ROTECNAWORLD NUMBER THIRTY TWO 2017
SUMMARY TECHNOLOGY
THE ANTI-STRESS, IMPROVES WELL-BEING AND REDUCES TAIL BITING ROTECNANEWS
DEPARTMENT OF PRODUCTION, TOWARDS THE INDUSTRY 4.0 PIGPRODUCTIONIN...
HONG KONG, DEPENDENCE ON IMPORTS OF PORK GLOBALPIG
LETTER FROMTHEEDITOR
THE GREAT CHALLENGES IN ANIMAL WELFARE
After a few months of extraordinary prices, the pork market is experiencing its most bitter moment in 2017, with a cumulative drop of 19.5 euro cents in the last six weeks in Spain (week 40). This fall is expected to continue in all EU
SOMETHINGABOUT
ROMAN TARRACO
countries, which are competing to avoid loss of market share abroad. Gener Romeu Rotecna's President
of the sector and the challenges it faces. In this sense, there are various ROTECNA WORLD 32
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On the other hand, in this Rotecna World we continue taking the current pulse
OCTOBER 2017 EDITION: ROTECNA, S.A.- POL. IND. NAU-3, 25310 AGRAMUNT (LLEIDA) SPAIN
challenges in animal welfare that the sector will have to address in the coming months and years, such as tail-docking, surgical castration and improvements in the housing of sows in farrowing, without causing an increase in neonatal mortality.
DIRECTOR: GENER ROMEU EDITOR: TAMARA LOMBARDO PRODUCTION/DESIGN: MONTSE GUERRERO TRADUCTION: CHRIS BOSWELL PRINT: IMPRENTA BARNOLA
In the business field, Rotecna continues to work to respond to the demands of the pig sector. Thus, given the new challenges in terms of animal welfare, we offer the sector alternative manipulable material. Installing the Anti-stress Chain in the pens helps to reduce cases of tail biting and improves the animals’ comfort.
L-41-2007
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Gener Romeu Rotecna's World's editors accept no liability for contributor's opinion.
ROTECNANEWS
DEPARTMENT OF
PRODUCTION
As it currently stands, the production department of Rotecna came into being in the middle of 2016 after the old Department of Operations was split into two new departments: Logistics and Production, with the aim of defining their tasks more carefully and improving productive efficiency. Thus, the mission of the Production Department is to guarantee the manufacture of a product at a given moment, as efficiently and effectively as possible and with the highest quality. In order to achieve this, the three people that make up this department are responsible for planning the weekly production, checking that deadlines are met and managing all the necessary resources to carry it out: human, raw materials and machinery.
PROFILE: · Year the department was created: 2016 · Number of staff: 3 · Days of production: 345 days per year in three shifts. Department of Production (from left to right): Josep Llorens, Marc Buireu and Maribel González. Photo: RotecnaPress.
The mission of the Production Department is to guarantee the manufacture of a product at a given moment, as efficiently and effectively as possible and with the highest quality.
To fulfil its objectives, the Production Department manages, totally or partially, the everyday working of the main sections linked to the manufacture of products, including injection, assembly, PVC and maintenance. Those responsible for
ROMAN
SOMETHINGABOUT...
TARRACO HAD CIRCUS, AMPHITHEATRE AND THEATRE, LIKE ALL GREAT ROMAN CITIES
and a forum, which was the neuralgic centre of the city, with all the administrative and political institutions. On the other hand, only the great cities had three great stone building destined for spectacles: the circus, amphitheatre and theatre. Tarraco had all of these. The importance of this Roman city is clear in the surviving remains in the modern city of Tarragona. The archaeologic complex of Tarraco was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000.
The Walls
Tarragona Amphitheatre.
