ROTECNAWORLD NUMBER FORTY TWO 2020
SUMMARY TECHNOLOGY
NI-2, CREATE AN IDEAL COMFORT ZONE FOR PIGLETS IN TRANSITION GLOBALPIG
“WITH THE DOSITRONIC M PIGLETS GROW AN AVERAGE OF HALF A KILO MORE” ROTECNANEWS
2019, A RECORD YEAR FOR THE SWINE SECTOR PIGPRODUCTION
LETTER FROMTHEEDITOR Spanish pork production increased by 2% in 2019, thus leading the ranking of output in the European Union and establishing our country as the third-largest producer worldwide, only behind China and the United States. The year has also been exceptionally economically, with prices exceeding 40% those of the previous year. Given this scenario, we are presented with 2020 in which, if there are no unforeseen events, we can repeat and even increase those record figures, since the forecasts predict continued growth in the sector until 2022 due to the constant increase in the pork demand from China.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOUTH AFRICAN PIGS SOMETHINGABOUT
GARGAR FESTIVAL PENELLES
SCAN ME WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE
ROTECNA
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Gener Romeu Rotecna's President ROTECNA WORLD 42 MARCH 2020 EDITION: ROTECNA, S.A.- POL. IND. NAU-3, 25310 AGRAMUNT (LLEIDA) SPAIN DIRECTOR: GENER ROMEU EDITOR: FRANCISCO GARCÍA TAMARA LOMBARDO IMAGES EDITION: DAVID MERCADO TRANSLATION: SAM SMITH PRINT: IMPRENTA BARNOLA L-41-2007
DIGITAL VERSION /issuu.com/rotecnapress Rotecna's World's editors accept no liability for contributor's opinion.
However, the potential ASF threat which seriously affects the Asian market requires us to be very meticulous in the day-to-day running of our farms and to have the utmost care with biosecurity measures, to prevent this disease entering the Spanish territory at all costs. In the business area, always intending to provide the farmer with solutions and opportunities for improvement, we continue working on the launch of new and innovative products. In this issue we present the new Ni-2 Weaning for transitions, a synthetic, high-resistance and durable cover that protects piglets from air currents and facilitates an optimal environment in its interior, reducing the animals’ heat loss, allowing them to grow faster, more homogeneously and with a better conversion rate. Finally, I would like to stress that we are committed to being present at the leading national and international trade fairs in the sector to continue projecting the Rotecna brand around the world, and to support our distributors in over 80 countries. Thus, we have begun 2020 with participation in fairs such as the MVC Cereals-Mixed Feed-Veterinary in Russia, and the Iowa Pork Congress and the Illinois Pork Expo in the United States. Gener Romeu
ROTECNANEWS
2019, A RECORD YEAR
FOR THE SWINE SECTOR Throughtout 2020 Rotecna will continue with the ripening process of its electronic feeding system for pregnant sows, and promoting its commitment to the future: the TecnaPur slurry management system. that the decent numbers and excellent results that the farmers have achieved, become new farms and therefore, new equipment for these facilities.
The president of Rotecna, Gener Romeu, during his Christmas speech. Photo: Rotecna. As every December, Rotecna brought together all the company’s employees to enjoy the customary Christmas appetiser, and to take stock of business activity during 2019, a year that, once again, the company closed with a record billing.
The increasing trend in the pig sector and the current situation in China with African swine fever (ASF) have offered local producers growth opportunities that they have never had before. Inevitably, this scenario is also beneficial for Rotecna, and is
Throughout 2020 Rotecna will continue with the ripening process of its electronic feeding system for pregnant sows, the Doistronic G. This product has already been installed in many farms, both small and large, obtaining excellent results. On the other hand, the company will continue promoting its commitment to the future: the TecnaPur slurry management system. For three years, Rotecna has had it on the market for
PENELLES, AN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM O MURALS
to disseminate artistic culture in the rural world, a creative way to view this small town and turn it into an interesting point.
An eye-catching open-air attraction
One of the Penelles murals. Photo: Rotecna.
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The joint effort of all Rotecna team continues to be an essential factor for the success of the company, and teamwork is the means of achieving all these objectives. Thus, the goal of prospering together with the future of the company, will continue.
GARGAR
SOMETHINGABOUT...
