently en route to China aboard the world’s largest livestock carrier, the Ocean Drover.
The 176m long vessel collected the first half of its cargo at Timaru port in New Zealand’s southern island, before travelling north to Napier port to collect the remaining cows.
It was scheduled to depart New Zealand shores on Friday, July 31. The shipment is currently travelling across the Pacific Ocean; it is approximately half way through its journey to China.
The arrival date and time of the livestock carrier at a port in China are unknown, as the journey time will depend on both weather and sea conditions.
The Ocean Drover, which was built in 2002, is believed to be the world’s largest livestock carrier. It measures 176.1m in length and is 31.1m wide; the vessel tips the scales at just under 13,500t deadweight.
It is believed that these New Zealand cows will be transported to farms owned by dairy giant Fonterra.
NZ Named As China’s ‘Most Important’ Dairy Partner
The news of the Ocean Drover’s departure to China coincided with New Zealand being described as China’s “most important” dairy partner at the China-NZ Dairy Forum.
The forum was co-hosted by Fonterra and it aims to promote the exchange of ideasbetween the two countries.
At the forum, the Chairman of the Dairy Association of China (DAC), Gao Hongbin, praised New Zealand while recognising the role international companies play in the domestic industry.
“New Zealand is China’s most important overseas dairy partner and this partnership will keep strengthening,” he said.
Sharing knowledge on effluent management systems, which is an important part of delivering sustainable dairy systems, was a key theme at this year’s forum, Fonterra added.
Source: Agriland. Date: 2017-08-01
Trustee moves to kick off China Fishery sale; cites 65 interested parties
China Fishery Group trustee William Brandt is asking a New York court for permission to auction off the Peruvian operations of the Pacific Andes group, a potentially billion dollar asset.
If approved, the motion would see the auction take place on Dec. 13 with the sale formally closed on Jan. 15, 2018.
According to Brandt, "approximately 65" parties, some of who participated in the aborted 2016 sale process of China Fishery, have expressed interested in the sale and "several" have signed confidentiality agreements allowing them access to a data room with due diligence information.
Selling China Fishery, the fishmeal and fish oil producing subsidiary of parent company Pacific Andes International Holdings (PAIH), has long been seen by creditors as the best way to obtain repayment from a group with liabilities of over 1.5 billion.
The group was once the world's 12th largest seafood firm by revenue, as tracked by Undercurrent News's annual top 100 report, but a liquidity crisis and fallout from El Nino during the 2014 to 2016 period prompted a bankruptcy filing and restructuring effort.
The Hong Kong-based Ng family, which founded and built the group into a powerhouse, filed the June 2016 bankruptcy petition in New York in order to stave off a forced liquidation of China Fishery that they say would have led to a "fire sale", undervaluing the unit.
But after creditors levied allegations of fraud and asserted that trust in PAIH's management had broken down, judge Garrity appointed Brandt to stabilize China Fishery and arrange for its sale.
With its Russian pollock trading business stalled pollock trading business stalled, its Namibian mackerel-catching venture Namibian mackerel-catching venture on the rocks, losses mounting in its Chinese fillet processing unit and few significant assets outside of the fishmeal and fish oil business, a lot is riding on a successful auction of the unit.
Pricing the assets
A number of hurdles need to be cleared prior to the auction. First an Aug. 16 hearing will be held to determine the bidding procedures, a process that will also give the parties time to file objections. Also by that date, the trustee plans to begin conducting tours of the Peruvian operation for prospective bidders and host meetings with the operation's management.
By Oct. 16, Brandt hopes to determine a "sale threshold", a minimum price for the Peruvian assets. The drafting of a "plan of liquidation", which will include a plan of how the sale proceeds will be distributed to creditors, will follow. Final bids will be due Dec. 8, subject to court approval.
However, Brandt also called the schedule "aspirational" and "subject to change depending on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the volume of bids and/or other indications of interest during the earliest stages of the sale process".
Previous sale
According to court documents, the previous sales process had progressed to where 18 bidders had received non-disclosure agreements to obtain more due diligence. Of that total 13 signed or were reviewing the agreements. Only two bidders -- a group involving Dutch fishing group Parlevliet and Van der Plas (P&), Iceland's Samherji and US private equity giant Blackstone Group -- and Peru's Brescia Group, the major shareholder of fishmeal maker Tecnologica de Alimentos Somos (TASA) paid $100,000 deposits needed to make it to the final round of bidding.
The interest of P&P -- which recently added a large tuna fleet to its pelagic, groundfish and shrimp vessels -- was previously reported by Undercurrent News. P&P and Samherji have several investments in fishing in Europe together, under the UK Fisheries joint venture.
TASA is the second largest anchovy quota holder in Peru, behind China Fishery.
Fosun Group, which had tried to buy into the Peruvian anchovy sector before, with an offer for Pesquera Diamante in 2014, is named as another that was involved in the process, in a combined bid with Shandong Shengli Bio-Engineering, a bioengineering company based in Jining, China. The interest of Fosun in China Fishery was previously reported by Undercurrent.