The Roman capital of Hispania Citerior, the origins of Tarraco date back to 218 BC, during the Second Punic War, when Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus disembarked in Tarragona and established a garrison which would become the main winter base for the Roman armies in Hispania. With the construction of the wall and the port, Tarraco became a strongpoint. Then in 45 BC, Julius Caesar granted it the legal
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status of a Roman colony under Roman law and the emperor Augustus resided there between 26-25 BC. It was then when it became the capital of the province of Tarraconensis under the new provincial organisation. The characteristics of the city of Tarraco were typical of Roman cities, with roads running in a grid pattern,
In the second century BC, the wall defending the city of Tarraco was built. With an initial length of 3,500 meters, currently 1,000 are conserved in the old town of Tarragona. Among the parts that can be visited, on the Archaeological promenade you can see two of the six gates and a gateway for wheeled traffic. On the other hand, outstanding among the three visible towers of the wall are that of the Archbishop, and that of Minerva, which contains the oldest Roman sculpture and inscription in the Iberian Peninsula.
ROTECNANEWS each section and the production department team meet with the planner each Thursday to plan and sequence production orders and the resources necessary to carry these out. On the other hand, they also carry out a second weekly meeting to evaluate any possible errors made over the previous week, looking for the causes and finding solutions to prevent them from recurring. At the same time, the Production Department also manages everything that can influence the flow of production, such as the maintenance of the machinery, as well as planning and budgeting for new machinery and controlling any work that must be done within the company’s facilities.
Live planning One of the peculiarities of the Production Department is that the planning that takes place every Thursday is live. Although done with the different people in charge of the sections involved to ensure that the planning is perfect, everyday activity and unforeseen events lead to changes to avoid production from stopping in any of the three shifts on the 345 days of the year when the factory is working.
Control of Production With the launch of the new Production section, new products have been introduced to improve productive efficiency. One of the first actions was to install a production control programme, which provides information about the working hours of a machine, the item being injected, the number of pieces produced, and so on. In addition, one of the advantages of this programme is those who have access to it can consult this information on their mobile device anywhere. In the future, the department hopes to be able to move towards Industry 4.0 and even to modify machine parameters remotely. On the other hand, in the last year, along with the Logistics and Systems departments, work has been done in the Production Department on implementing the batch system, a method of work that improves traceability, as it enables the entire production process of a product to be controlled, from the raw material used until it is despatched. A qualitative leap that improves customer satisfaction.
Josep Llorens, Production Manager
Josep Llorens, Production Manager. Photo: RotecnaPress.
After completing his studies, Josep Llorens began working in Rotecna as Operations Assistant in September 2016. His drive and desire for a professional future in the company meant that after six months he was promoted to head of the Department of Production. Some time after entering, the new director general of Rotecna told me about the division of the Operations
Department in two parts: Logistics and Production, and asked me to lead the latter together with Marc Buireu and Maribel González. “I remember the news surprised me at the time, but I was also happy because it was a challenge, one took it up with great enthusiasm. You always hope to have an opportunity like this, so I had no doubts about accepting the offer”, remembers Josep Llorens.
TARRACO The circus The circus was the space where chariots races were held. These were usually two-horse (bigas) or four-horse (cuadrigas). The circus of Tarragona is one of the best preserved in the West, although much of it is hidden under nineteenth-century buildings. Today you can visit the easternmost end of the circus, with the monumental façade and the stands.
The amphitheatre Dating from the beginning of the 2nd century AD, this was the built to hold gladiatorial fights, fairs and public executions. The Tarragona amphitheatre conserves part of the stands carved into the rock, although heavily eroded, and part of the southern stand, built over concrete vaults.
The aqueduct Two large aqueducts were built in the 1st century AD to supply the city
with water. One of them brought water from the Gaià river and was 40 km long and the second took water from the Francolí river and was 15 km long, of which 200 meters are well preserved. This section, with a maximum height of 26 metres, is also popularly known as Pont del Diable (The Devil’s Bridge) or the Ferreres Aqueduct.
The Scipio Tower This is a funerary tower next to the old Via Augusta, 6 km from Tarragona going towards Barcelona. Built with large ashlars, it is square in outline and dates from the early 1st century AD.
The Mèdol Quarry In order to build these structures, the Romans extracted the material from several quarries in the area. The Mèdol quarry is the most spectacular surviving one. It is about 8 km from Tarraco on the way to Barcelona. In it, you can see different cuts, halfextracted blocks and the so-called
Tarragona Amphitheatre.
