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Far Eastern Agriculture

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Pork and beef demand might see contraction.

Poultry

While cyclical and structural factors will continue to affect animal protein production in 2026, demand will rise by 14% by 2035, said Nan-Dirk Mulder, senior global specialist in animal protein at Rabobank while speaking at AFMA’s 12th Animal Feed Conference at Sun City

With long-term demand mostly driven by poultry and eggs, the world will seek animal protein largely from emerging markets, especially Asia, Latin America and Africa. 

For now, seafood is leading production growth, followed by poultry, as pork and beef might see contraction, marking the first reduction in global terrestrial species output in six years. Mulder said that Rabobank is expecting a tight cattle supply with high prices, with the poultry industry looking strong, especially when considering global animal protein consumption.

“The animal protein market will grow by 1,4% per year, and in 2026 this growth will be driven by poultry, eggs, and seafood,” he said.

“While we expect feed costs to remain steady, in both mature and developing markets, a focus on increasing efficiency and productivity will be critical at the farm and processor level.”

Geopolitical volatilities are impacting trade policies, and new agreements can provide a boost to the industry.

“El Niño weather risk is rising for the rest of the year, and although the phenomenon leads to drier conditions in the Southern Hemisphere, it normally also leads to more bullish prices,” he said. 

MTC's PE2 re­inforced gloves can be a good fit for sugarcane farmers.

Machinery & Equipment

Mbabane Trading Company (MTC) is offering a wide range of farming essentials from protective clothing and foot­wear to reliable hand tools that will support farmers withstand any demanding conditions while in the field

MTC designs its products with practicality, durability and value in mind to suit farmers' needs. To address mud exposure, for example, MTC's Egoli boots serve as sturdy footwear. Its Jons­son reflective overalls is a practical workwear, which also retains visibility to protect workers working around vehicles, machinery or in low-light conditions.

MTC's PE2 re­inforced gloves can be a good fit for sugarcane farmers who have to work around sharp cane leaves under wet conditions, tackling mud, dust and long working hours. Lasher cane knives with a solid blade and wooden handle, which are widely used in sugarcane farming, are also available at MTC. Farmer files are offered as well for sharpening and the maintenance of farm tools. 

Cutting and maintenance tools besides, MTC also stocks safety goggles for eye protection against dust, debris and other hazardous exposure. 

MTC's strategy is driven by farmers' safety, with quality gear designed to make life easier for them. Of everyday items, it supplies Jerry cans for the transportation and storage of liquids around the farm.

MTC's store at Unit 2, Riverside Centre at the Mbabane Industrial Site serves as a convenient one-stop shop for farmers.

 

 

 

 

IPM ESSEN unites global supply and demand in one place. (Image source: IPM ESSEN)

Event News

Global trade fair for horticulture, IPM ESSEN will be opening its doors to international partners for expansion accross new markets with wider networking and long-term business opportunities 

Set to be held in Germany from 26 to 29 January 2027, IPM ESSEN will be introducing a new international delegation programme, which will see partcipation from both key and emerging markets. There will be an engaging presentation of products, concepts and innovations in the green sector. The delegation will comprise not only international trade associations and industry organisations but political institutions and economic development agencies as well. 

“IPM ESSEN unites global supply and demand in one place. With the new delegation programme, we are systematically expanding this matchmaking function and creating additional opportunities to connect international IPM participants with one another. This is how personal encounters lead to new projects and long-term partnerships,” said Oliver P Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen. 

Participants can take away valuable practical insights from exchanges with horticultural businesses, breeders, nurseries and garden centres in North Rhine-Westphalia.

IPM ESSEN will have a dedicated Innovation Centre Horticulture Technology promoting future-oriented fields such as climate adaptation, resource efficiency, peat reduction, automation and artificial intelligence.

The IPM Discovery Centre will display innovative POS concepts and ensure modern shopfitting ideas for retailers are staged to maximum effect. Exhibitors from all areas of horticulture can tap into easy brand positioning by integrating their products and novelties into high-profile sales concepts. The presentation is practical, trend-oriented and emotive, directly within the application context. 

VIV Africa
ATR_Inhouse_SS_010926_300926

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

IPM ESSEN unites global supply and demand in one place. (Image source: IPM ESSEN)

Event News

Global trade fair for horticulture, IPM ESSEN will be opening its doors to international partners for expansion accross new markets with wider networking and long-term business opportunities 

Set to be held in Germany from 26 to 29 January 2027, IPM ESSEN will be introducing a new international delegation programme, which will see partcipation from both key and emerging markets. There will be an engaging presentation of products, concepts and innovations in the green sector. The delegation will comprise not only international trade associations and industry organisations but political institutions and economic development agencies as well. 

“IPM ESSEN unites global supply and demand in one place. With the new delegation programme, we are systematically expanding this matchmaking function and creating additional opportunities to connect international IPM participants with one another. This is how personal encounters lead to new projects and long-term partnerships,” said Oliver P Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen. 

