Internet-savvy Chinese drive up sales of Australian produce over New Year
CANBERRA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The sale of fresh Australian produce boomed over the Chinese New Year period, with tech-savvy Chinese buyers using online retailers to plug the gap left by supermarket closures over the busy holiday period.
Online shopping giant JD.com reported a sharp increase in sales of online goods over the holiday period, with the sale of imported goods such as Australian beef, cherries, and kiwifruit increasing by up to 14-fold.
JD.com told Australia's News Corp that, in the long term, it expects "a continued boom in imported food sales as Chinese palates become more sophisticated, and customers become increasingly aware."
Meanwhile JD.com's competitor, Alibaba said Chinese consumers often bought foreign goods online during the New Year period as local businesses often closed so that employees could spend time with family.
"Since many supermarkets in China are closed during the holidays, a lot of confectionery products and fresh produce through our online supermarket proved popular, including crackers, nuts, candies, cherries, kiwi, apples, fresh vegetables, and dumplings," a spokesperson told News Corp.
Recent statistics released by China's Agriculture Ministry showed that while the total value of agricultural imports into China fell in 2016, the sale of livestock and other goods such as wheat - often from Australia - had bucked the trend.
Imports of wheat grew 13.5 percent, while rice and vegetables grew by 5.5 and 2 percent respectively, while livestock imports jumped by almost 15 percent to be worth more than 23 billion US dollars.
Specifically, pork imports rose 110 percent, beef imports rose by 22.4 percent and milk powder grew by 15.2 percent.
SOURCE:Xinhua News Agency
China-New Zealand joint food science center to open economic opportunities
WELLINGTON, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- A planned joint China-New Zealand food research center will bring scientific and economic benefits to both countries, the head of a New Zealand government research institute said Friday.
The center would see New Zealand's AgResearch collaborating with China's largest state-owned food company and the largest university food science and nutrition research department.
AgResearch had signed a collaboration arrangement signed earlier this month in Beijing with the Nutrition and Health Research Institute within the China Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) and with the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agriculture University (CAU).
They would explore opportunities to work together formally in the name of a "joint international research center for food science to promote international exchange, research and productivity, with a particular focus on further enhancing a China-New Zealand relationship."
The arrangement is aimed to initiate activities of mutual benefit in terms of knowledge development, scientific and technological innovation and economic benefit, said AgResearch chief executive Tom Richardson.
"Some of the key research areas where AgResearch expects to work closely with COFCO and CAU are food science, processing, food assurance and safety, and human nutrition," Richardson said.
The relationship with such influential institutions opened up a host of opportunities in the world's most populous country for AgResearch, and for agriculture and agribusiness in New Zealand.
"We are fortunate to have world-class scientists in New Zealand. Being able to reach out and work with some of the best scientists elsewhere in the world bolsters what we are doing, and what we can offer to enhance industry here," he said.
SOURCE:Xinhua News Agency
China's appetite for EU's pork is growing
European farmers benefitted from a doubling of pork exports to China in 2016, according to an official industry organization.
Countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Denmark led the list of exporters.
The UK's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board noted that global pork shipments to the world's second-largest economy reached 1.6 million metric tons.
The board cited the restructuring of the Chinese pig industry as the main reason for the increase in hunger for the product.
The European Union supplied around two-thirds of China's imported pork.
"This was particularly true early in 2016, driven by plentiful supplies, competitive prices and hormone-free production systems," said Bethan Wilkins, an analyst at the board.
But EU farmers are likely to see increasing competition from the United States and Brazil in future. After gaining increased access to the Chinese market, Brazil became its eighth-largest pork supplier last year.
Shipments of pig meat from the UK to China shot up last year, reaching 43,000 tons－a rise of 31 percent compared to 2015. Pig meat refers to various cuts and products, as opposed the whole pig carcass.
"Higher pig prices in China enabled average unit prices to rise," said Wilkins. "So, the value of these imports was up ahead of volume, almost reaching 50 million pounds ($62 million).
Offal imports were up 72 percent to 1.3 million tons worldwide, while the EU remained the dominant supplier. Offal shipments from the UK were up 32 percent, but volumes exported during the final quarter were 9 percent lower than they were in the same period in 2015. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board said this was due to increased competition from the US and because of falling UK production.
In the coming year, the board expects Chinese domestic production to increase, which will reduce demand for imports.
Wilkins said: "This will be a concern for the global pork market, as China has been a key outlet in a background of lackluster demand for pig meat in Europe and the US. Unless alternative markets can be found, a fall in demand from China could begin to put pressure on global pork prices this year, particularly in light of the expansion in US production."
SOURCE:China Daily
China continues to dominate the 2016 global dominance of feed
From 2012 onwards, global feed production of 954 million tons, to 2016 breakthrough 1 billion tons, a cumulative increase of 19%, this year the decline in the number of feed plants also means that industry consolidation and production efficiency are rising.
Asia: Asia is still the largest feed production area, accounting for 36% of global production, reaching 367.6 million tons, annual growth rate of nearly 5%, of which China is the largest feed producer, Feed production in 1816 increased by about 21%, and for the first time in the top 15 countries of the country, which were mainly pigs and pigs, and the feed production in Vietnam, Pakistan, India and Japan increased in 1816, Broiler feed production increased.
