Mycotoxin-related threats to livestock production have risen in most regions of the world over the first quarter of 2017.
More than 14000 analyses were conducted on 3715 finished feed and raw commodity samples sourced from 54 countries from January to March 2017 as part of the BIOMIN Mycotoxin Survey.
The main trends of the survey are; recent rise in mycotoxin contamination levels observed for corn, finished feed and soy; deoxynivalenol (DON), detected in 80 per cent of samples, is the most prevalent mycotoxin worldwide, followed by fumonisins (FUM), found in 71 per cent of samples; 76 per cent of feed and raw commodity samples contained two or more mycotoxins.
Reported mycotoxin occurrence data has shown that contamination levels in corn and finished feed samples have risen considerably in Europe and throughout the Western hemisphere. Risk levels in Asia remain elevated.
“Corn, or maize, constitutes a major proportion of animal feed and so trends in finished feed risk tends to match corn risk over time,” explained Dr Timothy Jenkins, Mycotoxin Risk Management Product Manager at BIOMIN.
The most prevalent mycotoxin in world feed is deoxynivalenol, a type B trichothecene produced by Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum. Easily observed symptoms include reduced feed intake and feed refusal. Two-thirds of samples contained deoxynivalenol in excess of 150 parts per billion (ppb): the risk threshold for effect on sensitive animals.
47% of samples contained F. verticillioides-produced fumonisins above 500 ppb: the risk threshold for effect on sensitive animals. Research has shown the combination of deoxynivalenol and fumonisins severely impair vaccine response and gut health.
More than three-quarters of samples contained two or more mycotoxins. Multiple mycotoxin contamination of feed presents additional problems, as certain combinations of mycotoxins are known to have synergistic effects that aggravate the negative consequences for animals.
“The main Fusarium mycotoxins are frequently related to subclinical symptoms which arenot very obvious on the surface but usually have a greater economic impact for the industry.” observed Dr Jenkins. “The presence of several mycotoxins at low levels can silently impair productivity with poorer feed efficiency and low growth rates,” he added.
“Avoidance of contaminated feed and attention to feed storage conditions are logical approaches to reducing the mycotoxin risk,” stated Dr Jenkins.
“However, mycotoxin contamination of feedstuffs occurs despite the most strenuous efforts on prevention. The most reliable approach is to combine prevention and detection with regular application of additives proven to adsorb or deactivate toxins in the intestinal tract of animals,” he advised. SOURCE- BIOMIN.
Tuesday 9 May 2017
COTE D'IVOIRE TO HOST AFRICAN GREEN REVOLUTION FORUM 2017.
The West African nation, a leading agricultural powerhouse and a hub of expertise in improving smallholder farming, will be the first francophone African country to host the annual Forum. Chosen for its leadership in placing agriculture at the heart of its economic transformation, Côte d’Ivoire is among a few select African countries that have made the biggest investments in agriculture resulting in sizeable increases in both farm productivity and overall economic performance.
Under the leadership of President Alassane Dramane Ouattara, the AGRF 2017 will focus on “Accelerating Africa’s path to prosperity: growing economies and jobs through African agriculture.”
Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Côte d'Ivoire, emphasised his country’s commitment to continually improve the agricultural sector which is key to its economic development.
“Five years of significant investments through the National Agricultural Investment Plan have enabled the country to empower farmers and place them at the heart of Côte d'Ivoire's economic transformation. The first phase of the NAIP contributed to a significant boost in our agricultural production, with more than 17 million tons of food crops in 2015 compared to 11,886 million? Tons in 2012. We are delighted to see that our efforts are being recognized internationally. We are confident that Phase 2 of the NIP, based on a more integrated approach that includes water resources management, health, electricity and education, will help to lift farmers out of poverty and further stimulate our economy. Côte d'Ivoire is committed to developing its agricultural economy, this needs to be consolidated.”
