Climate change not only affects environmental conditions but can also become a triggering factor for increased disease risks in the poultry industry.

Extreme weather and the El Niño phenomenon can accelerate pest development and increase the risk of vector-borne diseases on poultry farms. This issue was highlighted by Envu Indonesia in collaboration with PT SHS International through the organization of Poultry Pest Day 2026, held in a hybrid format from Hotel Surabaya on September 2, 2026.

On the occasion, Area Sales Manager East Area of PT SHS International, veterinarian Kasih Kurnianto, expressed his appreciation for the participation in the Envu Indonesia event. “Hopefully, we will gain additional knowledge and information that will be useful for carrying out our daily activities at work and applying them in the field,” Kasih said.

Meanwhile, Vivek Sharma, Managing Director of Envu Indonesia, emphasized the importance of the poultry industry to Indonesia’s economy and food security. He expressed his appreciation to everyone involved and stressed the importance of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the implementation of appropriate solutions to address industry challenges and support sustainable growth.

El Niño and the Risk of Heat Stress

During the event, Harimurti Nuradji, DVM, Ph.D., from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), presented on the relationship between El Niño, heat stress, vectors, disease, and poultry performance. According to him, poultry disease cannot be viewed solely from the presence of disease-causing agents.

El Niño is characterized by an increase in sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, which affects climatic conditions in Indonesia, including reduced rainfall and rising temperatures. For the poultry industry, these conditions need to be anticipated because temperature and humidity directly affect poultry comfort and productivity.

Harimurti explained that rising temperatures can accelerate the life cycles of various vectors, from eggs and larvae to pupae and adults. As a result, vector populations may increase, ultimately raising the likelihood of disease transmission. “As a result, vector or pest populations increase, the risk of disease transmission becomes higher, and disease outbreaks occur more frequently,” he explained.

The complexity of disease challenges shows that control measures cannot rely solely on treatment. An integrated approach is required, covering biosecurity, housing management, litter, water, feed, ventilation, sanitation, vaccination, and vector control.

Disease control should also adopt a data-driven approach through Disease Mapping and Early Warning Systems. Monitoring climate conditions, vector populations, and disease incidence can help detect changes in risk at an earlier stage, allowing preventive measures to be taken before cases escalate.

Addressing Pest Challenges Amid Extreme Temperatures

Changes in temperature and humidity can accelerate the development of various pests and vectors in farm environments. Rising temperatures can shorten the life cycles of flies, lesser mealworms (Alphitobius diaperinus), mosquitoes, and poultry mites, potentially causing their populations to increase.

This was explained by Hadi Suparno, Senior Technical Services Manager at Envu Indonesia. He emphasized that pest control cannot rely solely on increasing the frequency of insecticide applications. “Franky (Alphitobius diaperinus) is difficult to control not simply because one particular life stage is difficult to kill, but because most of its life cycle is hidden within the litter and housing structures,” Hadi said.

According to him, control measures need to be implemented in an integrated manner, starting with maintaining clean and dry litter, managing manure, eliminating breeding sites, and selecting insecticide application methods according to the target pest. Resistance management is also an important consideration. Repeated use of active ingredients with the same mode of action can increase the risk of resistance. Therefore, rotating products with different active ingredients and modes of action is necessary as part of a control program.

Ultimately, rising temperatures caused by conditions such as El Niño can be accompanied by increases in vector and pest populations when environmental conditions are favorable. However, with proper and integrated control measures, pest populations can be suppressed, thereby minimizing the risk of disease and disruptions to poultry performance.

Integrated Pest Management for Effective Pest Control

Extreme weather and the El Niño phenomenon can accelerate pest development and increase the risk of vector-borne diseases on poultry farms. This highlights the importance of implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as part of a strategy to maintain poultry health and production performance.

Moh. Suryana, Sales Manager for West Java at Envu Indonesia, stated that pest control should not rely solely on products but must be implemented through an integrated approach involving sanitation, monitoring, biosecurity, and appropriate control measures.

“Don’t just buy products. Strengthen Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and in-house pest control as an investment in protecting your business,” he said. Envu’s IPM program is designed for various production systems, from broiler and layer farms to breeding farms, with a focus on controlling lesser mealworms, flies, poultry mites, mosquitoes, and cockroaches. Control is carried out through a combination of mechanical measures, monitoring, environmental management, and the measured use of pest-control solutions.

He also noted that trial results showed the Envu program was able to reduce fly populations by 62%, compared with 9% under the existing farm program. In layer farms, the program also demonstrated an improvement in FCR/egg mass from 1.64 to 1.56.

Envu’s vector-control program contributes to optimal feed efficiency (FCR) and increased production output. “Through an IPM approach, pest control is no longer viewed merely as a cost, but as an investment in maintaining flock health, feed efficiency, production performance, and farm profitability,” he concluded. ADV