Summary The Agrocentre – A sustainable pig cluster J.G. de Wilt (InnovationNetwork), L. Noorduyn (De Schrijfster), I.E.L. Kruseman (Bureau ASK) InnovationNetwork Report No. 10.2.252, Utrecht, The Netherlands, February 2011. To what extent does the continuous process of upscaling in pig farming present opportunities to take sustainability to a new level? To answer this question, several pig farmers, assisted by InnovationNetwork, have devised a concept for a sustainable pig cluster which they have dubbed Agrocentre. Various studies have shown that the Agrocentre can grow into an animal- and environmentally-friendly form of pig farming that blends in well with the countryside whilst also being economically viable. An Agrocentre is a type of Agropark where pig farming is clustered with an agro-power station and a abattoir. A further characteristic is that direct connections with other sectors make it possible to largely close energy, CO2, mineral and water cycles. The Agrocentre accommodates all categories of pigs, ranging from sows and piglets to meat pigs. A scale of about 80,000 to 100,000 pigs is necessary to make the abattoir economically viable. The on-site abattoir prevents the stressful transportation of live animals. The meat is processed elsewhere. The power station runs on the manure from the farm’s own pigs and supplies all energy required for the pig farm, while any residual heat and electricity is supplied to nearby greenhouse growers or fish farms. The pig feed is mainly sourced from surrounding arable farms which, in turn, procure the manure product from the agro-power station. The benefits Animal welfare The Agrocentre represents a great improvement in animal welfare terms. The animals undergo no interventions such as castration, teeth-clipping and tail-docking. The use of medicines is rare thanks to the animals’ good health condition. The pigs live in more spacious stalls than the law requires, they can drink whenever they want and enjoy daylight everywhere. The animals experience less stress because the piglets are never transported elsewhere and the meat pigs are slaughtered in the on-site abattoir. What’s more, the animals feel settled and calm because they live in large groups and are virtually never moved between groups. Finally, all pigs have straw to play with. Animal health The conditions in the Agrocentre help to prevent animal disease. Working according to high-health principles, the pig farmers start with healthy breeding material and take measures to keep their farm free of certain pig diseases. The Agrocentre imports no animals from outside, which significantly limits the risk of infectious germs entering the farm. In addition, the 39 Pagina 45
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