Poultry farming is a multibillion dollar industry that employs millions across the world. In the US alone, some 8.6 billion broiler chickens were raised in 2016. A study done by USDA in 2014 showed that there were some 233,770 poultry farms in the United States. That makes for a massive industry in the US alone and the trend is replicated globally including in the Philippines where chicken farming is also a major industry, employer and an anchor of the country’s food security.
Due to its scale and vulnerability, it is no surprise that some changes that occurred in the industry in 2017 sent huge ripples in the entire poultry industry. There were huge industry developments in 2017. These included the strong push for better health management in the global poultry industry, greater push for poultry welfare as well as the various adjustments that occurred in the global poultry trade.
Welfare Reforms in the Poultry Industry
The question of animal welfare has always been a strong talking point since the advent of factory farming in the 40s and 50s but rarely has it focused almost entirely on the poultry industry. 2017 was a watershed year because the topic of discussion was almost centred around the practices in the poultry industry.
One country that is taking it a step further is Australia where conversations and advocacy work is finally solidifying into government policies. Lawmakers in the country are now drafting new standards and guidelines on poultry welfare. These standards will subsequently be enforced by the Australian Chicken Meat Commission and other industry actors once they have become law.
In the US, there are numerous states that are currently making good progress on the issues to do with poultry welfare. Many progressive initiatives are getting pushed in states such as California and Massachusetts where restrictive laws have been passed that require poultry operations to use larger pens and cages to give the birds adequate space.
The downside is that these laws have now increased the operational costs for farmers as well as the commercial poultry enterprises in the states and this has led to a rise in the price of eggs by as much as 18% in certain areas.
The Emphasis on Health Management Practices
2017 saw the push for smart health management practices in the poultry industry. This was necessitated by several dangerous cases of avian flu that affected the global poultry industry in countries such as the Philippines and South Africa.
Poultry health management is based on three main principles:-
- The Prevention of Diseases
- The Early Recognition of the Diseases
- The Early Treatment of the Diseases
The most ideal situation for most farmers and health management professionals is the prevention of diseases. The poultry should be closely monitored for signs of illnesses and distress and optimal amounts of nutrition provided in the diets during the early stages so as to prevent the spread of the diseases in the flock.
In countries like China where there have been severe cases of the H7N9 strain of the bird flu, many health management professionals and farmers are taking preventive measures to ensure that the exposed flock do not contract the avian flu virus.
Apart from ensuring the optimal poultry health, many health management professionals are also aiming at addressing the human health factors in relation to poultry diseases, meat consumption as well as waste disposal.
International Trade
The international trade in poultry products experienced a bit of a shakeup in 2017. For the example, with the advent of President Trump, the US formally withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and is currently hell bent on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The outcome of the NAFTA negotiations could have a massive impact on the poultry industry in 2018 as Mexico is currently the biggest market of US poultry products.