Livestock

Cage-free egg production gains popularity in Malaysia

Global trends in egg production have continued to evolve toward more humane and sustainable practices. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

A new survey has revealed that more than 80% of Malaysians favour humane farming, urging Chinese and Malaysian egg producers to hold a collaborative education and sharing session on 8 May, to discuss the growing market opportunity in cage-free egg production

Hosted by the Beijing Egg Industry Association, consultancy Lever China, and international NGO Lever Foundation, the event entitled, 'Sino-Malaysia Cage-Free Egg Symposium: Unlocking Success Together,' aims to equip Malaysian egg producers with insights from leading Chinese egg producers in China who have expanded to include cage-free production in response to growing corporate and consumer demand.

The event comes as a new survey conducted by GMO Research finds that an overwhelming 83% agree that food companies should source their eggs from a supply chain that adheres to humane standards of animal treatment. Additionally, nearly 60% of Malaysian consumers said they were more inclined to patronise a food brand that sourced only cage-free eggs and more than 60% were also willing to pay more for cage-free eggs if they were slightly more expensive than traditional caged eggs.

Based on current corporate commitments in Malaysia, Lever Foundation predicts that the demand for cage-free eggs will increase by 395 million eggs per year within the next several years.Global trends in egg production have continued to evolve toward more humane and sustainable practices, as numerous studies by the European Food Safety Authority and others have consistently found cage-free production to have far lower rates of salmonella contamination, making them healthier and safer for consumers.

"In addition to the increasing demand from consumers for cage-free eggs, a growing number of food companies have committed to only source eggs from cage-free supply chains, which will require an increase in cage-free production in the Malaysian market," said Vilosha Sivaraman, Sustainability Programme manager at Lever Foundation, which supports food companies in Malaysia transition toward cage-free eggs.

For more information about the event, visit: https://form.evenesis.com/cage-free2024

Joint venture between Evonik and Shandong Vland Biotech commences in China

Joint venture between Evonik China Co Ltd and Shandong Vland Biotech Co Ltd

The joint venture aims to develop and expand gut health solutions products including probiotics for farm animals in China. (Image source: Vland Biotech)

Evonik Vland Biotech, a joint venture co-built by Evonik China Co Ltd and Shandong Vland Biotech Co Ltd. officially commenced operation on 14 March in Qingdao, China

Headquartered in Vland Biotech Innovation Park in Qingdao, the joint venture aims to develop and expand gut health solutions products including probiotics for China's farm animals. Head of Evonik's life science division Nutrition & Care, the Animal Nutrition business line, Johann-Caspar Gammelin highlighted that their cooperation with Vland was a crucial step in realising their commitment to providing biosolutions including probiotics for animal gut health for the feed industry.

The agreement will allow Evonik to distribute the joint venture’s portfolio outside of the Greater China region, while also allowing the company to expand its gut health solutions by adding broader formulation elements to its global product portfolio.

"Vland and Evonik have been expanding and deepening our cooperation areas in the past decade," said chairman and president of Vland Group, Chen Gang. The joint venture will make full use of and give full play to each other’s strengths, and deliver efficient products and solutions in animal gut health for users both in China and abroad."

General manager of Evonik Vland Biotech (Shandong) Co Ltd., Dr Wang Xu agreed that the joint venture would greatly benefit from the strong innovation capabilities, applied technology expertise and excellent reputation of the two parent companies, thereby delivering innovative products and solutions to the market and creating more value for their customers.

For more information, visit: https://corporate.evonik.cn/en and http://www.vlandbiochem.com/

dsm-firmenich & Agrifirm pioneer poultry sustainability

dsm-firmenich and Agrifirm pioneer sustainable poultry production with innovative Sustell-PoultryNEXT venture. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

dsm-firmenich, a leading innovator in nutrition, health, and beauty, has joined forces with Agrifirm, a prominent agricultural cooperative, to unveil an innovative joint venture aimed at revolutionising poultry production

World's first large-scale mechanised tropical seaweed farm launched in Indonesia

Shrikumar Suryanarayan, chairman, and Nelson Vadassery, CEO of Sea6 Energy demonstrate operations of the company’s large-scale mechanised seaweed farm. (Image source: Sea6 Energy)

Sea6 Energy, a technology pioneer in the Blue Economy recently launched the world's first large-scale mechanised tropical seaweed farm off Ekas, on the island of Lombok, Indonesia

Seaweed is gaining popularity because of its potential to be used as an input feedstock to make many products that would otherwise be made today from fossil fuels or land-based biomass, which is increasingly in conflict with the human food supply chain. Moreover, the challenges involved in harvesting tropical seaweed at-scale have been seen as a significant barrier to growth in the industry.

By automating various workflows of seaweed cultivation, from seeding to harvesting, and developing proprietary processing know-how that dramatically enhances the feedstock's shelf life, Sea6's vertically integrated state-of-the-art technology platform increases smallholder farmer productivity and firmly positions the oceans as the next frontier for scalable agriculture biomass for a sustainable planet. Sea6's one-square-kilometer seaweed farm is poised to revolutionise the ocean economy by maximising efficiency, minimising environmental impact, and ensuring the highest standards of product quality, safety, and traceability while creating employment opportunities for coastal communities.

The launch was attended by dignitaries in Indonesia, including Luhut B Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Minister of Fisheries, Minister of Industry as well as the Indian and UAE Ambassadors to Indonesia, underscoring the importance of this innovative project in promoting environmental stewardship and fostering economic growth in the region.

"We are honored to inaugurate the world's first mechanised tropical sea farm, a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability in the Ocean Economy," said co-founder and CEO of Sea6 Energy, Nelson Vadassery. "This groundbreaking initiative not only showcases the immense potential of sustainable seaweed cultivation but also underscores our collective responsibility to develop sustainable products for future generations." Sandeep Chakravorty, Ambassador of India to Indonesia and Timor Leste also highlighted that the project was a shining example of India-Indonesia cooperation in blue economy.

For more information, visit: www.sea6energy.com

De Heus opens new shrimp feed mill in Vietnam

People on stage at grand opening ceremony of the De Heus feed mill

Grand opening ceremony of the De Heus Vinh Long Shrimp Feed Mill. (Image source: De Heus)

International animal feed producer, De Heus organised the grand opening of a new shrimp feed mill on 5 March at the Co Chien Industrial Zone located in the Vinh Long province of Vietnam

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