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Modern agriculture is under increasing pressure to deliver more from every hectare. Growers are being asked to improve productivity, maintain profitability and support food security, all while managing tighter margins, changing weather patterns, soil constraints, weed and pest resistance, and evolving environmental expectations.

That is why crop production remains such a critical part of the agricultural supply chain. From plant nutrition, specialty fertilisers and micronutrients through to growing media, water treatment and biostimulants, growers rely on a wide range of inputs to establish, grow and harvest successful crops. Alongside this, crop protection products such as herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and adjuvants continue to play an essential role in protecting yield and crop quality.

As these challenges become more complex, growers and manufacturers need products that are dependable, effective and available when needed. Consistent raw material quality, strong technical support and secure supply channels are now more important than ever.

Redox works closely with customers across both crop production and crop protection, supplying a broad portfolio of raw materials, formulation components, specialty nutrients and on-farm solutions. Backed by global sourcing capability, local warehousing and technical expertise, Redox helps customers respond to a market where timing, reliability and performance are critical.

We spoke with Cameron Jenkins, Industry Group Manager, about the forces shaping the sector, the pressures facing growers and manufacturers, and where the next wave of opportunity is emerging.

Q: For those outside the sector, how broad are the crop production and protection markets today, and what do they cover?

Agriculture underpins economies around the world and plays a critical role in food security. As populations grow, growers are under increasing pressure to produce more efficiently while managing rising input costs, environmental stress, soil health challenges, and weed and pest resistance.

The sector is broad, covering everything required to successfully establish, grow and harvest a commercially viable crop. On the crop production side, that includes fertilisers, biologicals, growing media, water treatment and soil inoculants. On the crop protection side, it includes herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and adjuvants. Together, these inputs help growers maximise productivity and profitability.

Q: Why do raw material quality and batch consistency matter so much in agricultural formulations?

Consistency is essential because agricultural products need to perform reliably season after season. In crop protection, manufacturers rely on raw materials that meet strict specifications so the finished formulation performs exactly as intended. This is especially important for APVMA registered products, where batch-to-batch consistency is critical.

In crop production, particularly in specialty fertilisers and nutrition products, quality determines how effectively a product works in the field. Growers need products that are fit for purpose, dependable and capable of solving real on-farm challenges. At Redox, our quality assurance processes and global sourcing standards give customers confidence in every shipment.

Q: What types of ingredients and solutions does Redox supply into this industry?

Redox supplies a broad portfolio across both crop production and crop protection. For agricultural chemical manufacturers, we provide key formulation inputs such as solvents and surfactants that make up an important part of finished products.

For crop production, we supply macro and micronutrient fertilisers, chelates, liquid fertilisers, growing media, water treatment products and biostimulants. We also offer herbicides, fungicides and adjuvants, giving customers access to a wide range of solutions through one trusted supply partner.

From input selection through to harvest, modern crop production is a connected process—where the right products, precise application and informed decisions work together to maximise yield, quality and farm performance.

Q: What market trends are having the biggest impact on demand right now?

Supply chain disruption has made the market more adaptive and more open to new solutions. Growers and manufacturers are increasingly looking for products that can improve efficiency, maintain output and reduce risk.

We are seeing strong interest in liquid specialty fertilisers, as well as biostimulants that can help crops better manage environmental stress. More broadly, customers are becoming increasingly willing to trial innovative technologies that can improve productivity and resilience on farm.

Q: Are you seeing greater interest in biologicals and biostimulant technologies?

Absolutely. This is a fast-growing category globally, driven by a combination of resistance management, environmental considerations and changing regulatory settings. More customers are exploring biological solutions across both crop production and crop protection programs.

Growers today also have access to far more information and trial data than ever before. As the category matures, stronger evidence and clearer performance outcomes will continue to support adoption.

Q: How are grower expectations changing when it comes to efficacy, convenience and sustainability?

Growers need products they can trust to perform consistently every time they are applied. Reliability and ease of use are increasingly important, particularly during busy seasonal windows when timing is critical.

