Ammonia reducing VevoVitall approved in the Netherlands

First launched in Europe in 2003, VevoVitall is a zootechnical feed additive from DSM used in piglets and fattening pigs to reduce the pH of the urine, thus helping to cut the levels of ammonia associated with pig farming. A 1% inclusion leads to leads to an average of 16% reduction in ammonia emissions.

 

The Netherlands is home to some 11 million of Europe’s approximately 190 million pigs and has Europe’s most stringent laws regarding the management of ammonia emissions caused by pig farming. 

 

The Dutch legislation on ammonia emission applies to all farms, even those planning to cease operation.

 

For farms equipped with old pig houses, the installation of air washers, which are commonly used to reduce ammonia emissions, can be prohibitively expensive and sometimes even technically impossible.

 

Alternative approaches are therefore necessary to help farmers become compliant without being obliged to make large capital investments on the one hand or to reduce the size of their pig herds on the other. 

 

One such approach is the use of VevoVitall in the feed. It has been shown that by combining the use of VevoVitall with other low cost measures ammonia emissions can be reduced by as much as 42%.

 

Dutch legislation on ammonia emissions, principally identifies housing techniques as the best method to reduce the levels of the ammonia associated with pig farming.

 

As a feed additive, VevoVitall is not yet on the current RAV list (a list concerning legislation on ammonia and livestock farming), but its use has already been approved for farms that will cease operating before 1 January 2020.

 

Today, VevoVitall is the first and only feed additive that has received such approval.

 

DSM Nutritional Products has also submitted a dossier for VevoVitall as best available technique to reduce ammonia emission at the level of European authorities (IPPC – The European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control bureau Seville). The evaluation processes are ongoing.

 

Additional benefits
Christophe Paulus, Global Category Manager Eubiotics at DSM Nutritional Products, said that additional benefits of the product are better feed performance leading to an additional benefit of €1 to €3 per pig.

 

Pigs also have a lower frequency of gut health problems, which brings added benefits for farmers, animals and the environment alike, he said.