39 ROTECNA WORLD

ROTECNAWORLD NUMBER THIRTY-NINE 2019

SUMMARY TECHNOLOGY

DOSITRONIC G, INDIVIDUAL ELECTRONIC FEEDING SYSTEM FOR GROUP HOUSING GESTATION GLOBALPIG

ADVANTAGES OF FERTILISATION WITH MECHANICALLY SEPARATED PIG SLURRY ROTECNANEWS

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT PIGPRODUCTION

GERMANY’S WORST PIG PRODUCTION SINCE 2011

LETTER FROMTHEEDITOR Economically, the pork sector in Spain is being more favourable than other years at this time, and production is increasing, mainly thanks to exports. As always, the sector faces this increase following the highest standards of animal health and welfare, which is and must be one of the main strengths of pig farming.

SOMETHINGABOUT

PAPER DRESS MUSEUM

SCAN ME WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE

ROTECNA

Gener Romeu Rotecna's President ROTECNA WORLD 38 JULY 2019

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EDITION: ROTECNA, S.A.- POL. IND. NAU-3, 25310 AGRAMUNT (LLEIDA) SPAIN DIRECTOR: GENER ROMEU EDITOR: NOELIA BURGOS IMAGES EDITION: DAVID MERCADO TRANSLATION: SAM SMITH PRINT: IMPRENTA BARNOLA L-41-2007

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

In terms of equipment, the development of products focused on the circular economy and animal welfare is part of Rotecna’s business philosophy. Some good examples are the Dositronic G (precision electronic feed for free-gestation sows) and Tecnapur phase II (the physicochemical reactor for phase separation of high-performance slurry), which were successfully received.

On the other hand, although completely harmless to humans, African swine fever has claimed the lives of millions of pigs, mainly in China, and is becoming the largest animal epidemic in history. Against this backdrop, the Asian giant will need to increase its imports, which is good for the countries that supply it with pigs.

One of the main areas of work of the pig sector in Spain is biosecurity, aware of the losses that a closure of borders would entail due to any health problem, and it would not be superfluous to increase prevention and control measures to keep this terrible disease away from our borders.

We have many reasons to be positive about the future of the industry, and as always, Rotecna will accompany the farmers in their daily endeavours until they reach their objectives.

Gener Romeu

ROTECNANEWS

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

DEPARTMENT

PROFILE: · Year the department was reorganized: 2017 · Number of employees: 6

Financial and accounting management is a strategic point for the proper functioning of the company. Rotecna’s Finance and Administration Department comprises a qualified group of eight people who are experts in the field.

Xavier Morales, Neus Oliva, Mireia Ginés, Pol Morell, Gemma Boldú, Xavier Regué, Carme Vidal and Carme Gasull are the team. Photo: RotecnaPress.

Currently, the Finance and Administration Department of Rotecna is formatted by a qualified group of eight people who are experts in the field.

SOMETHINGABOUT...

The main aim of the department is to support the other divisions and employees of Rotecna and the Board of Directors, which is the entity that promotes distributed leadership and participation in the decision-making of our company.

Besides supporting the “internal client”, the Finance and Administration Department is also responsible for the economic and tax management with clients, suppliers, other external collaborators and public administrations.

PAPER

MOLLERUSSA HAS JOINED THE GUINNESS WORLD RECORD BY SHOWING THE LARGEST EXHIBITION OF PAPER DRESSES IN A SINGLE SPACE IN THE WORLD.

To understand how the paper dress competition began, we must go back in time to a society looking for alternatives to fun and to an area restricted to the female gender: the workshop.

It was an era when women had an education reduced to the domestic sphere, with various subjects that had one purpose: to make them good housewives.

‘La Amistad’ Theatre was filled with 500 paper costumes, getting into the Guinness World Record. Photo: Paper Dress Museum.

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Among these subjects was sewing, so it was common for women to meet in a workshop where they created their clothes. It was in one of these workshops that the first paper dresses were made, in Villaró sisters’ workshop. Each year, they celebrated Santa Llúcia, the festivity of the patron saint of

ROTECNANEWS Organisation and management of the team

Gemma Boldú manage accounts payable, the treasury, bank management and collections.

