Aviagen Anadolu successful hosted its ninth technical seminar in Belek, Antalya, Türkiye, from 28–29 April, bringing together poultry professionals, industry experts and customers from across Türkiye for 1.5 days of knowledge sharing, innovation and collaboration

The seminar featured a comprehensive programme focused on broiler and breeder management, flock performance, hatchery technologies, disease prevention, nutrition and emerging industry trends. Participants benefited from presentations delivered by Aviagen specialists and international guest speakers, who shared practical insights and the latest developments shaping the poultry sector.

Discussions throughout the event emphasized improving production efficiency, bird health, meat quality and sustainability across poultry operations. The Aviagen Anadolu team also highlighted the importance of continued education and collaboration in supporting customers and advancing poultry production standards throughout the region.

The seminar also provided an opportunity for attendees to strengthen professional relationships and exchange experiences during networking sessions, panel discussions and the gala dinner.

The closing session included an interactive panel discussion, giving customers the opportunity to engage directly with presenters and ask questions related to the topics covered throughout the seminar. The event concluded with a group photo and a special Club awards presentation recognizing outstanding customer performance with Ross flocks.

During the awards ceremony, the Aviagen Anadolu team honored the top three Club award winners with certificates and awards in recognition of their exceptional production results. The Clubs celebrate customers who demonstrate outstanding dedication, management excellence and performance achievements with their Ross flocks.

“The seminar was highly valuable in terms of covering technical topics and demonstrating the development and future direction of the Ross breed. It provided an excellent opportunity for our teams to further develop their knowledge. The event was also very enjoyable socially, especially with the recognition and celebration of successful performers during the closing session.”, said İsmail Ertonga, vice general manager, Beypiliç.

Sharing his perspective on the seminar, Güven Atlı, general manager, Keskinoğlu, commented, “The topics covered during the seminar and the expertise shared by the speakers were extremely valuable for our team. We sincerely appreciated the care, attention and support shown by the Aviagen Anadolu team throughout the event. Their hospitality and professionalism made the experience especially meaningful for all attendees.”

Reflecting on the success of the seminar, Yüksel Öztürk, Production Manager, Orallar, added, “The organisation of the seminar was excellent from start to finish. The presentations addressed current industry challenges with practical and result-oriented information delivered by highly experienced experts. We were extremely pleased with both the content and the overall event experience.”

Rıza Elmas, Senior Technical Manager, Aviagen Anadolu, added: “We dedicated significant preparation over the past year to ensure the success of this seminar. The programme was carefully designed to address key areas across the entire production chain, including hatchery operations, management practices, health, nutrition, data analysis, ventilation and processing. We also explored the future genetic potential of the Ross 308 and the opportunities it presents for our customers.

We were especially pleased to welcome more than 150 customers, including many key decision-makers from across the region. The seminar served as an important platform for industry professionals to connect, exchange ideas and discuss future opportunities for improving performance and achieving genetic potential.

I would like to sincerely thank our Technical Managers, especially Orhun Tikit, along with Ahmet Emrah Örtlek and Kifah Abutumeh, whose dedication and hard work played a major role in making this event a success. Together with the Aviagen Anadolu team and our global experts, we were proud to deliver a truly valuable and memorable seminar experience.”

The German Agricultural Society, DLG-organised trade fair for livestock professionals, EuroTier, has issued call for the Innovation Award EuroTier seeking technological innovations to address on-ground problems in modern livestock farming

The Innovation Award EuroTier in gold or silver goes to the winner who gets chosen following an in-depth technical evaluation by an independent panel of international experts appointed by the DLG. 

Alongside, the Animal Welfare Award is also seeking submissions for trendsetting offerings for the industry. This recognises products that promote species-appropriate behaviour and squarely supports animal health. Also presented by the DLG in cooperation with the bpt (German Veterinary Practitioners Association), this particular award is build on the gold or silver earned as part of the EuroTier Innovation Award. While animal welfare is only one of several criteria for the Innovation Award, the Animal Welfare Award specifically recognizes a product that meets the requirements for a higher animal welfare standard to an exceptional degree.

