Livestock

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

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.

The participants gained access to both local expertise and global best practices.

Wadi Group successfully held its 12th Wadi Poultry Academy, bringing together poultry professionals and industry experts for four days of intensive learning, collaboration and professional development

Held from 11-14 May, the Academy continued Wadi Group’s long-standing commitment to advancing poultry knowledge and supporting the sustainable growth of Egypt’s poultry industry.

Through the continued collaboration between Wadi Group and Aviagen, participants gained access to both local expertise and global best practices covering the latest developments in poultry production, flock management, biosecurity, nutrition, quality assurance and performance optimisation of their Ross® 308 flocks.

As Aviagen’s Ross distributor in Egypt, Wadi Group has worked closely with Aviagen for decades to support poultry producers with world-class genetics, expertise and customer support. The Wadi Poultry Academy has become a cornerstone of this shared commitment, creating opportunities for current and future industry professionals to learn from experienced practitioners and leading experts while supporting succession planning and equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to drive the industry’s future success.

Puzant Dakessian, CEO, Poultry Sector, Wadi Group opened the event, reaffirming Wadi’s belief that education remains one of the strongest drivers of industry progress. He also highlighted Wadi’s ongoing growth plans despite the challenges facing the global poultry sector.

Since it was established, the Wadi Poultry Academy has evolved into one of the region’s most respected poultry education initiatives. The Academy reflects Wadi Group’s broader mission of fostering continuous learning, strengthening customer relationships and supporting the long-term success of the poultry sector.

The event concluded with a closing ceremony and certificate presentation recognizing participants’ commitment to professional development and industry excellence.

As Wadi Group looks toward the future, the company remains dedicated to sharing knowledge, promoting innovation and empowering poultry professionals with the tools needed to succeed in an increasingly dynamic industry.

“The success of the Wadi Poultry Academy reflects the strengt6h of our collaboration with Aviagen and our shared belief that education is essential for the future of poultry production. By bringing together global expertise and local experience, we are helping poultry professionals develop the knowledge and skills needed to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving industry," commented Puzant.

Kayhan Gursel, Senior Commercial Manager, TMENA, added, “The Wadi Poultry Academy has become an outstanding example of how collaboration and knowledge sharing can help drive industry progress. We are proud to continue working alongside Wadi Group to support poultry producers throughout Egypt and the wider region.”

GEA takes AI dairy farming to the next level with New Belfast Software Lab.(Image credit: GEA)

GEA has opened a brand new software development lab in Belfast, Northern Ireland, marking a bold step forward in its mission to reshape modern dairy farming through technology. Housed at The Innovation Centre, the lab will bring 20 new roles in software development and UX design to the region, all dedicated to advancing GEA's flagship AI livestock solution, CattleEye, alongside its wider digital farming portfolio.

CattleEye is no ordinary piece of kit. The system is built to detect and predict lameness in cattle at an early stage and gather vital data on body condition scores, giving farmers the kind of precise, timely insight that can genuinely change how they manage their herds. Already active on more than 140 farms spanning the UK, Europe, the United States and Australia, the technology is currently keeping watch over more than 200,000 cattle across 23 countries as part of GEA's DairyNet herd management platform.

GEA acquired CattleEye in 2024, and the Belfast expansion represents the next chapter in embedding that technology deeper into its farming ecosystem. "With our new software lab in Belfast, GEA is strengthening its role as a technology leader in digital dairy farming," says Andreas Seeringer, CEO of GEA Farm Technologies. "By improving animal health and well-being through AI-based solutions like CattleEye, dairy farms become more efficient, more sustainable, and ultimately more profitable. That is why we commit to accelerating development in this area, driving technology innovation in our digital herd management solutions."

Northern Ireland was a natural fit for the venture, given its deep rooted dairy farming heritage and a tech sector that is quietly making a name for itself. Terry Canning, CattleEye co-founder and Senior Director at GEA, describes what the lab means in practice: "The new software lab will be a significant milestone in integrating CattleEye fully into our state-of-the-art herd management systems and will extend our digital footprint in farming. In the future, farmers can expect features which help reduce additional investments in equipment and necessary animal treatments. It will also help customers to farm more efficiently and cut greenhouse gas emissions through automated data insights."

Regional development agency Invest NI, backed in part by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund, is supporting the project financially. Vicky Kell, Director of Innovation, Research and Development at Invest NI, was clear about what it signals: "This investment in R&D is a vote of confidence in our talent, infrastructure and capabilities in Northern Ireland. The benefits of investing in R&D are rich, and the CattleEye solution is a testament to how R&D can further develop innovative products which can drive competitiveness in the global agri-tech market."

Vaccine arrival strengthens South Africa’s fight against foot and mouth disease.

South Africa has stepped up its response to Foot and mouth disease with the arrival of one million high potency vaccines at OR Tambo International Airport.

The shipment was received under the supervision of John Steenhuisen, Agriculture Minister marking a significant boost to the national vaccination drive already under way in affected regions.

The vaccines were supplied by Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina and form part of a broader supply programme. Further consignments are expected in the coming weeks from BVI in Botswana and Dollvet in Turkey. By the end of March, more than five million doses from these three international suppliers are set to arrive in the country.

At home, the Agricultural Research Council has committed to producing 20 000 vaccines per week, with plans to increase output to 200 000 per week in 2027. The expanded supply will allow authorities to move beyond targeted outbreak response and work towards wider suppression of the virus in high risk areas.

Steenhuisen said, “Vaccination has already begun in affected areas, but supply has limited the speed and coverage. With this arrival, we can now accelerate protection across priority provinces and stabilise the livestock sector.”

Outbreaks have been reported in every province, prompting quarantine measures, movement restrictions and ongoing surveillance. A risk based vaccination strategy will focus first on outbreak centres in KwaZulu Natal and parts of Gauteng, Free State and North West, before extending to other high risk and border regions.

The initial one million doses will be shared across all provinces, with KwaZulu Natal and Free State receiving the largest allocations. However, the minister warned that vaccines alone will not end the crisis.

“Quarantine rules, movement permits and biosecurity measures exist to protect every farmer in the country. Those who deliberately move animals illegally, conceal infections, or ignore restrictions threaten the recovery of the entire sector. Where there is wilful non compliance, we will work with law enforcement authorities and the full might of the law will be applied,” Steenhuisen added.

He will visit Mooi River in KwaZulu Natal on 27 February to vaccinate dairy cattle alongside veterinarians and farmers. “The dairy industry has been among the hardest hit with significant production losses, disrupted markets and immense strain on farming families. That visit marks the practical beginning of recovery at farm level. Each vaccinated herd means stability returning to a business, wages returning to workers and milk returning to shelves.”

“We are moving step by step from crisis management to control,” Minister Steenhuisen concluded. “Vaccines are arriving, the system is scaling up, and compliance will be enforced. Working together, we will stabilise the sector and rebuild confidence in South Africa’s animal health system.”