Poultry Federation of India Team interacts with US Soybean Export Council Delegation on Feed and Farming in India & USA followed by visit to Khushboo Feed Mills Pvt Ltd Feed Unit and Farms

On April 21st, 2024, Poultry Federation of India Team and a high-level delegation from the United States had a good interactive meeting. The USA delegation comprised of Mr. Lance Rezac, Chairman of USSEC; Mr. Jim Sutter, CEO of USSEC; Mr. Brad Doyle, Board of Director of the American Soybean Association; Mr. Kevin Roepke, Regional Head of USSEC, SAASSA Region; Ms. Rebecca Joniskan, representing the Indiana State Poultry Association; Ms. Gretta Irwin, from the Iowa Turkey Federation and Mr. Jaison John, Country Lead India, USSEC. Later the delegation visited the Khushboo Feed Plant and Commercial Broiler Farm near Gurgaon, where they were warmly welcomed by Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, Mr. Rajeev Gupta and Mr. Ashish Gupta at their office.
During the visit, the US delegation expressed their appreciation for the significant expansion and modernization efforts witnessed within the Indian Poultry Industry.

Mr. Ricky Thaper, Treasurer, Poultry Federation of India provided updates on the activities of the Poultry Federation of India and about Indian Poultry Industry and Agricultural Dynamics. Mr. Thaper appreciated the global initiatives of USSEC in collaboration with various stakeholders of the poultry, aqua and livestock industry.

In a gesture of gratitude, the US delegation extended their thanks to the Poultry Federation of India Team and Khushboo Feed Mills Pvt. Ltd., for the enriching exposure to the Indian Poultry Industry.

The Netherlands Business Support Offices (NBSO) in collaboration with the Agriculture Department of the Netherlands Embassy in India organised a pioneering technical session themed “India and The Netherlands – Towards a Sustainable Poultry Sector.” Held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) on November 22, 2023, the event convened esteemed experts and industry leaders to delve into the vital aspects of sustainable poultry practices.

The Show attracted good response from the elite of the Poultry industry with the galaxy of prime speakers in their respective field.The idea of Sustainability, which is a happening word around the world yet with limited and narrowed understanding of the How of it – is indeed a challenge!

The Dean, College of Veterinary Science and A.H., Veterinary University DUVASU Mathura – Prof (Dr.) Pankaj Kumar Shukla – a very popular and well-known figure in the industry – not only with in the government but excellent interaction with the active associations, federations and an excellent bridge between the government policies and the seamless benefits of the knowledge and technology to the private sector ultimately helping the farming community. Dr PK Shukla – made and exhaustive but points with a punch of how the Sustainability objectives in our poultry industry – which is more specific to it was brilliantly explained and shared.

Mr Bouke Hamminga (Director PasReforms) another seasoned traveler of India from the Netherlands threw light on how modern hatching technologies has an significant impact on the sustainable poultry production. There were new concepts that helped accelerate growth and increase profitability.

Mr Edouard Perrault, Director SASSO (Hendrix Genetics) shared his experience of how the genetic innovation and advancements were affecting the life of the rural farmer in the traditional colored bird farming in the tropical countries of Africa, Asia. This seems to have a positive impact on the Indian objective of doubling the farmers income. Easy management of the birds and solving generation of income and also addressing the nutritional requirements.

The Agricultural Counsellor of the Netherlands Embassy Mr. Michiel van Erkel is not a new face in these events over the past so many occasions at Poultry India.
The industry thanks him for offering such a beautiful platform for interaction between the Specialists, Industrialists and the government for the benefit of Poultry Industry. The moderator and the audience expressed their immense happiness and thankfulness for the efforts of Michiel in initiating such an event where his efforts to bind the countries in a useful exchange of idea and partnership for the growth of the industry. There were a good number of Dutch investors, companies and participants who always have appreciated such events.

Mr Selvan Kannan (Value Consultants) conducted the Moderation with seamless flair in ensuring interactions to bring out the best of the speakers and the august audience that were rapt in attention. All prominent media persons were present to partake the message on the latest on the sustainability!