Until five years ago, Penelles was one of the many anonymous farming villages in the plains of Lleida that are languishing as they gradually become depopulated. Now, the striking rural art murals that invade the town’s
separating solids and liquids. Now with the launch of the physicochemical reactor, a product that solves slurry management at almost 100% effectivity, the company plans to increase sales, as public administrations will be increasingly demanding of compliance with environmental regulations in slurry management. In this sense, TecnaPur offers farmers an efficient solution.
streets have become an original tourist attraction for this small municipality of barely 450 inhabitants in the Catalan region of La Noguera. All of them have been created in the Gargar Festival, an initiative that aims
Binomic.cat created the festival, a local graphic design company. After giving it some thought, in May 2016 Penelles celebrated the first edition of the Gargar, which was born from both the need and the will to bring additional value to Penelles. As a fun fact, the festival gets its name from a steppe bird, the Ganga, which is as threatened by extinction as the villages are.
Since its first edition, the Gargar has become an eye-catching open-air attraction that every year receives thousands of visitors, delighted to see the works of art that fill the streets of Penelles. The festival is held every year on the first weekend in May when spring is at its peak and the town bursts into full colour. Over three days, Penelles is transformed into a cultural centre where murals and music enliven the streets open to tourists. In this way, the festival fuses muralist activities and music with workshops of different artistic disciplines. They present these activities in a high-quality programme, wonderfully enticing for those interested in these disciplines, and spectators. Among the different objectives that the Gargar pursues, is to value, promote, and give visibility to street art in rural public spaces. It also aims to carry out artistic and cultural interventions in public areas, to improve the village, bring art closer
FUTURENEWS
GOOD PRACTICES
TO AVOID TAIL-DOCKING Las administraciones publicaron un listado de recomendaciones para reducir la necesidad de cortar las colas de los cerdos de forma rutinaria. No obstante, reducir la conducta de los cerdos de morder las colas sigue siendo un reto para muchos productores, que lo Ăşnico que pueden hacer es recurrir al raboteo. The European Directive 2008/120/EC states that farmers cannot use tail docking routinely and that it must be carried out when all the necessary measures have been implemented so that pigs do not bite their tails. Furthermore, the regulation states that all pigs, from maternity to fattening, must have access to efficient and appropriate manipulable material. To avoid tail-docking it is essential to control the caudophagia or tail bite. Caudophagia is a multifactorial problem; that is, there is a very long list of risk factors that can cause it. The combination of causes that can lead to this behaviour changes from farm to farm, from shed to shed, from batch of animals to batch of animals, and from season to season.
This makes this behaviour difficult to predict. In this regard there are two main points: 1) monitor, observe the animals and take corrective action before an outbreak of caudophagia occurs; 2) minimise the risk by controlling some well-known factors, such as density, feeding, ventilation and animal health. This problem may already occur in maternity. Even if no injuries are seen during the socialisation period of the piglets, the animals may already start to present the issue of biting tails. When they move to transition, if the animal density is very high, they do not have adequate handling material or ventilation is not optimal, the outbreak of capdophagia may expand, and then it is already tough to recover stability. Therefore, it is crucial to try to prevent these behaviours from the beginning, and as soon as it is seen that the pigs’ behaviour is changing, corrective measures should be taken. The ideal farm to avoid caudophagia is one that minimises chronic stress
Anti-stress chains as a manipulable material. Photo: Rotecna. factors; that is, risk factors that are well known and will undoubtedly cause a problem of caudophagia. This gives us more room for an unpredictable stress factor, such as a change in ambient temperature, to appear at some point. If different risk factors are present on a farm, it will be easy for an outbreak of
tail biting to occur, in one batch or another. One crucial thing to consider here is the density of animals. On slatted floors you should not go below 0.85 m2 per 100 kg PV animal, as working with lower densities is quite risky. On the other hand, special attention should be paid to feeding and also to ventilation.
FESTIVAL to its people, and to generate a series of resources that allow, originally and creatively, to correct the passage of time by washing the image of walls and facades, giving back a newfound illusion to its neighbours. Besides, this initiative goes beyond the festival’s three days and seeks to attract visitors to the municipality to see the murals throughout the whole year. For one week, artists taking part travel to Penelles. Although they do not receive any economic remuneration, they are provided with any material necessary to work and are given everything they need for their stay in the municipality (accommodation, food, etc.). The only requirement they have by the organisation is that their works be related to the rural world. To select participants, the organisation publishes a call on its website and social networks, and from here on, they make a selection based on a criterion of diversity, technique or
style. Among the artists who have already left their mark on Penelles are international names such as the New Yorker BKFOXX and the Frenchman @zesoner, who chose Penelles for their first joint work, which has subsequently taken them to different places around the world. Creators such as Waknine, TV Boy, the stage name of Salvatore Benintendre, author of the controversial kiss between Pope Francis and Donald Trump, have also taken part. In its last edition, 24 creators chosen from the 242 from all over the world who submitted proposals painted extraordinary murals and graffiti on 900 m2 on walls around the village. Added to the paintings done in previous years, the town has now close to a hundred colourful and imaginative works.
