In an interview following the event, Dr Yukol said that this type of innovation-led but practical approach was an excellent example of how the private sector could contribute to improving the efficiency and sustainability of livestock production in the booming ASEAN region.

The topics and expert speakers were pre-selected by Ceva’s customers from the region, with three parallel sessions detailing “state of the art” practice in chicken, egg and swine production.

Ventilation in broiler/layer houses, for example, is a basic production detail that is sometimes not seen as a priority in Asia. As expert, Dr Michael Czarick of Georgia University pointed out “There have been tremendous advances in genetics, nutrition and vaccination but careful planning of housing in Asia has not followed at the same pace. You wouldn’t house a Ferrari in a tin shed so why do it with your most prized asset?”

Dr Don Ritter of Mountaire Farms is an extremely well respected poultry veterinarian in the US and presented the “state of the art” methods for the control of Salmonella from “farm to fork” in that country.

Ceva had more swine customers than ever before at the seminar, including Niels Thing, a production manager from Denmark, who came to share his recent successes in improving production efficiency through the batch management of breeding in gilts with the use of Altresyn, a synthetic prostaglandin. Swine will become an increasingly important focus for Ceva in Asia, as the company continues to develop products, services and equipment designed to boost the production needs of all its customers in the region.

Commenting on the overall success of the week, Ruud Aerdts, Ceva’s Asia Zone Director said: “State of the Art is really a state of mind. We are conscious at Ceva that the constant challenges faced by our customers, drives our own innovation. How can we provide the additional animal protein needed to meet the demand generated by close to 60 per cent of the world’s middle class purchasing power being concentrated in Asia by 2030?

“In a recent survey we conducted of major global producers, they asked us to concentrate on new tools, simplified management processes and to support their staff training. This is why we involved our customers in the choice of subjects for our “State of the Art” seminars designed to allow them to benchmark themselves against best global practice.”