Indian Federation of Animal Health Companies (INFAH) celebrates 10th Year Anniversary, appoints Managing Committee (2021-2023)
Indian Federation of Animal Health Companies (INFAH) hosted its 10th Annual General Body Meeting virtually on 27th Sept and 28th Sep 2021. Members had creative, virtual experience showcasing INFAH’s Vision and Mission along with gallery of INFAH’s Milestones. The AGM was attended by more than 100 industry colleagues representing Indian animal health and Nutrition industry.
On 27th Sep,2021 at the Inaugural session, Dr Vijay Makhija, General Secretary delivered welcome note. Inaugural address was given by Mr Vijay Teng, President- INFAH, showcasing the 10 years journey of INFAH, releasing the special edition of Annual report 2021 and launching INFAH movie which showcases INFAH’s accomplishments and key milestones.
10th Year Commemorative talk on Role of Government, Animal Health Industry & other stakeholders for making Healthier Animals & Healthier India was organized. INFAH members had the unique opportunity of listening and interacting with Regulators, policy makers & dignitaries viz. Dr Praveen Malik, Animal Husbandry Commissioner, MoFAHD; Dr. Bhupendra Nath Tripathi, Deputy Director General (Animal Science) ICAR; Mr. Upamanyu Basu, Joint Secretary (Livestock Health), MoFAHD; Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Secretary Cum Scientific Advisor, Indian Pharmacopeia Commission; Dr. S. P. Shani, Deputy Drug Controller & Head Veterinary Cell ,CDSCO; Dr. Ashok Kumar Assistant Director General (Animal Health ) ICAR; Dr. Amit Sharma, Director (Imports ), FSSAI; Dr. Rajesh Verma Assistant Drug Controller CDSCO &and Mr. Carel De Sarvaas (Executive Director, HealthForAnimals) Mr. Anurag Agrawal, Vice President- INFAH, shared his views on role of Ayurveda in Indian animal health care sector.
Three distinguished stalwarts Dr M.L. Kanchan, Dr S N Singh and Mr Bharat Tandon were conferred with INFAH Award for their contribution towards Animal Health Industry. On 10th Year anniversary special award was presented to Dr. Romila Iyer for bringing the diversity in the Animal Health sector and making significant contribution. The award ceremony was conducted by Dr B.P Manjunatha and Dr Tanweer Alam.
INFAH Awardee & Special Awardee 2021
Day 2 of AGM
Dr Shirish Nigam Resident Secretary New Delhi, delivered welcome note, President address was given by Mr Vijay Teng. Dr. P.G. Phalke Treasurer conducted the AGM proceedings. Dr. Vijay Makhija, General Secretary, INFAH presented the full year activity report for 2020-2021.
Mr Tarun Shridhar (Former Secretary, MoFDHD) delivered talk on “Emerging Landscape of India’s Animal Husbandry sector” and Mr Gaurav Marathe (CEO India, Managing Director Lincoln International Advisors Private Limited) presented on “Investor Outlook for Animal Health Industry.
INFAH’s Founder Members – Dr Asim Banerjee, Mr Satish Pasrija, Dr Arun Atrey, Dr D K Dey, Mr. Vijay Teng, Dr. Sandeep Karkhanis & Dr P G Phalke, Managing Committee, Subcommittees, INFAH Connect Team, INFAH Support Team and INFAH office team were felicitated at the AGM for their valuable contribution over the years and for successfully conducting the 10th AGM. Industry associations AAHA, CLFMA, IAAVR, IPEMA, PFI participated in this event and were also felicitated for the valuable support. New Members were welcomed and presented the Membership Certificate. The award ceremony was conducted by Mr Anurag Agarwal and Dr Jeetendra Verma.
Dr. B P Manjunath (MC member) proposed the vote of thanks. AGM concluded on a very positive note with a resolve to continue the contribution of INFAH towards betterment of the Industry and Society.
INFAH Managing Committee 2021-2023
The New Managing Committee is as under:
1) Dr. Vijay Makhija (President)
2) Dr. Tanweer Alam (Vice President)
3) Dr. Shirish Nigam (General Secretary)
4) Dr. P.G. Phalke (Treasurer)
Executive Members
5) Mr Vijay Teng, Immediate Past President
6) Dr D.K. Dey, Past President
7) Dr Arun Atrey, Past President
8) Mr Satish Pasrija, Past President
9) Mr Anurag Agarwal
10) Mr Gautam Chatterjee
11) Mr Natesan T
Poultry Federation of India (PFI) an apex and renowned association of poultry farmers, breeders, equipment manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and all allied industries, is organizing its 32nd Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) at Hotel Pullman, Aero City, New Delhi on December 23, 2021.
Delegate registration fee:
Until December 15, 2021 – Rs.3,000 per person
Spot Registration at the AGM Venue – Rs.4,000 per person
(Registration fee includes Lunch, High Tea, Cocktail, Networking Dinner and attending Musical Entertainment Program on December 23, 2021)
Sponsorship Opportunity
The Sponsor, companies can display their advertisements in form of standees/ banners on the prominent locations inside the conference hall. Table space will also be provided to the sponsors near the hall entrance. The logos of all the sponsors shall be printed on PFI Invitation cards, welcome banners, main backdrop banner and on all PFI promotional banners. All sponsoring companies will be honoured by presenting them mementos during the AGM.
For more details on sponsorship, you may kindly contact:
1. Mr. Ramesh Chander, President, Mobile Number: +919215944454 and 9416015834
2. Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, Vice President (HQ), Mobile Number: +919810016290 and 8860631632
3. Mr. Ranpal Dhanda alias Bittu, Secretary, Mobile Number: +919215700133 and 9416035827
4. Mr. Ricky Thaper, Treasurer, Mobile Number: +919810016293 and 9910016293
Accommodation:
Kindly note that PFI has blocked 80 rooms at Hotel Pullman, Aero city, New Delhi at special rate of Rs.6000 (Single / Double Occupancy< Inclusive of Taxes & Complementary Breakfast). If any requirement, kindly send the confirmation email at the earliest.