Participants can take away valuable practical insights from exchanges with horticultural businesses, breeders, nurseries and garden centres in North Rhine-Westphalia.

IPM ESSEN will have a dedicated Innovation Centre Horticulture Technology promoting future-oriented fields such as climate adaptation, resource efficiency, peat reduction, automation and artificial intelligence.

The IPM Discovery Centre will display innovative POS concepts and ensure modern shopfitting ideas for retailers are staged to maximum effect. Exhibitors from all areas of horticulture can tap into easy brand positioning by integrating their products and novelties into high-profile sales concepts. The presentation is practical, trend-oriented and emotive, directly within the application context. 

Innovations in feeding is a key area for improving economic efficiency.

EIMA 2026 aims to bridge demand-supply gap in agritech.

Livestock

Pork and beef demand might see contraction.

Poultry

While cyclical and structural factors will continue to affect animal protein production in 2026, demand will rise by 14% by 2035, said Nan-Dirk Mulder, senior global specialist in animal protein at Rabobank while speaking at AFMA’s 12th Animal Feed Conference at Sun City

With long-term demand mostly driven by poultry and eggs, the world will seek animal protein largely from emerging markets, especially Asia, Latin America and Africa. 

For now, seafood is leading production growth, followed by poultry, as pork and beef might see contraction, marking the first reduction in global terrestrial species output in six years. Mulder said that Rabobank is expecting a tight cattle supply with high prices, with the poultry industry looking strong, especially when considering global animal protein consumption.

“The animal protein market will grow by 1,4% per year, and in 2026 this growth will be driven by poultry, eggs, and seafood,” he said.

“While we expect feed costs to remain steady, in both mature and developing markets, a focus on increasing efficiency and productivity will be critical at the farm and processor level.”

Geopolitical volatilities are impacting trade policies, and new agreements can provide a boost to the industry.

“El Niño weather risk is rising for the rest of the year, and although the phenomenon leads to drier conditions in the Southern Hemisphere, it normally also leads to more bullish prices,” he said. 

Intraco has collaborated with Prognosis for rapid mycotoxin detection.

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

Crops

The delegation examined intelligent seedling equipment.

Agriculture

As part of China-Africa cooperation programme, more than 10 experts and scholars from South Africa visited Jinhua in East China's Zhejiang province to explore the city's development and achievements, with their itinerary also comprising Wuzhou Ancient City and the China-Africa (Jinhua) Agricultural Science and Innovation Park

The delegation examined intelligent seedling equipment and took a tour of the China-Africa Agricultural Science and Technology Exchange Center. They got to see firsthand Jinhua's agricultural innovation capabilities.

At the China-Africa (Jinhua) Agricultural Science and Innovation Park in Changshan township, Wucheng district, the delegation sampled specialty agricultural products such as lotus seeds and sweet potatoes cultivated by the Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences. These were meant for consumption like fruits, and were highly appreciated. China-Africa agricultural cooperation were explored through insightful exchanges on modern agricultural technologies.

This visit is part of the lead-up to the 2026 China-South Africa Seminar on Human Rights in Hangzhou. Before the seminar, participants have conducted field visits in Jinhua and Hangzhou to deepen their understanding of local advancements and collaborative efforts in agriculture.

Agroecology can be the solution to food security.

Ecovado's plant will be driven by the Alfa Laval processing line.

Technology

The training is part of Federal Government’s wider mechanisation programme.

Machinery & Equipment

The graduation of 250 Nigerians marked the first cohort of the National Agricultural Mechanisation Service Providers Training Programme organised by the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) in collaboration with Agcoms International Trading Limited, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security

The partnership reflects an administrative structure where FMARD will provide policy oversight; NADF serves as the implementing authority; Agcoms brings private-sector equipment, technical and training expertise; and ITF provides training and assessment support. The original programme design calls for two operators per tractor, helping to extend operating hours while ensuring that equipment is handled and maintained properly. 

This comes as part of the Federal Government’s wider mechanisation programme, with this phase involving 2,000 John Deere 5E Series tractors and associated implements to be supplied by Agcoms. The larger programme targets 4,000 tractor operators and mechanics. 

The programme was born out of the necessity to modernise Nigeria's agriculture, questioning the operation, maintenance and use maximisation of existing tractors over making available new ones. This demanded a shift of focus towards investing in human capacity to boost farm productivity and lower production costs. 

The programme falls in line with the agricultural policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which considers agricultural mechanisation central to Nigeria’s food-security challenge. It has in mind the best interests of smallholder farmers, working to improve access to modern machinery, reducing dependency on manual labour and increase yields. 

 

 

 

MTC's PE2 re­inforced gloves can be a good fit for sugarcane farmers.

FederUnacoma offers tractors to levelling machines and weed-control robots. (Image source: FederUnacoma)

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