The event concluded grandly with take home points and also gathering with dinner. Mr Rambabu from the NBSO did a good job in organizing this successfully once again as in continuation of several of them in the past.

MR. ALOK RAJ
PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, APTEC

Mr. Alok Raj, the principal consultant at Aptec, unveils a career journey that commenced in 1977 with ICB Ltd, specializing in chemicals, bulk commodities, and mining. With a wealth of experience in agro-processing, oil-seeds, refining, and roles at Meyn Food Processing Technology, Mr. Alok Raj’s expertise culminates in pioneering insights. His 2009 venture, Aptec, stands as a testament to his prowess in diverse processing industries. His extensive knowledge base and hands-on experience continue to be instrumental in driving innovation and pragmatic solutions within the ever-evolving landscape of processing technologies.

Twice a year we at Aptec publish a status report on poultry processing in India. This report is available for anyone to download, read and reference, free of cost. Projecting for March 2025, we have the following scenario – 61 plants in the organised sector (i.e. plants with capacities of 1000 birds per hour or more) scattered in a highly skewed pattern across the Country. This scatter pattern does not represent location of chicken-consuming populations – it reflects other factors. The scatter needs to be uniform over the Country because that is exactly how chicken consumers are distributed. In another study we have also found that non-availability of properly processed and packed poultry is one factor that has kept consumption down to as low as 42% of its potential. You will find more details on all these claims on our website – https://aptec.in/

Fig. 1 : Location of organised sector poultry slaughterhouses in India, Industry Report uploaded in October 2023.
For a detailed study visit our website at https://aptec.in/Reports

Three questions ought to arise in the reader’s mind: how big is the poultry processing industry, what relationship it has with the wet market and what is its growth rate vis-à-vis farming output of broilers. We have conducted studies on these. By March 2025 the overall installed capacity of organized sector poultry processing will be 1,65,400 birds per hour (BPH) and together with smaller slaughterhouses processed poultry output in India will be approximately 15% of the total – the rest will come from the wet market. Between 2002 and March 2025 the growth of capacity addition in the organised poultry processing sector has been calculated by us at 12.25% CAGR. In contrast, the growth of broiler farming has hovered around 6% CAGR. Therefore, one can confidently conclude that over this period the wet market has been steadily diminishing, as it must, if India has to become a developed economy.

From the existing capacity of 1,65,400 BPH which constitutes a gross capacity expected by March 2025, processed poultry is expected to be performed efficiently and hygienically. Poultry coming from the wet-market route will constitute the balance (85% of the total) and is expected to be unhygienic, will be performed with waste of resources and be out of sync with poultry processing standards worldwide.

This 15% share must rise dramatically if this industry is to be brought at par with the developed world. We believe that when a country establishes capacity to process at least 70-80% of the number of broilers its farms produce, it can effectively shut down the wet-market. So, we may like to aim at 75% capacity processing by 2047 to reach that goal. Say 45% processing level by 2035 and 75% by 2047. To simplify our calculations, we will assume that neither the broiler farming sector nor the population nor the per capita consumption of chicken meat show any growth over these periods.

Using data available with us, we have calculated the additional number of poultry processing facilities of today’s average size that must be set up to reach these targets. The figures are:

Unfortunately, there simply are not enough suitable plant sites in India for so many poultry slaughterhouses.

How do we make such a claim? Because we have helped design and build nearly 50% of poultry processing capacity in India over the past quarter century, we have found identification of suitable land the most daunting part of the exercise. Our solution to this problem is in two parts – the first part requires investors in this industry to take the lead and the second part requires collective effort by industry and government.

We spoke of the principal problem challenging growth of poultry processing capacity in India, namely the unavailability of suitable sites for plants with the present average capacity of 2710 birds per hour (BPH). We do have a solution to this problem. It requires a two-pronged strategy. The first is based on a proper understanding of the process itself, based on which we can split or divide the processing activity into two stages, each of which can function at a separate location. We call this the Hub & Spoke Model of Poultry Processing.

