24 Rotecna World

ROTECNAWORLD NUMBER TWENTY FOUR 2015

SUMMARY TECHNOLOGY STUDY

HOW TO MAXIMISE THE CONSUMPTION OF SOWS IN FARROWING GLOBALPIG

PORK PRODUCTION INCREASES IN THE EU PIGPRODUCTIONIN...

ANIMAL HEALTH, EMBLEM OF SWINE PRODUCTION IN CANADA ROTECNANEWS

LETTERFROMTHEEDITOR The pig industry worldwide is growing, with a rise in prices in the main producing countries. However, there are exceptions, such as the European Union, which seems to be having difficulty to recover pig prices this year.

OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: TO DUPLICATE TURNOVER IN 5 YEARS

FUTURENEWS FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ: “A VACCINE AGAINST ASF IS POSSIBLE”

Gener Romeu Rotecna's President

ROTECNA WORLD 24

SCAN ME WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE

ROTECNA

DOWNLOAD ANY APPS FOR READER QR CODE & VIEW ROTECNA.COM

However, the outlook is that the United States will continue to increase its supply and exports, especially to the Chinese market. A positive trend that, in all probability, will lead to the building of new farms, which is good news for companies like ours dedicated to the manufacture and marketing of pig equipment and with a presence in this market.

OCTOBER 2015 EDITION: ROTECNA, S.A.- POL. IND. NAU-3, 25310 AGRAMUNT (LLEIDA) SPAIN DIRECTOR: GENER ROMEU EDITION/PRODUCTION/DESIGN: MONTSE GUERRERO EDITOR: TAMARA LOMBARDO TRADUCTION: CHRIS BOSWELL PRINT: IMPRENTA BARNOLA L-41-2007

DIGITAL VERSION / issuu.com/rotecnapress Rotecna's World's editors accept no liability for contributor's opinion.

Moreover, we must trust in the opportunities Europe has to rediscover the path to growth. There is a year ahead of us and pork production figures are good, with an increase of 5% in the first six months of the year. So, we must insist on doing things right, betting on efficient equipment and continue to invest in biosecurity measures to protect our farms from the health threats in Europe, such as ASF. As an entrepreneur, with these projections of growth and a few months shirt of the 25th anniversary of Rotecna innovating for the pig sector, my commitment is to work to grow and continue to provide answers to the sector’s new needs.

With this perspective, we have initiated a strategic growth plan that will allow us to double our turnover in the next 4-5 years with the launch of two new business lines in the sector. However, this growth means efforts, large investments that we have already begun to make to renew and expand our machinery with the latest technology, and an expansion of our facilities. In this respect, last September, we bought some 23,000 square metres of industrial land, with which we have expanded our production area to 56,000 ​​ square metres.

Gener Romeu

ROTECNANEWS

OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE:

TO DUPLICATE TURNOVER IN 5 YEARS

The company is investing in new units to extend and renew its machinery. Photo: RotecnaPress.

With an eye to the future and the urge to grow to continue to be at the forefront of the manufacturing and marketing of equipment for pig farms, Rotecna has launched a strategic growth plan to double the business within 4-5 years. This plan includes launching new products and starting up of two new lines of business within the pork industry.

Rotecna’s CEO, Gener Romeu, said, “The new strategic plan will lead us to double the size of the

company in 4-5 years, increasing the number of jobs by between 40% and 50% and, structurally, also doubling the production area that we currently have now.”

In this sense, last September, Rotecna signed an agreement to purchase 23,000 square metres of industrial land close to the firm’s production plant in Agramunt (Catalonia - Spain). With this expansion, the company, which turns 25 next year,

SOMETHINGABOUT...

FOR ALL SAINTS, CHESTNUTS AND PANELLETS

now has a total area of ​​58,000 square metres, 18,000 of which are built up.

Precisely due to this purchase, Rotecna received a visit from the Secretary of Enterprise and Employment of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Felip Puig, who noted, “This is the good model of growth, the private sector leading the economy and government helping entrepreneurs and businesses that create jobs, as, ultimately, it is they who are

LA CASTANYADA, The “Castanyada” is a Catalan popular festival held on the eve of All Saints, specifically the night of the 31st October. Similarly to Halloween Anglo-Saxon countries, its origins are believed to lie in an ancient ritual to honour the dead. At present however, although the tradition of remembering the dead on November 1st is kept alive, the celebration of the night of October 31st has been separated from the meaning of funeral ritual to become a festive dinner in the company of family or friends. One of the main features of this celebration is that the table must hold delicacies typical of the era, such as chestnuts, panellets, sweet potatoes, candied fruit and sweet muscatel wine.

