“SUSTAINABLE POULTRY FOR A BETTER WORLD”
The vibrant world of Poultry Panorama 5th Edition, where innovation, expertise and industry best practices converge to disseminate updated insights into poultry farming opened up at the International Technical Symposium, a flagship event of the Varsha Group at Ha Long Bay, Vietnam on 23rd February 2024.
The event was formally inaugurated by Dr. Chin and accompanied by Mr. H. K. Nanjaiah Founder & CEO of Varsha Group, Dr. D. Chandrasekaran Renowned Nutritionist, Dr. K. S. Prajapati Renowned Pathologist and Mr. Girish Nanjaiah Joint Managing Director of Varsha Group lighted the lamp as a symbol of wisdom and prosperity. (2)
Over 250 poultry practitioners from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Vietnam participated in the event—Mr. H. K. Nanjaiah who visualized the concept of poultry panorama has been successful in sponsoring the 5th edition as well. 
Dr. Somashekar, Product Manager, Varsha Group, welcomed the guests, speakers and delegates. He presented a video profile to narrate Poultry Panorama’s goals and objectives: serving as a platform to propagate innovative ideas, cutting-edge technologies and industry best practices, fostering a dynamic exchange of knowledge and expertise addressed by Industry Experts since 2007. He also mentioned the criticality of the Poultry Industry in meeting the nutritional demands of a growing global population.
Dr. Vishwas, General Manager of the Dairy Division, Varsha Group, introduced Dr. Chin International Animal Health Consultant and Technical Advisor, Singapore and the Chief Guest at Poultry Panorama, spoke of Dr. Chin’s professional excellence of over 40 years with the significant contributions to harness poultry farming with sustainable practices in South East Asian Countries, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India.
In his inaugural address, Dr. Chin spoke about Sustainable Poultry for a Better World, the theme of poultry panorama 5th edition. He focused on “Recent Trends and Practices in Poultry Production and Disease Management in Asia”. He shared his experience with intensive poultry farming characterized by the application of antibiotics as growth promoters and disease treatment in the past years in the Asian region. Widespread & prolonged use of antibiotics is a burning issue due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with food safety issues and public health concerns.
Dr. Chin emphasized on the strategies for limiting the use of antibiotics. The best way is to apply “strict” biosecurity and “best” management practices with optimal housing for the birds. He also highlighted the role of balanced nutrition with proper combinations of dynamic nutrients and specific additives like acidifiers, probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes and phytochemicals to replace antibiotics which is a cost-effective way to sustain bird performance and flock health. He made a 360° review of poultry challenges and evolving opportunities to improve production, disease prevention and control & food safety. Dr. Chin was felicitated with a Poultry Panorama 5th Edition memento by Mr. H. K. Nanjaiah.
Mr. Krishnappa N. D. Deputy General Manager, Karnataka Division, Varsha Group, introduced Dr. Reza Abdollahi, Associate Professor of Poultry Nutrition at Monogastric Research Centre, Massey University, New Zealand.
Dr. Reza pursued his Ph.D. from Massey University in 2011, has presented over 200 scientific communications including 80 peer-reviewed articles in top-ranking Animal Science Journals and popular book chapters. Dr. Reza presented his work at several international conferences such as European Poultry Conference, European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition, International Broiler Nutritionists’ Conference, Asia-Pacific Poultry Conference, Australian Poultry Science Symposium, First International Feed Technology Conference, PSA Annual Meeting, and many international industry workshops. A formal Welcome was given to Dr. Reza Abdollahi by Mr. Girish Nanjaiah.
Dr. Reza presented a technical talk on “The Quest for Optimal Pellets, with Emphasis on Gastrointestinal Tract Function and Nutrient Digestibility”. He detailed the progress in the technology of feed manufacturing in the past 50 years, which represents a major development in improving bird performance through pellet feed. He described the importance of manufacturing techniques to create highly digestible quality pellets as critical to maximizing the pelleting benefits.
He also detailed the pelleting process and the importance of physical quality of pellet in poultry nutrition associated with a better growth response and feed efficiency. The factors such as nutrient density, the degree to which the grains are ground and pelleting temperature are also of great importance in determining the efficiency of pelleting. He went through the current practices of a high degree processing of feed, which induces particle size reduction and ad libitum feeding does not support the normal development and functionality of the foregut. He suggested the incorporation of structural components, such as coarse particles, insoluble fiber sources and whole grains into poultry diets that can impart benefits to the birds’ digestive system, especially in contemporary diets lacking feed structure.