Since its beginnings, Rotecna has always had an administration department in charge of economic and financial management. Over the years, fiscal and commercial responsibilities and management processes have become increasingly complex. Also, the growth experienced by Rotecna has caused this department, which is one of the oldest in the company, to become more and more specialised in its tasks.

Then we find Pol, Rotecna’s industrial and commercial controller. His position is linked to the control and supervision of product profits, costs, clients and markets. At reception, Mireia Ginés is in charge of invoicing our clients. By her side, Neus Oliva takes care of managing the registration and client visits.

Together they manage the firm’s correspondence and are a vital part of the company, since they are the first contact and the represent Rotecna’s image for clients and people who visit.

In 2017 we incorporated the figure of the Chief Financial Officer to strengthen the department, promoting new reporting tools and improving the company’s overall efficiency. This role is taken up by Xavier Morales, with extensive, earlier experience in the financial management of companies, together with Xavier Regué, the head of administration and accounting, coordinate the different estimates of the department.

It is in this moment when a departmental organisation is defined by a new task distribution to strengthen the department. Thus, Carme Vidal, Carme Gasull and

Among its functions, the department likewise has to fulfil both accounting and fiscal obligations, the supervision of the preparation of the company’s annual accounts as well as budget monitoring; a task that, together with the members of the section, is an essential part of Rotecna’s business success.

Xavier Morales, Chief Financial Officer With extensive training and experience in economic and financial matters, Xavier Morales came to

Xavier Morales, Chief Financial Officer. Photo: RotecnaPress.

Rotecna in 2017, after having worked in other professional services companies and positions of financial responsibility.

His professional trajectory made a change for the best with the transition from the world of systems and organisational consulting to the role of financial management in different industrial sectors until the opportunity to work at Rotecna arrived. “I remember being impressed by the commercial power and international presence of the

company, with an export volume of 60% total turnover and a presence in over 85 countries. I was further impressed by the job of the Marketing Department and the publication of three magazines, which say a lot about Rotecna and its projects, values and establishes its corporate image. The capacity of the team and its intimate and closenatured atmosphere fascinated me”, explains Xavier, who adds that “our contribution as a department must be to escort Rotecna in its growth”.

DRESS MUSEUM dressmakers, with a special parade in which every 13th of December, the families and friends of the dressmakers were invited to see how clothes gave up their space to paper, with an exhibit of spectacular garments.

The Cultural and Recreational Society “La Amistad”, created on the 7th of May 1905 in Mollerussa, made this idea its own and so the proposal to hold a Paper Dress Competition arose. They held the first edition of the competition on Sunday 12th of December 1963.

The accomplishment of that original edition filled the hall of the theatre ‘La Amistad’.

During its first two years of life, the Contest had a regional scope, but the excellent reception and the success of the event allowed it, in its third year, 1965, to become a national scope.

In the last edition of 2018, Mollerussa entered the Guinness World Record by showing the

largest exhibition of paper dresses in a single space in the world. The international organisation that recognised the milestone validated this feat of filling the theatre ‘La Amistad’ on the 6th and 7th of October with 500 paper suits; 338 natural sizes and 162 for ‘Barbie’ dolls.

In this exhibition, they chose the dresses from among the 2600 that paraded throughout the years the competition has been held.

The aim is to promote the cultural values of this tradition and promote paper costumes as an art that derives from widespread knowledge: the culture of sewing and excelling at this craftsmanship.

Paper Dress Museum The Paper Dress Museum is a response to a demand that was almost obligatory, thus recognising a long-established tradition in Mollerussa and a barely known art form outside the city. In the past,

there was no museum; they used the space between the corridors of the theatre to display the winning costumes. But, as time went by, that area became too small, and in 1998, when the Town Hall assumed responsibility for the theatre, the event and the costumes, they were moved to a location designed to be a museum, in the “Sant Jordi” Galleries.

Finally, in December 2009, the new Paper Dress Museum opened its doors on the same weekend as the 44th National Paper Dress Competition.

Some of the oldest costumes in the competition are in this location, as well as pieces that change every year, adding the new winning costumes.

The museum explains how a paper suit is made and takes us back to the year 50 of the 20th century when, in a small workshop in the city of Mollerussa, an idea arose: to switch clothes for paper.

A model parading in one contest.

