Sustainable pig production: Nutrition is key
Pig nutrition plays a crucial role in the production of safe, sustainable, affordable and welfare-friendly meat. Further improvements are possible with more data on the nutritional requirements of the animal, on the characteristics of feed ingredients and on the effects of feed processing.
3 P’s
Sustainability comprises many aspects, related to the 3 P’s (people, planet and profit): impact on the environment, land and fresh water use, emissions of minerals and greenhouse gases, animal welfare, labour conditions, and of course economic sustainability.
Efficient pig production
Efficient pig production ticks all these boxes, because it results in more output with less input and assures a good income for the pig farmer.
Improvements in pig genetics have resulted in major progress in the efficiency of pork production: Over the past 20 years, average daily gain went from 760 to 880 grams and feed conversion ratio from 2.70 to 2.55. Slaughter weight and muscle thickness have also increased over the years. These efficient pigs need excellent nutrition to live up to their genetic potential. Feed amounts to 70% of costs on a pig farm, and the energy value of the feed represents 70% of feed costs. Fine-tuning the energy value of feed to fulfil the requirements of the animal is, therefore, essential to further improve efficiency and sustainability in pig production. The energy value of a pig feed is calculated based on the nutrient composition and the utilisation of the feed (feed conversion ratio) by the animal. Accurate and detailed data result in consistent and reliable outcomes.
Determining key performance indicators
The Dutch feed industry pioneers in defining sustainability, key performance indicators, monitoring these, and setting goals for further improvement. Extensive data on the environmental impact of feed ingredients enables nutritionists to formulate more sustainable feeds. The more we know about the requirements of animals in all life stages and about the feed we provide the better we are able to optimise nutrition. At Schothorst Feed Research, we investigate these aspects, by characterising feed components, kinetics of digestion and absorption, the effects of processing feed ingredients and complete feeds, and by modelling these processes to predict the true energy and nutrient utilisation by the animal. Our swine research also aims to optimise nutrition for entire (non-castrated) males, for pigs with intact tails, for pigs in free range systems and for heavier finishing pigs.
Sustainable food production
The global population and its prosperity is growing, resulting in increased demand for food of animal origin. On the other hand, the awareness about the impact of animal farming on the planet is rising. The animal production sector takes responsibility and continues to work towards more sustainable food production. In the field of swine nutrition, there are many possibilities to further improve efficiency and sustainability in the production chain.
It is crucial that the government supports these developments, and enables the sector to further improve animal nutrition and farm practices.
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