The second strategy is an itemised scrutiny of each hurdle to the growth of this industry and suggest custom solutions. But this requires cooperation between industry and government. Let us take up the Hub & Spoke Model and while discussing it, we will have the opportunity to itemise these individual hurdles.

1. Split the Process and Plant – Use the Hub & Spoke Model
This model is based on a close examination of Nine features of the process listed and discussed below. Some of them emerge as hurdles while others appear to favour splitting the process into Hub and Spoke, these being two halves of the process, separated into convenient sections that may function independently at different locations.

Poultry processing produces whole or portioned chicken, with each being either blast-frozen for long term storage or fresh chilled for immediate consumption (within 4-5 days of processing if kept refrigerated). In the case of portioned chicken, the market has a long laundry-list of product specification starting from cuts and packing size to whether or not the portions have skin-on or are deskinned, whether marinated or not, and so on. It should be clear to us that there is no disadvantage in splitting the primary and secondary steps (identified in table 1) into two locations as Hubs and Spokes. In fact, there exist excellent reasons to split them.

Aptec developed this model during September 2020 and privately distributed a short note on it among poultry processing plant owners. Later, following an interview of this author conducted by Asian Poultry Magazine in October 2020, Aptec published a report on this model in the January 2021 issue of the Industry Report.

2. Intensity of Scale Economies
Poultry processing is highly scale sensitive. Machinery manufacturers now offer line speeds of up to 15,000 BPH. As you go up the capacity ladder, the specific processing cost per chicken falls significantly. And here we are, struggling at an average capacity of 2710 BPH in India! Imagine the scale economies the processing industry is losing! If only we could improve scale economies in processing, poultry meat could become cheaper across the board.

3.Capital Intensity
Poultry processing is also very capital intensive, requiring heavy investments. However, the bulk of the investment goes into primary processing. Table 2 shows this. Here you may note that the primary processing stage uses the bulk of the capital in processing equipment. Added to this is the need to invest large funds in refrigeration, waste-water treatment, rendering and electrical sub-station in primary processing, The capital needs of secondary processing is overall lower not only in processing machinery but also in connected load and refrigeration because much smaller capacities of these utilities are required. Besides, the secondary processing end needs neither rendering nor wastewater treatment nor complicated machinery.

4. Hunger for Resources
Poultry processing requires lots of water, generates need for a large effluent treatment facility and uses plenty of power for operation, mainly in refrigeration and rendering. But most of these resources are restricted to primary processing departments which include live bird hanging to whole carcass chilling with water and flake ice, freezing of carcasses and a primary weight-wise grading of carcasses. Blast freezing of whole carcasses can be undertaken at the Hub, helping to smoothen the mismatch between farm output and demand for chicken meat.

The Hub location could build large blast freezing capacities and frozen stores, thus qualifying them for MOFPI’s cold chain capital subsidy. This would enable them to benefit from periodic live bird price gluts. With adequate freezing and storage capacities, gluts would be progressively smoothened and poultry farming would become a low-risk activity, attracting more rural youth into contract farming.

5. Labour Requirements
A typical 6000 BPH plant needs from 300 to 400 workers if both primary and secondary processing stages are combined at one location. Of this, only 60-80 workers are required in primary processing – the rest being needed in secondary processing. Besides this, labour in primary processing must be very skilled while labour in secondary processing generally needs just one or two weeks of training. Because labour and staff number are small for Hub facilities, and such facilities need to be located in up-country areas, plant promoters may provide on-site housing and other facilities to them. Spokes may be built close to towns on industrial estate plots or in existing industrial sheds taken on lease. There are always some unused plots or sheds in industrial estates near most towns and cities. Labour requirement for Spokes may be sourced from among young unemployed youth resident in the nearby towns. This means that the staff needs no purpose-built housing and may use existing mass transit networks for commuting. Were the Hub & Spoke model to be implemented, manpower problems could be solved by extending the Skill-India initiative to cover this sector. By way of social engineering, a team could periodically pick promising young candidates from existing wet market and give them on-the-job training in existing modern poultry slaughterhouses, to be later absorbed in Hubs.