Photo: Paper Dress Museum.

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TECHNOLOGY PATENTED

INDIVIDUAL ELECTRONIC FEEDING SYSTEM FOR GROUP HOUSING GESTATION The Dositronic G for gestation sows housed in groups allows feeding individually of each animal in a controlled manner according to their needs, improving the body condition upon arrival to farrowing and signifi cantly reducing wasted feed.

The sows can enter any free station in the pen, without competition with the other animals of the group, once inside, a transmitting tag the fi xed in the ear is detected by the antenna of the station, then the electronic dispenser feeds the sow with the volume of feed that corresponds to her day of gestation in the curve that has been assigned to that animal, according to its parity and body condition.

CHARACTERISTICS: • • • • • •

• • • •

From 15 to 20 animals per station.

Mechanical free access self-closing cage without pneumatic actuators.

High precision motorized dispenser.

Empty hopper detection system.

Easy and fast installation through quick connectors.

Easy and fast access to the data of each animal “in situ” with the PDA with “Dosipocket” ear tag chip reader• Easy-to-use intuitive software.

Software intuitivo y de uso sencillo.

It allows to generate unlimited feeding curves.

Online remote technical support.

Up to 4 stations per node.

The sows eat isolated from the others and the feed is gradually dispensed as they are ingesting, so they eat the exact amount that corresponds to them avoiding waste of feed.

Once the ration of the day is administered, the dispenser stops, and the sows leave the station, leaving it free for the next sow.

The stations are adaptable to any pen design and group size. It is possible installing one or more stations per pen, with 15 to 20 animals per station. The adaptation of the gilts to the system is intuitive and very fast, since they see their companions eat inside the box, which is very similar to the stall they have been using since insemination until they are moved to the gestation pens. The stations have a bar that prevents the sows from laying inside.

ADVANTAGES: • • • • • • •

• • •

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Accurate and individual control of the dispensed feed.

Feeding without competition between the sows of the same group.

Automatic application of increases in consumption as the animal gestation progresses.

Better condition of the sows when they reach maternity.

Significant reduction of feed waste.

Several feed points per pen facilitates learning to use the system by imitation, reduce competition for entry to the station and ensure the controlled feeding of animals even in the event of breakdown of any of the stations of the same pen.

Automatic addition of the sows to the system when a transponder is detected for the first time.

Daily reports of consumption behavior with alarms for sows with feeding problems.

Very versatile gestation pen design, facilitating the adaptation of the electronic feeding system to both newand existing farms.

GLOBALPIG

ADVANTAGES OF

FERTILISATION WITH MECHANICALLY SEPARATED Oscar Toledano. Marketing Manager.

Joan Clos y Carlos Malla. In charge of TecnaPur-Rotecna.

Each time a crop is harvested, large amounts of nutrients are extracted from the soil.

Consequently, plants must be fertilised to make sure proper nutrition is attained and to keep the land with adequate fertility levels.

Both public and private organisations encourage slurry as an organic fertiliser, not only because of its excellent fertilising capacity but also to close the nutrient cycle and promote a circular economy.

To use pig slurry as fertiliser, we must know its nutritional composition, the value and fertiliser efficiency of each of them, the specific needs of each crop in each of its growth phases and its productivity per hectare. This will allow us to calculate the dose and application period to adjust the supply of nutrients to their extraction, after which, we must use an application method to ensure a homogeneous distribution.

phosphate rock, and it has a volatile price. The primary treatment to optimise the management and valorisation of slurry is a mechanical separation, where both a liquid and solid phase are achieved. This separation results in a redistribution and concentration of nutrients that improve its application as a fertiliser and avoids environmental problems. It is still the first step in any pig waste treatment programme.

Mechanical separation consists of passing the slurry through a sieve that removes up to 40% of the solids, leaving only the smallest particles, thus achieving the following benefits:

ADVANTAGES OF MECHANICAL SEPARATION FOR SEPARATED LIQUID FRACTION

Nowadays, there are fast and reliable methods to measure the composition of the slurry, even just before its application, in the same vessel that transports and applies it. The concentration of nutrients per unit volume of slurry varies depending on the farm, because of differences in water inputs.

• Reduces application costs by minimising the volume of liquid slurry to be applied by up to 15%.