Agulla de Mèdol, a 16-metre high monolith that marks the initial level of the extraction.
The Berà Arch Finally, the Arc de Berà, 20 km from Tarraco, on the same Via
Augusta, is another of the bestpreserved Roman elements in the area. It was built at the end of the 1st century AD according to the will of L. Licina Sura, as shown in the surviving inscription.
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TECHNOLOGY
ANTI-STRESS CHAIN, IMPROVES WELL-BEING AND REDUCES TAIL BITING
New EU legislation on animal welfare poses challenges for the pig sector. The ban on tail docking aggravates the problem of tail biting on farms, a phenomenon that causes animals stress and pain and significant production losses.
Anti-stress Chain With the aim of reducing tail biting without resorting to docking, European regulations state that manipulable material must be provided to fattening pigs in order to enrich and stimulate their natural behaviour. In response to this requirement, Rotecna offers the sector alternatives for manipulable material. This is the case of the Anti-Stress Chain, which it is recommended to install in the centre of the pens to encourage animals to express their exploratory behaviour in an appropriate way and prevent them from redirecting their instinct to root by attacking other animals.
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Rotecna’s anti-stress chain, with 44-mm diameter discs, is resistant to the aggressions of pigs, considering that it is a material for them to manipulate. The injected-plastic discs are easy to clean and very hygienic. Among the main advantages of using chains in pens is the way they move when the animals touch them, which keeps them distracted for a long time, and its easy installation and durability, which make it a good alternative for enriching the lives of the pigs.
CHARACTERISTICS AND ADVANTAGES: • Improves the welfare of pigs. • Reduces cases of tail biting. • Resistant and durable. • Easy to clean and hygienic. • 44 mm diameter discs • Low investment.
FUTURENEWS
MEASURES ON FEED TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF MANURE The increase in pork production has brought with it an important surplus of manure, with the resulting environmental impact. This situation is becoming increasingly worrying, especially in areas with a high concentration of livestock farming. In this issue, we discuss how feed influences the excretions of pigs and what measures can be taken in their diet to reduce the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in the excrements. For this, we spoke to Núria Llanes, animal nutritionist at the Ivars d’Urgell Cooperative (Lleida, Catalonia).
INTRODUCTION The components of the slurry with the greatest environmental impact are nitrogen, which can cause problems of eutrophication, nitrification and acid rain, and phosphorus, which can also cause eutrophication. To reduce the impact of these, current legislation provides for a maximum nitrogen (N) application limit of 210 kg/ha per year, a figure that falls to 170 kg/ha per year in areas vulnerable to contamination of the ground water with nitrites. But what can the sector do to reduce the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the manure?
FOOD MEASURES The relationship between pig feed and slurry production is direct, “so by modifying their diet, we can change the composition of the excrement,” Núria says. Based on this premise, the animal nutritionist lists different dietary measures to reduce the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in the slurry, and ensures that “through the feed we can achieve a reduction of 40-50% in nitrogen, and 25% in phosphorus”.
Image of the feed factory of the Ivars d’Urgell Cooperative. Foto: RotecnaPress.
of amino acids and reduces the nitrogen in the excrement. “Multiphase feeding allows us to adjust to the nutritional requirements of the animals at each moment,” explains Núria, who adds, “If I can only put one nutritional level from the time the animals enter until they leave, I cannot adjust it to their needs. On the other hand, if I can put three levels, I can better adjust these to what they need at each stage.” Multiphase feeding implies, on the one hand, a reduction in the nitrogen in the slurry and, on the other, a financial saving. “Protein is the second most expensive nutrient in the feed formula, so by adjusting to the protein needs of the animals at any given time, feed costs are lower,” says the nutritionist.