The murals are related to the rural world. Photo: Rotecna.
Fifth edition
occasion, artists from different parts of Spain and all over the world will once again come together.
The fifth edition of this open and famous festival will take place on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of May 2020. On this
Thus, Penelles has each time more and more murals, and since 2016, besides the over 40,000 visits it
receives annually, the population frequently appears in the media, and several new business projects related to tourism are already on the table. If the festival continues at this pace, will the village have more murals than inhabitants?
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TECHNOLOGY PATENTED
NI-2 WEANING
CREATE AN IDEAL COMFORT ZONE FOR PIGLETS IN TRANSITION AT LOW COST
A favourable environment for piglets after weaning favours their adaptation and improves their growth. Creating such an environment with a nest means significant energy saving and can be done in a simple, economical way, and any facility. With this in mind, Rotecna is launching the new Ni-2 Weaner for transitions, with covers made of highly resistant and durable synthetic material which protect the piglets from draughts and facilitates the creation of an optimum indoor environment, reducing heat loss from the animals, which will then grow faster, more uniformly and with a better conversion rate.
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MODELS Rotecna offers nests with two width options (2500 and 3000 mm) and four models depending on their total depth: • • • •
850 mm (750 mm collapsible) 1100 mm (500 mm collapsible) 1350 mm (750 mm collapsible) 1600 mm (750 mm collapsible)
TECHNOLOGY
ENERGY SAVINGS By avoiding draughts and installing it on an insulated floor, preferably heated, we reduce the heat input needed by the animal. Besides, we reduce the space to be thermally conditioned, allowing the room temperature to be lowered by between 4 and 8 ºC, with the consequent energy and economic savings.
EASY HANDLING Designed to facilitate the operators’ tasks, the Rotecna Ni-2 Weaners are very light and allow movement of up to 215º: it opens completely to enable the inspection of the animals, to proceed with their cleaning, or it closes partially below the level of the fence so that the entrance to the nest is reduced and its interior is better insulated. The available lifting systems allows them to be opened individually or collectively, manually or automatically.
THOROUGH CLEANING The materials the Ni-2 is manufactured with are resistant to the corrosive environment of the farms, their design created for a perfect installation and without corners in which dirt might accumulate, favour water tightness and allow for a complete cleaning in a short time; this guarantees optimal conditions of hygiene in the facilities and reduces the possibility of any sanitary issues.
CHARACTERISTICS • Collapsible up to 215º. • The perfect fit of the components, no air leaks and no corners where dirt can accumulate. • We can cut it on demand. • Made of PVC, synthetic resin and fibreglass.
BENEFITS: • Lower mortality and higher growth rate, more homogeneity and better piglet conversion rate. • Avoid draughts that that can negatively affect animal health. • Significant energy savings compared to traditional systems.
INSTALLATION
• Easy handling for piglet inspection..
Rotecna’s Ni-2 Weaners adapt to a pen of any size, as they can be easily adjusted to the desired size. They can be installed at or below the height of the weaning fences. The ‘H’ brackets allow them to be folded by 180º, while the ‘L’ brackets give them a mobility angle of 215º..
• Adaptable to any installation. • Lightweight, highly resistant, long-lasting, easy to clean and disinfect.
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GLOBALPIG
RAMON FARRÉ: “WITH THE DOSITRONIC M PIGLETS GROW AN AVERAGE OF HALF A KILO MORE”” In 2018 this farm in Lleida with 500 sows, installed 156 Dositronics to improve productivity, with outstanding results.
Linked to pork production since the beginning, Ramon Farré works with 500 sows in the small town of Vilves (Lleida). To improve the productivity of his animals in 2018, he tested the Dositronic M, Rotecna’s electronic feeding system. The installation of 156 Dositronics has allowed him, during this period, to optimise working time, achieve higher weight piglets at weaning, and detect problems with the sows during lactation. What is the origin of the farm? Specifically, we built this farm in 1984, although we have always been dedicated to the production of animals. We used to have another small farm with 30 sows, which grew to 90. As we could not house any more animals, we built the current facility, which at first had 100 sows and a fattening house. It was a closed cycle which, then in 2001, we transformed into a sow farm with 500 sows. How has the farm evolved? When we removed the fattening house, we installed new farrowing and weaning area but, when we moved to three-week bands, we still had to create more farrowing places, which forced us to move the weaning. Because of space limitations on the farm, we could not expand, so we opted for building new farms in the same town and in other nearby locations, such as Preixens and Ponts, where we took the weaning. Altogether, we have 3,500 sows. How is it distributed? We have three buildings: one for covering and control, another for confirmed gestation and in the last one we have the farrowing area, where we previously had the weaning. We use this same distribution in the other three farms, although in the largest one we have more buildings for confirmed gestation and we put the weaning area within the same farm. Who works on the farm, and how are the tasks distributed? Two people work on this farm. We have an operator in charge of the animals all day long, and another employee is in charge of the weaning place that we have about 2 kilometres away and performs support tasks. As we go with three-week bands, we distribute the tasks according to the workload, which is usually variable.
