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The exhibition provided a platform for Pure Breed and Aviagen to engage in meaningful discussions. (Image source: Aviagen)

Event News

Pure Breed, Aviagen’s Ross Parent Stock (PS) distributor for Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States and Yemen, recently participated in the 4th Middle East Poultry Expo at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 14-16 April

The exhibition provided an excellent platform for Pure Breed and Aviagen to engage in meaningful discussions, share expertise, and strengthen relationships with both existing and potential customers.

Visitors to the stand had the opportunity to learn more about Pure Breed’s ongoing commitment to innovation, customer success and their support for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to be 90% self-sufficient in poultry production by 2030.

“The Middle East Poultry Expo (MEP) continues to expand in scale and impact each year. Saudi Arabia serves as an ideal host for the Expo, given its status as one of the largest poultry producers in the Middle East and Africa, and one of the largest global consumers of meat and poultry. The Expo provided an excellent platform to engage with our valued customers and to network with key stakeholders across the poultry sector. We greatly appreciated the opportunity to strengthen existing relationships and establish new connections, and we look forward to supporting the continued growth and success of MEP in the years ahead,” commented Moeen Alkhatib, chief executive officer, Pure Breed.

Bulent Tanyildizi, business manager, MENA, added, “The Aviagen MENA team, including myself and Murat Yakar, Regional Technical Manager, TMENA, was pleased to support Pure Breed during the Expo. We had the opportunity to engage with our local and regional customers and also Pure Breed’s direct customers within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Aviagen is proud to continue our strong collaboration with Pure Breed, delivering top-tier breeding stock that meets the highest health and biosecurity standards. We are committed to Breeding Success Together by ensuring the ongoing success and sustainability of our customers across the region.”

The collaboration marks a pivotal step in bridging science and policy to tackle interconnected health challenges worldwide. (Image source: ILRI)

Livestock

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has designated the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) as its first Collaborating Centre for One Health, marking a significant recognition of ILRI’s leadership in addressing complex issues at the convergence of animal, human, and environmental health

ILRI, a CGIAR centre co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, maintains headquarters in both Addis Ababa and Nairobi and operates 14 offices throughout Asia and Africa. The institute has a proven track record of applying the One Health approach to tackle pressing challenges in low- and middle-income countries, where the interconnection between animal, human, and environmental health is most pronounced.

Announcing the designation during WOAH’s 92nd General Session, ILRI director general Appolinaire Djikeng stated, “We are honored by WOAH’s designation of ILRI as a Collaborating Centre for One Health. This recognition reinforces our commitment to leveraging livestock research for healthy people, healthy animals and healthy ecosystems. Through our networks across Africa and Asia, ILRI will continue to work with partners to provide the One Health solutions that improve animal health management, drive innovations, mitigate emerging global threats and build sustainable resilience in food systems globally. In addition, ILRI seeks to strengthen the evidence base for addressing climate-related health challenges through the application of a One Health approach.”

With its new status, ILRI will drive research, capacity building, and policy engagement to support WOAH’s global One Health strategy. The centre will prioritise areas such as disease prevention, especially zoonotic and emerging diseases, using surveillance and early warning mechanisms. It will also focus on improving biosecurity and implementing value-chain interventions to lower disease risks, while contributing to epidemiological modelling, socio-economic analysis, and policy development. Climate-resilient strategies will also form a core component of its research agenda to address animal health vulnerabilities stemming from environmental changes.

WOAH director general Emmanuelle Soubeyran, stated, “ILRI’s interdisciplinary approach aligns with WOAH’s vision for One Health. Together, we can transform research into actionable policies and provide more evidence for WOAH international standards to safeguard animal health, trade and global food security. We look forward to working closely with ILRI to advance the One Health agenda and build stronger, more resilient animal health systems globally.”

This partnership represents a significant advancement in linking scientific research with policy to confront increasingly interconnected health challenges around the world.

