What Does it Take to Create a Sustainable Farm in China?

CHINA - Big Dutchman China, in collaboration with Alltech, capped off a successful week by hosting and conducting The 2016 Pig week in the Chinese cities Shenyang and Beijing. The event was held April 19 in Shenyang and April 21 in Beijing.
calendar icon 12 May 2016
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This global collaboration successfully brought forth swine industry leaders, experts and professionals from around the world to share their knowledge, skills and experience of the swine industry to the Chinese market. Involved in this event were the companies Big Dutchman, Betco and Alltech along with the United States Grains Council.

The primary focus on this event was the ongoing and ever changing swine industry in China. The speakers and representatives centered their topics on the key question of “What does it take to create a great and sustainable farm in China?”

Topics presented by companies speakers and representatives were focused around equipment, genetics, nutrition, building construction, farm technology, manure and nutrient management.

Pig Week started the event at the Sheraton in Shenyang, Liaoning, on Tuesday, May 19th. After a successful meeting, Pig Week and its hosting members then proceeded and concluded the event on Thursday, May 20th at the Crowne Plaza Lido in Beijing.

Big Dutchman, Alltech, Betco and the US Grains Council share their views of the dynamic swine industry is China

Each stop was highlighted by topics and speeches given by global professionals from each company. To kick off each meeting, Mr. Brian McCawley, President and General Manager of Big Dutchman China presented a welcoming and opening message for Pig Week.

“Big Dutchman has noted the rationalization of the Chinese Pig Industry away from small, backyard farms to larger facilities that offer improved technology with overall lower labor and production costs,” said Mr. McCawley on the future of the pig industry in China.

“BD is investing in the future with a strong belief that improving technology over labor, lowering production costs is the growth part of our industry.”

Dr. Mike Varley, a professional consultant from The Pig Technology Company, in collaboration with Alltech, delivered on the topic of Improving gut health for sows and piglets by nutritional management.

Dr. Varley topics focused on the importance of gut health microbial in the early stages of development for piglets and emphasized that these factors can have long term effects on a sows health in later stages of production. Examples of which are the importance of dedicated weaning ages, sow feeding, and balancing the right feed ingredients.

Following nutrition, Dr. Teng Teeh Lim, Associate Extension Professor at the University of Missouri, United States shared with the group nutrient management and the ever challenging landscape of manure management in China.

Dr. Lim’s topics often referenced methods and processes conducted in the United States and how China has a key opportunity to benefit from these practices if fully taken into account.

“Regulations also have played a key in changing how manure is management throughout the United States,” said Dr. Lim on the ever changing political landscape of nutrient management, “we at the Grains Council see many opportunities for both expansion and improvement in nutrient and manure management in China from both a regulatory and a commercial practice standpoint. It will be a challenge but a challenge worth facing.”

Big Dutchman’s goal in investing future technologies to improve production costs

As a special collaboration, Betco and Big Dutchman teamed up on topics to discuss the importance of building design, equipment and technology.

Mr. Mark Doyle, Vice President International, BETCO, an international construction and building company specializing in housing, focused on the importance of building design. In Mr. Doyle’s presentation, an emphasis on how even the smallest of details, such as airtightness and seems, can make a dramatic impact on performance. Mr. Doyle also emphasized ventilation techniques on how it’s important to take many factors into consideration when choosing a building type. These factors include location, weather patterns, climate, and local animal populations.

To compliment Mr. Doyle’s topic, Mr. Ron Lane, Director of Sales for the Pig Business unit, shared with the crowd Impact of Facilities on New Genetic Parameters. One of Mr. Lane’s focuses was the development of gilts and how crucial the early stages are.

“Pressure on gilts can overall have large effects on performance,” said Mr. Lane pointed out on guilt impacts.

“Certain pressures include larger pools of replacements, increasing the size of the gilt pool, and breeding at lower target weights. Good gilts lead to good sows which lead to good performance – simple!”

As a key specialist in a dynamic technology in the swine industry, Mr. Alex Liu, Senior Electrician and BFN specialist introduced The Big Farm Network and how it can impact and revolutionize data management within farms. The Big Farm Network is a service and product offered by Big Dutchman as a way to better manage data on farms. The network includes a system that allows users to control and management all inflowing data presented, giving overall more control to the farmer.

Dr. Mark Lyons, the Vice President of Alltech, concluded the meeting by bringing forth all thoughts from the day together. Dr. Lyons challenged the audience to think about the presentations given and how the knowledge shared can create better overall organization to the Chinese swine industry.

Big Dutchman wants to thank its partners for helping organize this event and all to those involved and participated. We look forward to next year’s event, the 2017 Pig Week!

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