The festival

Stalls selling chestnuts are common in autumn and winter. Foto: Greg Gladman

2

The first references to the Castanyada date back to the late 18th century, with the celebrating of some ancient

funerary meals, where they used to eat vegetables, nuts and rolls. These meals had a symbolic sense of communion with the souls of the dead. So, while the chestnuts were roasting, the people prayed in memory of the family’s dead.

Currently, the Castanyada has become a festival of All Saints celebrated in the company of friends and family, but without any act commemorating the dead.

Moreover, on the 31st of October, many schools celebrate this festival with chestnuts and buns made by the students.

The castanyera, the chestnut seller The castanyera is the typical character in this festival, usually the

GLOBALPIG allow us to maintain hopes of prosperity and to restore social cohesion,” and added, “The economic recovery is being sustained thanks to companies like Rotecna.”

On the other hand, in 2015, the firm has also invested in the expansion and renewal of its machinery. Thus, by the end of this year will have acquired five new machines with which to streamline production, facilitate the creation of new products and improve customer service.

With a staff of 170 employees, Rotecna has the widest range of products for pig farms on the market and exports between 60% and 70% of its production, with a presence in over 80 countries.

The separator panels for pens are the latest novelty that the firm has launched and they are being very well received in the sector for the versatility they offer the farmer when designing housing systems, their resistance, ease of handling and cleaning to always maintain optimal health conditions in the pens.

The CEO of Rotecna, Gener Romeu, and the Catalan government’s Secretary of Enterprise and Employment during his visit to the company. Photo: RotecnaPress.

PORK PRODUCTION INCREASES IN THE EU The slaughter of pigs in the EU reached almost 5 million head in the first six months of the year, an increase of over 4% compared with the same period last year, according to data released by Eurostat.

In addition to the increase in sacrifices, there was also an increase in the weight of the carcasses so that the production of pork increased by 5% to 11.4 million tonnes.

By countries, this increase was led by one of the major pork producers in the EU, Spain, which has increased its production of pork by 9% (almost two million more animals slaughtered). A similar growth was registered in the Netherlands, with 8% more slaughtered heads, especially since fewer piglets were exported to Germany. Finally, Germany also increased the numbers of sacrifices by 2% , followed by France and Denmark with rises of 1% .

Moreover, the piglet market is suffering the EU livestock crisis. Thus, throughout 2015, prices have been below those of the previous year. On average, it is estimated that farmers have been receiving €8-10 less per pig, even earning up to €16 less per piglet at the beginning of the year.

Piglet prices fall

The crisis in the market for finishing pigs in the EU, with an abundant supply as a result of the Russian embargo, is leading to lower demand for piglets and a fall in prices.

THE CATALAN HALLOWEEN figure of a woman, dressed in warm clothes, wide skirts and a headscarf. She is found in a stall in the street, sitting next to a brassier, roasting and selling chestnuts wrapped in cones made of newspaper.

Nowadays, during autumn and winter, it is still common to find stalls selling roast chestnuts in the streets of all Catalan towns. However, as well as these stalls, there are also others set up by young people who sell chestnuts as a way of funding school activities and trips at the end of the course.

The panellets As the saying goes, “For All the Saints, chestnuts and panellets”. These are the two most typical products for the Castanyada.

Although it is unclear why we eat these, there are historians who relate the tradition of consuming these highly energetic foods with the funeral ritual to sound the bells died during the night of All Saints, where friends and relatives took turns to ring the bells until

dawn and ate these foods to give them energy to keep going. There are other versions that relate these delicacies with the ancient tradition of making a family meal after the death of a loved one or the offerings that were made at the grave of the deceased with food for their journey to the afterlife.

Indeed, the panellets are, nowadays, the most widely consumed sweet during the Castanyada, and can be made at home or bought from the bakery. Made traditionally from almonds and sugar, the most typical panellets are those with pine nuts and candied fruit, but over the years, many versions have been added including as chocolate, coconut, coffee, lemon, and many other flavours.

