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Far Eastern Agriculture

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Cagemax considers quality the key to success. (Image source: Cagemax)

Cattle

Cagemax from the Netherlands fulfills an important role as supplier of high-quality animal proteins and fats

In recent years, Cagemax hasn’t only grown its own worldwide business, but also its clients in the aquafeed, compound feed, fertilizers, bioenergy and pet food sectors. Growth is an important theme for Cagemax.

Contributing to the healthy development of many animals worldwide through an assortment of proteins and fats. The company is recognised as a flexible partner that easily adapts to both changing legislations and dynamic market demand. Because one thing never changes: the market calls for quality, competitive pricing and optimal delivery reliability.

Reliable

Where the needs remain the same, the dynamics are constantly moving. Cagemax is the stable factor in a market that’s always changing. Constantly deploying its expertise and extensive network to offer a good price and exceptional quality. Logistics have been mastered down to the last detail and proprietary storage and transshipment facilities are in place. Enabling the team to always meet the fluctuating market demand.

Cagemax stays in direct and continuous contact with many manufacturers so they can always offer customers the choice between different qualities and origins. Tailor-made. Not just in its product range, but also in advice.

The experts are always on top of industry trends and know their products like no other.

Dynamic

This knowledge and expertise were initially limited to ingredients for the pet food industry. Over the years, the business has also expanded its scope to the compound feed, aquafeed, fertiliser and bioenergy industries. On the supply side, Cagemax is able to purchase large volumes. On the demand side, customers can count on an attentive service and high-quality raw materials. The company can cope with the dynamics of the market and has thus managed to bind customers worldwide. Because of the understanding that if you want to be irreplaceable, you must continue to distinguish yourself.

Cagemax understands like no other that quality is the key to success and the continuity of the business. That’s why the company is GMP+ certified and operates in full compliance with the HACCP principles and practices.

Every market has its own quality requirements. For the supply of raw materials for the bioenergy industry, Cagemax has been certified to meet the strict ISCC-EU standards with a SKAL-certificate that guarantees that the delivered biological or bio-organic products are produced under the European and production directives.

We stand for constant product quality. That’s why every incoming load is carefully analysed in an accredited laboratory.

With an eye for quality, delivery, reliability, flexibility and the will to think along with relations, Cagemax has grown out to be the biggest supplier of high-quality animal proteins and fats in Europe.

The C1450T is built to increase capacity. (Image source: John Deere)

Machinery & Equipment

Farmers can now target larger acres between refills with John Deere’s latest air cart version with boosted capacity option, the C1450T

This comes as an expansion of the global agricultural equipment manufacturer’s C-Series air cart offerings. The new air cart is a combination of all the features in the previous versions and much more, including corrosion-resistant AccuRate meters, EZCal calibration system and precision ag technology. The solution makes sure to improve farmer productivity. In addition, the cart is seamlessly integrated into the John Deere Operations Center, so that farmers can achieve maximum operational efficiency.

“Seeding windows continue to get tighter, and farmers are looking for ways to cover more ground without adding complexity,” said Benjamin Zelle, who is the marketing manager for seeders and planters in John Deere.

“The C1450T is built to help them scale their operation with increased capacity, so they can stay productive and make the most of every available hour in the field.”

John Deere's EZCal system of the C-Series carts come with a push-button calibration system that is faster and more efficient than older, manual bag calibration systems, eliminating the need to crawl under the cart to calibrate while also decreasing the back-and-forth steps to complete this task.

“The C1450T combines increased capacity with the precision technologies farmers depend on every day,” Zelle said.

“Features like the ActiveCal system give operators real-time visibility into product levels and application performance, helping them make in-field adjustments and maintain accuracy without slowing down.”

Fisheries are integral to Namibia's economy.

Aquaculture

The African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) and the Namibian Standards Institution recently organised a two-day programme to raise awareness among Namibia’s fisheries and aquaculture communities about the role of coordinated African standards to advance sustainable economic development, food security and regional trade

“Standards are not just a technical requirement; they are identified as an economic driver,” said Diina Nashidengo, director of the Commerce Directorate at the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, explaining its influence in market expansion. 

"By developing harmonised African standards, we move to dismantle trade barriers," Nashidengo said, while explaining how a wider integration can facilitate the mutual recognition of conformity assessment results, reduce delays at border crossings and lower compliance costs for businesses. 

Nashidengo spoke at an awareness programme on the implementation of harmonized African standards and conformity assessment in fisheries and aquaculture, held recently in the coastal town of Walvis Bay.

Fisheries are integral to Namibia's economy, largely driving the country's export business as well. Harmonised standards would solidify Namibia's hold over international markets while promoting sustainable production. 

Namibia is associated with multiple regional and international standardisation bodies, including ARSO, the International Organization for Standardization and the Southern African Development Community Cooperation in Standardization.

 

 

 

VIV Africa

Without food safety, there is no food security

AF FEAGAccording to EatSafe research, pandemic safety measures has been widely adopted in traditional food markets in Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nigeria

In 2015, the WHO reported that more than 400,000 people died annually from food borne diseases. In 2018, the World Bank estimated that food safety costs US$110bn a year in lost productivity through illness and health costs, with sub-Sahara Africa affected the most. But more reliable and current data is required to understand consumer values and perceptions as well as the impact of poor food safety.

