35 ROTECNA WORLD

ROTECNAWORLD NUMBER THIRTY FIVE 2018

SUMMARY TECHNOLOGY

DOSITRONIC FLOUR HOPPER, WITH A PATENTED VIBRATION SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY

DOUBLE DROP OUTLET, ONE DROP FOR 2 FEED LINES ROTECNANEWS

LOGISTICS DEPARTMENT

PIGPRODUCTION

FRANCE, THIRD LARGEST PIG PRODUCER IN EUROPE

LETTER FROMTHEEDITOR There is good news reaching the pig market, with prices rising at the beginning of the summer, although at a lower rate than usual at this time of year.

Production figures remain good, as do exports.

SOMETHINGABOUT Gener Romeu

THE EBRO DELTA NATURAL PARK

Rotecna's President

Regarding the challenges of the sector, in Rotecna World we address in two phases the importance of biosecurity on pig farms. In this edition, we review some of the most important factors in external biosecurity.

ROTECNA WORLD 35

SCAN ME

WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE

ROTECNA

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

JULY 2018 - 2N QUARTER

In the business field, in Rotecna we continue working to respond to the needs of

EDITION: ROTECNA, S.A.- POL. IND. NAU-3, 25310 AGRAMUNT (LLEIDA) SPAIN

farmers. Thus, in this Rotecna World, we present some of our latest innovations

DIRECTOR: GENER ROMEU EDITOR: TAMARA LOMBARDO IMAGES EDITION: DAVID MERCADO TRADUCTION: CHRIS BOSWELL PRINT: IMPRENTA BARNOLA L-41-2007

such as the flour hopper for the Dositronic, the Grow Feeder feed hopper with fastener for fasting, and the double-drop mouth, with a single drop for two lines of feed. Some of these innovations have already been successfully presented at this year’s edition of the World Pork Expo in the United States.

Finally, I invite you to visit the web www.tecnapur.com, a portal where the user can find information about the full TecnaPur product range for slurry treatment.

DIGITAL VERSION / issuu.com/rotecnapress

Gener Romeu Rotecna's World's editors accept no liability for contributor's opinion.

ROTECNANEWS

LOGISTICS DEPARTMENT PROFILE: · Year the department was created: 2016 · Number of employees: 37 · Movements of material/ month: 60.000 Thus, the department includes the sections of purchases (supplies), internal logistics, warehouse, dispatch and transport.

We control all movements of materials

A large part of the team linked to the integral logistics department. Photo: RotecnaPress.

Within the operations area, the integral logistics department was created in September 2016, in order to contribute to the organisational improvement and respond to the growth expectations anticipated by the company.

THE EBRO DE

SOMETHINGABOUT...

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AQUATIC HABITATS IN THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN

The Delta is a plain that barely rises. Photo: Josep Torta.

The Ebro Delta is the largest wetland in Catalonia, with an area of 320 square kilometres, and is an exceptional natural park with a wealth of flora and fauna, located at the mouth of the Ebro River in the province of Tarragona. The landscape of the delta has a unique beauty and a character in Catalonia, with

2

In a company the size of Rotecna, it is vital that the movement of material is carried out efficiently and in an orderly way. To do so, we work with a combined service between push (service on stock), and pull (service on request), which requires that all the flow of information and movement of material be treated in a coherent and coordinated way. This way, we manage to be as effective as possible at servicing the orders for clients; so that the products are available at the right time, in the right

water as the main protagonist. It is one of the most important aquatic habitats in the Western Mediterranean.

In 1983, the Generalitat created the Ebro Delta Natural Park by decree, stating that the Ebro Delta is

the leading wetland in Catalonia and that its importance at the international level is recognized by the highest specialized organisms.

The landscape The Ebro Delta Natural Park has a total area of 7,736 hectares, of which 3,979 correspond to the Montsià district (on the right bank of the river) and 3,757 to the Baix Ebro district (on the left).

The landscape of the Delta has its own special character, with totally flat land that gives it a peculiar aspect. The Delta is a plain that barely rises one metre above sea level, and inside which we find areas of crops, especially extensive rice fields, that change with the seasons: bare earth in winter, flooded in spring, green in summer, they have a special beauty.

In the coastal strip, we find large lagoons, channels, salt marshes, salt flats, dunes and beaches. In the peripheral part, great extensions of saline soils with halophilic vegetation and long deserted sandy beaches, with dunes topped by marram grass.

ROTECNANEWS quantity, at the right place and with the lowest possible cost.