Decisive factors include innovations in animal welfare and animal health. Products that promote species-appropriate behavior and actively support animal health are particularly highlighted.

EuroTier 2026 that is set to take place from 10 to 13 November in Hanover, Germany, will be driven by the theme 'Intelligence in animal farming', promoting technologies that improve efficiency, animal welfare, and farm management, while also delivering benefits in terms of environmental and energy performance.

Registration for the EuroTier Innovation Awards 2026 automatically includes entry for the Animal Welfare Award 2026.

Award-winning products must be fully functional at the time of the exhibition and must be available on the market by EuroTier 2028 at the latest. The last edition of EuroTier included more than 210 world premieres entered into the innovation award scheme.

The application deadline for the EuroTier 2026 awards is July 31, 2026.

To enable an agriculture-led development for hunger and poverty eradication, the African Union has launched the Kampala Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme Strategy and Action Plan (2026 – 2035) as part of Agenda 2063 continental initiative

The move was built with the objective of mobilising US$100bn, boost agrifood generation by 45 per cent, triple intra-African trade in farm goods, and cut post-harvest losses in half. The African government will be leading the implementation process, while continental institutions tackle coordination and monitoring as critical stakeholders keep joining with expansion. 

"There are key CAADP aspects such as market opening, infrastructure development or pest and disease control that are better managed through inter-country collaboration, hence the need for Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to play the lead role," said Fred Bwino, Minister of State for Agriculture, the Republic of Uganda/Chair of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE).

On his part, the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), Moses Vilakati, said that the new CAADP Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2036 marks a significant shift towards agrifood systems transformation.

“We recognise that agriculture is not just about production, but about creating a holistic system that encompasses production, processing, distribution, and consumption. It also envisions sustainable and resilient agri-food systems for a healthy and prosperous Africa,” he said.

With nine of the 10 countries from Africa prone to climate change, about 9% of the African Union Member states' national budgets are now dedicated to tackling climate extremes.

South Africa's Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, emphasised on the urgency of technology adoption which is currently not going at a pace as it should be because of inherent market issues. Rapid digital development can potentially accelerate agricultural growth and productivity while also drawing substantial farm investments.

"The agrifood system requires innovative technologies to adapt suitably to local social conditions and be updated in response to environmental factors, such as the co-evolution of pests and diseases, degradation of water and land resources, and climate change," Steenhuisen said.

The Kampala CAADP Declaration was signed in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the presence of Bwino.

Designed for emerging farmers, cooperatives and smart agricultural programmes across sub-Saharan Africa, the MBS SmartFarm Platform has been deployed following a three-month applied research pilot at the Sustainability Institute in Lynedoch, Stellenbosch

The platform reported marked improvements in soil health and water management, after close monitoring of soil moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, water consumption, and real-time climatic conditions across the SI’s community garden.

With this platform, Africa gets its first IoT-native precision agriculture model to embed enterprise-grade cybersecurity at its architectural foundation. Community food production initiatives, and institutions operating within sustainability-driven and development-finance supported programmes across Sub-Saharan Africa can leverage the application.

“The integration of smart agriculture technologies within our garden is not only about improving yields and resource management, but also about deepening experiential learning; transforming the garden into a living laboratory for innovation,” said Mulweli Nethengwe, research and strategy analyst, Sustainability Institute. 

“Soil health is the foundation of food security and for too long, the intelligence needed to protect it has remained out of reach for the farms and communities that need it most. The MBS SmartFarm Platform changes that. What we are bringing is a contribution to the long-term resilience of food systems across this continent, backed by evidence, built for African conditions, and designed to serve the people who feed us.” said Tandi Rouse, co-founder and director, MyBitSecure Technologies (Pty) Ltd.