This session was chaired by Dr. D. Chandrasekaran, Dr. H. B. Nataraja as Co-chairman and Dr. Sunil Kalaskar as Rapporteur. A memento was presented to Dr. Reza Abdollahi by the panelists of the session. Dr. P. Manohara Upadhya presented mementos to all panelists.
Dr. Dinesh Waman Pawar Deputy General Manager, Maharashtra Division, Varsha Group introduced Dr. Rajesh Jha, Professor and Graduate Chair of Animal Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA.
Dr. Rajesh Jha pursued his Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada and worked as a Research Associate at the University of Alberta, Canada, before joining the University of Hawaii.
Prof. Jha’s research is focused on evaluating novel feedstuffs and feed additives for their nutritional and functional value to develop feeding strategies and modulate the gut health of monogastric animals using in ovo, in vitro, and in vivo models. He has published over 200 papers in different forums, including over 100 peer-reviewed articles. Also, he is a highly active presenter in national and international meetings and serves as a Visiting Professor in Germany, Japan, Korea, China, and Nepal. He also serves on the editorial board of several high-impact academic journals, including Section Editor of Poultry Science. A formal Welcome was given to Dr. Rajesh Jha by Mr. Sreegangaiah H K, Export Director, Varsha Group.
Prof. Rajesh Jha made a presentation on “Reflecting on Advances in Poultry Gut Health”. He went through the efforts of the Poultry industry and professionals to produce quality animal protein sources to feed the ever-growing world population. Antibiotic growth promotors were used to raise healthy poultry and enhance their productivity. However, public health concerns about antimicrobial resistance have led to the need for alternative production systems free of antibiotics. In the end, the potentiality of the usage of alternative feedstuffs and feed additives for improving the gut health of poultry in the post-antibiotic era was summarized.
This session was chaired by Dr. Ajit Ranade, Dr. K. S. Prajapati as Co-chairman and Dr. Shaitan Singh Rathore as Rapporteur. Dr. Rajesh Jha was felicitated with a memento by panelists of the session. Dr. B. Nandeppa presented mementos to all panelists.
Mr. Sanjay Verma Deputy General Manager, Uttar Pradesh Division, Varsha Group introduced Dr. Aaron Cowieson, DSM-Firmenich, Animal Nutrition and Health, Kaiseraugst, Switzerland.
Dr. Cowieson did his PhD at the University of Aberdeen. His research focus was feed enzymes, ingredient quality, amino acid and mineral nutrition of poultry. Dr. Cowieson was an Associate Professor of Poultry Nutrition and Director of the Poultry Research Foundation, the University of Sydney, Australia. Currently, Dr. Cowieson is a Senior Science Fellow at DSM-Firmenich. He has published more than 350 scientific articles including more than 200 in peer-reviewed journals and he was the recipient of the 2016 Poultry Nutrition Research Award from the American Feed Industry Association and recipient of the 2019 Life Mentor Award by the Poultry Science Association. In addition to his role with DSM, he is retained as an Adjunct Professor of Animal Science at Purdue University in the United States. A formal Welcome was given to Dr. Cowieson by Mr. Tushar K Ghosh, Deputy General Manager, West Bengal Division, Varsha Group.
Dr. Cowieson made a presentation on “Optimizing the value of exogenous feed enzymes in non-ruminant animal production”. He delineated the role of exogenous feed enzymes vs improved digestive efficiency of poultry flocks for decades. Dominant enzyme categories like phytases, carbohydrases and proteases in nutrient digestibility were discussed in depth. Novel insights on smart farms and data sources, sensors, near-infrared spectroscopy, and on-farm biomarkers coupled with artificial intelligence platforms ensure advanced and sustainable practices for unprecedented perceptions towards precision poultry nutrition. He emphasized the pivotal role of feed enzymes as the future of sustainable poultry production and the integration of smart farm applications and big data algorithms to enhance the value creation.
This session was chaired by Dr. N. C. Manju, Dr. Subhradeep Paul as Co-chairman and Dr. Rakesh Kumar Sikri as Rapporteur. Dr. Cowieson was felicitated with a memento by panelists of the session. Prof. Nanda Kishor Mahajan presented mementos to all panelists.
