December 11, 2020

Agrifirm-managed Dutch consortium working on sustainable swine farming in China

 

A consortium of 12 Dutch companies has started the development of an innovative, responsible and animal-friendly growth model for the swine farming sector in China.

The first achievement is the construction of a Research Test & Training Centre (RTTC) in Anping county in Hebei province, where Dutch knowledge and expertise will be applied to create better living conditions for people and animals in and around the Chinese swine farming sector.

The consortium is managed by Royal Agrifirm Group and works closely together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), the Agricultural Council of the Dutch Embassy in Peking and NLWorks, in coordination with the local Chinese government. "To have a real impact on the Chinese pig farming sector, you have to operate on the basis of a broad public-private consortium," says Maurits van Os, deputy director NLWorks. "Thanks to the support from companies and the Dutch government, we are taking an important step towards a sustainable earnings model for China, as well as the Netherlands, with the construction of the RTTC.'

Says Jeroen Jeuken, managing director Agrifirm ASIA: "Combined with our many years of marketing experience and the knowledge we have acquired in China over the past twenty years we are able to make a contribution to making the swine farming sector sustainable in China, together with the involved Dutch companies, knowledge institutes and government.'

The consortium's ambitions are high. "The situation in China is especially dire and the challenges are considerable," Jeuken continues. "We are encountering limits to improve the situation in the Chinese pig sector. This concerns the systems being used, safeguarding quality and health, knowledge and skills, and the impact on the environment and on animal and human health. You cannot stop China's tremendous growth and its ambition of producing its own food. We can ensure this happens in ways that are good for our planet, while considering animal welfare. In this regard we fully apply Dutch knowledge, which is leading at a global level. This way the Dutch economy also profits to the maximum possible extent from these developments in China."

With the consortium partners Agrifirm makes it possible to supply and further develop integrated and partial solutions in five core areas, namely nutrition, genetics, health, accommodation, and knowledge and skills. At the RTTC, the demonstration and production farm with integrated facilities for giving training courses, conducting trials and giving demonstrations will be opened in 2021.

The "Sustainable Swine Farming China" consortium and foundation was officially established on September 29, 2020 and consists of: Royal Agrifirm Group, Bouwimpex, Dutch Farm Design (DFD), Groba Voedersystemen, Hato Lighting, Microfan, MS Schippers, Nedap Livestock Management, Nooyen Pig Flooring, R&R Systems BV, Topigs Norsvin, TripleAir BV and NLWorks.