Convenience also matters. Having the right product available at the right time can make a meaningful difference to crop outcomes. Alongside this, sustainability remains an increasing focus, with growers looking for solutions that support both productivity and responsible farm management.

Q: Are growers increasingly using biostimulants to support plant health, nutrient uptake and stress tolerance?

Yes, demand continues to rise as growers look for additional tools to improve crop performance. Biostimulants can help unlock nutrients in the soil, improve fertiliser efficiency and support crops during heat, cold, water or drought stress events.

They are becoming an important part of many modern crop programs, particularly where growers are focused on maximising returns from conventional inputs while improving resilience.

Q: What are manufacturers looking for from a supply partner beyond simply securing product?

Manufacturers want more than supply security. They need access to a broad range of raw materials, responsive service and a partner that understands their technical and commercial challenges.

Customers value Redox because we combine strong stockholding capability with access to innovative technologies from global supply partners. That allows us to bring practical new solutions to market while helping customers grow their own businesses.

Q: How important is technical guidance and supply chain resilience in this category?

Both are more valuable today than ever before. Technical guidance helps manufacturers and growers solve problems, improve performance and make better decisions. It is also a key part of building long-term trust.

At the same time, supply chain resilience has become critical. With a broad sourcing network and strong global partnerships, Redox is well positioned to help customers navigate disruption and maintain continuity of supply.

Q: How does Redox help customers manage sourcing pressure and shifting market needs?

Understanding seasonality is central to supporting agriculture. Different crops, regions and markets have different demand cycles, and planning around those windows is essential.

Redox uses this market knowledge, combined with an extensive warehousing network, to help customers manage seasonal demand and respond quickly when market conditions change. That flexibility is a major advantage in agriculture.

Q: Looking ahead, where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth and innovation?

The biggest opportunities lie in helping growers achieve greater productivity through smarter, more targeted solutions. That includes innovative nutrition products, biological technologies and data-driven tools that help customers make faster, better-informed decisions.

There is also growing demand for environmentally responsible solutions that can support strong crop outcomes while aligning with long-term sustainability goals. We see significant opportunity where performance and responsibility come together.

Supporting the Future of Agriculture

The future of agriculture will depend on helping growers produce more efficiently, more sustainably and with greater resilience. That means combining proven crop protection tools with smarter crop production strategies that improve soil health, nutrient efficiency and plant performance.

Biostimulants, specialty nutrition, water management solutions and other emerging technologies are becoming increasingly important, giving growers new ways to respond to stress events and maximise returns from conventional inputs.

With broad product capability, established supply networks and a strong understanding of seasonal market demands, Redox is well placed to support customers across the crop production and crop protection sectors. Redox looks forward to working with Cameron Jenkins and the wider team to help support the future of agriculture.

It is well known that layer chicken producers often choose diets with low nutrients levels to reduce feed cost. However, modern laying strains presently have a small appetite and cannot actually adjust feed intake according to dietary density. It is critical for layer chicken producers to supply sufficient energy and nutrients with relatively low nutrients levels.

Based on a study conducted in Spain in 2012, when the dietary energy level was reduced by 100 Kcal/kg, there is no significant difference in feed intake but the diet with the lower energy level reduced egg production by 3%. Therefore, the net income for a layer chicken farm is strongly related to feed conversion ratio (FCR, kg Feed/kg egg). It is concluded in this study that brown egg-laying hens respond with increases in egg production to increases in energy level of the diet up to 2850 kcal/kg. However, when we calculate the net income per hen (Figure 1 and Figure 2),  it is clearly shown that if egg price is relatively cheaper (when egg price is 2 $/kg), the optimal FCR is 2.05, indicating 2650 kcal/kg energy level could achieve the highest income; if egg price is relatively high (when egg price is 4 $/kg), the optimal FCR would be 1.98, indicating that 2720 Kcal/kg energy level could obtain the highest income.