The department in figures In 2017, the activity of the integrated logistics department increased by 31% over 2016, and in 2018 we are performing a monthly average of 60,000 movements, an increase of 45% over the same period in 2017.

The growing activity of the department and the incorporation of new, more complex products, such as Tecnapur and Dositronic, have led to improvements in the layout and delimitation of areas so that the movements are more ordered. In this sense, new areas of storage for raw materials closer to the points of consumption have been incorporated, and the processes of delivering orders have been streamlined, along with the commercial department, through shared tools, such as Business Intelligence.

The integral logistics department is a living and constantly evolving department, focused on improving customer service. That is why we work to be constantly up-to-date with the latest organisational techniques and technological solutions, analysing how these can be applied to improve the way we work. On the other hand, with the help of the Systems Department, we

have developed BIG DATA analysis tools that facilitate the taking of strategic and operational decisions.

The day to day in Logistics All the sections integrated into the logistics department are coordinated so that they work as a chain, so each member does the most important task of the step where they are, receives the service from the previous one, and gives it to the next, bearing in mind that the main goal is to deliver an order to the client in the best conditions.

To manage the day to day, the department holds weekly meetings with planning and back office to guarantee the flow of materials to production and the loading of orders for delivery. In this sense, in addition to managing the movement of material for our clients, integral logistics also manages the internal movement of material to service internal clients, who would be the injection and assembly sections (factory). The department is responsible for ensuring these sections have the necessary materials and/or equipment when and where they need it to produce correctly.

Regarding future, the most important challenge for the integral logistics department is to reduce customer service time, that is, the time from

Jordi Feliu, head of the Department of Integral Logistics. Photo: RotecnaPress.

when the order is processed until it is delivered to the customer. This implies continuous improvement of the processes to make them ever faster, and take full care of the details of the entire supply chain process so that the lead time is as efficient and short as possible, adequate for the needs of customers and the type of order.

Jordi Feliu, head of the Department of Integral Logistics With a long career in the field of logistics, Jordi Feliu started working

in Rotecna in September 2016, with the challenge of creating the integral logistics department and the desire to improve the processes of movement of material to increase client satisfaction. “As a result of starting-up the department, the challenge posed seemed very right and it attracted me as a professional, since you do not have the opportunity to apply the experience and help build a logistics department in a company as important as Rotecna every day�, says Feliu.

ELTA NATURAL PARK Agriculture is one of the pillars of the economy of the area, with a clear predominance of rice. The delta holds 98% of the total production of this cereal in Catalonia. The growing of other market garden and fruit products is also important.

Fishing is also a basic activity.

Approximately 9,000 tons of fish are caught annually, 15% of Catalan production.

330 species of birds This natural area is very biodiverse and rich in fish species, with more than 700 plants and 330 species of birds. Especially noteworthy are the flamingoes that abound in the lagoon of La Tancada and the salt pans of La Trinitat.

The range of plant in the Ebro Delta is unique in Catalonia. The salt flats have plants very adapted to the soda that allows them to avoid the desiccation. We also find reed beds, which cover a good part of the surface of the delta; the riparian

forests, which grow along the banks of the Ebro where the terrain is higher and there is constant water; and the rice fields.

The delta is an area of enormous interest for its colonies of seabirds and as a stopover for migratory birds, especially in autumn, during October and November, when the rice has been harvested and the fields are still flooded, colonised by thousands and thousands of waterfowl. Thus, in autumn you can count about 53,000 ducks and 13,000 coots. Other species of interest are flamingos, seagulls and egrets.

Gastronomy The local cuisine takes full advantage of the natural resources offered by the Ebro Delta through agriculture, fishing and hunting.

Rice is the basic ingredient of most typical dishes in the area, with dishes such as seafood paella, black rice. If this cereal is replaced by noodles these are used to cook as fideuĂĄ, also

This natural area is very biodiverse and rich in fish species. Photo: Calafellvalo.

popular in the area. As an starter, frog legs are very typical.

Other widely-consumed species found in the area include prawns, mussels, oysters and eels, the traditional fish of the Ebro that is

prepared in a stew, a sauce or as chapadillo (open, dried and grilled).

Among the meat dishes, birds such as partridge, pheasant and duck are common, accompanied by local products such as artichokes, peas, and beans.

3 3

TECHNOLOGY PATENTED

FLOUR HOPPER

DOSITRONIC

Includes a patented vibration system that guarantees a smooth drop of the flour for consistent and homogeneous dosing of the feed.

Knowing the varied reality of the pig sector and in our ongoing desire to provide solutions to the needs of livestock around the world, we have created the flour hopper for the Dositronic. An accessory designed for those farms where the feed is supplied as flour.