The Interview Cruncher was hosted by EatSafe, the five-year research and learning programme sponsored by USAID and led by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). It was moderated by Bonnie McClafferty, director, Food Safety and EatSafe at GAIN.

The panel was made up of Mohamed Nasser, regional advisor Food Safety and Quality Assurance, World Food Programme, Dakar/Senegal; Prof Olugbenga Ben Ogunmoyela, executive director, Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition Initiative (CAFSANI); and Priya Prakash, founder and CEO of HealthSetGo and Youth Champion for Act4Food Act4Change.

Bonnie McClafferty, director, EatSafe, said, “The human and financial costs of poor food safety are appalling yet it is being widely ignored. That has to change and we need to take action now to achieve better health outcomes for the 600 million people who each year get sick from unsafe food.”

“We know the pandemic has promoted new food hygiene practices that can have a positive impact on food safety in traditional markets. EatSafe’s research shows that there is a lot more to do. We’re calling on governments and donor groups to provide resources and further research so that evidence-based decisions about food safety measures can be taken to strengthen traditional markets, to ensure safer foods,” continued McClafferty.

Traditional food market vendors apply COVID-19 measures

In parallel to EatSafe’s core mission of engaging consumers to demand food safety, the programme recently expanded efforts to include gathering key data from traditional markets to understand how they have been impacted by COVID-19 through GAIN’s Keeping Food Markets Working programme. EatSafe is interested in what is needed to ensure the availability of affordable, safe, nutritious food during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected from traditional food markets in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Bangladesh bi-weekly during the last quarter 2020. Interviews and focus groups are continuing throughout 2021 to learn how consumer behaviour has changed and how resilient the traditional market supply chains are.

“We can build on the fact that safety measures are now a reality in people’s lives. With better surveillance and education regarding food safety measures, consumers getting their foods from traditional markets can help create an enabling environment to start closing the system's gaps and upgrading markets to support the safety of foods,” concluded McClafferty. 

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Event News

VIV Africa is returning to the Kigali Convention Centre on 7 and 8 October. (Image source: VNU Exhibition)

Event News

A region does not become one of the fastest growing agrifood markets in the world by accident

Rising incomes, rapid urbanization and a growing middle class are reshaping what and how much Sub-Saharan Africa eats, and animal protein and dairy sit at the center of that shift. For the global suppliers, investors and technology providers watching this trend, the question is no longer whether to engage with the region, but how quickly they can find the right partners on the ground.

The numbers back up the momentum. As per the Barometer of African Agriculture, published by the Foundation for Agriculture and Rurality in the World alongside the Pan-African Farmers Organization, African milk production climbed 17% over the past decade, rising from roughly 45.5 million to 53.2 million tonnes between 2013 and 2023. As per Statista's market forecasts, the continent's wider dairy and egg market is on a path toward roughly 10% annual growth between 2024 and 2029, a pace that outstrips most other food categories on the continent. Poultry tells a similar story, with demand climbing steadily as populations grow and diets diversify.

Meeting that demand is drawing real investment. International genetics companies, feed producers, animal health specialists and equipment manufacturers are expanding their footprint across the region, often in partnership with local producers who understand the market conditions on the ground. Cold chain and processing infrastructure, long an underdeveloped piece of the puzzle, is increasingly attracting the kind of capital and technology transfer that turns rising demand into reliable supply.

VIV Africa 2026 is where much of that momentum converges. Returning to the Kigali Convention Centre on 7 and 8 October, with a paid Leadership Conference opening proceedings on 6 October, the show has grown alongside the industry it serves. This year's edition brings back the dedicated Dairy Pavilion, sitting alongside the poultry, feed and animal health exhibitors that have long anchored the event—a clear signal that the platform's ambitions remain within the full breadth of the region's agrifood industry rather than any single category.

Around 2,000 visitors are expected in Kigali, travelling from Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa, Cameroon, Sudan and beyond, drawn by a program built to produce outcomes rather than footfall. The Leadership Conference gathers international experts to work through the trends shaping poultry, dairy and broader agriculture across the continent. Senior buyers looking to move faster can use the Hosted Buyer Program, which arranges scheduled introductions with suppliers so that a few days on the ground translate directly into new supplier relationships.

For companies weighing whether Sub-Saharan Africa belongs in their growth plans, the case is increasingly straightforward: this is a market expanding faster than most of its global peers, with real capital now flowing toward the genetics, technology and infrastructure needed to support it. VIV Africa 2026 offers a direct way in, a chance to meet the producers, processors and buyers shaping that growth in person rather than tracking it from afar.

Registration for the two-day exhibition is free for anyone who registers in advance, and is open now at africa.viv.net

Visitors can check out the latest developments in robotics. (Image source: EuroTier)

This year's theme is Intelligence in Animal Farming. (Image source: DLG)

Livestock

The pilot will serve as a review of the BCG vaccine.