In recent years, adding feed enzymes such as glucose oxidase and β-mannanase to layer chicken diets significantly increased egg production by either increased feed intake β-mannanase) or improved nutrient digestibility (Glucose oxidase), suggesting that even if egg price is relatively cheaper, supplementation of these two enzymes to cheaper layer chicken diets with low energy levels will increase net income.

Figure1 and Figure 2: Net income $ per hen in response to FCR

A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.

The ongoing disruption to key energy and petrochemical supply chains is creating meaningful challenges across global chemical markets. Constraints on production and logistics through critical export routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, are driving increased input costs and reduced availability across several product categories.

During periods like this, reliable logistics and diversified sourcing become critical, and Redox is actively supporting customers through these evolving conditions.

Redox’s global logistics capability enables product movements across more than 400 port pairs worldwide, supported by over 100 storage locations strategically positioned throughout key markets. Our sourcing team draws on a database of more than 7,000 manufacturers, including over 1,100 active suppliers across all major producing regions. This scale and flexibility allow Redox to rapidly redirect supply pathways, identify alternative sources, and maintain continuity wherever possible.

Across the market, Redox is observing broad-based inflation across a range of products, particularly those linked to energy and petrochemical feedstocks.

This includes polyethylene (PE) resins, where supply has tightened materially due to reduced output and disrupted export flows from major Middle Eastern producers. Upward pricing pressure is also being experienced across fertilisers, glycols, solvents, and sulphur-based products, reflecting higher feedstock costs and increased freight rates.

Many producers of downstream products have called Force Majeure and some governments have restricted exports and are introducing rationing to protect domestic consumers.

Redox’s role in times like these is to provide stability, transparency, and continuity. Our teams are working closely with suppliers and customers to secure alternative supply channels, optimise freight movements, and manage inventory positions across our global network.

We understand that disruptions of this scale create uncertainty. Our commitment is to remain agile, proactive, and fully engaged with customers to help navigate these conditions and minimise operational impact wherever possible.

Redox will continue to monitor developments closely and provide further updates as conditions evolve.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for salmon, acting as a key component of antioxidant enzyme (glutathione oxidase, GPx), supporting immune function, growth and stress resistance.  GPx acts along with Vitamin E to function as a biological antioxidant to protect polyunsaturated phospholipids in cellular and subcellular membranes from peroxidative damage. The function of GPx is complementary to that of Vitamin E, which is a lipid soluble antioxidant. Se also enhances T-cell proliferation and antibody production to reduce susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections.

Se levels in fish meal are generally high. However, due to the increase replacement of fish meal with plant ingredients, it may be necessary to supplement Se to meet the physiological requirement of salmon fish. A dietary deficiency of Se has been generally reported to resulted in muscle degeneration and increased mortality under stress.

Interestingly, the toxicity of Se was established well before its dietary essentiality. Therefore, U.S. FDA allows Se supplementation of up to 0.3 ppm from sodium selenite or sodium selenate. In salmon fish, supplemented yeast derived Se appears to have a higher bioavailability and tissue accumulation. Therefore, European Food Safety Authority limited supplemental yeast derived Se to 0.2 ppm.

Salmon feed pellets can be formulated with selenium to help support antioxidant defence, immunity, growth and stress resilience in modern aquaculture diets.

It is noticed that the dominant forms of Se in fish meal and plant ingredients are seleno-methionine and seleno-cysteine. Commercial organic forms of Se include seleno-methionine and yeast derived Se. In extrusion processing, yeast derived Se is more thermal stable. Redox is now providing 3000 ppm and 2000 ppm yeast derived Se containing seleno-methionine 55% and 75%, respectively.

In summary, selenium plays a vital role in supporting salmon health, particularly through its antioxidant, immune and stress-protection functions. As aquaculture diets continue to shift away from fish meal toward plant-based ingredients, targeted selenium supplementation becomes increasingly important to maintain optimal performance and reduce the risk of deficiency-related health issues. Given the narrow margin between selenium requirement and toxicity, selecting a safe, stable and bioavailable source is critical. Yeast-derived selenium offers a practical solution in salmon nutrition, combining strong bioavailability with thermal stability during feed processing, making it a valuable option for modern feed formulations.