Looking forward to welcoming you all 32nd Poultry Federation of India AGM on December 23, 2021. With everybody’s support and cooperation, we all will make this AGM a grand success.
Dr. John Abraham was recently granted Indian patent for his innovation – “A method to produce bio-diesel production from rendered chicken oil”.
Dr. John Abraham
In an Exclusive Interview to Poultry TRENDSmagazine, Dr. John Abraham shares the process, economics, implementation options and how poultry industry can be made profitable and sustainable through biodiesel project.
Excerpt of the interview are reproduced hereunder:
What propelled you to make biodiesel from poultry waste?
This idea struck me, when I went to Namakkal Veterinary College for my Ph.D Programme. In Namakkal, there are about 1000 poultry farms with stocking capacity of 2-3 lakhs birds within a radius of 40 kilometer. The daily mortality of these farm accounts to about 60-90 birds per farm. These birds used to be brought to the Veterinary College for postmortem. Since the bio-secure disposal of these birds was a daunting task, the college established a rendering plant which could convert these waste into carcass meal and Rendered Chicken Oil (RCO). Carcass meal was used as pet feed ingredient and biofertilizer. But there was no use for RCO. My guide and co-guide urged me to find out a use for RCO. I accepted the challenge. After many days of study and trial and error experiments, I proposed that biodiesel can be made from RCO and I took up my Ph.D research on this project.
Describe the process of producing bio-diesel from chicken slaughter waste?
After collecting the broiler slaughter waste, (including feathers, viscera, shank and head) from chicken shops, the process called ‘dry rendering’ (The waste material is first dry cooked, then steam sterilized i.e. 130° C at 2 bar pressure and then moisture reduced to 10%) starts to transform it into carcass meal a valuable feed ingredient for pets and fishes. After that chicken oil a byproduct of rendering is converted to biodiesel in a two step chemical reaction called ‘acid catalysed esterification of Free Fatty Acids’ and then ‘transestericiation of tryglycerides’.
Process of producing bio-diesel from chicken slaughter waste
What is the economics of ‘bio-diesel production from rendered chicken oil’ project?
The collection of the raw material, itself fetches money. 1 kg slaughter waste is collected at the rate of Rs.7/kg from the chicken shops. 36% of the collected slaughter waste is converted into protein powder in the rendering process, which sells for Rs.35/kg and 10% of it is RCO. 87% of the RCO is transformed into biodiesel and 13% of RCO is crude glycerol which sells for Rs.90/kg. The production cost of biodiesel is only Rs.36 per litre. For commercial sales 12% GST is applicable.
How is the bio-diesel derived from poultry waste different from other biofuels?
Biodiesel can be prepared from any oil. The basic criterion is that the cost of the raw material should be one-third the cost of the present cost of diesel. The Indian biodiesel policy has prohibited the production of biodiesel from edible oil as it may cause scarcity and inflation. This biodiesel, since it is made from animal fat has high cetane number of 72 while the cetane number of petro-diesel is only 54. This indicates that this biodiesel has short ignition delays in engine, improving the engine efficiency. It has 11% oxygen by weight which leads to complete combustion in the engine, leading to reduced engine emission by 47.2% at 20% blending (B20). It also has lubricating properties and makes the engine smooth.
What challenges did you face in the research and patent process?
This was a new field all together (Bio-diesel researches are carried out at Agriculture Engineering Colleges or Bioenergy department of Institutes of Technology). Neither I nor my guide had any previous experiences with bio-diesel. So I had to toil a lot learning everything from the fundamentals to the research problem. The research proceeded by trial and error, each experience making an advancement and then optimizing the process parameters for maximum yield. Testing of biodiesel was carried out at the centre of excellence for biofuel of the Agriculture Engineering College of Tamil Nadu Agri University and engine testing was carried out at Palakkad Engineering College.
Regarding patent, the application was filed on 18th January 2014 and after the procedures, the patent office made the decision on 27th April 2020 that the claims are found in order for the grant, but since a biological material from India was used in the patent, they insisted that the patent certificate will be issued only after producing the agreement with National Biodiversity Authority of India for which it took more than a year and the certificate of grant was issued on 7th July 2021.
How can the poultry industry implement the bio-diesel project?
There are two ways in which this project can be implemented.
In Kerala State, rendering plants had come up which collects the chicken slaughter wastes from chicken shops of a district, render it and produce protein powder for pet and fish feed. They can install a screw press which would extract the oil. When oil is extracted, the protein percentage goes up and they would get more money for their protein powder. This oil can be converted into bio-diesel by installing a biodiesel plant. This biodiesel can be used as a fuel for their boilers which produces steam and also for their vehicles used for collection, which would reduce their rendering cost considerably.
In areas where there are large number of poultry farms: (like Namakkal) The poultry farmers association can put up a rendering plant and a bio-diesel plant, where the dead birds from all the farms will be collected and rendered. The protein powder can be sold and the biodiesel produced can be use in their boiler and for their vehicles.
How the poultry industry can be made profitable and sustainable through biodiesel project?
This project produces ‘Wealth from Waste’. Chicken slaughter waste which used to cause pollution and threat to human health in the wake of emerging diseases, can be transformed into three valuable products without producing further waste.
Bio-diesel a renewable biofuel which can drastically reduce engine emissions
Chicken carcass meal a protein feed supplements fork animal approved by FDA, and
Glycerol, which finds variety of application in pharmaceuticals baking and industry.
The value of these products especially since the diesel price is sky rocketing can produce additional income to supplement the poultry industry for profit and sustainability.
What is the potential of this biodiesel derived from poultry waste in Indian market?
The Indian biofuel policy 2019 proposes 20% blending of diesel by 2023 for national energy security. The biodiesel required for 20% blending is 25.7 MT. This is a huge market which cannot be fulfilled by any other inedible oil sources. In this context the biodiesel derived from poultry waste has huge potential as it provides good fuel properties for the diesel engine and drastically reduces the engine emission. The goal of the biofuel policy is the reduction of import of crude oil by 10% in four years time.
