FEEDING
Dry-feed segregates like popcorn
Home mixed, dry-feed rations tend to segregate when they are transported from the silo to the feeders. Subsequently, feed delivered to the first pens contains up to three times more minerals and vitamins than that presented to pigs housed towards the end of the feed line. Liquid premixes can help to reduce the level of segregation, but they do not eliminate the problem completely.

Rotating robot feeds and sorts
A robot created to weigh, feed and sort slaughter pigs has struggled to gain acceptance in the market, but as producer experiences support the claims for more efficiency and less manual work at farm level, its chances of attracting attention increase.

MARKET
SPF pork to serve the Japanese market
Specific pathogen free (SPF) pork products for Japan's retail and wholesale markets will be the primary focus of a new joint venture in Thailand. The integrated Thai SPF supply network is a major step towards food safety.

COLUMN
What the textbooks don't tell you about…..
Value for money

NUTRITION
Definition of nutritional needs transformed into savvy strategies
The performance improvements of the past 20 years are associated with changes to feeding systems, realised by the better understanding of the nutritional physiology of the pig, which has allowed more precise definition of its nutritional needs.

Enzymes pep up diet debates
Over the last 20 years, enzyme use has proven its worth with the accent now placed on refinement.

Twenty years of acidification
Organic acids have been intensively evaluated, particularly over the last 10 years, for their role in alternative strategies to manage and feed pigs without reliance on antibiotics. The research has revealed some promising results for the EU and other pig producing regions.

Essential oils from herbs and spices
Supplementation of pig diets with essential oils provides a natural solution to challenges in post-AGP era.

COUNTRY
Irish producers target efficiency to balance higher costs
Two years under economic pressure and Irish pig farmers still have to face costs and pigmeat imports steer the search for answers to maintain profitability.

MARKET
Selenium enriched pork
The Korean SelenPork restaurants have been the first in the world to base all their meat dishes on specially reared selenium enriched pork and are a perfect example of the growing consumer interest in functional foods which have both nutritional and health benefits.

 
May 24, 2004