A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.

Mycotoxins are the harmful secondary metabolites of some toxigenic fungi in contaminated feedstuffs. Ruminants could also transfer these residues through milk and meat, causing deleterious human health consequences. Mycotoxin contamination is one of the most severe threats to modern feed manufacturing and animal husbandry.

Deoxynivalenol (Don), or vomitoxin, Zearalenone (ZEN) and Fumonisins (FUM)  are among the most common and challenging mycotoxins in animal feed, particularly in wheat grain. In a recent survey, 25%, 59% and 71% of wheat samples were contaminated by ZEN, FUM and DON, respectively. Unfortunately, traditional clay-based binder is not effective against DON and ZEN due to their unique chemical structures.

DON is a small, polar molecule but with a specific epoxy group and a hydroxyl (-OH) group. It doesn’t adsorb well to the broad, negatively charged surfaces of common clays. ZEN is a larger, non-polar molecule with a resorcinol moiety. It requires very specific pore sizes for adsorption, which many common clays lack.

Traditional binders like raw bentonites are excellent for FUM but show poor efficacy against Zen and Don.

Yeast cell wall and algae contain the complex carbohydrates to provide vast surface area with polysaccharides chains. The primary role of Algae carbohydrates is to support liver function and animal immunity, helping to tolerate the remaining toxin load rather than removing the toxin itself.

In an in vitro trial, using a combined mycotoxin binder MT.X +® including bentonite, yeast cell wall and algae significantly reduced intestinal absorption of FUM and DON (Figure 1).

A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.

Weaning is a major physiological and immunological crisis for piglets. This abrupt transition from sow’s milk to solid feeds causes a combination of stressors. For example, the small intestine undergoes severe villus atrophy, with villus height reducing by up to 75% within 24 hours. The tight junctions between gut cells weaken, increasing intestinal permeability.  This allows toxins and pathogens to pass into the blood stream, triggering inflammation that diverts energy and nutrients away from the growth.

Soybean meal is good source of protein but contains trypsin inhibitors and other anti-nutritional factors, resulting the impaired digestion and the inflammation. It also contains large, complex proteins that are hard for weaned piglets to break down with their immature digestive systems. Nextide is the blend of soybean meal fermented by bacillus spp. bacteria (BF-SBM), functional amino acids and nucleotide. BF-SBM can reduce trypsin inhibitors to near zero and break down the major antigenic proteins (Figure 1). In BF-SBM, the complex protein is pre-digested into smaller peptides and free amino acids, which are much easier and faster for the piglet to absorb (Figure 2).

Figure 1. The effect of BF-SBM on protein-based anti-nutritional factors

Figure 2. The effect of BF-SBM on peptide (< 30 kDa) production (%)

Recently CJ conducted a 28 days of trial in Vietnam and results were published in Journal of Animal science (2024).  The standard, positive control diet was formulated including 3% fish meal and 2% plasma protein. The negative control was not including animal proteins. The other four treatments used 5% Nxtide to replace 3% fish meal, 3% fish meal and 1% plasma protein, 2% plasma protein or 3% fish meal and 2% plasma protein, respectively. Adding 5% Nextide to replace 3% fish meal and 2% plasma protein significantly increased the daylit weight gain (Figure 3) probably due to increased villus height and reduced diarrhea rate (Figure 4).

Figure 3. The effect of Nextide on the body weight gain (g/d/head)

Figure 4. The effect of Nextide on Villus height (µm) and Diarrhea rate (%)

A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.

Post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) is an infectious disease that causes significant productive and economic losses in pig industry. It often requires antimicrobial use, resulting in the risk of antimicrobial resistance.  Zinc oxide (ZnO) used in a range of 1500-3000 ppm is also an effective treatment to prevent PWD. However, the high dose of ZnO was banned in the EU in 2022 due to environmental risk of soil pollution. Some protective ZnO could reduce the effective dosage to 1000 ppm, but it still can not meet the EU’s requirements.