Bio-diesel is not a replacement technology, it is a transition technology to help clean up our environment by keeping the manufacture and consumer as local as possible. It is not about replacing all of our petroleum imports; It is about not importing so much.
What is the environmental impact of this invention?
There are two major environmental impact of this invention.
The unscientific and unhygienic disposal of broiler slaughter waste posing catastrophic threats to the human population and to the environment in the wake of emerging diseases like avian flu and swine flu, will be solved by the planned collection and scientific utilization of broiler slaughter waste by dry rendering process to produce carcass meal. As present, the disposal of broiler slaughter waste causes ground and surface water pollution, obnoxious odors and health hazards posed by indiscriminate breeding of pathogenic microorganism, parasites, house flies and also indiscriminate breeding of stray dogs which is spreads rabies. All these problems will be solved.
Diesel engines are a major source of environmental pollution. Acid rain, global warming, climate change and health hazards like cancer are the ill effects of increased pollution. Recently, diesel vehicles were banned in Delhi due to rising levels of pollution. The major impact of this innovation is on all diesel vehicles. The bio-diesel produced from rendered chicken oil contains 11% oxygen by weight which burns completely inside the engines reducing the engine emissions by half. When used at 20% blending level can reduce the engine emissions by 47.2%, thus have a considerable impact on environmental pollution, mitigating climatic change. It can be confidently stated that this invention reduces the carbon foot print and earns valuable carbon credits.
Dr. John Abraham, MVSc (IVRI), Ph.D (TNVASU), presently working as Associate Professor, Dept. of L.P.M, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Pookode, Wayand, Kerala, India . He was awarded first rank and 4 gold medals for his Ph.D work entitled “Utilisation of Dead Poultry Birds for Biodiesel Production”. He was also recently granted Indian Patent IN 371344 (219/CHE/2014)- A method to produce bio-diesel production from rendered chicken oil. He also holds patent for “Bicycle type milking machine” and two design patents (Drinking bowl for cattle and Transformable goat pen). He has authored a book entitled ‘Swine Production and Management’ which was published by CRC Press, Francis and Taylor. He was awarded the Atal India Challenge-2019, DST-Lockheed Martin-India Innovation Growth Award-2016, Millennium Alliance National Award-2016, Dr. Verghese Kurien’ Memorial Best Scientist Award and Best Teacher Award-2013.
Standardized Botanical Powders (SBPs): Part 4 of 5
Environmentally conscious consumers place a premium on global sustainability, animal welfare, and obtaining better food for their families, driving them to solely purchase organic items. This segment of the population has grown at an exponential rate over the last decade, and their numbers are continuing to rise. According to reports published by BusinessWire, the global organic meat products market is expected to grow from $14.38 billion in 2019 to $20.39 billion in 2023. To meet this market demand, manufacturers must take on the task of producing higher-quality, consistently efficient, value delivering sustainable herbal products.
In this series of articles, Dr. Raina Raj, Head of Marketing at Natural Remedies Pvt. Ltd., provides in-depth knowledge of what SBPs are, and their benefits in the poultry diet.
Natural Remedies is the number 1 veterinary herbal healthcare company in India with presence in more than 30 countries across the globe. Through its world-class Research and Development centre, Natural Remedies offers a category of science-based Phytogenic feed additives, called Standardised Botanical Powders (SBPs).
In previous articles of this Series, we explored what standardised botanical powders (SBPs) are, their value, and the benefits they give to the poultry farming community. SBPs are herbal powders whose specific phytochemical active concentrations are standardized with minimal variation, to ensure efficient Phyto active function in the animal’s body. Through standardization of botanical powders, the product can be monitored for consistency, and it provides the expected and desired results for the animals.
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Consistency in efficacy is crucial in today’s poultry sector, and the usage of SBPs will help with that. In previous articles, we discussed the scientific foundation to produce SBPs as well as the protocols that must be followed to ensure that the active phytoconstituents remain of high quality. It’s crucial to keep the herbal constituents stable in a poly-herbal composition. Environmental factors such as humidity, air, light, and temperature can affect stability. Stability is further affected by factors such as particle size, pH, the characteristics of water and other solvents used during manufacturing, the nature of the container, and the presence of other chemicals resulting from contamination. Maintaining an SBP’s stability ensures that the product’s strength, quality, and purity remain consistent as per specifications.
In the current article, we shall shed light on the desired botanical, organoleptic, physical, chemical, and biological properties of SBPs that make them stable and maintain high quality.
SBPs should be assessed and documented for their properties
SBPs should be thoroughly studied for their inherent properties as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: The many assessments that an SBP must go through are depicted in this schematic representation.
Botanical properties such as physical shape, external appearance, and markings should be documented.
Organoleptic properties are properties that create an individual experience through the senses of the consumer. These properties are colour, odour, texture, taste, and fracture.
Physical attributes such as pH, moisture content, ash value, which is the inorganic residues obtained after complete combustion of a compound, and extractive values are used to assess quality, purity, and to detect adulteration.
Chemical propertiesshould be assessed through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and gas chromatography (GC). The SBPs should be analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively for their chemical properties.
Biological properties should be studied for microbial contamination, toxicological and pharmacological residues.
The next sections go through some of the key attributes that contribute to the making of an efficient SBP.
Assessment of the particle size of the SBPs
Poultry are simple stomached animals largely dependent on the repertoire of endogenous enzymes for their nourishment. One of the most critical aspects that determine feed utilisation in these animals is particle size distribution. Finer particle size provides for better contact with digestive enzymes, which results in optimal nutrient absorption and improved animal performance. However, the fineness of the particle size has limitations. Increased incidences of gizzard dysfunction are seen in the flock when the particle size is very fine. Hence, during the manufacture of SBPs, the particle size of the product plays an integral role. Particle size can be assessed using a particle size analyser, as in Figure 2, which works on the principle of laser diffraction.
