Reducing On-Farm Food Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
83
predominant clinical form. Severity depends on the virulence of the infecting virus and host
susceptibility. Occurrence of the disease is reportable and may result in trade restrictions.
Virulent NDV strains are endemic in poultry in most of Asia, Africa, and some countries of North
and South America. With an affinity for red blood cells, the virus spreads rapidly throughout the
body. It is highly contagious, spreading through droppings and nasal discharge via the air, direct
contact, or contact with contaminated items such as bottoms of shoes, food, or infected dishes
and cages. The virus can also penetrate eggshells that come in contact with infected tissue or
food, infecting the embryo, and surviving outside a host for several weeks in a warm, humid
environment and indefinitely in frozen material (Olsen and Orosz 2000).
Mass vaccination methods are less labor intensive but if not applied properly may lead to <85%
of the flock being immunized, which is needed for herd immunity. Alternatively, individual
administration of live vaccines is via the nares or conjunctival sac. Healthy chicks are vaccinated
as early as day 1–4 of life. However, delaying vaccination until the second or third week avoids
maternal antibody interference with an active immune response.
With 1,758,363 million tonnes of poultry produced per year in Turkey (2013) and on-farm
losses of 4%, food losses are approximately 70,300 tonnes per year. The economic consequences
of 70,300 tonnes of poultry losses at a farm gate price of US$1,000 to US$1,100 per tonne, ranges
from US$70 million to US$77 million in lost revenue per year for Turkish poultry farmers.
Table 3.17: Volume and Market Value of On-Farm Losses of Broiler Meat in Turkey
Total Volume
Produced per
Annum
Conservative
Estimates of On-
Farm Losses
Losses in
Volume
Market Value
per Tonne
Losses in Value
2 Million Tonnes ($2-
2.2 billion)
4% 80,000 $1,000 $80 million
4% 80,000 $1,100 $88 million
Source: On-Farm Visits.
Approximately 60% of the live weight is edible food, equaling 42,000 tonnes of food lost per
year. Poultry meat has a food value of 2,400 kilocalories per kg, of which 27% is high quality
protein (162 g per kg). The on-farm losses in food value equals approximately 101 billion
kilocalories and 11.4 billion grams of protein. The lost food could have provided enough protein
nutrition for 625,000 persons for a full year at 50 g/day.
3.7.3. Causes of On-Farm Food Losses
Improper poultry house management is a cause of major loss and includes overcrowding, lack
of ready access to water, poor quality feeds, and poor temperature management. These practices
contribute to increased general mortality rates, which are considered to be low in Turkey at 4%.
Viruses such as avian flu and Newcastle disease are another cause of losses. These are highly