China Fishery was valued in 2015 at $1.6bn level, based on an assessment from JRB Consultores, which was then verified by the consultancy Deloitte. In order for the Ng family to receive anything from the sale, China Fishery would have to fetch more than $2.8bn at auction, according to financial analysis filed with the New York court. That figure is considered unlikely.
The Ng family had been hoping for over $1.7bn for the Peruvian business, but Jessie Ng, who heads parent company PAIH, acknowledged in legal documents in June 2016 that this was not possible, given the macro-economic situation and the company’s then state.
According to a declaration from Ng, however, there were seven non-binding expressions of interest from possible buyers for the company’s fleet and plants in Peru. Francisco Paniagua Jara, general manager of China Fishery's Peruvian arm, CFG Investment, stated non-binding offers for the business came in between $675m and $1.5bn, in a separate document.
China Fishery’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (ebitda) would be $200 million, in “a normalized year”, based on production of 300,000 metric tons of fishmeal and 50,000t of fish oil, according to the deposition from Paniagua Jara.
However, with El Nino hitting fishing in the past few years, this level of ebitda has not been achieved. Figures for the first half of 2016 show a big loss for the company’s fishmeal operations.
Corporation Pesquera Inca (Copeinca), bought by China Fishery in 2013 for around $780m plus debt, reported a net loss of $4.90m for the period from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2016. Copeinca’s turnover for the period was $108.48m.
The accounts state that Copeinca’s turnover for 2015 was $234.41m, with a net profit of $5.44m.
CFG Investment, which covers the other China Fishery-owned fishmeal and fish oil production companies, lost $13.74m in the first half of 2016, compared to $20.45m in 2015.
But more recently the situation at the Peruvian companies has improved, Brandt has said.
Copeinca exported 14,309t of fishmeal during the January to April 2017 period, worth $20.1m. The company exported 30,700t in 2016 worth $46.4m, according to Peruvian statistics. Copeinca maintained its position as Peru's sixth largest exporter.
The other Pacific Andes-owned fishmeal unit, CFG Investment, is recovering its fishmeal output rising from 18th place during 2016, when it produced 2,589t worth $3.8m, to ninth place. CFG Investment manufactured 7,688t during the first four months of 2017 valued at $10.9m.
Source: Undercurrent News. Date: 2017-08-01
Australian farmers wanted for more than just beef, lamb or wool
ACCORDING to Christina Goodman, an Austrade Trade commissioner based in Chengdu, the opportunity for Australia’s agriculture sector in China is immense and not limited to the premium end of the retail market.
Goodman said there are opportunities all along the supply chain for Australian agribusinesses in China, including partnering with existing Chinese players in the sector.
“Although Australia is seen as a provider of premium products, there are also opportunities in breeding and genetics, in animal nutrition, in joint research and development,” she said.
“I think there’s a place for both Australian exports as well as Australian expertise.”
The Austrade commissioner said China is already a large scale agricultural producer in its own right, feeding 1.3 billion people with only nine per cent of the world’s arable land and 7% of the world’s fresh water.
Chinese companies are looking for partners and are looking to Australian expertise to improve their own production rates.
“The Chinese marketplace is looking for more than the highest quality beef or dairy,” Goodman said.
Goodman said as China’s middle class experiences increasing incomes they are also demanding better quality food.
“There’s a huge push coming from the consumption sector and coming also from China’s policymakers to improve the productivity, the sustainability and the quality of China’s produce,” she said.
“If looking to export your goods or services to China it’s important to educate yourself, understand local ways of doing business, the local regulations and environmental requirements.
“Another thing that should be considered is your branding, if selling beef, lamb or wool it’s important to local consumers to know your story and it’s important to learn how to protect it.”
Source: Farming Ahead. Date: 2017-07-31
" Human error" blamed for China's beef ban
Meat industry leaders remain hopeful of a quick resolution to a shock temporary ban on exports to China from six Australian meatworks.
The suspensions sent trade officials and industry representatives into overdrive when news of the ban, which affects five companies, emerged in Australia late on Tuesday afternoon.
In response to the bans federal Trade Minister Steven Ciobo said he was prepared to travel to China next week. Mr Ciobo also revealed that early discussions between the two nations had yielded some benefit for Australian producers and the affected meatworks.
"Chinese authorities have indicated that meat that is already in containers on the water, that was dispatched before the 24th of July, will still be accepted by China. So that's a big sigh of relief," he said.
But given the scale and value of Australia's growing beef export trade to China, news of the bans has sent ripples around the industry.
Australian beef exports to China in 2015-16 were valued at $866.5 million, with almost $794 million of this frozen beef. China is Australia's fourth-largest market for beef exports and is growing strongly.
"Potentially, we're looking at tens of millions [of dollars] and potentially even more than $100 million of trade that's affected. Beef and lamb exports lay at the core of this," Mr Ciobo said.
The Australian meat industry is reflecting on a surprise temporary ban by China on product from six Australian meatworks. Photo: Peter Braig
Mr Ciobo said the ban did not involve health and safety concerns, describing it as a "largely technical issue" involving labelling.