1. Reduce protein 3. Improving the productive efficiency Avoiding an excess in the supply of protein in the diet of the animals is the most effective food measure to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the excrement. “It is very important that what animals eat is adjusted to their needs, that there is no more protein than necessary so there is neither an excess or shortage of nitrogen,” assures Núria. To compensate for a reduction in protein, the animal feed industry supplements feeds with synthetic amino acids and additives. In the first case, synthetic amino acids permit lower levels of gross protein and improve the digestibility of the feed, which helps to reduce the nitrogen content of the excreta. In the second case, phytases are the most widespread additive used to improve the digestibility of phosphorus.
Finally, one of the factors that most affects slurry production is how animals transform the kilos of feed they eat into meat, because what they eat and do not transform is wasted and becomes slurry. Therefore, it is very important that the quality of the feed is increasingly high so that the pigs digest and transform their nutrients much better. In order to obtain and improve the productive efficiency through the quality of the feed, it is very important not to forget also to be demanding about management on the farm: reducing feed waste, controlling the consumption of water and guaranteeing that it is high quality, to improve the environmental conditions, etc... “If we improve the productive efficiency, the animals will ingest fewer kilos of nitrogen to create 1 kg of meat and, therefore, will excrete less,” Núria concludes.
2. Multiphase feeding FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DIET Although it is more complicated at the logistic level, the application of multiphase feeding, in other words, the use of different feeds that adapt to the nutritional needs of the animals throughout their productive life, minimises an excessive supply
Before deciding what changes to apply to feeding our animals, Núria points out that we must take into account different factors that influence consumption by the animals:
• Genetics influence the amount of feed consumed and the levels of protein required, so you have to know these peculiarities. • Gender, and whether we work with castrated or whole animals, is also a factor to consider. As Núria states, “Castrated pigs eat the most feed, then there are the sows and, finally, the boars”. • The hopper model (dry-wet) is also relevant. If we work with wet feeding hoppers, the consumption by the animals is greater than with dry hoppers, so if there is not good management on the farm, the excretions may be greater. • Insulation of the installations: If the insulation of the shed is not adequate, there are more excrements. “Bad insulation causes the animals to eat more in the winter and therefore excrete more, and eat less and grow more slowly in the summer, so they spend longer on the farm and the amount of excrement increases,” she explains.
CONCLUSIONS Feeding is a key tool to reducing the environmental impact of livestock waste. In this context, Núria explains that, “the challenge of feed manufacturers is to continue adjusting the protein without this affecting the productivity of the animals.” “So far, this has not happened; on the contrary, it has been maintained and even improved thanks to the creation of better formulas,” she states. On the other hand, among the future challenges of the sector is the improvement in feed as a further alternative to reducing the use of antibiotics, especially digestive. “Feeding influences the stability of the intestinal flora and, therefore, that there are fewer digestive problems. However, the feed cannot influence on other diseases, such as respiratory ailments, as directly.” says the nutritionist.
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PIGPRODUCTIONIN...
HONG KONG,
DEPENDENCE ON IMPORTS OF PORK
Sources: ICEX España
Image of a pig farm in Hong Kong.
Pig production in this Chinese region is concentrated in 43 farms, so most pork is imported.
With only 43 farms, pork production in Hong Kong is very limited. However, pork is the meat most widely consumed by Hong Kongers, so they are fully dependent on imports. In this context, Spain ranks sixth among the main exporters of pork to the region.
most typical dishes in Chinese cuisine include pork and chicken, there is a marked seasonal variation. Thus, autumn and winter is when the consumption of pork increases, but this then declines sharply during the summer months.
PRODUCTION
IMPORTS
There are only 7 square kilometres of farms in Hong Kong, and this area covers arable farming, poultry and pig breeding. The region’s pig production is concentrated in only 43 farms, and its value was approximately $21 million in 2015. In this scenario, most food products, and in particular pork, are imported.
In a place with insignificant production and high consumption of pork, the only way this demand can be met is by importing.
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION
Brazil is the main supplier of pork to Hong Kong, with exports worth $353 million in 2016 and a market share of 18.2%. It is followed by the United States, with exports worth $348 million and a share of 17.9%.
According to statistics from Euromonitor, in 2014, Hong Kong was the region of the world with the highest per capita consumption of meat, fish and seafood as a whole, with a clear preference for meat, by 70%. In this sense, pork and chicken are the most consumed, each accounting for 26% of consumption. Beef is 16% and the lamb is 3%.