6. Work Schedule
In an integrated slaughterhouse the primary processing shift operation begins very early in the morning to match the arrival of live birds at the plant. Transport of birds generally occurs at night to save them from heat stress and reduce dead on arrival birds (DOA). The primary shift starts at around 0600 hrs and ends at say 1500 hrs whereas the secondary shift starts at 1100 hours and ends at 2000 hrs or goes beyond it, depending on workload. The secondary shift is staggered because of a technological factor called maturation. For maturation whole carcasses are rested for 4-5 hours at between -1 and +4oC to make poultry meat more tender and juicier. This results in a natural separation in the overall poultry processing activity. If maturation is allowed to happen during transport of carcasses from Hub to Spoke, we can effectively increase the shelf life of fresh-chilled poultry by 4-5 hours. This will happen because we will have merged two serial value-addition activities, namely maturation and transport to market within that single time-slot.

7. Rendering
Slaughtering waste is generated in primary processing and to protect the environment, reduce the spread of avian diseases and recover valuable protein from waste, one requires to have a rendering facility attached to each slaughterhouse. Secondary processing, on the other hand, generates practically no waste, except some bones when it is required to convert portions into bone-less meat. If de-boning is performed at Spoke, these bones can be rendered along with slaughter waste if they are delivered into the intake hopper of the rendering plant at the Hub.

8. Land
For treatment of wastewater, primary processing needs a large plot of land. Given the condition that treated wastewater must be used for irrigation, primary processing must occur in the midst of up-country agricultural crop or plantation land. Secondary processing has very limited need of land as it generates no waste-water stream. It can therefore conform to industrial estate standards and be located near towns, closer to consumption centres.

9. Inventory Management
In a large processing plant, the preoccupation of managers in primary and secondary processing is very different. The manager of primary processing handles veterinary, technical and machine maintenance issues while the manager of secondary processing grapples with logistical, scheduling and inventory management issues. No doubt, there are several common concerns like biosecurity, hygiene and workers’ safety, but the difference in their focus is important.

Secondary processing can produce a large number of product types or SKUs. These are distinguished, one from another, by the size of packing, whether frozen or chilled, whether mixed portions (curry-cuts) or only one type of portions in a pack, whether skin-on or skin-off, whether bone-in or bone-out, whether edible offal or prime chicken portions, whether bulk-packed for institutions or small packs for consumers, whether marinated or not and so on. So, the larger his operation and the farther he is from the consumer, the harder does the inventory management job of the manager become and from time to time he may get burdened with unsold inventory, which he must get rid of, by offering discounts.

Emerging Market Conditions Suit the Hub & Spoke Model
In recent years a number of companies have sprung up as home-delivery outfits. From each centre they cater to a geographically small market which their delivery boys or small trucks can service directly. They hold an undifferentiated inventory of fresh-chilled whole carcasses which they source from existing poultry slaughterhouses and process them into the desired SKUs against orders received by mobile phones or over the internet. So, they do not have any dead inventory to carry.

As municipalities chased most of the wet-market vends out of cities and towns over the recent past, these operations went underground and become invisible. Some of them took a cue from the home-delivery outfits and climbed onto their band-wagon. In effect the municipal drive made the wet-market computer-savvy and their members set up web-based home-delivery platforms. Like the current phenomenon of cloud kitchens, we now have cloud-slaughterhouses as wet-market butchers no longer need to display the actual slaughter process. But this development fails in terms of product hygiene, biosecurity and sanitary disposal of processing waste. These clandestine operators continue to dump their processing waste onto landfills or into municipal drains.
If the processing industry sets up a sufficient number of Spoke units it may benefit from the home-delivery trend and together they may either improve processing conditions in these clandestine cloud slaughterhouses or cause them to shut down. The industry may also try promoting entrepreneurship among urban unemployed youth by including them in a franchise arrangement at Spoke establishments, just as reducing price volatility by Hubs may promote unemployed rural youth to take up contract farming.