World Bank lends $100m to support farmer cooperatives in NW China
BEIJING — The World Bank has granted a $100 million loan to support farmer cooperatives and help reduce rural poverty in the northwestern province of Shaanxi.
The loan will help local cooperatives with major purchases and allow them to build partnerships with established businesses to give smallholders access to modern markets, according to a press release from the World Bank on Feb 10.
Cooperatives provide farmers with technical training, manage the collective purchase of seeds and fertilizers and help to sell products, but many cooperatives lack management vision and funds, said Yan Guangming, World Bank senior urban specialist and co-task leader for the project.
The government also provided $50 million to the project, according to the World Bank.
It said the project will be carried out in 11 poor counties in Shaanxi from 2017 to 2022 and cover about 48,600 poor people.
SOURCE:English.gov.cn
Chilean mussel sales will double in Asia
The world's largest mussel company, Chilean St-Andrew-Chiloère, plans to increase its annual production of mussels by 56 percent to 25,000 tonnes in the next three years.
At present the company's annual output of 16,000 tons of mussels, 95-97% of frozen products, mainly exported to Europe and the United States.But the Asian market, especially in Japan and China, the market demand continues to rise, while India and Africa, the market demand has increased.The company's sales of this year or will double in Aisa.
Current prices of mussels isUS $ 3.3 per kilogram in the range 100-200 and US $ 3 per kilo at the range 200-300, and whole shell mussels is US $ 2.3 per kilogram.
Source: http://www.fishfirst.cn/article-85871-1.html
The subsidies of planting, breeding, processing in 2017
Recently, according to the spirit of the national conference on comprehensive agricultural development and the "National Agricultural Development Fund and project management approach" provides that the Ministry of Finance issued a "2017 on the national agricultural comprehensive development of industrial development projects to declare the work of the notice. 2017 planting, breeding, processing subsidies are the number?
4 types of 31 projects can declare subsidies
1. Modern agricultural park pilot declaration project
Accepted by: Ministry of Agriculture;
The amount of subsidy to apply: provincial 1000-2000 million, national 1-2 billion;
Application for reporting time: June.
2. One county and one special industry development pilot project
Accepted by: Ministry of Finance;
Support: agricultural infrastructure, seed breeding, agricultural pollution control, comprehensive utilization of waste and social service system and other public welfare projects, as well as new products and technologies to promote the use of deep processing of agricultural products.
Amount of subsidy: 300 ~ 5 million yuan;
Application for reporting time: October.
3. Leading enterprises to promote industrial development pilot projects
Accepted by: Ministry of Finance;
Support: agricultural infrastructure, seed breeding, agricultural pollution control, comprehensive utilization of waste and social service system and other public welfare projects, as well as new products and technologies to promote the use of deep processing of agricultural products.
Application for the amount of subsidies: 500 to 800 million; application for reporting time: October.
4. One or two three industrial integration pilot project
Subsidy amount: 30% of the total investment;
Reporting time: May.
5. Small and medium-sized enterprise technology innovation fund Modern agriculture field project
The amount of subsidies: 800,000 yuan;
Reporting time: 6 ~ July.
http://www.caaa.cn/show/newsarticle.php?ID=382323&type=caaa
China's selenium-rich agricultural capital Guigang City of Beijing to the new situation
January 18, 2017, Guigang City. The Vice Mayor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region-Wei Zhaohui with the city's Development and Reform Commission, Bureau of Commerce, Bureau of Agriculture and other departments and her party came to Beijing to visit the new agricultural products wholesale market and to discuss cooperation projects.
Guiganghas unique geographical advantages, convenient traffic conditions, unique resources; soil-rich selenium resources make Guigang City, "China's selenium-rich agricultural capital," said. At present the city has a total of 62 selenium-rich agricultural production base, the total area of 45,610 acres, covering rice, tea, vegetables, Chinese herbal medicines, fruits and other competitive industries.
Beijing Xinfadi agricultural products wholesale market was established in 16thMay , 1988, after 28 years of development, has now developed into the world's largest agricultural products wholesale market, the annual turnover of 70 billion yuan breakthrough, the average daily turnover of 200 million yuan, Market influence to cover all parts of the country.
Source: http://www.farmer.com.cn/xwpd/dfny/201701/t20170120_1270871.htm
Fung Cheung shares acquired the "best achievement’ by the United States issued. Chinese broiler breeding refresh the global record
China broiler industry ushered in the most exciting news of the New Year - January 17, accounting for 50% of the global share of broiler breed industry, the United States Kebao company, for the new Fengxiang Group's Fengxiang shares awarded the " Best breed of chickens. " This is the first time in the history of Chinese enterprises to obtain this award. The achievement is not only means that the breeding results of Fengxiang shares have set a record of breeding in the world over the same period, which means that the breeding technology has reached the highest level of breeder breeding in the world. This achievement has been recognized as one of the signs that China has changed from "traditional big country" to "traditional power country".