Third is China, although its export volume has declined in recent years to 16.1% of the market. Finally, Spain occupies the sixth position in Hong Kong imports, with a market share of 6.6% and $127 million in value in 2016, which was an increase of 50.32% over the previous year and 30.55% compared to 2012.
In recent years, there have been three main items of pork consumption in Hong Kong: fresh or refrigerated pork, edible offal and meat preparations and preserves.
Among the imports of meat into Hong Kong, one must highlight the peculiarities of the three major meat categories. Fresh or refrigerated pork leads, Brazil and China being the main suppliers. In this list, Spanish exports have increased by 120% in volume over the last year, with a value of $41 million.
The evolution of the consumption of pork and pork products is marked by its price. Thus, the consumption of processed, refrigerated or frozen pork is much higher than that of fresh pork, respectively 70% and 30%. For 2017, consumption in Hong Kong is forecast to continue growing and to increase by 4.5% over the previous year. One of the peculiarities of pork consumption in Hong Kong is its seasonal nature. Although
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Edible offal occupies the second position in importance and the number one source is the United States by a large margin over Germany, which is in second position. As for Spanish exports, there has been an upward trend in both value and volume since 2012, going from the seventh position it occupied then to fifth today.
DATA ABOUT HONG KONG Capital:
Victoria
Area:
1,108 km2
Population:
7,234,800 inhab.
Population density:
6,544 inhab/km2
DGP
$330,775 million
Economy:
Services (80%)
Agriculture and Livestock
-
Finally, the last position is for preparations and canned meat. In this case, China is the undisputed leader. Spain has been losing positions. So, while it was second in this area in 2012, by 2016 it had fallen to eighth by volume and ninth by value. THE FUTURE In an eminently import market, these are expected to keep growing and local demand for pork will continue to rise. However, there is an upward trend in gourmet-type pork, a growing attraction for quality food, new flavours and international dishes among the population of Hong Kong. Regarding Spanish products, the Iberian pig is recognised as a premium product, and more and more restaurants with “Iberian” products are found, including as game, feather or secreto, a situation that benefits the rest of products from Spain.
GLOBALPIG
THE GREAT CHALLENGES IN
ANIMAL WELFARE
At a time when animal welfare is considered a key tool for improving the health status of farms, the comfort of the pigs and, ultimately, the productivity of the farms, new challenges are emerging that the sector will have to face to maintain its high level of competitiveness. To find out more about some of the main challenges, we interviewed Xavier Manteca, an animal welfare specialist. Regarding tale docking, why is it done? Docking tails is done primarily to reduce the incidence of severe tail biting. According to published studies, tail cutting reduces the frequency of tail biting, although it is not so clear that the number of cases of severe tail biting is reduced. In this sense, two factors that can reduce tail biting are: careful handling and the animals having access to manipulable material. Is placing manipulative material in the pens effective? Tail biting is a multi-faceted problem and there is nothing that, by itself, is 100 effective at stopping it. It is a very complicated question. In fact, much research is still needed into why pigs bite tails. The most widely-
accepted hypothesis is that the origin of the tail biting lies in the innate instinct that pigs have to root. So, when they cannot do this naturally, this urge is redirected towards the bodies of other pigs. In addition, around this there is a whole series of factors (temperature, draughts, location of drinkers, health problems, etc, and an unknown factor we do not know how to solve) that increase or reduce the risk of tale biting, to the point that you may have manipulable material but if the other factors fail, tale biting occurs. However, various studies have shown that a lack of manipulable material and high density in the pens are risk factors. What would be the most effective material? According to the EFSA report, straw is the best manipulable material. However, we have to qualify this, since we have found farms with straw and a very high incidence of tale biting. Why? Because having straw is not enough, because if the straw is wet, compacted or dirty, the pigs no longer use it to root in. So, in fact, the manipulable material par excellence is dry, clean loose straw, which allows the pigs to develop their rooting instinct, but these requirements are
Imagen de un caso de caudofagia. Foto: UAB.