Figure 2: Particle size analyser results
Large particles scatter light at small angles as compared to that of the laser beam, whereas small particles scatter light at a much larger angle. The angular scattering intensity is used to determine particle size. The flow of the SBP particles should be assessed for parameters such as the angle of repose, which is a characteristic related to inter-particulate friction or resistance to movement between particles, the compressibility index, and Hausner ratio.
Figure 3: Particle size of different products shown at higher magnification.
In Figure 3, the particle sizes of three products, A, B, and C, are compared. While they are all in powder form, higher magnification reveals that product A has the best particle size when compared to B and C. The ability of a product to be homogeneously blended into the feed mixture is also influenced by particle size. Hence, as indicated in Figure 4, an SBP must be examined for its capacity to be uniformly mixed.
Figure 4: Assessment of uniform mixing of the SBP with other feed ingredients.
Thermostability assessment
It has been observed that, under higher temperatures, many of the constituents present in poly-herbal formulations may react with each other, raising serious concern about the stability and efficiency of the formulation. Natural products are often susceptible to deterioration, especially during storage, leading to the production of metabolites with no activity, loss of active phytoconstituents, and, in extreme cases, the production of toxic metabolites. Hence, qualitative, and quantitative evaluation of SBP stability at higher temperatures is essential. In Figure 5, the product under test doesn’t show any change in the active ingredient composition before and after being autoclaved at 121͒ C, indicating that the compound is thermostable. These results ensure that the SBP is stable and will have the desired biological activity in the target animal.
Figure 5: Thermostability assessment for the SBP both qualitatively and quantitatively. SBPs should be thermostable.
Microbial Load assessment
Herbal plants may be associated with a broad variety of microbial contaminants transmitted through soil or air as illustrated in Figure 6.
Figure 6: Schematic representation of the possible pathways of microbial contamination of medicinal plants
They could be bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Multiple environmental conditions influence the microbial load, which has a significant impact on the overall quality of herbal goods and preparations. According to study reports, the most found pathogens are enterobacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Hence, microbial assessment of medicinal plants on procurement and SBPs after manufacturing is essential. ISO guidance suggests standardized protocols for aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeasts, and moulds, E. coli, and Salmonella in herbal medicines as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7: Microbial analysis of herbal products
Assessment for toxic contaminants
Contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins, if not maintained below safe levels, can lead to life-threatening toxicity in animals. To ensure the SBPs are safe, they should be tested for these contaminants. The samples can be tested for pesticide residues with Gas Chromatography – Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD) and Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Heavy metal contamination can be detected using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer (ICP-MS). Aflatoxin and mycotoxins can be detected using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD).
Assessment of Hygroscopicity
The SBPs should be non-hygroscopic, among other physical qualities. The ability of a substance to absorb moisture from its surroundings is known as hygroscopicity. It’s an unfavourable feature since it might cause lumps and prevent correct mixing with other feed ingredients. As a result, the SBPs must be designed to be non-hygroscopic. Figure 8 depicts a method for determining hygroscopicity. Product A is less hygroscopic as compared to B since it doesn’t form lumps.
Figure 8: A test for the hygroscopicity of products A and B after 7 hours of storage under high humidity.
The efficiency of a feed supplement can be attributed to its physical properties as well as its functional efficacy based on the performance of the birds. Here we elaborately provided evidence of the physical attributes necessary to be tested in an SBP, which would keep the product stable and efficient for a prolonged period as well as make management of the product easy.
In our next article,Productivity Check of SBPs in the Field, we shall elaborate on the scientific assessment of functional efficiency through their biological effects.
Feed Tech Expo – India’s only feed focused exposition (for poultry, aquaculture, livestock) and Dairy Industry Expo– an exclusive event for dairy farming & processing industry is going DIGITAL on 26-29 October. After a gap of almost 2 years and conducting 16 webinars for both sectors, the company decided to organize a Digital Event including virtual booths, webinars and workshops.
Day-wise schedule of Webinars & Workshops:
Schedule of Webinars & Workshops
The 4-day event offers unparalleled B2B networking and business opportunities for the Feed and Dairy Industry.
What all you can do at the platform?
Visit virtual booth
Pre-fix meetings with experts
Plan your schedule for different webinars & workshops
Summary: Leaders need to keep their team motivated and work towards the common compelling goal, be willing to talk about problems with a goal to find solutions and follow ethical practices. The author draws example from the recent Afghan take over by Taliban.
Pattabiraman Nagarajan (Author)
The recent fall of Afghan security forces to Taliban in a matter of 2 weeks and without much resistance has taken the world by surprise. Coming after 20 years of hard work and about Rs.6.22 lakh crores of investment (out defence spend in a year is 4.5 lakh cr) is indeed painful. I am neither a military analyst nor a political analyst. I intend to use this example to drive home some management lessons. What management lessons could we learn from this incident?
Leadership is crucial for success
Taliban started their ground work the day they signed the peace(?) treaty in Qatar. They followed multi-pronged strategy of threat, luring and lobbying. They had established contacts with Village elders and had captured about 50% of the 420 district centres by 3rd week of July. They were successful in creating doubts in the minds of the Afghan forces which resulted in a near zero resistance. Leaders in Afghan forces were busy believing everything was under control. They did not read the pulse at the ground level. Afghan forces witnessed large scale desertions and surrender.
Leaders need to instil confidence in their teams and find multiple strategies for reaching their goals. They need to communicate this effectively to their team so that they ensure morale. Mind battles are as effective as the battles that take place in the market place.
Will is as important as skill
The Afghan security forces outnumber the Taliban by almost 3.5:1. They have some of the sophisticated weapons and equipment like night vision gear while Taliban has just small ammunition. Afghan security forces have more than 150 aircraft including attack helicopters while Taliban are just a ground force. How did they manage to win?
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The answer lies in the fact that Taliban was a highly motivated group that was working with cohesion towards a singular goal of toppling the government. The government forces on the other side had trained but de motivated forces who either deserted their positions or surrendered without any resistance. They had the skill but the question is where they ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the country?
In organizations too, we may be successful in bringing compliance through authority and benefits. But the willingness and passion can only be inculcated through focus on the goal and a cohesion. Leaders have to build stronger teams that have a common goal at sight and are ready to do “whatever it takes” to achieve those goals.