The composition and concentration are affected by the stratification of phases in pits and ponds, as part of the solids sediment on the bottom and others float on the surface, the less soluble elements concentrating in the solid part such as phosphorus and organic nitrogen.

• Improves its fertilising properties on the cover when the crop needs a more significant contribution of nitrogen by increasing its proportion of inorganic nitrogen, which is speedily absorbed.

The critical factor in increasing crop production in soils with a general fertility index is nitrogen.

Nitrogen is found in pig slurry up to 70% in an inorganic form (speedily absorbed by plants) and the rest in organic form (absorbed gradually, as it has to be transformed), which makes it suitable as a cover fertiliser once the crop is born, rather than just bottom before sowing.

It is preferable to use application methods that distribute the slurry at soil level, such as hoses and injectors, which reduce nitrogen losses compared to fan while ensuring a more homogeneous distribution. In many crop types, with the best dosage based on the required nitrogen supply, the slurry provides more phosphorus than necessary which poses a serious dilemma in the long term, as it is a waste of this element, key for agriculture and of high strategic value. Despite being relatively abundant, there are very few sources of

• Improves the fertilising qualities of the slurry by increasing the proportion of nitrogen per unit of phosphorus applied

PIG SLURRY

• Facilitates any subsequent treatment you want to apply for its homogeneity and absence of large particles.

ADVANTAGES OF MECHANICAL SEPARATION FOR SEPARATED SOLID PHASE • It increases its value by concentrating the nutrients in a small volume, allowing them to be transported to other areas.

• Improves its lower level fertiliser properties when the crop needs a lower nitrogen input, but a higher organic matter input.

• According to the technology used for separation, it avoids contaminating the soil with improper particles such as plastics because it allows them to be removed during separation.

• It facilitates any subsequent treatment you want to do: solar drying, composting, anaerobic digestion, and others.

• According to the technology used for separation, it avoids contaminating the soil with improper particles such as plastics, by allowing them to be removed during separation.

• It improves fertilisation by making it easier, faster and more efficient to homogenise the ponds before pumping since surface crusts and bottom sediments are easier to remove.

• It improves application and reduces its cost as it is not necessary to use crusher pumps and agitators in the application machinery. Ideal for use with injection systems, surface hoses, and even irrigation systems.

• It facilitates the calculation of nutrient composition, application and infiltration in the soil at reticular level, reducing emissions and improving the efficiency of nitrogen fertilisation, even as cover fertiliser in crops already born.

Dry residue from Rotecna TP-01 solids separating machine.

Photo: RotecnaPress

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GLOBALPIG

DIONISIO TORRES:

“WITH THE DOSITRONIC WE HAVE RECOVERED THE BODY CONDITION OF THE SOWS.” With a ten-year long history and a lengthy background in the sector, this small farm has 80 sows in a closed cycle.

Dionisio Torres, from a family with a background in pig farming, chose to become an expert in this kind of farm. In 2009, he and his wife, María José de la Torre, expanded the business and, given their experience, they built a closed-cycle farm in the town of Baena (Córdoba) where they worked with 80 sows and one male.

Why did you venture into this activity?

From the beginning, we were clear we would venture on this type of business because that’s what we’ve always wanted. We set up a long warehouse that separately houses the different phases: gestation, maternity, transition and bait. Although it is a small farm, we try to be self-sufficient and take advantage of our resources to get the highest benefit. This was the project we dreamed of and, with my wife, who is a veterinarian, we developed our purpose in life her

Why did you work with the Dositronic integral electronic power supply system?

For its usefulness when managing maternity feeding, since it helps us to increase the feed consumption of the sows during lactation, with the benefits this entails, and to keep an individualised control of each animal’s food intake.

What are the main benefits you highlight from its use?

Truth is, it is a product that we are delighted with. We have regained the sow’s bodily condition, and we are guaranteed they will not lose weight during lactation. Before using Dositronic we always faced this problem; now we can keep a daily control of the feeding of each sow, provide more or less food depending on their needs, whether it is hot or cold depending on each season and climate, ensuring they can eat at night. Besides, with Dositronic, we encourage the sows to get up to eat three or four times a day. Food waste is zero, the sows eat more, generate more milk and the piglets’ weight increases. Because of this, when they leave, the sows have higher fertility levels

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Dionisio Torres and María José de la Torre at its operation. Photo: María José de la Torre.

and ovulate more and better, which increases the prolificacy for the next farrowing.