For the processing industry to adopt this idea, large integrators should convert their existing plants into Hubs, operating large capacities to the tune of 12,000 BPH for 2 shifts, the better to utilise their assets. Simultaneously the industry should rapidly set up many Spoke facilities close to cities and towns. To sum up, by splitting the process into two steps, we contain pollution, better manage water and power requirements at fewer locations, where we can solve these issues more efficiently because the solutions themselves exhibit scale economies. Besides, by restricting pollution generation and abetment to fewer locations, better control and compliance may become feasible. The poultry processing industry can leverage recent market developments and adopt emerging business models to expand product distribution and encourage enterprise among youth.

Scale economies express how much more it costs to process one chicken is when it is performed in a plant running at 1000 BPH as compared to doing it in, say, a 6000 BPH plant. To obtain actual figures, download AptecApp from the Aptec website. This App allows you to choose from 5 different plant sizes, configure the product mix to your liking and it immediately generates the entire financial feasibility calculations. It also shows you how much a typical kilogram of marketable product costs to produce with your just-configured product mix and capacity settings. Maintaining the same product mix, switch to a different capacity choice and study the financials. You can read how much it costs to process at that capacity. This will illustrate the sensitivity of processing cost to scale of operation. Even within a single plant capacity setting you can choose a 20% over capacity or 20% under capacity operation and see the impact of specific processing cost.

 

A stock-keeping unit (SKU) is a scannable bar code, most often seen printed on product labels in a retail store. The label allows vendors to automatically track the movement of inventory. The SKU is composed of an alphanumeric combination of eight-or-so characters.

Dr. Pinky Roy Ingewar, NSM, Jefo Nutrition Inc., Canada

In this issue of Poultry Creations magazine, we extend a warm welcome to Dr. Pinky Roy Ingewar, National Sales Manager at JEFO Nutrition Inc. Canada, under the compelling theme of “Pioneering Women in the Poultry Industry.”

In this exclusive interview with Dr. Pinky Roy Ingewar, a notable personality in the poultry industry, we uncover the dynamic path that has led her to become a pioneer in the realm of poultry science and business. From her early days as a Production and Quality Control Manager to her current prestigious role as the National Sales Manager at JEFO Nutrition Inc., Canada, Dr. Pinky Roy Ingewar’s career showcases versatility and expertise. With a remarkable background in both veterinary science and a wealth of experience working across international borders, she offers invaluable insights into product development, market strategies, and the delicate balance between professional success and personal life.

Join us as we explore her diverse experiences, significant contributions, and inspiring perspectives that have shaped her remarkable journey in the ever-evolving landscape of the poultry industry.

“My advice to all women, whether in poultry or any other business, would be to confidently express yourself and choose your desired career path, whether it’s in sales, marketing, consultancy, research, or any other stream. Stay focused and strive to maintain a healthy work-life balance while working hard to shine your name and contribute to enhancing your country’s reputation on the global stage.”

Dr. Pinky Roy Ingewar 

Poultry Creations: Throughout your career, you’ve navigated various roles from Production and Quality Control Manager to a Consultant for international companies and now as a National Sales Manager at JEFO Nutrition Inc. Canada. How have these diverse positions shaped your understanding of the poultry industry, and what key lessons have you learned along this journey?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: The diverse roles I’ve undertaken have undoubtedly bolstered my comprehension of the Poultry Industry. It’s essential to stay focused on our goals while remaining adaptable to new technological advancements. Being early adopters of these innovations grants a distinct advantage in this dynamic industry landscape.

Poultry Creations: Your role as a consultant allowed you to introduce and market products successfully across India and neighbouring countries. Could you share a specific instance where your strategic approach to product launch and distribution made a notable impact on the market, and what were the key factors that contributed to its success?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: Certainly! My role as a consultant facilitated successful product launches in India and neighboring countries. One standout instance was the introduction of Multifan-Vosterman Ventilation in the poultry industry and the incorporation of Humic acid properties in aquaculture. These successes were driven by seizing the first-mover advantage and targeting specific niche markets tailored to these innovative products.