No bad news is not good news
The combat readiness of the Afghan forces was never tested as they always had the support of the US air force and the logistics help. The monthly and the quarterly progress reviews on combat readiness was moved from the battalions to the headquarters where the information was filtered to suit the need of the leaders. A narrative that the forces, with their training, funding and structure were doing well was always floated which was far from the reality. This phenomenon is called as “motivated blindness” by Bazerman and Tenbrunsel who define this as “People see what they want to see and easily miss contradictory information when it’s in their interest to remain ignorant.”
Leaders most often send signals that they want to hear good news and the those under them are tuned to see only the good things while the pressing issues are either ignored or denied. When everything appears to be going well, disaster strikes. Good leaders tend to take bad news as a scope for improvement and learning. They encourage their team to discuss, highlight the issues they face with a focus on finding a way out. They do not approve pushing things under the carpet for they know it will haunt them
Ethics and Prudent financial practices have no substitutes
Significant amount of money spent on the Afghan forces was siphoned out by the officials and there were ghost soldiers in payroll. As a result of this it was reported that several soldiers went unpaid for months and lost their morale. This resulted in large scale desertion or defection. (Source: The tale of two armies-The guardian). On the other hand, the Taliban was highly motivated and well organized, though not well equipped. The results are there for us to see.
Leaders need to practice highest standards of ethics and ensure these practices are followed diligently across the organization. How many times we have seen the failure to track secondary sales results in lot of loss to companies in the form of AR or expired goods.
Greek historian Polybius says, “A good general not only sees the way to victory; he also knows when victory is impossible”. This is true for every leader.
About the author:
Mr. Pattabiraman Nagarajan is a HR professional, Consultant, trainer and an ICF certified coach. Has managed organization change and aligned HR practices to ensure business growth. He holds master degree in Social work and a PG diploma in Business management from IIM Trichy. He could be reached at npattabiraman@relyonus.in. Website: https://relyonus.in
Kemin Animal Nutrition & Health – South Asia Wins Trio of Awards in Recognition of its Great Workplace
In April, Great Place to Work® Institute recognized Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health – South Asia, as a “Great Places to Work”. The business unit was also honored for its “Commitment to Being a Great Place to Work” because of its three-year-streak of receiving this honor, and the President R Suresh Kumar was named one of “India’s Best Leaders in Times of Crisis 2021”.
Over the past three years, Great Place to Work® Institute has studied Kemin’s consistent focus on providing a superior experience for employees, commitment to building a great workplace experience and employee-endorsed efforts. The business unit also takes actions to enhance employees’ workplace experience based on their feedback and encourages transparent communication. This resulted in a substantially improved Trust Index score, measured by the Great Place to Work Institute.
Thank you to all the team members who have been playing a role in making Kemin a top-notch workplace with excellent employee experience and inspired engagement. Kemin team members have consistently demonstrated their dedication to Kemin values and servant leadership while serving customers and stakeholders.
Being recognized for the business unit’s “Commitment to being a Great Place to Work” – an honor received by only a few of more than 700 aspiring organizations – is well-deserved.
Sept. 24, 2021 – Udumalpet, India. – In an ongoing effort to strengthen service to customers and drive the growth of the increasingly popular Ross® 308 AP broiler breeder, Aviagen® India has appointed Ferry Monné as Head of Sales and Marketing, effective Sept. 1. Ferry will report to Marc Scott, Aviagen India Business Manager.
Background of industry, business development expertise
A sales professional, Ferry joins Aviagen with a proven track record and a wealth of senior sales and sales operations experience in the poultry, automotive and IT industries.
Prior to joining Aviagen India, he partnered with a poultry equipment distributor in southeast Asia. Before that, he served as Business Development Manager, Asia and Oceania, for HATO Agricultural Lighting, where he successfully built up new markets, improved dealer performance and raised awareness of poultry-specific lighting equipment and technology. Originally from the Netherlands, he has spent the past 17 years working in India and Southeast Asia.
Welcoming him to the Aviagen India family, Marc said, “We are delighted to have Ferry on board, leading our drive to enhance the success of our valued customers and grow our business. He joins at a very exciting time for the India poultry industry – a time of rapid advancement, and Ferry and his sales team will be at the forefront. promoting the best breed and best practices to benefit all our customers.”
“I am passionate about teamwork, serving customers and striving daily to implement continuous improvement for their benefit. I look forward to joining Aviagen India and working with my team to promote the health, welfare and performance of our customers’ birds and further improving the bottom line of their businesses,” added Ferry.
About Aviagen
Since 1923, Aviagen® has been a preferred global poultry breeding company with a mission to help its customers — the world’s chicken meat producers — supply sustainable, affordable and nutritious protein to their growing communities. Putting into practice its corporate value of “Breeding Sustainability,” Aviagen implements efficiencies that make commercial chicken production environmentally and socially responsible and economically beneficial to producers, while at the same time promoting bird performance, health and welfare.
To meet varied market demands, Aviagen offers a full portfolio of breeding stock under the Arbor Acres®, Indian River® and Ross® brand names. The Rowan Range® and Specialty Males® target slower-growing and other niche market needs. Aviagen is based in Huntsville, Alabama, US., with operations across the UK, Europe, Turkey, Latin America, India, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and the US, and joint ventures in Asia. The company employs close to 8,000 people, and serves customers in 100 countries.
For more information, please visit Aviagen.com, or follow Aviagen on LinkedIn.
Synopsis: Understanding the role of water activity in maintaining the vital nutrients and protecting it from the microorganisms will be probably the most significant advancement made by poultry feed manufacturers. Water activity (aw) is one of the most critical factors for determining the quality and safety of feed and grain. It quantifies the amount of “free” water available in materials for use by microorganisms and chemical agents.
