Experiences about aflatoxins in Serbia: what could be relevant for Africa?

Prof Ferenc Bagi, PhDUniversity of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Serbia

COUNTRY PROFILE• Number of habitants: 7,2 mill. • Territory: 77.592 km²• Capital: Belgrade (1,7 mill. habitants)• Population density: 91,9 hab./km²• Population average age: 42,2 years

Source: SORS, Population Census 2011

AGRICULTURE IN SERBIA AT GLANCE*

• GDP (Gross Domestic Product (current prices): 29,6 bill. EUR• GDP per capita (current prices): 4.112 EUR• GVA (Gross Value Added) of agriculture, forestry, hunting and

fishing sector in total GVA: 9,7%• Employment in agriculture: 21% in total• Number of agricultural holdings: 631.552 (29,2% up to 1 ha)• Family holdings: 99,5% in total• Holders of family holdings: 17% are women• Number of agricultural holdings in the Farm Register: 309.627**• Rural population (population in non-town settlements): 40,6%

*Data refer to 2012 (Source: SORS) **Data refer to 31st March 2014 (Source: MAEP)

FARM STRUCTURE• Average farm size (average utilized agricultural area -UAA per

holding) is 5,4 ha, which is 2,7 times under the EU average.• Small scale producers are prevalent in the livestock sector.

Farms with 2-10 ha have a higher share in total number of farms (43%) and share in the UAA (35,3%) comparing with the EU average and the countries in the region.

Source: SORS, Census of Agriculture 2012

*In 2013: average number of cows in a dairy farm in Holland: 87.*In 2012: average number of employees per 100 milking cows in Holland: 2.5

My neighbours in village TemerinThey have only two cowsThey are desperate to sell to milk industry

Average number of cows in a dairy farm in Serbia: 1,5-2

*Data courtesy of Hans van Egmond

FARM STRUCTURE - LABOR

• There are 1,443 mill. persons working on agricultural holdings: 43% are females, 57% are males, 98% work at family holding, 2% at holding of legal entity/enterprise. • The number of AWU annual work unit per farm in Serbia is about 1,02

that is 20% above the EU average.• The AWU/utilized agricultural area and AWU/livestock units ratios are

substantially higher in Serbia than the EU average and in the member countries.

Source: SORS, Census of Agriculture 2012

TRADE STRUCTURE

EXPORT (average 2009-2013)

Source: SORS

• Serbian agricultural trade is based on primary products.

In 2014 Serbia is the 10th largest maize exporter in the world after United States, Brazil, Ukraine, Argentina, Russia, India, Paraguay, Eu and South Africa.

Heavy drought in 2012

Precipitation(mm)

Months

Average amounts of precipitation and temperature in province Vojvodina

20121971-2000

Courtesy of Jovana Kos, Institute of Food Technology Novi Sad, Serbia

T (° C)

Months

• Problem with milk and milk products contamination by AFM1 is directly connected with a maize contamination by AFB1

• RASFF Notifications in 2012., returned maize to Serbia, reports about aflatoxin M1 in milk

• Problem with differences in AFB1 limit in feed Serbia and EU feed 2012

AFB1 level in feed during 2012-13EU Serbia

AFB1

limit

feed

Dairy

animals

0,005

mg/kg

2002/

32/EC

0,01

mg/kg

Official

gazette

4/2010

AFB1

limit

all feed

materials

0,02

mg/kg

2002/

32/EC

0,05

mg/kg

RS

113/20

12

Huge economic losses of milk producers and milk industry

Public pressure

Official Gazette 20/2013 AFM1 limit was increased from 0,050 µg/kg to 0,50 µg/kg

Limit IncreaseadFebruary

2013

Rulebook about feed quality (Official gazette RS no. 4/10 , 113/12 , 27/14 ) 7 March 2014

MYCOTOXINS

Undesirable substances

(contaminants) Products for feed Limit mg/kg (ppm)

1. Aflatoxin B1

Feeds 0.03

Supplementary and full-feeding mixes 0.01

except:   - mixes (supplementary and full-feeding)

for dairy cows and calves, dairy sheep and lambs, dairy goats and kids, piglets and young poultry

0.005

- mixes (supplementary and full-feeding) for cattle (except dairy cows and calves), sheep (except dairy sheep and lambs), goats (except dairy goats and kids), pigs (except piglets) and poultry (except young poultry)

0.02

Harmonised with EU 32/2002

February 2014

During beginning of 2014, the milk industry declared that they are ready to implement European regulations

From the first of July 2014 the limit for aflatoxin M1 was decreased to 0,05 microgram/kilogram

Limit decreased

• 23% of produced milk still do not meet the standard

• 30-40% of farmers can not achieve the requirement

• 10 000 families will loose their income

2014 JulyJust 15 days after decrease, the aflatoxin M1 level was again increased, this time to 0,25 microgram/kilogram

Limit increasead

2014Catastrophic floods and rainy summerVery low level of aflatoxin B1 in maize

2014 harvest

• 200 samples after harvest

• 267 samples during storage

• No aflatoxin contamination

• From the 1 January 2015 Limit decreased

Harvest 2015• From 506 samples in harvest period 12

contained aflatoxin B1 above permitted limit even for animal consumption.