What are other Rotecna products have you installed?

Most of the items in the catalogue. We chose dispensers, Swing Feeder Duo hoppers for weaning, nests, heating plates, slats, etc.

With how many feeding curves do you work?

We work with three; we program the feeding curve to a maximum intake of 10,300 from the eighth day. Thus, we increase the daily ration of the animals until we reach 90% of our target at the end of lactation.

What biosecurity measures do you take to reduce the risk of disease transmission?

The farm has an external loading dock and a sanitary ford for the disinfection of vehicles entering or leaving, and a perimeter closure of the entire area and a point for the collection of corpses with hygienic measures.

What are the future challenges for exploitation?

Our main aim is always to grow. We want to increase the farm and have between 250 and 300 sows. We are actually, as we speak, awaiting a positive response from the Andalusian Regional Government about aid for pig farm entrepreneurs.

What is your vision for the future of the industry?

I’m optimistic. I believe that the pig business is booming and shows continuous growth; it has become one of the most thriving economies in Spain.

Maternity ward. Photo: María José de la Torre.

PIGPRODUCTIONIN...

GERMANY’S WORST PIG

PRODUCTION SINCE 2011 Source: DESTATIS

German pig productivity decreased by 1.5% year-on-year and was surpassed by Spain in pork sales.

Meat production in German commercial slaughterhouses declined in the financial year 2018. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reported that, compared to the previous year, productivity fell by 1.5%, reaching 8 million tonnes.

DECLINE IN PRODUCTION The pig population of Germany on 3rd November last year was 26.4 million heads. Compared with the previous year, this is a 1.5% year-onyear decrease in production. This reduction was noticeable in the slaughter of imported pigs, which fell by 17.9%.

During the same period, the total number of domestic animals slaughtered fell by 1.9%, leading to a 2.9% reduction in pig meat production to 8 million tonnes.

For piglets and young pigs, there was a decrease in the production of up to 3.9% and 2.1% respectively, but the number of fattening pigs remained at around 11.9 million.

Breeding sows showed a reduction of 1.4% compared to six months ago in May 2018, when there were 1.8 million heads. The number of pig farms (22,400) were affected, with a loss of 4.6% over the same period last year.

GERMANY AND SPAIN REPRESENT 40% OF THE EUROPEAN PIG POPULATION Germany and Spain have 40% of the pig population of the European Union, being our country, the nation with more pigs in Europe.

DATA ABOUT GERMANY Capital:

Berlin

Area:

357,578 17 km²

Population: 82.887.000 Density:

232/km2 (600.9/sq mi)

GDP total

$4,117 trillion

This year, as showed by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), Spain, with 30.1 million copies, surpassed Germany (27.6 million) in pork sales.

The most recent data update by the Interporc defined 2017 as an historic year for Spain because for the first time, Spain exceeded the barrier of 5,000 million euros in value of exports and reached a turnover of 15,000 million euros, resulting in 300,000 new direct jobs and over 1 million indirect jobs in rural areas.

The figures for 2018 maintained the good level of data gained in previous years and experienced slight increases in production, over 4.5 million tonnes; and in exports, 2.16 million tonnes.

From 2014 to 2018, the Spanish pork industry has increased its exports by 47% in volume and 36% in value, reaching 4,826 million euros.

Thus, Spain ranks third in the world trade of pork products, selling to over 130 countries.

A maternity farm in Germany. Photo: RotecnaPress

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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 TR3D FEEDER SF3D FEEDER TR5 FEEDERS SOW BOWL FEEDING BALL

DISPENSERS CLUTCH DISPENSER DOSIMATIC SIMPLEX D-2 FOUR FIVE SIX-D SIX-S ADAPTER LINE DISPENSER OUTLET ADAPTER SPLAYLEG STOP ANTI-STRESS FEEDER ANTI-STRESS CHAIN

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

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

ELECTRONIC FEED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DOSITRONIC M DOSITRONIC G

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

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

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

SILOMETRIC

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

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

TECNAPUR SOLID-LIQUID SEPARATOR AGITATOR