Other delicacies typical of the Castanyada are candied fruit and sweet potatoes. In addition, these are all accompanied by muscatel, a sweet wine that has become the traditional drink of the festival.

The homemade or purchased panellets are the most common sweet eaten in the Castanyada.

3

TECHNOLOGY STUDY

HOW TO MAXIMISE THE CONSUMPTION OF SOWS IN Carme Soldevila, agriculture engineer.

Rotecna, s.a.

To evaluate the effect of the treatments on growth performance, a set of parameters was registered for the sow and piglets during the experimental lactation. First, the individual feed intake and the nocturnal consumption (18h-8h) of sows with the Feeding Ball was monitored. To assess the loss of body condition, the backfat thickness and live weight of the sows were measured. With regard to piglets, the weight of litters and mortality from postpartum until weaning were recorded. Following the experimental lactation, the results of the heat of the sows, and the prolificacy of the next litter were followed.

FARROWING

THE FEEDING BALL, A SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

MECHANISM TO

The test results show that the Feeding Ball is a very effective mechanism to maximise feed intake in lactation, even compared to a finely-tuned manual supply system. Daily consumption per sow, from birth until weaning (approximately 21 days), increased by almost half a kilo with the Feeding Ball (6.91 kg / day) compared to the control (6.42 kg/ day), with statistically significant differences. The second week of lactation was when higher consumption differences between treatments (more than 1.5 kg / day) were obtained, as this was when the sows were freed to feed ad libitum with the Feeding Ball (Table 1). There are several reasons that can explain the high feed consumption achieved with the Feeding Ball. First, the device

MINIMISE THE LOSS OF FITNESS DURING LACTATION.

Farrowing rooms with Feeding Ball. Foto: RotecnaPress.

While sows are lactating, their energy balance is often negative, since the requirements for maintenance and especially for milk production are higher than those provided by their feed intake.

Furthermore, every day we find farms with ever more prolific genetics, which demands greater milk production to feed an evergrowing litter. As a result of this negative balance, the sows tend to lose body condition during this stage. Several studies show that excessive weight loss during lactation lengthens the weaningmating interval and reduces the ovulation rate, which not only affects the results of subsequent reproduction, but also the prolificacy of the next litter. Consequently, stimulating feed intake in lactating sows is a priority to wean piglets with good weight, minimise the loss of body condition of the sows and obtain good results in the next reproductive cycle. The feed consumption is influenced by many factors, such as the ambient temperature, genetics, parity, health status, body condition of the sow, etc., but the food supply system is as important as these factors.

The Feeding Ball is a slow drop dispenser particularly suitable for farrowing, which allows restricted or ad libitum feeding of sows, with

24

which the maximize feed intake in weaning is achieved. The animal quickly learns how to operate the mechanism with its natural rooting movement and the easy accessibility of the ball. Furthermore, the availability of feed on demand for the animal allows the sows to eat fresh feed 24 hours the day, depending on their appetite, and wastage is minimised because, this way, no large portions of food are supplied suddenly. So, we ensure the needs of the sow are met, while avoiding wasting food, an essential factor if you consider that food is the main cost on pig farms.

MATERIAL AND METHODS To corroborate the advantages of this feeding mechanism in lactation, a study was conducted on a commercial piglet farm. The holding in question, Albiporc SLU, with 640 productive sows of the Nucleus genetic, is located in the province of Lleida and is integrated in the Vall Companys company. The test was conducted in two lactation rooms, with 12 places each. Sows had a stainless trough with a nipple with a flow rate of about 2-2.5 l / min, plus a supplementary tap for additional water after each meal. Ventilation was forced, with an objective ambient temperature of 23 °C. The test was conducted with a total of 258 sows, divided into 22 lots,

from October 2013 to December 2014. The experimental design included two treatments: control and Feeding Ball. In the control, the existing management that already had the operation (Figure 1), with

FIGURE 1. FEED CURVE OF CONTROL SOWS.

Feed (kg/sow and day)

INTRODUCTION

week 1 3,4 Kg/day

week 2 7 Kg/day

week 3 9 Kg/day

Day two daily feed supplies, while in the Feeding Ball treatment, management was the same as in the control until , but from day 7 post-partum, the sows were fed ad libitum until weaning. Within each lot, sows were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments, depending on the number and date of birth. Litters of piglets were balanced between treatments for weight and number of piglets, and in neither treatment did the piglets have access to feed.