Poultry Creations: Balancing the roles of a veterinarian and a professional in the poultry industry is unique. How has your veterinary background influenced your approach to product development, animal health, and your broader contributions to the industry?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: My initial foray into the Poultry Industry stemmed from my master’s thesis in poultry science, bolstered by the B V Rao scholarship grant. Genetics and nutrition have exerted significant influence, shaping the present landscape of the poultry industry. As a veterinarian, my comprehension of genetics, nutrition, and animal husbandry practices has proven invaluable in guiding techno-commercial decisions, substantially amplifying my contributions to the industry.

Poultry Creations: Your research work and academic achievements have been recognized with awards and presentations at prestigious conferences. Could you discuss one of your research projects that significantly contributed to advancements in poultry science or had a notable impact on industry practices?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: My Ph.D. research focused on layers, specifically investigating “Welfare Behavior and performance of laying hens at different stocking densities and flock size in California and furnished cages.” At the peak of the cage-ban issue, there was a notable scarcity of scientific data on this subject. Prior to my research, there was a pivotal absence of comprehensive studies on layers in cages. The welfare and behavioral studies conducted on layers at MAFSU, Nagpur, I believe, hold significant potential to benefit the industry.

Poultry Creations: With your extensive experience working globally in the poultry sector, how do you assess the current standing of the Indian poultry industry in terms of its strengths, challenges, and potential for growth or innovation compared to international standards? What specific areas or strategies do you believe could further elevate the Indian poultry sector on the global stage?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: Are eggs and chicken receiving fair compensation for their protein content compared to other sources in India? While branding and exports can offer temporary advantages to poultry producers, maintaining a prominent position relies on enhancing domestic consumption. Boosting home consumption is vital, demanding efforts to increase per capita consumption levels for sustained industry growth and stable market conditions.

Poultry Creations: Traveling alone for international seminars and exhibitions can be challenging, particularly for women. How do you handle and manage these trips effectively while representing the poultry industry worldwide?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: Yes, initially, international travel posed challenges, especially prioritizing safety. I recall an incident from 2011 when I was en route to The Netherlands but landed in Frankfurt due to an ash problem. Armed with international roaming and Google, I navigated the situation by researching how to travel from Frankfurt to Amsterdam by train. Upon arrival in Amsterdam, I requested the visiting company to arrange a taxi from the airport. This experience marked my first tour in Europe, and this incident was a part of that journey.

Poultry Creations: Behind every successful person, there’s often someone providing support and encouragement. Could you share the role of any influential person, mentor, or supporter in your life—whether a family member, colleague, or friend—who has been instrumental in your achievements and professional growth in the poultry industry? How has their guidance or support impacted your journey and contributed to your success?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: Certainly, there are a few individuals who have played pivotal roles in shaping my career. Firstly, my mother – Shobha Roy. Her presence at home has provided invaluable support, enabling me to travel for work without any concerns. Secondly, my husband, Dr. Sachin, has been a strong motivating force, encouraging me to pursue various endeavors, including my PhD. He constantly urges me to bring out the best in myself.

Lastly, my first employer in the poultry industry, Hon’ble Member of Parliament-Chevella, Telangana, Dr. Ranjith Reddy sir. He served as both a mentor and an exceptional boss. During my tenure as a production cum laboratory manager at Rohini Minerals, he guided me in comprehending the operations of a poultry feed mill, contributing significantly to my professional growth.

Poultry Creations: In what ways has Dr. Sachin’s expertise in poultry nutrition, strategic planning, and sales and marketing significantly contributed to your professional growth or achievements in the poultry industry?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: Dr. Sachin is a remarkable techno-commercial professional. His extensive knowledge in poultry nutrition, particularly in feed additives, has been immensely beneficial in enhancing my understanding of the market dynamics. His adeptness in cultivating relationships, sales, and marketing strategies is truly commendable and sets an example to learn from. He delves deep into the technical aspects of products and skilfully positions them in favor of both the farmers and the industry. His expertise has been instrumental in shaping my growth and achievements in the industry.

Poultry Creations: As a mother of two daughters, could you elaborate on how the support and understanding from your daughters have impacted your ability to manage the demands of your successful career in the poultry industry while maintaining a fulfilling family life? How do they contribute to your work-life balance?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: This is a challenging question. I am grateful to God to give me very understanding daughters. They have grown up in a household with a traveling father and a working mother. They have been very independent and helpful. They could manage themselves with some help and that has really helped me to grow in my career successfully.