To face up to the extremely challenging tropical hot and humid weather condition, maintaining overall grain quality over storage requires an in-depth understanding of the sciences involving
Dr Naveen Kumar, B.V.Sc & A.H (Gold Medalist), M.V.Sc (IVRI, Bareilly) is a food & oil seed grains storage specialist and a finished feed quality expert for Asian and other tropical countries. He also Business Director of Delst Asia and is located in Faridabad, India. He can be reached at naveensharma21@gmail.com
Silo Design
If space is not a constraint, a practical silo size and capacity is to keep the height of silo as short as economically possible as it can greatly ease aeration and the air flow moving to the top. It is more preferably to have multiple silos with smaller capacity rather than lesser tall silo with huge capacity for the ease to facilitate silo management.
Aeration
Problem with temperature profile within the grain mass and air current movement can be minimised with effective aeration. Aeration is a tool to manage and control grain temperature, equilibrating with ambient temperature. This is needed to control moisture migration, mold contamination, insect infestation and eventually grain degradation.
In cooler environments, aeration is used to blow in cold ambient air to lower grain mass temperature and to suppress insect development and microflora growth. Whereas in the tropics, a good aeration program with a practical knowledge of working with ambient temperature and humidity will help to minimize heat and to equilibrate grain mass temperature within the silo, reducing issues relating to moisture migration.
As moisture migration moves with the natural air current developing from temperature profile within the grain mass, aeration can help in alleviating the phenomena by harmonising grain mass temperature inside the silo.
Picture shows the air current flow after implementing with an aeration system in the tropics. Source from https://www.topcropmanager.com/spring-moisture-migration-in-grainbins-20111/
However, more often than not, aeration system is always under-designed in terms of capacity for the tropics, rendering it unable to cope with dispersing heat in the grain mass. It is more challenging to maintain grain quality in the tropics as the relative humidity ranges from 70-90% while the ambient temperature ranges from 23- 42°C within a day. After a hot day from the scorching sun, a sufficient amount of air flow is required to dispel the heat. Air to grain ratio at a minimum of 0.30-0.40 m3/min air per ton of corn (0.25 cfm per bu) is required. However, most aeration system that comes with the silos are frequently supplied with much lower capacity around 0.11-0.13 cfm per bu range.
A good aeration program with a sound practical approach of working with ambient temperature and humidity will help to minimize heat and to equilibrate grain mass temperature within the silo, reducing issues relating to moisture migration.
In colder countries, the relative humidity is lower than 65% with very cold and cool temperature in most part of the years. This does not post much problems, except to aerate ambient cold air to cool and equilibrate the overall grain mass temperature to the center of the grain mass. The concern is a small period during the warmer summer, as there is now the issue of managing the temperature and humidity variance between day and night.
Graph showing effect of temperature and moisture on stored grain. Source from CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences
Roof ventilation is an important aspect in regulating respirated warm air under the roof space and more nos. of roof vents should be provided for silos in warmer regions. Roof vents should be positioned near the peak of the silo as their function is to remove hot air from headspace. With better efficiency of expelling the warm air coming off the grain, a higher volume of external cooler ambient air can be pulled into the roof space of the eave.
It is strongly recommended to install two units of electric extractor fan per silo for rapid extraction of hot respirated air out to the surrounding.
Good intake management (good filling practices and cleaning to rid dust and foreign material) can assist aerating air flow. Air usually flows along path of least resistance within the silo. Dead space is normally formed due to dust and contamination in grains.
It is advisable to not overfill the silo to the brim but up to the second last ring max, and practice coring after fill. This also assist in better air flow from the roof eve, giving sufficient headspace which also helps in providing a better air cushion between the roof space and the top of grain surface. Hot respirate air has to be continuously extracted out to avoid condensation on the underside of the metal roof at night.
Insulated silo wall is a good option but costly. Insulation prevents temperature differential between day and night, controlling temperature profile to minimize moisture migration. There are three types of insulation which is single sheet, double sheet and a combination of double sheet insulation with insulation material.
Picture showing insulated silo with insulation material. Adapted from https://siloscordoba.com/blog/grain-storage/silo-insulation-systems
Drying and Silo Operation
Drying helps ensures corn moisture to be kept low and uniform within the maximum safety for grain storage. After the drying process, grains should be transferred into a temporary storage silo or a tempering bin to cool them to ambient temperature. Grains that failed to cool sufficiently after drying may cause a heat steeping effect inside the storage silo, leading to moisture condensation and increasing rate of moisture migration in the grain mass.
Picture shows how does a tempering silo works. Source from https://siloscordoba.com/blog/grain-storage/what-is-a-tempering-silo-and-what-is-it-used-for/
Corn loading
Coring method during grain loading. Source from University of Minnesota Extension
Before loading into the silo, remove dust, fine particles and damaged grains. This eliminates spout lines that decreases the efficiency of aeration. When there are less fines in the grain mass, it is less challenging for storage management as there will be less dead space within the silo, improving air flow distribution and aeration efficiency.
During the loading of grains, there are additional steps for managing fines. Using the center unloading augers to periodically unload some of the grain to remove any remaining fines. This method is often known as coring. When filling, unloading auger is run at least daily or more often to remove the peaked grain, forming an inverted cone with diameter in the range of 5-10 feet. Grains that are removed can be cleaned and mixed with other grain to be putback into the bin.
Mold control begins with moisture control
All the suggested approach (discussed previously) in managing moisture and temperature helps to minimise grain degradation over storage, but moisture migration is still very uncontrollable. This results in corn caking and sweating in the internal wall, leading to mold contamination and grain degradation…Henceforth, the use of mold inhibitors have been a common practice, but always with futile outcome as this is not addressing the root cause of the problem. An effective moisture management program that is able to negate free moisture movement has been proven to contain moisture migration problem in grain storage, hence maintaining the intake quality.
An actual field storage trial on corn storage was conducted, comparing control (with a normal mould inhibitor program) and treatment (with an effective moisture management program). The control was stored for 8 weeks for early feed production use and the treatment corn was stored and stretched to 16 weeks for later feed production use. Both undergoes the same storage program, but the result shows a very significant difference on corn quality at the end of storage. Despite a shorter storage period, the control batch have darkened germ due to mold contamination. As for the treatment corn, the germ still possess a creamy colour, and retaining the original intake quality despite a twice longer storage period.