The experimental pre- and postlactation management was the same for all animals. (figure 1).

allows not only rationed feeding but also ad libitum. Thus, we ensure that we cover each sow’s individual appetite, while we avoid wasting food by overdoing the ration. Keep in mind that lactating consumption varies not only depending on the number in the litter (Figure 2), but also according to the state of the sows (Figure 3). Very fat sows tend to cause problems of consumption in lactation, resulting in lighter piglets, despite the notable body reserves of the sow. Another very important advantage of the Feeding Ball is that the animal always has fresh food,

FIGURE 4. PERCENTAGE OF NIGHT CONSUMPTION (18H8H) OF SOWS WITH THE FEEDING BALL FROM DAY 7 POSTPARTUM TO WEANING DEPENDING ON THE AMBIENT ROOM TEMPERATURE, FOR 22 BATCHES OF SOWS. Average temperature (°C)

Delivery

Categories of backfat on entry

since it is the sow that decides when to eat. This feature allows the sows to eat more at night in warmer seasons when consumption in lactation is more critical (Figure 4). In addition, the Feeding Ball not only reduces the manpower needs to regulate the dosage of each sow, but also means less reliance on strict schedules to supply feed 2-3 times a day, especially with hyperprolific genetics where consumption requirements are greater. (figure 2, 3 and 4).

gained weight during lactation (2.58 kg) and only lost 1.2 mm of backfat (Table 1). Still, no differences in the subsequent oestrus or prolificacy in the next delivery (Table 2) were observed. The low weight loss of sows in the control treatment (-0.5%) may explain why no differences between treatments were observed in post weaning parameters as the literature refers to higher weight losses 10-15% with a significant impact on these parameters. (Table 2).

What does this increase in feed intake of sows fed with the Feeding Ball lead to? In this case, less loss of body condition in the sows was observed, both for weight and backfat thickness. Although the sows in the control treatment obtained very good results, with an average weight loss of only 1.3 kg and a decrease of 2.1 mm in backfat during lactation, statistically significant differences were observed in both parameters with the Feeding Ball treatment. In the test, the sows with the Feeding Ball

Regarding the piglets, no significant differences in weaning weight between treatments were observed.

However, very good results were obtained in both groups, with a weaning weight of almost 6.4 kg, with and average lactation of around 21 days (Table 3). Several literature sources mention the priority of lactating sows for milk production to feed piglets, at the expense of loss of body weight. This property would explain the fact that increased feed intake of sows Feeding Ball

TABLE 1 - RESULTS OF THE SOWS IN THE TEST IN THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM DURING LACTATION. 1

TREATMENT

SEM 2

P VALUE3

CONTROL

FEEDING BALL

Number sows

129

129

-

-

Number of delivery

3,40

3,40

0,17

0,9631

Days lactation

21,04

20,87

0,15

0,3455

APPARENT CONSUMPTION OF FEED Week 1 (kg/day)

3,40

3,38

0,07

0,5252

Week 2 (kg/day)

6,91

8,46

0,13

< 0,0001

Week 3 (kg/day)

8,94

8,92

0,15

0,9218

Average (d0-21) (kg/day)

6,42

6,91

0,09

0,0006

Sum total (kg)

134,8

145,3

1,79

0,0003

Batch - period

resulted in a smaller loss of body weight in the sows, but no differences were observed in the growth of the piglets. (table 3).

CONCLUSIONS Each day, we find more prolific sows on the farms. This implies higher feed consumption requirements in the lactation stage, when the energy balance is usually negative. These requirements make the Feeding Ball a very effective mechanism, allowing increased feed consumption in maternity (0.5 kg/day in this study), minimising the loss of body condition (we found sows even gained weight) and letting the sow control her own consumption based on her individual needs.

Although the study results were very positive, on a farm with a less productive control and even more prolific sows, one would expect the differences between the control treatment and Feeding Ball to be greater.

Entry

255,1

256,2

2,33

0,6371

Post-partum

233,4

233,1

2,18

0,9212

Weaning

232,0

235,8

0,94

0,0049

-1,30

2,58

0,94

0,0049

BACKFAT THICKNESS (mm) Entry

16,3

15,4

0,41

0,0757

Weaning

13,7

14,6

0,11

< 0,0001

Variation Entry - Weaning

-2,1

-1,2

0,11

< 0,0001

1 Values are least square means. / 2 SEM = Standard error of the mean.

3 p<0.05 => Differences of statistically representative values.