Poultry Creations: As a successful woman in the poultry industry, what message or advice would you like to share with other women aspiring to pursue careers in this field? What encouragement or guidance would you offer to those considering entering the poultry industry?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: My advice to all women, whether in poultry or any other business, should be confidently expressing yourself and choose your desired career path, whether it’s in sales, marketing, consultancy, research, or any other stream. Stay focused and strive to maintain a healthy work-life balance while working hard to shine your name and contribute to enhancing your country’s reputation on the global stage.”

Poultry Creations: Drawing from your extensive experience in the poultry industry, what constructive suggestions or improvements would you recommend to enhance the content or offerings of Poultry Creations magazine?

Pinky Roy Ingewar: Poultry Creations is excelling in its coverage of various topics and articles, showcasing a diverse range of valuable content. Specifically, the magazine’s dedication to highlighting pioneering women in the poultry industry is commendable, contributing greatly to empowering and motivating women in this field. This inclusive approach, along with its comprehensive coverage, reflects the magazine’s commitment to the industry’s growth and development. My heartfelt best wishes are always extended to the magazine for its continued success.

Dr. Pinky Ingewar was awarded the Best PhD Thesis Award for the year 2021 during the XXXVII Indian Poultry Science Association Conference and National Symposium 2022 (IPSACON 2022) held at DUVASU, Mathura

Dr Bhaskar Choudhary
Animal Nutritionist
Biochem Zusatzstoffe Handels- und Produktionsgesellschaft mbH

Sometimes water medication treatments fail seemingly without reason, in these situations doubts arise: we begin to doubt the product, the dosage, the employee who applied the treatment, or even the diagnostic, upon seeing negative results.

In order for a molecule to be water soluble it should be capable of self-ionization; if it doesn’t possess radicals capable of ionization it will precipitate and settle on the bottom if treating a tank. This is what will happen if we try to use a ‘premix’ in the drinking water.

A molecule capable of self-ionization when coming into contact with water would be, for example, a salt, and this is one of the most common presentations of soluble medications. A salt will separate itself into two types of radicals: acid (positive) and basic (negative). Not all molecules used will separate into the same quantity of acid and basic radicals. The characteristic of separating into more or less acid radicals is expressed through the constant pKa. The smaller this constant is, the more acidic the molecular character will be. So, with a pKa of 2,7 (that of phenoximetilpenicillin) the molecule will be considered acid, while with a pKa of 7,6 (that of lincomycin) it will be considered basic. When the pH of the medium in which it is dissolved coincides with its pKa, the molecule will become 50% ionized. In order to reach a good solution, the molecule should be fully ionized. So,

– a molecule that possesses a weak basic character will better ionize in an acidic pH (granitic water)

– a molecule with a weak acid character will better ionize in a basic medium (calcareous waters).

Among the molecules that we can classify as weak acids we can find: ampicillin, fenoximetilpenicilina, amoxicillin, quinolones, etc.

Among the molecules that we can classify as weak bases we can find: macrolides, lincosamides, tiamulin, tetracycline, etc.

In practice, slightly acidifying or neutralizing drinking water can be interesting when trying to improve the solubility of the products used.

Tip: In order to avoid problems with weak base molecules such as tetracycline, acidifying the drinking water would be a recommended measure.
In the case of substances classified as weak acids, such as amoxicillin, ampicillin or phenoximeltilpenicillin, avoiding their use in acidified water is recommended. Actually, strongly acidified waters (pH < 5) could even limit the efficacy of these substances, affecting any possible results obtained from these medications.

Some of the most common antibiotics used as a treatment or Agp

Natural Resources: 1. vitamin A & C -Chilly (respiratory disease)
2. Procyanidin- Tamarind (liver toxicity)
3. alkaloids, flavonoids & Vitamin k – Peepal bark , leaves & stem (Nephrotoxicity, bleeding diarrhoea)
For more details references & support in clinical Nutrition please contact