Left picture shows the control corn stored for 8 weeks. Right picture shows the treatment corn stored for 16 weeks.
With a good moisture management program, the silo wall had minimal caking and corrosion with free flowing and healthy grains after long period of storage of 4-8 months. Controlling moisture migration is an effective approach to lock in water activity at a safe level, preventing microbial growth and hence keeping intake grain quality.
Left picture shows minimal to no caking and no corrosion to the internal silo wall. Right picture shows free flowing corn of intake grain quality after long period of storage.
Financial loss
The first stage loss is moisture loss due to moisture migration. As moisture migrate, air currents developed from temperature profile. The moisture would accumulate on grain surface and evaporates as weather gets hotter or during silo management program. On average, a minimum of 0.5% of moisture is lost with proper silo management, but if it is not managed properly, moisture loss can go up to 1-1.5%. With the current corn’s price, it will cost approximately US$ 1.50-3.00 per ton of corn stored due to moisture loss.
The second stage loss is when silo management is not properly implemented where ventilation fails to remove free moisture. The three main losses in this stage are the loss of carbon, reduced metabolizable energy and heat damage in grains due to mold contamination.
Left: picture depicts different level of heat damage in corn. Right table portrays different parameters that are affected by mold and heat damage in corn
The third stage of loss is when moisture migrate, causing the corn kernels to dry and their surface becomes brittle. When this occurs, there is a risk of corn fragmentation as grains move in the silo. This will increase the chances of insects and mite infestation. Mite and insects cause physical and nutritional damage to the corn and eventually damaging the livestock production as the presence of mites will cause feed rejection and thus feed wastage and the loss of animal performance.
Left picture shows corn infested with mite and insects. Right table portrays different parameters that are affected by insect and physical damage.
The total amount of loss is alarming. As much as $22.00 per ton of corn is lost in the formulation process. The losses above have yet to include financial impact on farms whereby even minimal mite infestation is able to negatively affect the feed conversion ratio. If losses of nutrients and insect damage are not tackled at source, expensive additives are used to compensate nutrient deficiencies and mask health related problems.
Conclusions
The benchmark to gauge a successful grain storage program is to observe the remaining corn at the bottom of silo after gravity unloading. Ideally, the germ should have a creamy appearance. If the germ area is discoloured even to a slight shade of grey, this is a sign of failed grain storage program. There should also be no visible sign of caking and sweating patches on the side wall. Negligible insect infestation is also a good sign.
The damaging consequence of fungal contamination, loss of nutrients, lost metabolizable energy value of grains greatly impacts feed quality, animal performance and a great economic loss.
All the suggested proper silo engineering set up and silo management practices is to minimize damage if there is a need for long period storage. A proven chemical approach in reducing moisture migration with good aeration management can greatly confine moisture challenge to preserve intake grain quality under the most challenging weather. It is important to control water activity to reduce microorganism activities and degradation of grain. Addressing a pending mold issue with a mold inhibitor treatment is not the answer to keeping grain quality.
The grain and feed industry loses millions of dollars yearly from damaged grain, weight shrink, lost and undigested nutrients, and costs incurred in the attempt to disguise or neutralize problems associated with grain degradation. Much of the repair costs can be cut down if proactive decision is taken to minimise the damage. Proper corn storage management with an effective program will greatly maintain the intake quality and minimise losses.
References
Afsah H., Leili S., Jinap, S., Hajeb, P., Radu, S. and Shakibazadeh, Sh. (2013). A Review on Mycotoxins in Food and Feed: Malaysia Case Study. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 12. 10.1111/1541-4337.12029.
Atanda, S.A., Pessu P. O., Agoda S., Isong I. U., Adekalu O. A., Ehendu M. A. and Falade T. C. (2011). Fungi and mycotoxins in stored foods. African Journal of Microbiology Research. 5(25). 4373-4382. 10.5897/AJMR11.487
D'orazio, M. (2012). Materials prone to mould growth. 10.1016/B978-0-85709-122-2.50012-7.
Mathlouthi, M. (2001). Water Content, Water Activity, Water Structure and the Stability of Foodstuffs. Food Control. 12. 409-417. 10.1016/S0956-7135(01)00032-9
Tapia, M.S., Alzamora, S.M. and Chirife, J. (2020). Effects of Water Activity (aw) on Microbial Stability as a Hurdle in Food Preservation. In Water Activity in Foods (eds G.V. Barbosa-Cánovas, A.J. Fontana, S.J. Schmidt and T.P. Labuza). 1002/9781118765982.ch14
Yasothai R. (2019). Storage Losses in Feed Ingredients by Insects and its Control. International Journal of Science, Environment and Technology. 8(1). 44-49.
Standardized Botanical Powders (SBPs): Part 3 of 5
The organic revolution in the food industry has taken the world in its stride. The consumer awareness of the health benefits of natural products shall keep this revolution going. There has been tremendous growth in the global organic animal food industry. The global organic poultry market alone is expected to make $7.67 billion in 2021. Although there have been several discussions to meet the desired market demand, there is little talk around the quality and consistency of natural products. With this in mind, we have designed this series of articles, which sheds light on the importance of standardization in botanical powders. In the last two issues, we have discussed with evidence what standardized botanical powders (SBPs) are, and how an SBP comes into being.
The current article emphasizes the importance of procurement of high-quality raw material by focusing on its authenticity, safety, and documentation to keep good consistency in the concentration of the phytoconstituents. Finally, these would result in high-quality SBPs.
The medicinal property of a plant is determined by the natural phytoactive chemicals they possess. Phytochemicals, such as alkaloids, terpenes, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids are encapsulated by a specialized membrane known as tonoplast. A tonoplast is a semipermeable membrane surrounding a vacuole in a plant cell. Once the SBP is fed to the animal, the tonoplast disintegrates in the gut of the animals, releasing the phytochemicals. These phytoconstituents have been reported to exhibit various biological effects for instance adaptogenic, hypoglycaemic, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and gut enhancing properties. However, the biosynthesis of phytochemicals is significantly affected by several factors such as environmental stress conditions like seasonal changes, geographical location, plant maturity, soil type, farming practices, genetic make-up, and post-harvest processing to mention a few.