It is reported that food is the main business of Xinfengxiang Group. It is the leading enterprise in chicken production and processing in China. It owns the most complete industrial chain and the largest export and processing channel of food production and processing. To the table, "the whole industry chain of food safety control system. Processing products are exported to the EU, Japan, Malaysia, the Middle East more than 20 countries and regions, including KFC, McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Carrefour and other major strategic suppliers. XinFengxiang Group's is excellent shape, love to pull, and other well-known raw materials supplier.
http://www.boyar.cn/article/2017/01/17/702512.shtml
Safer Salmonella control in poultry feed
Salmonella in feed is one of the key causes of colonisation in poultry. Enterobacteriaceae such as Salmonella can be present in the entire feed production process, from the raw materials all the way through to the final feed. Salmonella may then be passed on to consumers. Because of this, feed millers and integrators aiming to ensure high feed quality standards, need to demonstrate they have an effective Salmonella control program.
Controlling Salmonella at the beginning of the chain, in raw materials and feed, reduces prevalence from the very start. The practical example in this article shows how a Salmonella audit can support feed millers to take the most appropriate steps. It also demonstrates how a strict control program, involving a combination of feed additives, regular expert checks and interventions, leads to effective results without any need for aggressive treatments such as the use of formaldehyde.
A safe solution for high-calcium feeds
A Dutch feed miller was looking into alternatives to formaldehyde in order to control Enterobacteriaceae in its feed for layers (including eggs for vaccine production) and breeders. These types of feed are not pelletised and contain a relatively large amount of calcium. The combination of these characteristics makes it difficult to decontaminate the feed effectively.
Figure 1 - Effect of turning during different days of incubation on percentage fertile hatchability, early dead embryos (E0-E6), late dead embryos (E18-E21+pipped), and malpositioned II embryos.
A high calcium level neutralises many acids used and without pelletising the feed is not heated, both of which prevent decontamination. This was why the feed miller employed formaldehyde, which is an aggressive decontamination product. As there are safety concerns with the use of this product, this feed miller wanted to try using a gentler method based on organic acids. The feed mill had set the quality standard at a level of less than 10³ cfuEnterobacteriaceae per gram of feed. In addition, they wished to have an automatic dosing system to add the feed additives to the feed.
Initial assessment
Firstly, feed samples were taken for a dose-response study in order to find the optimum dosage level to reach the quality goal in the most economical way. The baseline results showed that the Enterobacteriaceae level was very high in both the untreated and the formaldehyde-treated samples. Only a very high dosage of the organic acids could reduce this to the desired level (Figure 1). A decision was taken to investigate the production system more thoroughly to solve the problem.
A full Salmonella audit was performed in the entire production system. Samples were taken in several places, including from spots where dust normally collects, like sieves. Scrapings from the inside of machines were also taken, since these locations are at risk of Enterobacteriaceae contamination. Finally, samples of the raw materials were taken to measure their microbial quality, both before and after grinding. The results revealed that the inside of the grinder was high in Enterobacteriaceae, with levels of up to 24,000 cfu/g. However, the ground wheat used for the feed had even higher levels, up to 110,000 cfu/g. These findings showed that the high Enterobacteriaceae level in the feed was mainly due to the contamination of the wheat after grinding.
Integrated approach
Based on these findings, a new plan to manage the Enterobacteriaceae level was proposed. Since there were multiple sources of contamination, an integrated approach was applied in which feed additives with specific modes of action were used to treat specific areas. As shown in figure 2, the raw material, left-overs in the system and the final feed were treated.
Figure 2 - Advantage for 96 versus 24 turns daily on fertile hatchability of young (34 and 39-week-old) and old (59 and 61-week-old) flock eggs.
The complete feed safety programme used to prevent the high Enterobacteriaceae counts for this feed mill included; Adding a feed additive (SelkoFysal liquid) based on organic acids to high-risk raw materials (whole grains) at 0.4% inclusion, spraying the grinder once a week with another feed additive (SelkoFysal SP) using a powder duster, in order to reduce the bacterial level in the feed left-overs and adding a third feed additive (SelkoFysal Feed) to the feed in the mixer at 0.5% inclusion rate, to prevent later contamination with Enterobacteriaceae.
The high level of active ingredients in the used additives assured efficacy despite of the high buffer capacity of the feed, giving the organic acids combination in the formula the chance to reduce the level of Enterobacteriaceae. This combined solution proved to be more cost-effective due to the lower inclusion rate necessary and this still helped the feed miller to reach the goal of less than 10³ CFU Enterobacteriaceae without the use of formaldehyde.
The key to such a successful and safe Enterobacteriaceae (including Salmonella) control programme involves finding out where the risks are located and having the expertise and correct equipment to apply the most effective products in the right places. The best results can be achieved when dosage advice is based on studies with the raw materials used on site, because bacterial load and raw material conditions differ from place to place. By testing the effects of several different dosage levels, it is possible to define the most economical dosage for optimal results.
By Danielle Smeitink, Trouw Nutrition
Source: http://www.worldpoultry.net/Health/