Feeding Ball dispenser. Foto: RotecnaPress.

TABLE 2. – POSTERIOR RESULTS FOR THE SOW IN THE FARM TRIAL 1.

TREATMENT CONTROL

FEEDING BALL

SEM 2

P VALUE3

BEGINNING OF HEAT

Number sows Weaning-oestrus interval (days)

103

102

-

-

3,9

4,1

0,11

0,221

91

-

-

15,6

15,8

0,36

0,7592

14,2

14,3

0,33

0,8533

PROLIFICITY FOLLOWING FARROWING

Number sows Total piglets born Live piglet births

94

1 Values are least square means. / 2 SEM = Standard error of the mean.

3 p<0.05 => Differences of statistically representative values.

TABLE 3. – RESULTS FOR THE PIGLETS ON THE FARM TRIAL DURING EXPERIMENTAL LACTATION. 1 TREATMENT

LIVE WEIGHT (kg)

Variation Post-partum Weaning

% nocturnal consumption with FB (d7-21) depending on the ambient temperature.

FIGURE 3. AVERAGE CONSUMPTION FROM THE DAY OF BIRTH TO WEANING FOR SOWS WITH THE FEEDING BALL BRISTLE DEPENDING ON THE BACKFAT THICKNESS ON) ENTRY INTO FARROWING. Consumption _d0-21 (kg / day)

Consumption _d0-21 (kg / day)

FIGURE 2. AVERAGE CONSUMPTION FROM THE DAY OF BIRTH TO WEANING OF SOWS WITH THE FEEDING BALL DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER IN THE LITTER.

TECHNOLOGY STUDY

Number of litters

CONTROL

FEEDING BALL

129

129

SEM 2

P VALUE3

-

-

Nº PIGLETS / LITTER

Post-partum Weaning

12,0

12,0

0,10

0,3601

11,5

11,6

0,07

0,5430

PIGLET WEIGHT (KG)

Post-partum Weaning

1,64

1,64

0,03

0,8584

6,34

6,41

0,08

0,4364

3,93

0,4706

0,49

0,4935

AVERAGE DAILY WEIGHT GAIN (G/DAY)

Post-partum - Weaning

247

250

MORTALIDAD (%)

Post-partum - Weaning

4,0

3,5

1 Values are least square means. / 2 SEM = Standard error of the mean.

3 p<0.05 => Differences of statistically representative values.

5

PRODUCTIONIN...

Pig farms in Canada. Photo: FGC LIMITED.

ANIMAL HEALTH, EMBLEM OF SWINE PRODUCTION IN

CANADA Sources: Canada Pork International y USDA.

GRAPH 1: EVOLUTION OF PORK PRODUCTION IN CANADA (MT)

1860 1840 1820 1800 1780 1760 1740 1720 1700 1680 2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Source: USDA

Canada is the third largest exporter of pork and the seventh largest producer globally.

TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF PIGS SLAUGHTERED BY ORIGIN

PROVINCE Pig production in Canada has an important weight in the economy.

The pork meat sector earns more than three million Canadian dollars a year (2.1 million euros), representing 30% of the country’s livestock sector and 10% of the agricultural. Closed cycle farms, animal health and the quality of the product are some of the main characteristics of pork production in Canada.

ACCORDING TO DATA FROM 2013, CANADA REACHED 1.83 MILLION TONS OF PORK Production The Canadian pork sector works primarily with closed cycle farms which cover from birth until the slaughter of animals. Producers believe that this significantly reduces productivity losses associated with stress from moving the animals, adaptation to new environments and changes in feeding regimes, while disease transmission is reduced. In this operating model, the farmers control

6

all stages of animal growth and performance.

In terms of the volume of production, according to data from 2013, Canada reached 1.83 million tons of pork, ranking as the seventh largest producer of pork in the world (without dividing the European Union into countries). The sector has evolved positively over the last 10 years, with an increase in production. However, occasionally, there have been some slight declines, less than 1% (Figure 1). The Canadian meat industry is also the country’s third largest, and pork accounts for 40% of total meat production.