The main causative agent of PWD is enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and the high dose of ZnO is effectively controlling ETEC overgrowth during the postweaning period. Although the exact mechanism of action of the high dose of ZnO is not completely understood, it is generally accepted that the high dose of ZnO could stabilize the gut microbiome to avoid its dysbiosis.

It is clear now that bile acids and bile salt hydrolase (BSH) are fundamental to maintaining the stability and composition of the gut microbiota. Bile acids have direct antimicrobial effect (Figure 1) and also act as signalling molecules to increase the production of antimicrobial peptides.  However, when bile acids are hydrolysed by BSH, their antimicrobial activity is significantly reduced. Antibiotics and the high dose of ZnO usually suppress this BSH activity to allow bile acids to remain active longer and control pathogens.

Figure 1. The effect of conjugated bile acids on the growth of some pathogens

Gutluk is developed by CJ Bio via machine learning technology to screen key ingredients as BSH inhibitors (BSHI). The optimal combination of Epicatechins+VitaminK+Tributyrin achieved the best result on anti-inflammation effects (Figure 2). Thus, Gutluk could be an alternative to prevent PWD while antibiotics and the high dose of ZnO were removed in weaned piglet diets.  A recent 28 day trial conducted in Korea confirmed this.

The standard, negative control diet was formulated without antibiotics and the high dose of ZnO (NC). The second and the third treatment consisted of the NC supplemented with 0.2% Colistin (antibiotics, PC1) and 2000 ppm ZnO (PC2), respectively. Other three treatments consisted of NC supplemented with 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.2% GutlukTM, respectively.

Figure 2. The effect of Gutluk composition on anti-inflammation function.

Weaned piglets fed diets without antibiotics and the high dose of ZnO showed poor growth rate (Figure 3)and significantly high rate of diarrhea (Figure 4). There was no significant difference among Gutluk supplementation groups but adding 0.2% Gutluk treatment achieved the best result, comparable to the high dose of ZnO treatment.

Figure 3. The effect of supplemental Gutluk on piglets growth performance (g/d)

Figure 4. The effect of supplemental Gutluk on piglets diarrhea rate (%)

Collagen peptides are one of the fastest-growing functional ingredients in the world, valued for their versatility and strong performance across nutrition, health and cosmeceutical applications. As consumer demand accelerates for products that support wellbeing from the inside out, high-quality collagen peptides have become an essential ingredient for formulators across multiple industries.

At Redox, we proudly supply premium collagen peptides to customers throughout the nutrition, food, pharmaceutical and personal-care sectors, backed by strong global partnerships, technical support, and reliable logistics.

What Are Collagen Peptides?

Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the human body, providing strength and elasticity to skin, joints, muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue. Through hydrolysis, long collagen molecules are broken down into shorter chains of amino acids known as collagen peptides, which are easily absorbed and utilized by the body.

These peptides are neutral in taste, highly soluble, heat-stable and compatible with a wide range of formulations, making them ideal for both functional foods and nutritional applications.

A Growing Ingredient With Wide-Reaching Applications

Nutrition & Wellness

Collagen peptides have become a key ingredient in:

They are valued for supporting skin hydration and elasticity, joint health, and overall vitality, making them a go-to for health-conscious consumers.

Sports Nutrition & Active Lifestyle

With increasing interest in connective-tissue health and recovery, many sports nutrition brands incorporate collagen peptides into:

Research continues to explore their benefits in muscle repair and soft-tissue resilience.

Food & Beverage Innovation

Collagen peptides’ neutral flavour and excellent solubility make them a natural fit for:

As clean-label and better-for-you trends expand, collagen peptides are becoming a staple ingredient.

