Vaccination, vision and valorisation in Pig Progress 6

The latest edition of Pig Progress is available online. This edition takes a closer look at how Brazil’s corn industry is becoming more ingrained in pig feed. In Norway, a brand new boar test facility has been opened, and in a pig barn, where can improvements be made in the farrowing environment to benefit the diverse needs of sows, piglets and producers? Pig Progress takes a look. This and much more.

Read this edition of Pig Progress here!

Brazil’s corn industry is discovering DDGS

In Brazil they call it ‘grão dourado’, or the ‘golden grain’ – corn. Over the last decade, new opportunities for corn have emerged in the country, enabling it to be valorised even more, by turning corn into ethanol for fuel consumption and selling its by-products as animal nutrition. Pig Progress travelled to Mato Grosso state to learn more. Pages 6-9

Good welfare for piglets and sows at farrowing

The farrowing environment must cater to the diverse needs of sows, piglets and producers, and so whether pigs are housed in in a traditional farrowing crate or a loose farrowing and lactation system, it it’s important to take a look at where improvements can be made. Pages 10-12

Column: The impact of more soybeans

According to swine nutrition technology expert Dr Casey Bradley, soybeans are fast becoming the superheroes of swine diets, at least in US pig diets. In her column on page 14, she writes about how an oversupply of soybean meal shaking up the swine nutrition arena.

Ivo Lansbergen, DSM-Firmenich: Data-driven approach needed to enhance sustainability

Pig Progress spoke with Ivo Lansbergen, president of animal nutrition & health at DSM-Firmenich, about how data and precision farming solutions can support the industry to produce more efficiently and sustainably. Pages 16-17

New Norwegian boar test station is all about data

Topigs Norsvin recently opened a new boar test station in Norway. From here, the international breeding company can ship about 5,000 boars per year around the globe. This is the company’s biggest investment ever. Pages 18-21

Review: Europe’s producers discuss how to engage consumers

Europe’s pig producers gather annually to learn about each other’s experiences and what pork production is like in other countries. The key question at this year’s event held in France, where 300 interested swine producers from 16 countries gathered, was: how do we engage consumers better? Pages 22-23

Review: Garden of the Future aims to unleash the power of plants

Plants are likely to take a more pivotal role in the composition of pig feed solutions of the future. To learn more about plants, more studying and experiments are needed. Arbon, Switzerland, was the setting for Nutreco’s recent opening of the ‘Garden of the Future’, which is to be the heart of the company’s phytotechnology programme. Page 24

Review: Optimistic presence at World Pork Expo 2024

The annual World Pork Expo was held in June in Des Moines, IA, in the US. The event welcomed an estimated 12,000 attendees and 395 exhibiting companies. Dr Casey Bradley visited the show and shares the highlights. Page 25

Review: Unravelling yeast’s mode of action, one step at a time

Yeast and yeast derivatives can be beneficial to pigs of any age. What has been fascinating Lallemand Animal Nutrition as a yeast producer is how, exactly. As time and science progress, bit by bit, pieces of the puzzle seem to fit. On 19 June, Madrid, Spain, was the venue for an update. Pages 26-27

A range of range of vaccination options to control PEDv

While vaccination is one of the most powerful methods to control and prevent Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED), existing inactivated and live vaccines cannot always provide adequate protection against mutant PEDv strains. Novel types of vaccines are being researched. This article considers available and future strategies. Pages 30-31

Colour vision and lux

According to pig welfare expert Dr Irene Camerlink, there is a lot to gain by looking into what type of light and lighting schedule is used on pig farms. She shares her thoughts on flickering lights, red heat lamps, light schedules, light colour. Page 34

Read this edition of Pig Progress here!