Livestock

The Inhouse Farming – Feed & Food Show will take place on 11 November.

As inhouse farming in aquatic systems becomes a practical business choice for fish farmers in these challenging times of climate change, DLG's Inhouse Farming – Feed & Food Show 2026 will feature sessions and presentations on salmon farming or shrimp production, among others 

Fish farming systems will take centre stage, with the demonstration of a closed indoor salmon farm. Fish welfare and indoor seafood production topics will be discussed alongside an extensive report on saltwater recirculating systems for shrimp and giant grouper production. 

“The key challenge for industrial-scale production is to be economically viable and competitive with imported products. We are very excited to follow the development of salmon production in the Allgäu region,” said Birgit Schmidt-Puckhaber, DLG project manager for Aquaculture. 

Taking place on 11 November, the event will bring together operators and technology providers at the Inhouse Farming Expert Stage, exploring aquaculture from the perspectives of practice, research, technology and financing.

There will be a heightened focus on saltwater and freshwater aquaponics, including an indoor hydroponic system linked to seabream production and a vertical aquaponics system designed for urban environments. 

The show comes at a time when global aquaculture production, including algae and aquatic plants, surpassed 100 million tonnes of aquatic organism. Commenting on these numbers from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Schmidt-Puckhaber said, “This is remarkable when compared with the decline in global capture fisheries.” 

The Inhouse Farming – Feed & Food Show takes place alongside EuroTier, also organised by the DLG (German Agricultural Society) in Hanover, Germany.

The two-day training workshop saw extensive knowledge-sharing. (Image source: Hubbard)

Poultry producers from Assinie, Ivory Coast, recently participated in the first edition of the Hubbard & Lohmann Poultry School, a joint initiative by the companies as both enjoy a strong presence in the region

Many Hubbard broiler breeder customers from the area use Lohmann layer breeds. 

The two-day training workshop saw extensive knowledge-sharing and technical discussions among nearly 40 participants from 10 West African countries.

Day one was all about insights on Hubbard Efficiency Plus broiler breeder management, including key topics such as flock uniformity management during rearing, male management, and the main factors contributing to optimal reproductive performance. 

Amicie De Quatrebarbes from Ceva shared her expertise on the management of respiratory diseases in poultry flocks, which is a key topic for maintaining flock health and optimising performance.

Day two, on the other hand, covered layer breeder management along with flock management, as these were discussed in the context of rearing as well as production phases. Davide Assirelli, hatchery manager at Lohmann, gave valuable insights on hatchery management.

Later in the day, a practical egg breakout session gave participants the opportunity to assess flock fertility firsthand, with practical application of the insights gained during the two days of training.

The presentations and practical sessions besides, the training provided a platform for the region's poultry community to share experiences and strengthen technical knowledge throughout West Africa. The first batch's engagement and enthusiasm were acknowledged by Victor Lesigne, technical manager-MEA; Florian Allègre, sales manager-Africa, and Lamine Youssef, technical manager-West Africa

JBT Marel's SensorX Xpress offers advanced inspection capacity. (Image source: JBT Marel)

JBT Marel has launched SensorX Xpress, a new advanced X-ray image‑processing algorithm that promises up to 20% higher inspection capacity while maintaining proven detection accuracy

The SensorX inspection system will not compromise food safety or product quality even when matching the rapid evolution of poultry processors, which are continuously growing to offer higher speeds, larger birds and increasing volumes. 

Its higher than usual conveyor speeds secure throughput and reliability for advanced poultry operations. The system generates boosted output while eliminating the need for equipment, labour or risk.

As processing lines accelerate, inspection often becomes a bottleneck. More product entering inspection in less time means that capacity, consistency, and trust in detection performance are essential. With Xpress software integrated, SensorX is able to inspect more products per hour while continuing to accurately detect residual bones and other hard contaminants.

This capacity increase allows processors to fully utilize upstream equipment such as high-speed deboners, while keeping food safety standards intact and production running smoothly.