very difficult to fulfil. Given this scenario, the task before us, together with the sector, is to find a material that is good at reducing the risk of tail biting and that can be applied without increasing costs. What alternative materials would there be? There is a whole series of materials being tested, such as pieces of wood, paper, etc., but the truth is that we do not know what is the best manipulable material. As for surgical castration, why are pigs castrated? There are studies that conclude that the animals fight less when castrated. However, I think that by far the main reason for castration is to reduce the sexual odour. And what is the posture of the EU in this field? Everything seems to indicate that in a few years the decision of the European Union will be that if you want to
castrate, do so, but using an immunocastration vaccine or surgical castration with some palliative pain technique. Accordingly, when the regulation comes into force, a farm will have three alternatives: not castrating, immuno-castration or surgical castration with anaesthesia or analgesia. The last big challenge will be the housing of the sows, what trends do you think will eventually be imposed? There are different approaches, but I would say that the one that seems most realistic is that of a farrowing shed that maintains the containment of the sow during the period when the risk of crushing piglets is greater, that is to say, the first 48 hours and then the crate is removed so the sow can move more freely. Does the application of this measures contribute to reducing antibiotic use? Improving animal welfare will be a key tool to reducing the use of antibiotics.
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THE MOST EXTENSIVE RANGE
PANS MAXI PAN MAXI HOPPER PAN MAXITAINER FOR MAXI PAN TECNA PAN INITIATION PAN EASY PAN INITIATION PAN MINI PAN MINI HOPPER PAN MINITAINER
OF PRODUCTS FOR PIG EQUIPMENT
FEEDERS GROW FEEDER MAXI GROW FEEDER MINI SOW FEEDER SWING R3 DUO SWING R3 WET SWING R3 TUBE TR2 FEEDER TR5 FEEDERS SOW BOWL FEEDING BALL
ELECTRONIC FEED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DOSITRONIC DOSITRONIC PLUS
DISPENSERS CLUTCH DISPENSER DOSIMATIC SIMPLEX D-2 FOUR FIVE SIX-D ADAPTER LINE DISPENSER OUTLET ADAPTER
DRINKING BOWLS & VRH-3 VALVE VRH-3 SWING DRINKER EASY DRINKER DUO EASY DRIKER MINI EASY DRIKER MIDI
FLOOR DELTA BEAM PROFILE T PROFILE DELTA NET SYSTEM ERGOFIX BASIC POST BEAM CLICK-IN
COVER NI-2 POR PIGLETS NI-2 CORNER NI-2 MOBILE LAMPHOLDER LID WITH LED LIGHT, 5W
PANELS BLIND PANEL 1200X1000 VENTILATED PANEL 1200X1000 BLIND PANELS MADE TO SIZE VENTILATED PANELS MADE TO SIZE MIXED PANELS MADE TO SIZE FAST DOOR KIT POLIAMID UNION BRAKETS FOR PANELS PROFILES FOR PANELS
PVC PVC PROFILES (50,25,10 CM) CLOSE PVC PEN DIVIDERS OPEN PVC PEN DIVIDERS DOORS FAST LOCK BRACKETS U BRACKETS SOLID GRIP
CHAIN AND DISK SYSTEM • SHOCK ABSORBING TEETH SYSTEM. • EASY ADJUSTABLE CHAIN TENSIONING SYSTEM WITH GRADUATION SCALE. • CORNERS WITH EASY APERTURE SYSTEM. • SILO EXTRACTION SYSTEM WITH AN AGITATOR.
AUGER SYSTEM
SLATS WEANER BLIND PARTIAL BLIND SOW TRAP SLAT WEAN TO FINISH ELECTRIC HEATED PLATE WATER HEATED PLATE CAST IRON FERROCAST LEVEL BED / RAISED
THE SILO OUTLET SYSTEM CONSIST OF A SILO BOOT, A TRANSFER UNIT AND A SLIDE GATE ASSEMBLY THAT ALLOWS HORIZONTAL AND INCLINED INSTALLATION.
SPLAYLEG STOP