The large-capacity flour hopper (6 L) is placed on the Dositronic to store the food in perfect conditions until it is consumed by the sows.

PATENTED VIBRATION SYSTEM The design of the hopper reduces the compression of the feed in the lower part of the tank. In turn, the design of the cone, with a patented vibration system that is driven by the movement of the Dositronic spiral, facilitates the dispensing of the flour through the cone of the dispenser and its entry into the electronic dispenser constantly and homogeneously without interruptions, avoiding the formation of voids.

CHARACTERISTICS •

Patented vibration system, driven by the movement of the Dositronic spiral.

•

Large capacity hopper decompression system.

•

Detachable cone for cleaning.

with

ADVANTAGES • It facilitates the entry of flour without interruptions in a constant and homogeneous manner.

• Reduces compression of feed in the hopper.

• Avoids the formation of voids in the hopper.

View of the patented vibration system.

• Reduces the number of times the power system has to work.

The flour hopper is available in 60 and 55-mm diameters.

• Easy cleaning.

PATENTED

DOSITRONIC

LEFT

EXTENDING THE DOSITRONIC RANGE Dositronic’s success in its first year on the market, both in new builds and extensions and renovation, has led Rotecna to expand the range of this electronic dosing device with the creation of a new model, a mirror image of the first. The aim is that, in facilities with feeding lines that run between two rows of farrowing pens, two Dositronic can be placed together, and that both dispensers have the button panels accessible and visible on the front.

So far the Dositronic was available in a single model with the button panel to the right of the dispenser. However, the variety of designs in farrowing sheds makes it necessary to have two models, the original and a second one with the button panel on the left. This facilitates the installation of the Dositronic with the button panel always in front of the farmer, regardless of the specific design of each installation (see image).

The button panel is one of the main advantages of the Dositronic and, therefore, it is very important to make it visible and accessible.

4

OPTIMISE THE CONSUMPTION OF THE SOWS IN FARROWING Dositronic is an electronic feeding system that enables you easily and intuitively to apply feeding strategies to maximise the consumption of feed and water from sows in farrowing, to increase milk production and improve the condition of the sows at the end of the farrowing phase, which, in turn, reduces the weaning-coverage interval and increases the fertility and number of the next litter.

BENEFITS OF THE DOSITRONIC: • • • • • • •

Maximise the consumption of food and water.

Less feed waste.

Greater milk production and welfare of the sows.

Shorter weaning-coverage interval.

Increased fertility, birth rate and number in the next litter.

More homogeneous piglets with higher weaning weight.

More piglets weaned pig / year.

TECHNOLOGY

GROW FEEDER STOP

PATENTED

Rotecna has added the Grow Feeder with shutter, a new option for closing for fasting, to the family of hoppers for fattening.

The Grow Feeder with shutter has a system that completely blocks the feed drop without the need to empty the hopper (regardless of the grain size of the feed), which makes it easier to fast only those pens with animals for slaughter.

Fasting before slaughter is a fundamental practice to obtain good carcass performance, avoid feed waste and increase income per pig.

The shutter system is integrated into the hopper and is easily accessible. With one hand, the farmer can lock and unlock the mechanism comfortably, depending on the fasting needs of each pen.

SHUTTER FOR FASTING Due to the great success of the Grow Feeder as a fattening hopper, Rotecna also has a shutter that adapts perfectly to the food drop mechanism of all the models of this hopper, in order to achieve a complete closure of the same and prevent feed drop.

The shutter is easy and quick to install, without the need to empty the hoppers.

ADVANTAGES • Total closure of the hopper without emptying it.

• Complete blockage of the food drop mechanism, regardless of the feed grain size.

• Easy handling with one hand.

DOUBLE DROP OUTLET ONE DROP FOR 2 FEED LINES The need to supply various types of feed in different stages of production often involves working with complex facilities, with twin power lines and two hopper down pipes. With the aim of simplifying the installation of the food distribution system and facilitating its everyday handling, we have designed the double drop outlet.

Our philosophy of facilitating the everyday work of the livestock farmers and offering an extensive range of products has led us to extend the family of drop outlets with a new model, ideal for those installations that work with various types of feed simultaneously.

2 INDEPENDENT CLOSURE SYSTEMS The double drop outlet allows you to work with two feed distribution lines, but with a single down tube. Through its double cable system, the farmer can choose which transport line to fill the hopper from, opening the left or right pipe, or completely close the feed drop.

CHARACTERISTICS • Closing and opening system with double cable.