October 2015 New change of

regulations

Limit Increased

0,25 microgram/kilogram

Challenges /problems• Lot of small producers without clustering• It is difficult to control all the small producers by phytosanitary and

veterinary inspectors- huge number of official controls and samples are needed, high cost

• No precise data of remained corn quantities from previous year-silos and private cribs

• Sampling from big storage facilities• Need to increase storage hygiene• Low number of inspectors• According to food safety law every producer is responsible for own

product, but...the ministry alway has a heavy responsibility to social component

What can be done from farm to fork? Prevention, monitoring, control, education

- Public awarenes and farmers education- Preventive measures during vegetation- Hygiene rules before and during storage

• Irrigation of maize is not realistic at this point

• Chemical control against corn borer

• Lower plant density• Weed control• Optimal fertilisation• Optimal harvest time

Photo: Extension service, Serbia

• Cleaning the storage capacities

• Checking the mycotoxin content of every seed lot

• No mixing of seed lots with different infection level

• Insect control in storages- fumigation

• Continuous control of temperature and moisture

Monitoring, better communication with producers• 29 State extension services - Plant protection forecasting and reporting services• They monitored flight and population abundance of the European corn borer, as

well as occurrence of disease symptoms on ears. • Informations sent to producers

Field inspectionsVisual examination of maize crop for the presence of harmful organisms

(2013)

Early maturity groups Late maturity groups

Aflatoxin B1 monitoring during harvest (2013)

Courtesy of Vladimir Crnojević, BioSense Institut, Novi Sad, Serbia

fungal

Courtesy of Vladimir Crnojević, BioSense Institut, Novi Sad, Serbia

Courtesy of Vladimir Crnojević, BioSense Institut, Novi Sad, Serbia

• No predicting models for aflatoxin validated in Serbia• Predicting models for Africa?• Not enough data for biological control in Serbia• Field testing of resistance to aflatoxin accumulation

is time consuming because different climatic conditions from year to year – testing in Africa?

• Differences in fungal population- in mycotoxigenic potential

• About scientific research in Serbia• With partners from Hungary during 2012 and 2013 University of Novi Sad

have implemented• HUSRB/1002/1.2.2/062 Improvement of safety of corn-based feedstuffs

through using more resistant hybrids and management of corn processing (Hungary-Serbia IPA Cross-border Co-operation Program), Reference number of the Call for Proposals: HUSRB/1002/1.2.2/062 (2012-2013).

• We have found differences between commercial hybrids from Hungary and Serbia in susceptibility to Aspergillus flavus and toxin accumulation.

ToxToxFreeFreeFeedFeed

Partner institutions: University of Szeged, Hungary; Cereal Research Institute, Szeged, Hungary; University of Novi Sad, Serbia; Institut for Food Technology, Novi Sad, Serbia

40

SFS-13-2015 Biological contamination of crops and the food chainSpecific challenge: The occurrence of biological contamination in various crops is of major concern as it has major implications for food and feed safety, food security and international trade. Worldwide, it is estimated that mycotoxins are responsible for losses of up to 5-10% of crop production. Integrated approaches rather than isolated solutions are required to effectively control the incidence of mycotoxins in crops and reduce contamination throughout the feed and food chains.Scope: Proposals should aim at reducing the risk of mycotoxin contamination in crops and all along the feed and food chains. They should bring about technical, management and organisational solutions (including HACCP techniques) that are effective at the various stages of production as well as at pre- and post-harvest levels and also deal with the safe use of contaminated batches. Proposals should benefit conventional and organic supply chains and fall under the concept of 'multi-actor approach' and allow for adequate involvement of the farming sector in proposed activities. In line with the objectives of the EU strategy for international cooperation in research and innovation and in particular with the implementation of the EU-China dialogue, proposals are encouraged to include third country participants, especially those established in China .

Cooperation with China (CAAS, ASAG)

Mytoolbox

• University of Novi Sad is involved in Work package Preharvest reduction strategies

• Main goals:• Reduction of aflatoxins in maize through

genetics (drought resistance, early maturity) • Biocontrol for aflatoxins in maize

• Thank you for your attention!