What are the animal health challenges facing the world's largest broiler producers?

The major flock health issues facing the world's top poultry producers and how they might be tackled came under the spotlight at the 18th Conference of the World Veterinary Poultry Association, held in France during August 2013. Under the title of “Pressures, Plans and Problems of Poultry Producers,” Ceva animal health's corporate marketing director poultry Dr. Sylvain Comte revealed the results of a global study that the company had conducted over two years, seeking responses from the major and medium-sized poultry producers across all continents.

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Ceva conducted the survey across all continents. The company talked to 30 major producers with their combined output representing 24 percent of global broiler meat output.
Ceva conducted the survey across all continents. The company talked to 30 major producers with their combined output representing 24 percent of global broiler meat output.

The major flock health issues facing the world's top poultry producers and how they might be tackled came under the spotlight at the 18th Conference of the World Veterinary Poultry Association, held in France during August 2013.

Under the title of "Pressures, Plans and Problems of Poultry Producers," Ceva animal health's corporate marketing director poultry Dr. Sylvain Comte revealed the results of a global study that the company had conducted over two years, seeking responses from the major and medium-sized poultry producers across all continents.

Some 30 large producers were questioned, representing 24 percent of global broiler production, with interviews and analysis carried out by Ceva account managers.

The companies questioned belonged to the Top 10 in their respective countries and to the top 100 at the global level. Geographical coverage was comprised of the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Peru, China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Three key considerations

  1. What pressures do you presently face from an economic, social and poultry market context?
  2. What plans do you have to cope with these pressures?
  3. What problems do you have in implementing these plans?

Findings

The majority of responses to the survey was that disease challenge is of primary importance to broiler producers, with over 80 percent of respondents listing it as a pressure.

Coming close in second place, however, was the issue of high feed prices, with close to 80 of respondents citing them as a pressure.

Sixty percent of respondents noted that increasing market competition and cost pressures were important.

Plans

When asked what their plans for the future were, approximately 90 percent stated that they would increase vaccination and biosecurity, while in excess of 80 percent noted that they would customize vaccination programs per zone or season.

Seventy percent said that they would investigate new production processes.

Underlying the responses is greater emphasis on prevention as treatment, from an economic point of view, is not an option. This may include optimization of the in ovo vaccination process and other process innovations. Along with this, however, there is a need for specific skills, new tools and approaches and simplified management of these processes.

Implementation

But between identifying problems and solutions, there is a question of implementation and this can bring with it its own set of difficulties.

Across almost all correspondents, a need to tackle disease control and poor performance was expressed, but almost 70 percent mentioned that within their organization there was a lack of knowledge and expertise making this difficult.

Some 60 percent mentioned that a barrier to successful implementation was the complexity of the organization itself and difficulties with internal alignment.

Respondents mentioned that their disease control programs do not always work, performance targets are rarely easy to reach, and that while plans may be well thought out, application does not always bring the desired results.

No matter how good a plan, if implementation is not understood, the result will not be successful. People need to be trained, diagnosis needs to be accurate and financial resources must be found to achieve full implementation. Poultry production is and will remain a growing and profitable market over the next 10 years, but with resource constraints. As a result, there will be a need for continuous improvement in productivity and risk management.

Comte, who presented the results, said: "We were surprised at how willing producers were to adopt innovation and make process changes. They told us that they need new tools, specialized support and education for their employees and above all, simplification of management practices."

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