Wierzejki, one of Poland’s largest meat manufacturers has installed a new Ishida multihead weigher, significantly improving the line throughputs

This has been achieved when packing the company’s new range of dumplings, with the investment resulting in a payback of approximately 18 months. Previously a laborious and time-consuming hand packing operation that required six people to achieve the 1.2 tonnes of dumplings to be packed every hour, the Ishida CCW-RVE-214W-1S-30-WP has considerably reduced overall losses from 5% to less that 2% per pack. 

The new product weighs dumplings mainly into 400g packs but is able to handle a large variety of pack weights, including multiple weighments into the same pack for very large foodservice packs, using the 'multi-dump' mode. This gives Wierzejki the flexibility to respond quickly to market and customer demands. Equally important, the consistency of pack weights that the Ishida weigher delivers helps to enhance the consumer experience to support Wierzejki’s premium brand image.

Featuring a patented Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technology, the Ishida RVE model provides greater control of the infeed of product at the top of the weigher and during transfer to the hoppers. By being able to automatically vary both the amplitude and duration of vibration, the vibratory feeders deliver a controlled and consistent flow of product in order to maintain speed and efficiencies while virtually eliminating overfill in the hoppers. Embossed surfaces facilitate a smooth product flow throughout the weigher. A special distribution system beneath the Ishida weigher provides a fast and efficient transfer of dumplings into the thermoforming machine.

Thanks to its intuitive touch screen operation, the Ishida multihead which is in operation for 12 hours each day requires only one operator to supervise the line, with set up and changeovers being easy to undertake. Moreover, the weigher’s modular design allows easy removal and replacement of contact parts for a fast and thorough daily clean down.

This is the second Ishida multihead weigher to be installed at Wierzejki and like the first, which Wierzejki reports has been working perfectly for over two years, the new model has proved extremely reliable. The weigher was installed by Ishida’s long term local partner in Poland, Fenix Systems, with the installation being completed in under two days. Fenix also hosted a a one-day workshop to help operators familiarise themselves with the machine, as well as providing ongoing remote technical support.

“Precision is everything in our business and this was the driving force behind our investment in the Ishida solution,” said Adam Zdanowski from Wierzejki. “Our new Ishida weigher has given us increased accuracy and efficiency, and no downtime, together with excellent service and support, all of which are delivering significant improvements to the bottom line.” 

In an attempt to make optimal poultry nutrition easier, while also helping farmers save money and improve profits, a free mobile app called the FeedMixer App was designed by poultry nutrition experts at the Poultry Science Department at the University of Georgia in the US

Rising commercial feed costs as well as limited grain supply is urging poultry farmers in Sub Saharan Africa and most regions around the world to self-mix their chicken feed. However, a majority of farmers lack adequate knowledge, causing them to fail at achieveing the right balance of grains, oils and other available ingredients needed to ensure optimal nutrition for different types of birds at different stages.

The new FeedMixer App, a relaunch of an older version of the app, makes feed mixing easier by calculating whether the feed mixtures farmers use contain the right balance of key nutrients, by age, type of chickens, and available ingredients.

Sean Chen, assistant professor/extension specialist at the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Georgia highlighted how farmers are often unaware of the fact that the nutrient needs of chicken may vary depending on the stage of life they are currently in, which is why broilers and layers for example, would need to be fed differently. Selecting the appropriate feed components would therefore be essential for optimising bird health and productivity, while at the same time minimising resource wastage. 

"We feed various types of feed mixes to different breeds of birds because different breeds have distinct characteristics and purposes," said Chen. "For instance, broiler chickens are primarily raised for meat production. These chickens grow rapidly and require a diet supporting muscle development and efficient feed conversion into meat. Broiler chickens need feeds rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to ensure optimal growth and flavourful meat production. On the other hand, laying hens are specifically bred to produce a consistent supply of eggs. They require a different set of nutrients to support their reproductive system and the formation of solid eggshells. Their diet should include adequate proteins, vitamins, minerals, and calcium to support strong eggshell and egg production."

Maureen Stickel, director of the International Programme Development at the World Poultry Foundation also underscored how the app would help guide farmers who might have trouble accessing traditional feed ingredients such as soy or corn due to cost or local availability.

