The agribusiness leaders gathered at the new international conference by VIC Group to share experience
From 12 to 16 November in Ras Al Khaimah (UAE), VIC Group held an annual international conference for partners in a renewed format. This year, at the event called "Leaders of agribusiness", the heads of the largest Russian agricultural holdings gathered to discuss issues of feeding, technology, veterinary medicine and management in pig and poultry farming.
The conference’s business agenda consisted of two days. The first day of the program featured a discussion panel to address the most pressing issues faced by the business and to develop innovative and comprehensive solutions to current problems. On the second day, the participants were offered dedicated sessions in the pork and poultry breeding sections.
During panel discussions and roundtables, representatives of industry unions, associations, and the business community discussed such issues as:
- the major trends in the industrial pork and poultry market, the results of the three quarters of 2022, forecasts for 2023-2024;
- export strategy, refocusing on new markets, growing competition;
- algorithm for cost reduction of finished products in the context of a price growth trend;
- transformation of cooperation and logistics chains: new opportunities and challenges;
- key trends in biosafety and quality assurance of finished products;
- ensuring biosafety and prevention of infectious threats in the context of new challenges, outlook for continued international cooperation and development of domestic capacity in biotechnology, immunology and molecular biology;
- rational use of antibiotics in production;
- modern solutions for increasing the genetic potential of livestock;
- efficient use of feed as a key tool to increase the company's profitability.
The pig breeding section dealt with several topics related to feed additives, peculiarities of the rearing gilt management and genetic research.
Lallemand International Pig Feeding Consultant Cindy Jacobs presented the findings of five years research on the positive effect of LEWISEL probiotic on the improvement of reproductive performance of high-yielding sows. Leading consultant technologist of VIC Pig Breeding Division Angelika Zabolotnaya supported the presented findings by her report on the economic efficiency of probiotic use in pregnant and lactating sows at Russian pig farms. The report showed that the return on investment ratio is 4.3 to 1 at the stage of piglet weaning: additional profit per 1 ruble of investment amounted to 4.3 rubles.
The international expert in pig feeding and nutritional optimization of CCPA company Nicolas Cilicini reported on the research findings on the feed additive - digestion enhancer CREA ADVANCE - in piglets of the growing group. They prove a positive effect in protein and energy absorption of the feed as well as lower conversion. The leading technologist-consultant of the VIC pig farming department Yury Kochergin supported the conclusions by calculating the feed additive economic efficiency. He claims the coefficient of investment is 2.62 to 1: extra profit for every 1 ruble invested is 2.62 rubles.
Oleg Yakovlev, an independent expert in industrial pig breeding, production and management of replacement stock, main and commercial herd, told about peculiarities of breeding, feeding, and maintenance of the replacement pig. He emphasized that despite the small number of these animals in the herd (not more than 10%), the efficiency of the pig farm for the next six years depends on their feeding, rearing and introduction into the herd.
Ilya Zubtsov, Director of Technical Support at PIC company, made a presentation that was highly relevant in the context of closed borders and restrictions on the genetic material imports from abroad. The expert proved a significant economic effect of genetic progress or genetic lag. He also suggested a way out of the current situation in the field of genetics: the purchase of semen from highly productive boars-producers kept in special stations to obtain semen of boars located in the territory of the Russian Federation.
VIC Group experts organized a round table in the poultry section, in which Mohamed Salah, professor at the Veterinary University of Cairo, presented individual consultations for poultry farm specialists. Issues of reovirus and adenovirus infections, as well as infectious bursal disease were raised. Particular attention and interest was paid to the method of histological examination, which is often more reliable and informative than standard diagnostic tools such as PCR and ELISA.
The conference is supported by the National Union of Poultry Producers and the National Union of Pork Producers. Next year, a series of events of the Agribusiness Leaders' Club is planned.