Agriculture is the backbone of Côte d’Ivoire’s economy and its robust growth is driven by sustained investment in agriculture and smallholder farmers. The sector contributes 26 percent of GDP, 40 percent of all export revenue, close 75 percent of non-oil export revenue and employs close to 60 percent of the population. The 2016-2020 National Development Plan (PND) aimed at guiding the country into emerging nation status by 2020, considers agriculture as a key pillar and specifically calls for an increase in agricultural output. NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
DANGOTE COULD BECOME WORLDS LARGEST RICE EXPORTER.
Speaking at the Mo Ibrahim Forum in Morocco, Adesina said that Africa must focus on agriculture to drive growth and create jobs on the continent.
Akinwumi, who was Nigeria’s agriculture minister when Dangote was the largest importer of rice into the country, recounted how Dangote had once walked into his office and resolved to switch from import to home-based production and export of rice few years ago.
Dangote has recently signed an agreement with Sokoto State government to create 16,000 jobs for out-grower rice farmers in the north-western part of the country.
Speaking on his plans to Dangote said, “In the next three years we want to produce one million tons of quality rice and make it available and affordable to the people. We hope to do 150, 000 ha and when we are done, Nigeria will not have anything to do with importation of rice,” Dangote said.
He also pointed out that Nigeria consumes 6.5mn tonnes of rice, which costs the nation over US$2bn annually. According to him his investments into the rice sector was largely due to the genuine interest of the Federal government to revive agriculture as the mainstay of the economy, and reduce importation of foods that could be produced locally. NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
SYNGENTA AND USAID INVEST US$1.8MN TO HELP SMALL HOLDER FARMERS IN ZAMBIA.
The programme aims to build a sustainable seedling distribution model for hybrid vegetables, provide access to market information and linkages, train farmers on good agricultural practices and business management and introduce new technologies to help smallholder farmers dramatically improve their yields.
Syngenta will establish 20 seedling production sites, each owned and operated by an entrepreneurial young plant raiser (YPR) in 20 districts across Zambia. The YPR will provide business and technical training, as well as facilitate market linkages for the benefit of 12,000 smallholder farmers. Although the primary focus of the project will be on tomato and cabbage seedlings, Syngenta will also conduct trials and testing regarding the commercial viability of other crops with a high potential in Zambia such as kale (rape), cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, and potato.
Furthermore, Syngenta will help in promoting a pilot programme for YPR’s “Vegetable in a Bag” concept, where a small portion of YPR seedlings will be sold in reusable packaging, with no ground soil and minimal water, making them suitable for urban and peri-urban use. NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
USAID PROMOTES GREATER INVESTMENT IN GHANAS AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.
On 4 May, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the U.S. government’s Feed the Future Initiative, hosted the 4th Annual Ghana Agribusiness Investment Summit to showcase investment opportunities in Ghana’s agribusinesses. The event brought together business service providers, financial institutions, agribusinesses, farmers, development partners and the Ghanaian government under the theme “Mobilising strategic investment for agriculture.”
At the summit, the Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Honorable George Oduro, and U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Melinda Tabler-Stone stressed the importance of leveraging financial opportunities for Ghanaian agribusinesses.
“Today’s summit is a call to action,” remarked Chargé d'Affaires Tabler-Stone. “It is a call for private, public, and development partners to re-strategise and increase investment in agriculture, so that we can achieve sustainable and broadly shared economic growth. Let me assure you that the U.S. government is committed to working with the Ghanaian government and our partners to boost economic growth and reduce poverty.”
The aim of the event is to spotlight Ghanaian agribusinesses and link them with viable private investment opportunities. The event featured panel discussions on opportunities in the agriculture sector, the importance of forming strategic partnerships to enhance agricultural productivity, risk-sharing agricultural lending, and alternative sources of financing for agribusiness. The summit offered participants business-to-business sessions where they were given the opportunity to network and forge partnerships.
This annual event was organized by Feed the Future with support from USAID. In Ghana, Feed the Future has mobilised more than US$115mn in private sector investment for Ghana’s agriculture sector and works to improve agricultural productivity, boost incomes, and link farmers to market and trade opportunities. NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
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