US$10.12mn grant to boost resilient agriculture and livelihoods for rural communities in Zimbabwe. (Image source:

Agriculture

The board of directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a US$10.12mn grant from the African Development Fund, the Bank’s concessional lending arm, to enhance sustainable agriculture and build climate resilience in Zimbabwe’s drought-prone regions

The funding will support the Zimbabwe Agricultural Value Chain and Livelihoods Enhancement Project (AVCLEP), expected to directly benefit 7,000 livestock-keeping farmers and 42,000 smallholder and crop farmers.

The project aims to increase sustainable crop and livestock productivity, improve access to markets, and promote value chain integration for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the agricultural sector. It will be implemented across Matabeleland South, Masvingo, and Bulawayo Metropolitan Province—areas with high livestock populations that are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events.

Zimbabwe continues to face challenges such as macroeconomic instability and the impacts of climate change, including floods, droughts, and storms, which disproportionately affect rural communities.

"This investment represents a critical intervention to build climate resilience and improve food security in Zimbabwe's most vulnerable agricultural communities," said Moono Mupotola, African Development Bank's deputy director general for Southern Africa and country manager for Zimbabwe. "By rehabilitating existing infrastructure and introducing climate-smart agricultural practices, the project will transform livelihoods in areas that have historically suffered from drought and limited access to water resources."

AVCLEP will focus on promoting climate-smart agricultural productivity and enhancing agricultural value chains. Planned initiatives include the rehabilitation of dip tanks, development of solar-powered boreholes, and strengthening of crop-livestock value chains. These measures aim to improve food and nutrition security and enhance climate resilience. Additionally, the project will support integrated land use planning, landscape restoration, and catchment management to improve water availability.

Further components include capacity building, social inclusion, and knowledge management—fostering technical training, gender equality, and youth empowerment. Strong project management mechanisms will ensure implementation aligns with the Bank’s procedures.

The project prioritises the inclusion of women (50%) and youth (20%), while an estimated 90,000 community members are expected to benefit indirectly from improved access to water, veterinary services, and livelihoods support.

Employment generation is also a major goal, with the project set to create 200 full-time and 2,800 seasonal jobs in the crop and livestock value chains. Average monthly household incomes in the target areas are projected to increase from US$85 to US$120.

Implementation is scheduled to begin in June 2025 and conclude by December 2029.

The African Development Bank continues to play a vital role in supporting Zimbabwe’s rural transformation, with this latest initiative contributing to efforts that have already helped to reduce food insecurity and poverty.

“This Project will enhance adaptive capacity, promote sustainable economic opportunities, and strengthen the resilience of rural communities to climate change within the target areas,” commented Martin Fregene, director of the African Development Bank’s Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department. “We look forward to working with all key stakeholders during the project implementation, to drive impactful solutions in the target areas which have been negatively affected by climate change.”

AVCLEP reflects the Zimbabwean government's dedication to boosting agricultural productivity and mitigating climate change impacts. By combining infrastructure rehabilitation with climate-smart practices, the initiative is expected to deliver measurable improvements in food security and household incomes.

Entomatic is highly versatile and can be used in horizontal and vertical row crops. (Image source: Biobest)

Machinery & Equipment

The Entomatic automated dispenser stands as a game changer for spider mite control, ensuring precise and uniform Phytoseiulus distribution across crops

Phytoseiulus persimilis, a specialised predatory mite, feeds exclusively on spider mites and is an essential and well-established component of biocontrol programmes. Entomatic is highly versatile and can be used in horizontal and vertical row crops. It has been widely adopted in high-tech protected vegetable crops, such as tomatoes, sweet peppers and cucumbers, as well as cut flowers and open-field strawberry production.

Beyond Phytoseiulus-System, Entomatic efficiently distributes other predatory mites, most beneficial insects, and Artemac supplementary predator feed in tomatoes. Its user-friendly, modular design allows for easy configuration across different glasshouse setups, whether mounted on existing carts, tractors, robotic sprayers, or custom driving platforms.

Sam Gui, market development manager for High Tech IPM at Biobest explained how Entomatic maximises effectiveness by smoothly and precisely releasing Phytoseiulus-System, at a controlled rate, over the head of the plants. “Aside from the increased precision, due to automatisation, Entomatic can significantly cut labour costs. Depending on the Entomatic model, we’ve seen labour costs for beneficial mite introduction cut by up to 90%.”

 

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