Mr. Manbir Singh Deputy General Manager, North Division, Varsha Group invited Dr. Reza to deliver his second presentation on “Recent advancements on digestible calcium and phosphorus systems in poultry nutrition”. (20)
Dr. Reza elucidated the critical requirements of calcium and phosphorus for the development of healthy flocks. He went through the reasons behind the inability of monogastric animals to completely digest and utilize dietary calcium and phosphorus. The use of a well-defined criterion for phosphorus availability is critical for the utilization of dietary phosphorus. He went through the calcium digestibility in poultry flocks and different inorganic sources. He also pointed out the shift in the calcium and phosphorus ratio due to the presence of phytates. He suggested the digestible P as the preferred term to express P availability in feed ingredients. Calcium and Phosphorus are closely associated with each other in terms of digestion and post-absorptive metabolism, a total calcium to available phosphorus ratio is maintained in broiler diets. He expressed the necessity of digestible Ca values for feed ingredients to develop an appropriate digestible Ca to digestible P ratio for poultry.
This session was chaired by Dr. Udaykumar Patel, Dr. Rakesh Nimbalkar as Co-chairman and Dr. Praveen Kumar Singh as Rapporteur. Dr. Harekrishna Deka presented mementos to all panelists.
Mrs. Rekha Jagadeesh Deputy General Manager, Production, Varsha Group, introduced Dr. Kannan Ganapathy, Professor in Poultry Infection, Immunity and Vaccinology at the University of Liverpool, UK.
Dr. Ganapathy’s research focuses on molecular immunopathogenesis, diagnosis, control and prevention of poultry diseases. Dr Ganapathy is an RCVS-recognised specialist in poultry medicine and production, EBVS© European Specialist in Poultry Veterinary Science. In UK and other countries, he has been consulted on various issues related to the diagnosis, control and prevention of infectious diseases in broiler, layer and breeder farms. He has often been asked to conduct auditing on wider areas of poultry including management, hatchery practices, disease investigations, vaccine and vaccination, and farm biosecurity measures. A formal Welcome was given to Dr. Ganapathy by Mrs. Asha. S, Poultry Coordinator, Varsha Group.
Dr. Ganapathy made a presentation on “Infectious diseases affecting health and production in layers and broilers”. Dr. Ganapathy started his presentation by briefing his academic journey as a researcher and professional development at the University of Liverpool. Dr. Ganapathy highlighted the importance of non-infectious attributes in poultry farming as prime factors for infections. Differential diagnosis using traditional techniques, sampling and molecular techniques is critical in evaluating the causative agents. The existence and co-existence of numerous new strains of NDV, IBV, AIV, MG and MS have been identified globally, in addition to classical strains. Immunosuppressed flocks and those in poorer environmental conditions, develop variable degrees of respiratory disease complexes or drops in egg production and quality. He suggested the systematic approach towards the selection of vaccines/medications and associated strategies are useful in reducing the losses due to clinical challenges in poultry.
Mr. H. K. Nanjaiah thanked and presented mementos to Mr. B. S. Rana, Chief Editor of Poultry Punch, Mr. Rakesh Bhardwaj, Chief Editor of Poultry Express and Mr. Dinesh Kumar, Chief Editor of Poultry Technology, the press and media delegates from India.
Mr. Narasimha M. N. Operations Head – Corporate Business, Varsha Group proposed a vote of thanks. He expressed sincere thanks to Dr. Chin for his inaugural address. He extended warm regards to all the speakers of Poultry Panorama 5th Edition for their excellence and commitment and for sharing their expertise. He made a special mention of Prof. Devegowda and Dr. S. V. Rama Rao for their help in identifying the distinguished Chief Guest and Speakers. He extended Thanks to Mr. Atmanand Shanbhag, Tour Partner, Chariot World Tours Pvt. Ltd. and Mr. Koushik Varaghur, Event Partner, The Concept Company for their coordination in organizing the tour and the event. In the end, he proposed the deepest sense of gratitude to all the delegates from India and abroad for extending their support.
The glorious technical symposium Poultry Panorama 5th Edition concluded with insightful discussions and meaningful connections followed by a networking dinner. All delegates enjoyed and appreciated the tour and event arrangements.