• 60-mm transport pipes.

• 75-mm drop tube.

5

BIOSECURITY

JOSEP CASANOVAS: “THE Nº 1 ERROR IS NOT DIFFERENTIATING THE CLEAN AREA FROM THE DIRTY AREA WELL” In order to protect pig farms from the great impact that the entry of any serious disease would have on the sector, biosecurity is gaining ground and is becoming one of the most relevant issues for the future of the sector. Given this scenario, from the ‘Porcine Newsletter’, together with the veterinarian and biosecurity adviser Josep Casanovas, we analyse the main challenges and errors in this area of biosecurity. On this occasion, we address external biosecurity, and in the next edition, we will focus on the internal aspect.

How important is biosecurity on pig farms?

It has a very important role. The basic concept is well defined by the saying: “prevention is better than cure”. In a more technical way, we could say that biosecurity is everything we can do so that infectious diseases do not enter the productive system. In our business, we work with live animals, which means that we work with something very delicate, something we have to protect, so we need biosecurity measures.

There are two levels of biosafety, external and internal. What does each level refer to?

External biosecurity is what we apply to protect ourselves from what may come from outside, and internal biosecurity is everything done to protect you from problems that are already in the production system. The latter is more complex, because if isolating the farm from the outside world is already difficult, trying to make differences within the farm itself is more complicated.

Let’s start by looking at the exploitation from the outside in, speaking first of external biosecurity. What do we have to protect our farms from?

The truth is that when we talk about biosecurity it does not make much sense to make a list of enemies, because biosecurity measures are for all, both the known and unknown. If we had had good security measures, PRRS would not have hurt us as much as it did. From there, we must have some basic measures, such as a fence that physically prevents both the passage of people and animals, and defining very clearly what is the clean area (the farm) and the dirty area (the rest of the world), which we have to treat as if it were full of all existing diseases. Precisely, in terms of the delimiting the clean and dirty areas, we must take some critical points into account, which are the points of contact, that is, the people entering through the locker room, the livestock entering through the loading bay, the material that comes in through the collection point, etc.

What are the basic measures that should be applied in external biosecurity?

It would be very important to get all the farms in Spain to have a fence, bird nets, a good loading bay and to change the clothing properly. There are many other things, but if we get everyone to comply with these basic measures, it will be a success. Of course, the measures must be applied

6

Clearly delineating the clean area from the dirty area is very important, especially in spaces such as loading docks and locker rooms. Photo: Josep Casanovas.

correctly. For example, in the specific case of the loading dock, it is important that it is very clear which is the clean area and which is the dirty area.

The drivers must know where and how far they can drive, and the same for the farmer. On the other hand, it is essential that the bay prevents animals that have entered the truck from returning into the farm and also avoiding the re-entry of liquids.

From the day you decide to build a farm, you know that animals will have to enter and leave. Including a loading bay is simple and is a small part of the overall investment in the farm and has many advantages for the farmer, the drivers and the animals, so I think we should make more efforts in this regard.

Related to the loading dock, what measures should be adopted with the transports that arrive at the farms?

The transport of livestock is the most delicate aspect and the one with the worst reputation.

Everything related to transport implies haste, it means controlling the time closely, since a driver depends on the tachograph and, to speed up the loading and unloading process, they often offer to help, entering the clean area, when they should not. To avoid this, when loading and unloading animals, there should be enough personnel to make this task more agile and avoid mistakes. On the other hand, we should start thinking seriously about having a wardrobe for the drivers, with the possibility that they can wash, with clothes and boots from the farm itself, for use exclusively for loading.

Among the basic measures, you have also indicated the change of clothes. What should be taken into account regarding this point?

The best way to change clothes is to have an adequate wardrobe. This must be divided into two zones: a dirty area through which the operators enters, leave all their clothing, watch, mobile, etc. and cross an obligatory waypoint (where hygiene standards set by the farm are applied), and a clean area where farm clothing is available. The hygiene standards of the waypoint can vary. Normally in breeding farms, insemination centers, genetic nuclei, etc., it is a shower and, in the case of fattening farms, a shower is perfect, but if one is not available, there should at least be a sink. As for the clothes for the farm, it is important for them always to be washed and dried inside the facilities.

Beyond these basic measures, if we want to maximize biosecurity, what other measures can be applied?

For example, regarding the entry of material, we should have a specific loading dock for it, where it can be disinfected, or take measures such as having the material arrive inside a double bag. As for tools for external operators, we can also take preventive measures, such as the farm having tools for internal use or having the option of disinfecting them before entering farm.