By areas, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces concentrate 37.9% of total pig production, followed by the provinces de Manitoba and Saskatchewan (27.4%), Ontario (21%) and the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia (13.7%) (Table 1).

Animal Health The health of the pigs is one of the pillars of the pig sector in Canada.

The sector has an agency, the

PIGS SLAUGHTERED

British Columbia / Alberta

2.890.650

Saskatchewan / Manitoba

5.784.752

Ontario

4.430.997

Quebec / Atlantic Provinces

8.014.106

Total

21.120.505

Source: Canada Pork Inrernational

Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which is responsible for the national animal health programme and develops policies for the prevention and eradication of disease to ensure an optimum health status in the country. These strict disease control measures ensure high quality of the meat and facilitate access of Canadian livestock to foreign markets, which other major producers cannot access. Therefore, Canada pork sector has become renowned for the quality of its product and especially its enviable health.

According to information published by the Canada Pork International, the Canadian pig population is free of all major diseases, such as swine fever, African swine fever, foot and mouth disease, swine brucellosis, Aujeszky’s disease and SVD. In addition, the country plans to

declare its livestock population free of trichinosis.

Exports Export figures exceed 1.2 million tons of pork, which means that Canada exports more than 60% of its production. The good conditions of health in the pig sector have helped it to register high levels of exports, consolidating the country as the third largest exporter of pork in the world, with a 17.6% share of total meat exports in 2013, behind the United States and the European Union (without discriminating by country), with shares of 32.5% and 31.2% , respectively.

In 2014, the Russian embargo also had an impact on Canadian exports, with a fall of 50% between 2012 and 2014 in the volume of meat destined for the Russian Federation.

PRODUCTIONIN...

FIGURE 1: MAIN DESTINATIONS OF CANADIAN PORK. FIGURE 2: MAIN DESTINATIONS OF CANADIAN PORK.

Mexico 6,6%

South Korea 3,8%

Chinese 8,3% USA 36,6%

Russia 9,5%

Japan 18,7%

However, the year ended with Russia as the third destination for Canadian pork.

As for exports, 2015 is expected to be a good year for Canada, as the Canadian dollar remains below the US dollar, and this, moreover, will cause a

decline in imports. In terms of destinations, the Russian embargo means exports to this country will continue to fall, so Canada is already working to find new destinations for its meat. The sector expects to increase exports to North America, recovering exports to the countries neighbouring Russia, such as Belarus, and increase its presence on Asian markets.

According to 2014 data, the main customers for Canadian pork were the United States, which received 36.6% of the total, Japan (18.7%), Russia (9.5%), China (8.3 %), Mexico (6.6%) and South Korea (3.8%) (Figure 1).

Regarding imports, these have been increasing in volume over the years. In 2012, Canada imported 221,106 tonnes of mainly fresh and frozen meat (62.8%) and processed meat (28.1%). Regarding the origin of the imports, 95% of pork acquired by Canada comes from the United States. To a lesser extent, it is also purchased Chile, Denmark, Italy and Germany.

Domestic consumption Domestic consumption of pork in Canada has registered a fall of 24% over the last 10 years, from the 28.6 kilos per capita in 2000 to 21.7 kilos in

Pig farms in Canada. Photo: FGC LIMITED.

2010. However, forecasts for the coming years, with competitive market prices, are for recovery of consumption.

Precisely in order to increase the consumption of pork, in recent years, the Canadian industry has launched advertising campaigns and dissemination of recipes to reach consumers directly. The campaigns emphasise in the lowfat content and versatility offered by the Canadian pork.

FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ:

“A VACCINE AGAINST ASF IS POSSIBLE” SINCE 2014, AFRICAN SWINE FEVER (ASF) HAS BEEN AFFECTING COUNTRIES IN EASTERN EUROPE African Swine Fever (ASF) has been affecting countries in Eastern Europe since 2014, with special incidence on the populations of wild boar. Thus, between January and July this year, 386 cases of ASF in wild boars were registered in the EU. On the other hand, cases of the disease have also been detected in domestic pigs in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has proposed different measures to contain the virus, such as the selective hunting of wild boar, the elimination of the bodies in nature and prohibiting the feeding of these animals.

A team in the IRTA (Institute for Research and Food Technology Spain) led by the researcher Fernando Rodríguez has shown the possibility of developing a safe and effective vaccine against African Swine Fever.