Users simply click on the type of chickens they are feeding, and select the ingredients they have available to them, such as maize, cassava, oil, bran, soybean meal, fish meal, and salt, in the proportions they intend to blend. The app will indicate whether their chosen feed mix delivers adequate energy, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals to efficiently nourish the birds without wastage. Users can input the cost of the ingredients they use, to calculate whether their feed mix is cost effective, and they can save their own feed mix formulas in the app for future reference.

To make it convenient for users, the app is currently available in a number of languages including English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. It also offers useful content and resources such as preloaded feed mix examples for different types of birds, and diet guidelines for each breed and age of bird.

While sustainable food production through aquaponic systems is promising, achieving economic sustainability requires the addressing of specific technical challenges, writes Saurabh Maral

Sustainable food production through aquaponic systems is promising. Consegic Business Intelligence analyses that the aquaponics market size is growing with a CAGR of 10.8% during the forecast period (2023-2031), and is projected to be valued at US$2,151.97mn by 2031. The following are the major areas that should be carefully examined for the proper functioning of the systems and to ensure that they are profitable:

Balancing nutrient supply and demand

One of the biggest issues in aquaponics is to make the waste of fish nutrient producers in the same way as plants need it. Fish produce waste as ammonia, which is converted to nitrites and nitrates by bacteria. Besides, plants rely on these compounds to grow, though the unbalance can lead to poor nutrient use or else toxic conditions for fish. A multi-stage biofiltration system will be a successful part of the process of the plant requirements with the desired quality of biofertiliser. Both the bacteria conversion part and the phytoplankton assimilation part from plants should be framed within the biofiltration and recycling of the waste in the closed aquatic ecosystem.

Maintaining water quality

Quality of water is very critical for the well-being of both fish and plants. However, critical parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature should be constantly monitored to prevent any growth issues or mortality in the system. Water monitoring systems that are automated with sensors can provide data in real time and make adjustments as necessary. On the other hand, incorporating machine learning algorithms allows predictive maintenance to take place, thus, reducing the risk of system failure. Additionally, water testing on a regular basis, along with filter maintenance, also plays a huge role in maintaining smooth operation. 

Energy efficiency

Aquaponic systems can require a lot of power because of water pumping, aeration, and temperature control. Eroding the profit margin through high energy bills makes energy efficiency a crucial element of sustainability. Energy-conservation equipment such as variable-speed pumps, which are quiet and can be run at different speeds, and high-efficiency aerators can significantly save energy. Besides this, companies can also contribute to absorbing energy costs by employing solar panels and optimising the system design so that water traveling distance would be minimised to lower energy consumption.

Fish and plant species selection

For the aquaponic system to be successful, it is important the appropriate fish and plants are chosen as not all of them are suitable for such kind of systems. The fish that are going to be introduced into the system need to be sturdy because sometimes water conditions can be less than ideal. Also, the plants should get their nutrients from the fish waste. Tilapia, catfish, and trout are the species of fish that are widely used for their robustness, while leafy greens and herbs like lettuces and basil are plants that are particularly recommended. Small-scale trials on different species arrangements will give the combination of plants and fish that will result in the best performance of the system.

Scaling the system economically

The project of upgrading a layer that grows in the system of aquaponics to a commercial level conduces to the augmentation of the complexity in front of high upfront costs, increased production of labour, and more complex system dynamics. The goal of achieving economies of scale without a decrease in the sustainability of the system is of utmost importance. The modular system design helps scale down the size of the farm gradually while at the same time reducing the risks and the initial investment. Automation of the main processes in the life cycle such as feeding, water circulation, and environmental control will minimise labeling work. Data-based tools for analysing the performance of the systems guarantee scalability and constant yield development.

Conclusion

To attain a profitable aquaponic model, it is imperative to deal with main difficulties like nutrient balance, water quality, energy efficiency, species selection, and system scalability. By employing innovative biofiltration systems, automation technologies, power-efficient building components, and data-centric decision support systems, managers will be able to get the most out of the system at the same time as reducing operating expenditures. By means of such approaches, aquaponics promises to be a sustainable food production method that is environmentally friendly and economically sound for the long term.