April 23, 2009

Dutch pig producer Johnny Hogenkamp has announced the start of a pig producer integration, called FarmFocus, according to local agricultural newspaper reports.

The move is exceptional as pig production in the Netherlands is largely based on family structures, with on average smaller numbers of sows than in the US, where large integrations have existed for a long time.

According to Hogenkamp, the integration will offer a number of advantages for producers and surrounding businesses, like minimising overhead costs and a more structured management.

He said that independence of pig producers within FarmFocus will be maintained, and producers can still choose their own genetics, feed, health products and markets.

The new integration will start with a test phase which will include several pig production sites and a number of suppliers. After summer, all producers can join the integration, either individually or as a group.