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Jordi and Ramon in the farm with Dositronic M. Photo: Rotecna. Why did you choose to work with the Dositronic M electronic supply system? In 2018 we installed 40 Dositronic devices on a farm and tested them throughout the year. We got very satisfactory results, especially in the summer. During summer months, differences between the sows that farrowed in the rooms with the Dositronic M and those that did not were abysmal. The piglets that had been in the farrowing houses with Doistronic M grew more, and the sows showed no problems going into heat. This was a big surprise for us. What are the main benefits you would highlight from its use? Firstly, time optimisation for the farmer. Operators working in farrowing pens do not waste time feeding or cleaning feeders because no feed is lost. Secondly, with the Dositronic M sows are much calmer, they produce more milk, and the piglets grow an average of half a kilo more. Besides, we have noticed an increase in the number of piglets born; I suppose because sows in farrowing houses are eating much more and because ovulation and output are also better. How many feeding curves do you work with? We work with two curves, one for the youngest sows and another for the multiparous ones. Both curves are very similar, the only difference between them is that the feed increase after farrowing is not as fast in the first one, and it finally leaves us with half a kilo less when we reach the maximum. We feed them six times a day; 40% of their food is served in the first two takes and in each of the other takes we give them 15%. Do you think the button panel is an advantage? It’s something that comes in handy. I would emphasise how convenient it is to leave the curve programmed and have it applied, by merely pressing
a button when the sow has farrowed. On the computer, it is only necessary to program the curve on the day the sows enter the farrowing house. This panel is also instrumental in increasing by 10% the feeding curve of the animals that are nervous because they are still hungry. If we see that some sows have not finished their ration, the panel also allows us to reduce their curve. What does it mean to have all the consumption data computerised? It is very convenient because on the computer we can see the sows’ behaviour: see how much they eat, if they eat more if any of them stop eating, etc. Having the data of each sow before doing the farrowing control gives us much advantage and allows us to act faster if any of them has any problem. In short, the data will enable us to detect any problem well in advance, such as an infection, mastitis, or why the sow stops eating. Have you noticed any improvements in sow and litter productivity? In a nutshell, we’ve got bigger weaned piglets. The weight issue at weaning has always been a handicap, and with the Dositronic, we have increased this weight and reduce handling problems and mortality in the transition. Anything that means gaining grams during lactation is an excellent advantage for the day when you separate them from the mother. What other Rotecna products do you have installed? We use many of the products that Rotecna manufactures: dispensers, feeding systems, farrowing floors, nests, hoppers, panels, etc. I would like to highlight the Clutch above all. This dispenser is the one we use the most because it offers us many advantages. But what I would underline most is its ease of use, because it can be
GLOBALPIG “Our main aim has been to be as efficient as possible and to reduce costs. This is one reason we have invested in the installation of the Dositronic M.”
What are the challenges for the future? For the past two years, our main aim has been to be as efficient as possible and to reduce costs. This is one reason we have invested in the installation of the Dositronic M. Taking advantage of the fact that the pig sector is in the right moment, we want to continue investing in optimising as much as possible and in reducing production costs even further. The farm records good results with the installation of Dositronic M. Photo: Rotecna. disengaged and medication can be introduced instead if needed.
in terms of biosecurity, access, or preventing other animals from entering the farm enclosure.
What do you value about Rotecna? It’s a great advantage for us to have Rotecna so close. It is a company that offers solutions to all the needs we may have and offers outstanding quality products.
What other measures do they take to reduce the risk of disease transmission? We disinfect all vehicles and do not allow entry to third party transport, as we have our trucks to move the animals from one farm to another. We strictly follow the protocol that must be complied with by the personnel working on the farm, and the workers must shower both at the entrance and exit of the farm and only enter with disinfected clothes.
What are your main health concerns? Our primary concern is African swine fever (ASF). That is why we are trying to take extreme measures
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOUTH AFRICAN PIGS The increase in local pork production and the rise in the price of beef and lamb has provided pork with a perfect setting for its development. According to the South African Ministry of Agriculture, 400 companies are operating in the pig sector in the country. The growth in pig production, thanks to the sustained increase in pork consumption, and the forecasts of increased imports because of domestic demand are some of the most relevant aspects of the current situation of the South African pig sector.