The temporary bans affect meatworks operating in three states: Queensland, NSW and South Australia.
Australian Meat Industry Council chief executive Patrick Hutchinson said some consignments of meat sent to China "had some labelling issues, where basically the labelling is not meeting their standards, most notably in the area of definition. So they've put this temporary suspension on these six plants in order for them to get this right."
Mr Hutchinson said his phone went "into meltdown" when industry figures learnt of the bans.
"We take this exceptionally seriously and we're engaging with the authorities to get this solved ... this is a human error issue," he said.
About 46 Australian meatworks have approval to process meat to be exported to China (including the six local plants currently suspended).
"The China market for Australia is very, very important. Based on 15-16 levels it's over $900 million, as far as value is concerned. So [it's] a very important market destination for us that is also growing," he said.
"Our processing systems are world class, and in a lot of circumstances they're world-leading," Mr Hutchinson said.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald. Date: 2017-07-31
Senators push for end to Chinese poultry ban
A bipartisan group of 37 senators, led by Sens. Thad Cochran (R., Miss.) and Mark Warner (D., Va.), wrote to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue calling for the swift reopening of the Chinese market after U.S. exports of chicken and turkey were banned in 2015.
China instituted the ban in 2015 after the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a wild duck, and the ban continues to be enforced today, in contradiction to World Organization for Animal Health standards.
“Poultry is produced in almost every state. For communities and states that rely on a thriving and growing poultry industry, these agreements are essential to a strong and vibrant future,” the senators' letter to Perdue said.
The U.S. is the largest poultry producer in the world and the second-largest poultry meat exporter, with nearly 18% of total product shipped to foreign markets. At its peak, the value of poultry exports from the U.S. to China was $71 million for turkey and $722 million for chicken.
“The poultry industry provides thousands of high-quality jobs in our rural communities, and the reopening of the Chinese market would provide a huge boost for these rural areas. We encourage you to remain focused on the next steps to officially reopen the Chinese market as soon as possible,” the senators added.
They said they are encouraged that China has begun its animal health audit of the U.S. poultry industry. Once the audit is completed, they are urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture "to remain diligent in seeking final Chinese approval for U.S. poultry’s first successful shipment as quickly as possible,” the letter said. “Poultry products are often part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, and our farmers would very much like to be able to offer their products during that time.”
In a joint statement, the National Turkey Federation and the National Chicken Council said, “Poultry producers are pleased to see a third of the Senate ... call for swift progress to end China’s ban on U.S. poultry. It is critical that we continue to develop an open trading relationship with the Chinese. The Senate’s strong statement on behalf of American poultry products makes clear balance and fairness must exist for a two-way open market with China.”
Joining Warner and Cochran in signing the letter are: Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D., Wis.), Roy Blunt (R., Mo.), John Boozman (R., Ark.), Richard Burr (R., N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R., W.Va.), Tom Carper (D., Del.), Chris Coons (D., Del.), John Cornyn (R., Texas), Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), Joe Donnelly (D., Ind.), Joni Ernst (R., Iowa), Dianne Feinstein (D., Cal.), Al Franken (D., Minn.), Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), Kamala Harris (D., Cal.), Heidi Heitkamp (D., N.D.), John Hoeven (R., N.D.), Johnny Isakson (R., Ga.), Tim Kaine (D., Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.), Mike Lee (R., Utah), Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.), Jerry Moran (R., Kan.), David Perdue (R., Ga.), Pat Roberts (R., Kan.), Mike Rounds (R., S.D.), Tim Scott (R., S.C.), Richard Shelby (R., Ala.), Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.), Luther Strange (R., Ala.), John Thune (R., S.D.), Thom Tillis (R., N.C.), Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.), Roger Wicker (R., Miss.) and Todd Young (R., Ind.).
Source: Feedstuffs. Date: 2017-07-31
Singapore turns vacant space into urban farms
Resource-scarce Singapore is turning vacant pockets of land into space for urban farming as the island city strives to ease its reliance on imported food.
The wealthy Southeast Asian city-state imports more than 90 per cent of its food, much of it from neighbouring countries, which can leave it exposed to potential supply chain disruptions.
Edible Garden City, a company with a grow-your-own-food message, has designed and built more than 50 food gardens in the tropical city for clients ranging from restaurants and hotels to schools and residences.
One of its projects is Citizen Farm, an 8,000 square metre plot that used to be a prison, converted into an urban farm"where the local community can learn and grow together", according to the project website.
Citizen Farm produces up to 100 kg of vegetables, 20 kg of herbs and 10-15 kg of mushrooms - enough to feed up to 500 people - a day.
It's tiny compared with demand for food in the country of 5.5 million people, but it's a start, said Darren Ho, head of the Citizen Farm initiative.
"No system will replace imports, we are here to make us more food resilient," said Ho, adding that it was "up to the community" to decide how self-sufficient it wants to be.
Government agencies are considering the company's urban farming concept for other parts of the city, including spaces around high-rise public housing.
Source: Asia One. Date: 2017-07-28