Finally, what are the main errors that are committed in external biosecurity?

The number 1 error is not clearly differentiating the clean area from the dirty area and the second is often not understanding what the measures are and only applying these because it is the law. In this sense, we must work to raise awareness in the sector through education and training, and not be satisfied that the measures are only complied with for legal imperative. If people understand why things are done, the measures will be applied well and, above all, will be applied lastingly.

PIGPRODUCTIONIN...

FRANCE, THIRD LARGEST PIG

PRODUCER IN EUROPE Source: FranceAgriMer

DATA ABOUT FRANCE Capital:

París

Area:

643.801 km2

Population:

67.158.000

Population density: 116 inhab / km2 DGP

$2,833 billion

Economy

Energy, tourism & agriculture

Agriculture and Livestock

2,2 %

Spain is the leading supplier of pork for France, with more than 315,000 tonnes per year.

Maternity facilities in France with the Rotecna Ni-2. Photo: I-TEK.

CONSUMPTION The pork represents almost 40% of total French meat consumption, which stands at 33.1 kilos of pork per capita, lower than the 36.5 kilos in 2008 and 34.3 kilos consumed in 2010 (Graph 1).

With a production of 2.2 million tonnes of pork, France is the third largest producer of pigs in the European Union. Although the country exports 30% of its production, the volume of imports is very high: up to 25% of the pork consumed by the French is imported.

According to the consultant Kantar, the consumption of pork is has diminished slightly in French households, especially in products such as pork chops and charcuterie. It is a similar trend to that of other meats such as lamb, beef and poultry.

PRODUCTION

The total consumption of pork in France is 2.1 million tons, of which 75% corresponds to charcuterie products and the rest to fresh meat.

More than 75% of France’s swine production is concentrated in livestock farms located in the French Great West, especially in the regions of Brittany and Pays de la Loire.

In 2017, the number of pigs stood at around 12.8 million head, of which 1 million are sows. In productive figures, with a slaughter volume of 23.1 million pigs, the annual production of meat reached 2.2 million tons, a figure that represents 9% of European production and places France as the third pork producer in Europe.

In terms of size, most French farms have a capacity of between 50 and 150 sows.

According to FranceAgriMer data, in 2015 France had 4,870 farms with capacity for more than 50 sows, and 990 farms with 150 sows or more.

COMMERCIALISATION In the food industry, more than 50% of French production is transformed into charcuterie products by domestic companies. Specifically, the salting industry represents more than half the sales of the French pig meat, with a production of 1.2 million tons of delicatessen products, 70% locally-produced.

On the other hand, another 25% of French meat, mainly loin, is sold fresh, and the other 25% is exported within the European Union and to third countries.

The main distribution channels are concentrated in less than forty producer organisations, increasingly involved in other steps on the production chain (genetics, animal feed, slaughter, sale, transformation, etc.). These organisations are of three types: large distribution groups that have their own slaughterhouses to guarantee their supply of meat, specialised slaughterers with links to various steps in the production chain, and the production sector, which invests in the slaughter and transformation of products.

EXPORTS France exports 25% of its production. The main destinations for this meat are countries in the European Union, namely Italy, Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Germany, and third countries such as China and the Philippines.

In figures, the volume of French pork exports are 600,000 tons per year, in addition to 130,000 tons of offal, with a turnover of €1,180 million.

By type, fresh and frozen meat are the main products exported by France (430,000 t), followed by fats (95,000 t), live animals (50,000 t) and processed products (20,000 t) (Graph 2)).

IMPORTS Regarding imports, France imports around 500,000 tonnes annually, in addition to 70,000 tonnes of offal, worth €1,370 million.

By products, meat, fresh and frozen, is the main imported product consumed by the French (340,000 t), followed by processed products (90,000 t) and fats (60,000 t).

The main supplier of pork for France is Spain, with more than 315,000 tonnes per year, followed a long way by Germany (71,000), Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

In conclusion, in 2017 the French trade balance (between exports and imports) was positive: 160,000 tons in its favour. However, in value, the French sector had a deficit of close to $200 million.

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

ELECTRONIC FEED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DOSITRONIC DOSITRONIC PLUS

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

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

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

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

PANELS BLIND PANEL 1200X1000 VENTILATED PANEL 1200X1000 BLIND PANELS MADE TO SIZE VENTILATED PANELS MADE TO SIZE MIXED PANELS MADE TO SIZE FAST DOOR KIT POLIAMID UNION BRAKETS FOR PANELS PROFILES FOR PANELS

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

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.

AUGER SYSTEM

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

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