Livestock

Given their expertise in feed formulation and nutritional testing, the AquaBioTech Group offered assistance to members of AZOFFA in developing their own aquafeeds. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

International consulting company, AquaBioTech Group recently hosted a delegation from the Akosombo Zone Fish Farmers Association (AZOFFA) of Ghana on 18 and 19 April this year

During their visit, AquaBioTech's Research and Development, and Innovation department showcased their projects in East Africa, illustrating how these could be applied in the Ghana and Akosombo zone. Presentations and workshops were conducted by experts to identify research needs for aquaculture in Ghana, while also discussing the challenges facing fish farming in the region. A survey on common Integrated Aquaculture/Agriculture practices in Ghana was also conducted to support the engagement of stakeholders in the PrAEctiCe Project.

On the second day of the visit, members of AquaBioTech's engineering team organised a workshop focused on developing an optimal system design to address the challenges in Tilapia production in Ghana. The aim was to enhance disease control, while also improving fingerling quality, maximising production and ensuring effective utilisation of local materials. Moreover, strategies for localising aquafeed production were also discussed.

Given their expertise in feed formulation and nutritional testing, the AquaBioTech Group offered assistance to members of AZOFFA in developing their own aquafeeds, thereby improving the overall efficiency and sustainability of aquaculture in Ghana. In addition, vocational training programmes were also explored to promote knowledge sharing and skills development for Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS). 

For more information, visit: https://aquabt.com/ 

Hill Group is one of the few fully automated poultry plants in East Africa. (Image source: Marel)

The Hill Group processing plant has been operational in Dar es Salaam since July 2023

Boasting a population of around 63 million, Tanzania’s chicken consumption seems to be in line with its rapidly growing population. Since long, the wet market has largely dominated Tanzania. However, these pose numerous health and sanitary risks, making the move towards processed meat essential for maintaining safety and quality.

Standing by his goal to transform Tanzania’s chicken processing industry, entrepreneur Hillary Shoo, who is also the founder of the Tanzania-based feed manufacturing company, Hill Group, had formulated plans to establish a greenfield poultry processing plant in 2014. With the support of food processing solutions company, Marel, Shoo began building the factory from scratch, until it was finally commissioned in July 2023.

Processing capacity at Hill’s greenfield, starts at 3,000 bph. At the start of the process, floor scales connected to Innova weigh incoming live birds. The manual killing process ensures that production is 100% halal. Scalding and plucking are also done using Marel equipment. After the combined VOC vent cutter and opening machine, the automated evisceration line features a Nuova eviscerator with a separate pack line for manual harvesting. After evisceration, products are chilled in a water chiller. This is followed by a Compact Grader, to select the products by weight. Although restaurants are important customers, the project aims to reach all markets and most importantly, at an affordable cost.

Distribution is mainly focused on major urban areas such as Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha, Morogoro and Dodoma.

For more information, visit: https://marel.com/en/ 

Dr Jason Wargent, BioLumic founder and Chief Science Officer, observing rice seedlings under UV light. (Image source: AgriZero)

Public-private partnership AgriZero has announced its investment of around US$3mn in agriculture biotechnology company, BioLumic to utilise ultraviolet (UV) light to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains 

AgriZero’s funding will enable BioLumic to apply its technology to ryegrass, the most common forage pasture on New Zealand farms. The goal is to increase fat content and subsequently reduce methane emissions from animals that consume it.

BioLumic’s founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr Jason Wargent said that the company was targeting wide scale use from 2027, with reduced regulatory barriers expected from the light treatment approach which will support a faster speed to market. Moreover, with this being AgriZero’s sixth major investment, McNee said the joint venture was aiming to have two to three emissions reduction tools in widespread use by 2030.

“Pasture is the foundation of the business for Kiwi farmers, so a pasture solution to curb methane and boost productivity will be an important option in their toolkit to reduce emissions,” said AgriZero chief executive, Wayne McNee. “BioLumic’s work is an exciting prospect to help secure the future of farming in New Zealand with the very thing that makes our agricultural sector unique and drives our competitive edge today - high quality grass.”

For more information, visit: https://www.agrizero.nz and https://www.biolumic.com

This solution enables the feed advisors of Intraco’s distributors to assess raw materials and final feed in real time and advise local farmers to ensure that livestock is fed nutritionally balanced and cost-effectively. (Image source: Intraco)

Leading exporter of premixes, Intraco Ltd and leading mobile spectroscopy solutions provider and BASF subsidiary, trinamiX GmbH have announced their collaboration for mobile feed analysis

The objective of the partnership is to give Intraco and its distribution partners the opportunity to analyse the nutrient composition of feed with trinamiX Mobile NIR Spectroscopy Solution - a robust, handheld spectrometer, which comes together with a mobile app and customer portal. Besides enabling the feed advisors of Intraco’s distributors to assess raw materials and final feed in real time, the solution also advises local farmers to ensure that livestock is fed nutritionally balanced and cost-effectively.

Since the nutritional needs of livestock vary at different stages of life and health conditions, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the nutrient content in animal feed to ensure the quality of animal diets. Moreover, with the regular change of raw materials, diet modification becomes commonplace. The trinamiX Mobile NIR Spectrometer analyses a wide range of finished feeds, cereals, oilseed and expeller meals, extraction meals and byproducts, as well as forage, within seconds. This saves time on laboratory analyses or standard nutritional values that feed advisors and farmers were traditionally relying on. 

In addition, trinamiX Mobile NIR Spectroscopy Solution also offers valuable insights on moisture, protein, fat, and energy content, among other factors, without requiring samples to be sent to the lab. As a result, Intraco can conduct nutritional analyses of the local raw materials on site more quickly, enabling them to provide customised feed formulations directly to their clients.

“We are deeply impressed by the dedication and commitment of Intraco to offer the optimal feed solution to its distribution partners and their customers," said manager of Business Development & Sales IR Sensing at trinamiX, Miriam Suhren. "By combining their expertise and experience with innovative technology, they are unlocking further potential for optimizing rations and quality control of raw materials. We are excited that we can support Intraco with our solution to complement their well-established feed offerings, supporting and easing the daily work of farmers and feed advisors alike.” 

For more information, visit: www.intraco.be and www.trinamiXsensing.com