May 19, 2019

Performance 2019 focuses on pig health management prior to VIV Asia

The Performance 2019 conference, which was sponsored by Addcon, Agrana, Agromed, Animine, Danbred and Marine Protein, was held on March 12 - a day before the VIV Asia show in Bangkok, Thailand.

Happening at the Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit, the event looked into Asia's swine production and efficiency challenges, with a focus on management and technical solutions for farms and feed mills, according to its organiser.

Niels Geertsen, production specialist of swine genetics company Danbred and one of the speakers, emphasised on the management of sows that are both fit and have consistent productivity. He advised that farmers should maintain a high feed intake for sows in order to minimise the incidence of stillbirth and ensure high colostrum.

"Feeding sows right, (accompanied by) good hygiene, is more important than fancy diets. The inclusion of the right fiber benefits both health and productivity," he highlighted.

"To be successful, we need to be consistent in what we do.. (and) be open-minded and ready to (adopt) new knowledge and (adapt to) new situations."

In his presentation, Tony Edwards of ACE Livestock Consulting P/L pointed to the need to address constraints and causal factors prior to developing a strategy for high performing pigs.

"These (challenges) vary widely throughout Asia, but three (of these) are common in most locations: Low intake in lactation, constipation in sows and piglet diarrhea," Edwards said. He believed that many pig production issues "are interrelated and resolving one may prevent a cascade of subsequent complications."

Edwards added: "There is no reason why production levels achieved elsewhere in the world cannot be emulated (in Asia) if production discipline (is) observed."

Dr. Zhang Ruo-Han, Trouw Nutrition's R&D director for China, explored the formulation of sustainable diets in consideration to the changing market situation in China.

"Organic acids help optimise the microflora of sows. (They) can also help increase feed intake, (boost) milk yield, reduce the loss of back fat and indirectly (benefit) piglet health," Dr. Zhang said.

Pierre Lebreton of feed solutions company Nubiote, underscored the importance of pigs getting 'accurate nutrition' by ensuring accuracy in several areas including raw material storage, feed processing and animal requirements during production.

"(Production) efficiency always comes from accuracy," Lebreton remarked, citing an adverse impact on digestibility and animal performance if a sound fiber-focus strategy is not in place.