What has your last work on ASF consisted of?

It is a modified live vaccine, developed in collaboration with the CSIC and

Boehringer Ingelheim, able to fully protect 100% of the animals. This not only gives protection against homologous virus, but also, for the first time, for this disease, against heterologous strains of ASF V, including the new Georgia2007 virus that has caused the spread of the virus across Europe. Despite the spectacular results of protection obtained, there are still some areas for improvement before considering its possible commercialisation.

What progress has been achieved?

The main thrust is to have contributed to demonstrating that it is possible to obtain a vaccine against ASF. More specifically, our laboratory has helped to confirm the importance of the T-CD8 cytotoxic cells for protection against ASFV and the identification of some of the antigens responsible for inducing this type of cellular response, which makes them ideal candidates for future production of subunit vaccines against ASFV.

The team directed by Fernando Rodríguez. Photo: IRTA

So, are we closer to finding a vaccine?

Undoubtedly. The first vaccine against ASF likely to be marketed will probably be based on live vaccine like the one described, capable of meeting the requirements for safety and effectiveness in addition to eliciting an antibody response distinct from the circulating virus. Although we don not expect medium to long term levels of protection similar to those of live attenuated vaccines, the optimum levels of biosecurity provided by subunit vaccines available will surely almost immediately be accepted in

countries at risk and those that are free of the disease. However, having a vaccine available does THE MAIN THRUST not imply its direct appliIS TO HAVE cation in the CONTRIBUTED TO field. This is a decision that is DEMONSTRATING beyond our competence. As THAT IT IS scientists, we can only hope POSSIBLE TO to provide society with the OBTAIN A VACCINE best possible vaccine protoAGAINST ASF types.

7

THE MOST EXTENSIVE RANGE

PANS MAXI PAN MAXI HOPPER PAN MAXITAINER FOR MAXI PAN TECNA PAN INITIATION PAN EASY PAN INITIATION PAN MINI PAN MINI HOPPER PAN MINITAINER

OF PRODUCTS FOR PIG EQUIPMENT

FEEDERS GROW FEEDER MAXI GROW FEEDER MINI SOW FEEDER SWING R3 DUO SWING R3 WET SWING R3 TUBE TR2 FEEDER TR5 FEEDERS SOW BOWL FEEDING BALL

DRINKING BOWLS & VRH-3 VALVE VRH-3 SWING DRINKER EASY DRINKER DUO EASY DRIKER MINI EASY DRIKER MIDI

DISPENSERS CLUTCH DISPENSER DOSIMATIC SIMPLEX D-2 FOUR FIVE ADAPTER LINE DISPENSER OUTLET ADAPTER

COVER NI-2 POR PIGLETS NI-2 CORNER NI-2 MOBILE LAMPHOLDER LID WITH LED LIGHT, 5W

FLOOR DELTA BEAM PROFILE T PROFILE DELTA NET SYSTEM ERGOFIX BASIC POST BEAM CLICK-IN

PVC PVC PROFILES (50,25,10 CM) CLOSE PVC PEN DIVIDERS OPEN PVC PEN DIVIDERS DOORS FAST LOCK BRACKETS U BRACKETS SOLID GRIP

PANELS BLIND PANEL 1200X1000 VENTILATED PANEL 1200X1000 BLIND PANELS MADE TO SIZE VENTILATED PANELS MADE TO SIZE MIXED PANELS MADE TO SIZE

CHAIN AND DISK SYSTEM • SHOCK ABSORBING TEETH SYSTEM. • EASY ADJUSTABLE CHAIN TENSIONING SYSTEM WITH GRADUATION SCALE. • CORNERS WITH EASY APERTURE SYSTEM. • SILO EXTRACTION SYSTEM WITH AN AGITATOR.

SLATS WEANER BLIND PARTIAL BLIND SOW TRAP SLAT WEAN TO FINISH ELECTRIC HEATED PLATE WATER HEATED PLATE CAST IRON FERROCAST LEVEL BED / RAISED

AUGER SYSTEM THE SILO OUTLET SYSTEM CONSIST OF A SILO BOOT, A TRANSFER UNIT AND A SLIDE GATE ASSEMBLY THAT ALLOWS HORIZONTAL AND INCLINED INSTALLATION.

SPLAYLEG STOP