Beauty & Personal Care

In the cosmetics sector, collagen peptides are incorporated into:

Their “beauty-from-within” appeal has driven strong growth across ingestible beauty categories, particularly in Asia-Pacific and North America.

Why Demand Is Rising

A convergence of global trends is driving collagen peptide growth:

With global demand forecast to continue increasing, manufacturers are seeking reliable supply partners who can deliver consistent quality and regulatory compliance.

How Redox Adds Value

Redox provides collagen peptides backed by:

Reliable Global Sourcing

We work with high-quality, internationally accredited producers offering bovine, marine, fish and other varieties to meet different regulatory and dietary requirements.

Multiple Grades Available

From supplement-grade to food-grade and cosmetic-grade options, we supply collagen peptides tailored to diverse formulation needs.

Technical Support & Documentation

Our team ensures customers receive comprehensive product data, regulatory documentation and formulation guidance where required.

Strong Logistics & Inventory

With extensive warehousing and a robust international supply network, Redox offers dependable availability and flexible order quantities.

Partner With Redox

Whether you formulate nutritional supplements, functional foods, skincare products or performance nutrition, Redox can support your collagen peptide needs with quality, reliability, and technical expertise.

Contact our team today to discuss specifications, grades, or application guidance.

Advance your formulations with Redox Collagen Peptides.

 

The modern broiler chicken performance is mainly driven by the digestible lysine levels. Based on the recent study conducted by the University of Sydney, increasing 3% digestible lysine level will improve chicken body weight by 175 grams within 42 days. It will also increase the feed cost by 15, 17, 13, and 13 AUD per MT feed, in the starter, grower, finisher, and withdrawal period, respectively.    

Exogenous protease supplementation in broiler chicken diets have primarily been attributed to improvements in protein and amino acids digestibility.  Therefore, nutritionists are likely to know if adding the exogenous protease could save some amino acids and quantify its amino acids digestibility. In particular, after non-starch polysaccharides enzymes and phytase have been widely accepted in the feed formulation, there is still the room for the protease to further improve the amino acids digestibility.

In the University of Sydney, a study with three treatments was conducted. Standard, positive control (PC) diets were formulated to meet or exceed the 2019 Aviagen Ross 308 nutrition specifications and negative control (NC) diets were formulated with a 5% reduction in both crude protein and digestible essential amino acids. A third treatment group consisted of the NC supplemented with the exogenous protease.  All diets contained 1000 FTU phytase and 4000 U of xylanase.

Overall broiler growth to 35 days post-hatch exceeded the Ross 2019 male performance objectives by 10.6% for weight gain (2580 versus 2333 g) and was superior by 5.66% in FCR (1.401 versus 1.485).  The body weight gain (1-35 days) result was show in Figure 1. It is clearly shown that adding the exogenous protease can not compensate 5% amino acids reduction but can save 2.7% amino acids. Therefore, adding the VTR’s  exogenous protease to diets containing phytase and xylanase can still increase 158 grams per bird within 42 days and save the cost more than 10 AUD/MT feed.

Fig 1. Bodyweight gain in male Ross 308 broilers from 1-35 days post-hatch (P = 0.018).

Fig 2. The body weight gain in response to increased digestible lysine levels.

We are currently experiencing another period of exceptionally high demand, which is significantly affecting ocean freight movements to and from Singapore, as well as across Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

Our Shipping Management Team advises that congestion in Singapore has reached a critical level, with continued disruptions expected in the weeks ahead. Shipping Lines have implemented a “First In, First Out” policy, limiting opportunities to advance shipments onto earlier vessels.

Feeder vessels from outports are also operating at full capacity, and shipping terminal congestion is causing many to miss scheduled connections with Singapore, further compounding delays.

 Carrier-Specific Updates

While refrigerated (reefer) cargo and medical equipment or supplies will receive priority handling, these shipments may still experience the delays noted above.

We understand these disruptions may impact your planning, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as Shipping Lines work to restore normal schedules, but we do not expect this to occur until later in the year.

For any urgent requirements or further assistance, please contact your Redox representative.