Natural Remedies is the number 1 veterinary herbal healthcare company in India with presence in more than 30 countries across the globe. Through its world-class Research and Development centre, Natural Remedies offers a category of science-based Phytogenic feed additives, called Standardised Botanical Powders (SBPs). In this series of articles, Dr. Raina Raj, Head of Marketing at Natural Remedies, provides in-depth knowledge of what SBPs are, and their benefits in the poultry diet.
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In India, manufacturers can purchase crude botanicals from local Bazaar, where 52% of their stock comes from temperate and tropical forests, 25% from wild-grown regions, and 20% from farms or plantations. Scientifically, harvesting botanicals from wild sources not only damages the biodiversity of the region but also there is no accountability to the variation in their phytochemical constituents, which poses an issue when botanical compounds need to be standardized. Therefore, it is important to ensure that plants selected for their medicinal uses contain relatively fewer variations in phytochemical constituents. Standardization is essential to maintain consistency in the biological outcome when consumed by animals. Hence to overcome these issues the standardization process begins at the farm where the medicinal plants are cultivated under supervision and can be harvested at the optimum time of growth for the best utility of the phytochemicals.
Contracted supervised farming
One of the strategies to procure superior quality raw botanicals with the least variability in their phytoconstituents is through contracted supervised farming. This helps monitoring of the raw product for its authenticity, safety, and least variability in the desired phytochemical; ensuring organic methodology is used in the plant cultivation process; harvesting at the specific age of maturity, when the phytochemicals are at their peak; to the farming community this generates a steady source of income; this generates gainful employment in rural communities; they receive support and guidance throughout the cultivation process; they receive input after analysis of the soil and water samples for pH, conductivity, organic carbon, phosphorus, potash, and residual pesticides. Since the plants are grown organically, pesticide use is avoided, which in turn helps the environment. However, to ensure that the crops receive sufficient nutrients the manure used as fertilizer is also assessed, for physical and chemical properties such as colour/odour, moisture percentage, pH, conductivity, organic carbon, N-P-K, CN ratio, micronutrients like Fe, Mn, Zn, etc. A technical team supervises the land for soil waterlogging, major weed infestation, and irrigation and assists the farmers to solve any issues in the field. In general, it is a win-win situation for both the contracting herbal company and the farmer.
Figure 1: Farmers receive support and guidance from land preparation until the time of harvest
Assessment of authenticity
The herb samples collected from the farm should be evaluated extensively for their genuineness at the physical, microscopic, and molecular levels (Figure1). The authenticity of the herbs is already established at the seed level during collection. Ultimately, all these assessments are necessary for the standardization process of the SBPs and to provide consistency in each batch to give the desired biological effect.
Figure 2: Herbal authentication
Assuring safety
To ensure the SBPs are safe, the herbs are collected from a pristine area where there is no heavy presence of contaminants. Also, the safety is ensured with the harvested raw herbs through testing for pesticides, heavy metals, and mycotoxins/aflatoxin. The samples can be tested for pesticide residues with Gas Chromatography – Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD) and Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) as shown in Figure 3. Heavy metals such as Cadmium, Arsenic, Lead, and Mercury are evaluated with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer (ICP-MS) as shown in Figure 4. Heavy metal, pesticides and mycotoxins occurrences in herbs, if not maintained below safe levels can lead to life-threatening toxicity in animals. Aflatoxin and mycotoxins are detected using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 3: Pesticide Residues in the raw material are evaluated by GC-MSMS/GC-ECD
Figure 4: Heavy metals in the raw material are detected by ICP-MS
Figure 5: Aflatoxins in the raw material can be detected through HPLC-FLD
Traceability of the raw material to its origin
The whole process of cultivation to harvest should be well documented, just as travel information in a passport Figure 6. Supervised farming helps maintain scientific recording that gives details at each stage of growth, if at all there are any untoward variations noticed in the performance of the product, it can be traced back and re-evaluated with scientific data. Post-harvest the product should be well labelled too (Figure 7). So that finished goods can be traced to which farm they originated from. The whole raw material procurement process becomes more science-based which helps in the standardization of SBPs and is eco-friendly, by maintaining the biodiversity of the forests, avoiding pesticides, and ensuring customers a safe end product free of synthetic constituents.
Figure 6: Passport data of Ocimum, authenticated by a botanist.Figure 7: Post-harvest the raw material is labelled so that its origin can be traced back
Indian Federation of Animal Health Companies (INFAH) hosted its 10th Annual General Body Meeting virtually on 27th Sept and 28th Sep 2021. Members had creative, virtual experience showcasing INFAH’s Vision and Mission along with gallery of INFAH’s Milestones. The AGM was attended by more than 100 industry colleagues representing Indian animal health and Nutrition industry.
Poultry Federation of India (PFI) an apex and renowned association of poultry farmers, breeders, equipment manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and all allied industries, is organizing its 32nd Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) at Hotel Pullman, Aero City, New Delhi on December 23, 2021.
segment of the population has grown at an exponential rate over the last decade, and their numbers are continuing to rise. According to reports published by BusinessWire, the global organic meat products market is expected to grow from $14.38 billion in 2019 to $20.39 billion in 2023. 
In April, Great Place to Work® Institute recognized Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health – South Asia, as a “
Over the past three years, Great Place to Work® Institute has studied Kemin’s consistent focus on providing a superior experience for employees, commitment to building a great workplace experience and employee-endorsed efforts. The business unit also takes actions to enhance employees’ workplace experience based on their feedback and encourages transparent communication. This resulted in a substantially improved Trust Index score, measured by the Great Place to Work Institute.
Thank you to all the team members who have been playing a role in making Kemin a top-notch workplace with excellent employee experience and inspired engagement. Kemin team members have consistently demonstrated their dedication to Kemin values and servant leadership while serving customers and stakeholders.