Production Pork production in South Africa has experienced remarkable growth over the last decade, reaching an annual increase of 3.5%. We can attribute the sustained increase in output to growth in pork consumption, improved farm management and advances in genetics. Besides, there is a trend in the country to build modern and efficient intensive farms, which can house between 600 and 5,000 pigs. In the same period, the slaughter of pigs, which comes to less than three million heads, has
Finally, what is your vision for the future of the sector? I’m very optimistic. At the state level, we are working very well, farmers are becoming more professional, and farms are becoming more technical, which has allowed us to be more competitive and efficient. We have the ASF threat, which if it comes, could change things a lot, but if we keep this disease away, I think Spanish pigs have a great future. In the environmental field, slurry management is becoming more complicated, and we will soon have more and more pressure from the administration. This is, therefore, something we must also work on, and this is a good time to invest and get ready to meet the standards set by the law.
PIGPRODUCTIONIN...
also grown at a rate of 2.2% per year. This would show that increasingly heavier pigs are being slaughtered. To maintain these figures, South African pig farmers are facing challenges such as the rise in prices of the principal foodstuffs used in pig production, maize and soya: the prolonged droughts that South Africa has experienced recently have had a significant impact on the price of these products, which has had an economic impact on local pig farmers. In this respect, we should mention that the cost of feed in South African pig production represents approximately 70% of the overall production.
consumption in the country, and meat consumption per person barely reaches 4 kg per year. We could attribute this fact to cultural and religious issues.
Consumption
Imports
Pork consumption has exploded in recent years and has done so at a faster rate than beef and lamb, two of the most consumed in the African country. We can find the explanation for this growth in the effect droughts have had on lamb and veal production. These have led to a decrease in the number of these species, and the rise in prices.
The increase in pork consumption and the growth in domestic demand represent an opportunity for South African pork imports. South African pork imports come mainly from European Union countries (especially Germany), Canada, Brazil and the United States. It should be mentioned that pork from Brazil has been banned from entering the South African market for over ten years (between 2005 and 2017) because of the detection of an outbreak of FMD in the country. Rib cuts continue to be the most imported product (between 50% and 60% of total pork imports).South Africa exports a small amount of pork to Namibia, Mauritius and Mozambique.
Therefore, pork has emerged as the best alternative to lamb and beef, and consumption is expected to continue to grow, reaching 290,000 tons by the end of this year. Despite this growth, and according to the latest analysis carried out in 2018, pork consumption only represents 5% of total meat
Fattening shed with the Rotecna Swing R3. Photo: Rotecna.
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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 TR3D FEEDER SF3D FEEDER TR5 FEEDERS SOW BOWL FEEDING BALL
DISPENSERS CLUTCH DISPENSER DOSIMATIC SIMPLEX D-2 FOUR FIVE SIX-D SIX-S ADAPTER LINE DISPENSER OUTLET ADAPTER SPLAYLEG STOP ANTI-STRESS FEEDER ANTI-STRESS CHAIN
COVER NI-2 POR PIGLETS NI-2 CORNER NI-2 MOBILE LAMPHOLDER LID WITH LED LIGHT, 5W
ELECTRONIC FEED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DOSITRONIC M DOSITRONIC G
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
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 THE SILO OUTLET SYSTEM CONSIST OF A SILO BOOT, A TRANSFER UNIT AND A SLIDE GATE ASSEMBLY THAT ALLOWS HORIZONTAL AND INCLINED INSTALLATION.
DRINKING BOWLS & VRH-3 VALVE VRH-3 SWING DRINKER EASY DRINKER DUO EASY DRIKER MINI EASY DRIKER MIDI
PVC PVC PROFILES (50,25,10 CM) CLOSE PVC PEN DIVIDERS OPEN PVC PEN DIVIDERS FAST LOCK BRACKETS U BRACKETS SOLID GRIP
SILOMETRIC
SLATS WEANER BLIND PARTIAL BLIND SOW TRAP SLAT WEAN TO FINISH ELECTRIC HEATED PLATE WATER HEATED PLATE 1200 X 500 CAST IRON FERROCAST LEVEL BED / RAISED
FLOOR DELTA BEAM PROFILE T PROFILE DELTA NET SYSTEM ERGOFIX BASIC POST BEAM CLICK-IN
TECNAPUR SOLID-LIQUID SEPARATOR AGITATOR PHYSICOCHEMICAL REACTOR FLOW METER ELECTRIC PANELS SUBMERSIBLE PUMP