SensorX has been in the market for 20 years, safeguarding risks related to residual bones in deboned products during poultry processing. Over the years, SensorX has evolved to include SmartBase, Infeed Monitoring, and Adaptive Bone Detection, featuring an upgraded X-ray sensor. Now SensorX Xpress builds further on this foundation.

The Xpress upgrade delivers consistent and reliable inspection performance, also at the highest line speeds. Processors benefit from improved food safety, fewer false rejects, stable operations, and strong brand protection. At the same time, SensorX remains simple to operate and maintain, with minimal need for operator intervention. This allows plants to run efficiently, even when staffing levels are limited.

Lesotho poultry farmers are encouraged to improve production practices and align output with market demand. (Image source: Government of Lesotho)

Poultry farmers in Teyateyaneng, Lesotho, have been encouraged to base production decisions on market demand to improve product quality, maintain reliable supplies and strengthen the sustainability of their businesses

The guidance was delivered during a three-day workshop for broiler and layer farmers organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition at the Teyateyaneng Resource Centre. The training introduced participants to the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach.

Agricultural assistant Joalane Mekeleli explained that the SHEP approach encourages farmers to identify potential markets before beginning production, enabling them to tailor their products to customer expectations.

She noted that shortcomings in poultry production practices needed to be addressed, particularly in feeding and farm management, to ensure farmers could meet market requirements. She also urged producers to apply consistent feeding practices and maintain a steady supply of poultry products to support business continuity.

Livestock Area Technical Officer Mrs Itumeleng Lekhafola Masupha provided guidance on selecting appropriate sites for poultry farms, advising farmers to consider future expansion when choosing locations.

She recommended avoiding marshy areas and sites with excessive moisture. Trees close to poultry houses should also be avoided because they can restrict airflow and attract birds that may carry diseases capable of infecting chickens.

Farmers were advised to choose warm sites where electricity or solar power could supply lighting and heating for poultry housing.

Poultry housing and equipment

Masupha said farmers could choose poultry house lengths according to their operational requirements, while recommending a width of 12 metres.

She outlined several housing requirements, including floors designed to prevent water accumulation, sufficient lighting, mesh openings to support ventilation and ceilings that stop rainwater from dripping into the buildings.

Essential equipment for poultry operations includes feeders, drinkers, weighing scales, thermometers and cages for laying hens.

Farmers can select from several heating options, such as gas brooders, electric brooders, infrared heaters, coal stoves and gas heaters. However, Mrs Masupha advised choosing systems that generate as little smoke as possible to protect poultry health.

Other necessary supplies include feed, medication, record-keeping materials such as a book and pen, and cleaning tools including a wheelbarrow and spade.

Chick care, feeding and hygiene

For chick rearing, Masupha recommended preparing brooders measuring between 30 and 60 centimetres and laying bedding material to a depth of five to 10 centimetres.

Suitable bedding can include sawdust or grass, which should be covered with newspaper to prevent chicks from consuming the material.

She stressed that chicks need adequate warmth until they reach three weeks of age, with supplementary heating potentially required during particularly cold conditions.

Maintaining hygiene is also essential to preventing disease. Masupha advised farmers to wash and rinse poultry houses before applying disinfectants to eliminate germs. Daily cleaning, together with the use of sanitisers and footbaths, was encouraged as part of routine biosecurity practices.

Farmers producing eggs were also advised to remove broken eggs before collecting intact ones to minimise the risk of contamination.

Matching products to customer needs

The workshop highlighted the importance of understanding consumer preferences when preparing poultry products for sale. Some buyers may prefer particular chicken portions rather than purchasing whole birds, making it important for farmers to consider demand when deciding how to present their products.

Improving product quality was also identified as a priority for producers seeking to compete in international markets.

The training programme is expected to address feeding practices further and help farmers understand how to engage with different markets, identify their requirements and align production accordingly.