Cattle

The Ministry of Agriculture in Tunisia has announced a pilot vaccination initiative against bovine tuberculosis to advance animal health and livestock sector

The pilot will serve as a review of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine’s performance under Tunisian farming conditions before it can be rolled out nationally on a wider basis.

Expressing big anticipations from the pilot project, the Ministry believes that the BCG vaccine can effectively reduce the spread of bovine tuberculosis. Officials stressed that vaccination would complement rather than replace existing disease control measures. 

The campaign will focus on epidemiological surveillance, biosecurity, animal movement controls and routine herd testing.

Caused by Mycobacterium, bovine tuberculosis largely impacts cattle, but can also infect people if they came into direct contact with infected animals or consumed contaminated meat or unpasteurised milk.

This vaccination drive will address rising human tuberculosis cases, which are reported to be 1500 annually, with almost 80% responsible for animal transmission, found Tunisia’s Order of Veterinary Surgeons. It is capable of spreading chronic illness, pneumonia, weight loss and death in infected cattle, limiting livestock productivity and affecting the supply of animal products.

In April 2026, veterinary authorities detected six cases of bovine tuberculosis in calves at a municipal slaughterhouse in Sousse, which pointed at the seriousness of the issue in adversely affecting the national cattle population.

The vaccination initiative is part of the government’s wider 2026-2030 livestock recovery strategy to restore cattle and small ruminant herds by improving forage production, digitising livestock monitoring systems and strengthening veterinary services.

The recovery programme will support Tunisia’s cattle, sheep and goat population, which has been seeing sharp decline since 2016 at 30%, going down to approximately 5.94 million head in 2022.

Officials believe that improving disease control will be essential to rebuilding livestock numbers, with successful vaccination potentially reducing losses associated with bovine tuberculosis by limiting the need for widespread culling of infected animals.

Cagemax considers quality the key to success. (Image source: Cagemax)

Fisheries are integral to Namibia's economy.

Crops

Sorghum and cowpeas flour.

Agriculture

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently held a Diversity Seed Fair in Chikwawa, a district in southern Malawi

This comes as part of FAO’s initiative to revive lost crops. Such types are often nutrients-rich indigenous and drought-resistant varieties that can naturally survive dry environments but lack the reach to be picked up for research or investments.

Around 75 farmers joined the seed fair, exhibiting biscuits made of sorghum and cowpeas to more than 200 visitors, including government researchers, private sector representatives and community leaders. These are indigenous kinds of flour that can be traced back to generations of Malawian farmers. While its produce in Malawi peaked through the 1950s and 1960s, soon these became overshadowed as global staples, such as maize, wheat took the market by storm.

Now Malawi farmers are facing drought challenges, and FAO together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development of Malawi, is supporting communities in coping with water scarcity by exploring sustainable indigenous alternatives.

"In the past we used to plant many maize seeds in one planting station but now we have been trained in conservation agriculture," says Elda Saliva, a farmer from Thimba village in Makanda. "With these new methods, our yields have increased, allowing us not only to feed our families, but also to earn income from the surplus." 

Running a pilot in Malawi, this initiative,

FAO began the Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture and the Environment (AWSAMe) initiative with a pilot in Malawi that involved skills sharing on data analysis and drought screening. Around 20 government researchers and extension officers were selected for capacity development training in collecting and analysing high-quality agricultural data alongside field water management techniques for drought screening.

Government experts evaluated 24 cowpea varieties and 30 sorghum varieties across irrigated as well as dry situations. The seeds were sourced from rural communities and the national gene bank, and data generated from them regarding which perform best under drought.

The LARACI project will enhance soil carbon sequestration.

The MSULi programme has been designed to generate maximum value.

Technology

The C1450T is built to increase capacity. (Image source: John Deere)

Machinery & Equipment

Farmers can now target larger acres between refills with John Deere’s latest air cart version with boosted capacity option, the C1450T

This comes as an expansion of the global agricultural equipment manufacturer’s C-Series air cart offerings. The new air cart is a combination of all the features in the previous versions and much more, including corrosion-resistant AccuRate meters, EZCal calibration system and precision ag technology. The solution makes sure to improve farmer productivity. In addition, the cart is seamlessly integrated into the John Deere Operations Center, so that farmers can achieve maximum operational efficiency.

“Seeding windows continue to get tighter, and farmers are looking for ways to cover more ground without adding complexity,” said Benjamin Zelle, who is the marketing manager for seeders and planters in John Deere.

“The C1450T is built to help them scale their operation with increased capacity, so they can stay productive and make the most of every available hour in the field.”

John Deere's EZCal system of the C-Series carts come with a push-button calibration system that is faster and more efficient than older, manual bag calibration systems, eliminating the need to crawl under the cart to calibrate while also decreasing the back-and-forth steps to complete this task.

“The C1450T combines increased capacity with the precision technologies farmers depend on every day,” Zelle said.

“Features like the ActiveCal system give operators real-time visibility into product levels and application performance, helping them make in-field adjustments and maintain accuracy without slowing down.”

The range is purpose-built for mixed farming operations. (Image source: New Holland)

Government is especially prioritising dairy sector to boost food security. (Image source: GAA)

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