| Pigs
Holistic approach improves meat sustainability
Sustainability is a real buzz word at the moment and is an especially high priority for the pig industry. ABN looks at
what’s already being done, and how as a business, they can ensure that sustainability targets are met.
r Steven Jagger,
ABN pig
nutritionist,
recently spoke on
the topic of
sustainable pig
meat production at the British
Society of Animal Science (BSAS)
conference this year, and stressed
the importance of taking a holistic
approach to improve sustainability.
‘The development that meets
the needs of the present, without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own
needs,’ has been a general
definition of sustainability in the
past. However, Dr Jagger explains
that ‘responsible food production’
is a more realistic interpretation of
the meaning of sustainability.
“Now more than ever,
customers and shareholders
expect companies to act
sustainably, especially those
involved in the food chain. It’s
essential for companies to meet
these consumer needs, and
therefore we need to know how to
do this.”
Dr Jagger spoke at the
conference about taking a holistic
approach to pig meat production
in order to achieve sustainability
within the food supply chain. “A
holistic approach aims to connect
four different goals - product
affordability, quality, responsibility
and safety - into product
development and food production.
We must ensure that we deliver on
each of these aspects to achieve a
sustainable future.
“Sustainability means
D
affordability. Products must be
affordable for the consumer. We
are aware British pork producers
have to be competitive so we need
to consider how we can maximise
efficiency to produce a cost
effective end product.
“For example, looking at the
efficiency of nutrient utilisation and
how animals respond can help us
to understand how to formulate
feeds for high performance at a
minimal cost.
“This can be influenced by
genotype, general health and
growth stage of animals. The more
accurately the nutrients are
balanced to compliment these
factors, the more sustainable the
system will be.”
Quality is another factor of
sustainability that needs to be
considered. “A good eating
experience means customers are
more likely to want to eat the
product again,” says Dr Jagger.
“By looking at dietary
components, such as vitamin D,
which can affect meat tenderness,
we can ensure customers continue
to have an enjoyable eating
experience which contributes to
achieving long-term sustainability
of pig production.
Current, on-going research is
looking into how pigs can be fed
as individuals, with nutrition
tailored to each animal for precise
feeding that will help increase
efficiency and sustainability.
“We may not be far off from
precision feeding becoming a
reality within the industry, but it will
still be vital that all four aspects of
Steve Jagger
the holistic approach to pig meat
production are factored in to
ensure maximum sustainability
within the supply chain,” says Dr
Jagger.
Precision pig farming project under way
A £300,000 project to improve the efficiency of UK pig production through precision farming is now under way.
consortium of
farmers, vets,
nutritionists,
buildings
specialists and
technologists is
looking at how harvesting ‘real
time’ information direct from the
piggery will lead to more accurate
and relevant decision-making and
management changes.
Led by Dr Sadie Douglas, the
consortium comprises D C & R J
Allen & Partners, ARM Buildings
Ltd, Farmex Ltd, Garth Pig Practice
Ltd, J M Sankey, D A & E M
Skinner, Stockcroft Ltd and
Yorkwold Pigpro Ltd. Additional
support is provided by subcontractors Primary Diets and
Dicam Technology.
“The objective is to
A
commercially pilot the Barn Report
Pro system which captures ‘live’
on-farm data enabling cash-saving
management decisions to be
made rapidly rather than
retrospectively,” said Hugh
Crabtree, Farmex managing
director and one of the primemovers behind the project.
As part of this, farmers are
using monitoring systems —
including in-pen growth sensors —
which will beam data direct to the
farm’s computer. This helps
identify specific areas where
efficiency can be improved such
as energy use, reduced water
waste, improved feed conversion
and intake, and temperature
control.
Monitoring will also alert farmers
of any failures of, for example, feed
38 | Farming Monthly | July 2016
Dr Sadie Douglas with Aberdeenshire farmer
Danny Skinner
or water delivery systems.
Funding is being supported by
a 40 per cent grant from the UK’s
innovation agency, Innovate UK
(IUK)
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