45 ROTECNA WORLD

ROTECNAWORLD NUMBER FORTY FIVE 2020

TECHNOLOGY FEEDING BALL SUPPORTS

GLOBALPIG “WITH DOSITRONIC G, THE SOWS’ DORSAL FAT IS MORE CONSISTENT”

PIGPRODUCTION

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EXPORT AND EFFICIENCY, KEYS TO THE DANISH PIG SECTOR

ROTECNA NEWS ROTECNA CREATES A NEW SOFTWARE DEPARTMENT

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Nº 45

December 2020

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR We face the final stretch of this atypical and challenging year for many families for all that has been happening around the pandemic of the COVID-19. We have all experienced, more or less closely, the effects of this virus, and we have confirmed the importance of respecting safety measures to prevent its spread.

Despite everything, we closed a year in which the Spanish pork sector has once again proven its worth.

In hard times, such as those with total confinement, it has worked tirelessly to ensure that the production chain did not stop. This has been reflected in the production figures, which have once again shone, as have those referring to the export volume.

During this time, we have also been able to see how efficient the Spanish pig sector is in terms of surveillance to prevent the arrival of diseases to the farms, something of great importance now that we know that the ASF has already arrived in Germany.

In business, this year, we have also seen how we have been deprived of appearing at trade fairs such as Eurotier, which would have taken place last November in Hanover. Instead, virtual contests and meetings have been gaining presence. Aware of the opportunities that these may entail, Rotecna has participated in some of them in this last quarter of the year, such as SEPOR, Congress 333 Experience and the Porc d’Or Awards, which have been held virtually for the first time.

CONTENTS 4. Rotecna News Rotecna creates a new Software Department.

8. Something About The Man with “the Noses”.

10. Technology

Feeding Ball Supports.

12. Global Pig

Àngel Peretó: “With Dositronic G, the sows’ dorsal fat is more consistent.”

16. Future News

Detection of diseases with movement patterns.

22. Pig Production in...

Export and efficiency, keys to the Danish pig sector.

Rotecna World Director: Antonio Pinos.

Editor: Francisco García, Tamara Lombardo.

Images edition: David Mercado.

Translation: Sam Smith.

Print: Imprenta Barnola.

We wish you all the best for next year, which will undoubtedly solve many of the current difficulties.

See you in 2021.

Antonio Pinos, Rotecna’s CEO.

L-41-2007 Rotecna's World's editors accept no liability for contributor's opinion.

DIGITAL VERSION /issuu.com/rotecnapress

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ROTECNANEWS ROTECNA CREATES A NEW SOFTWARE DEPARTMENT

Rebeca, Jordi, Pau and Jaume are part of Rotecna’s Software department. Photo: Rotecna.

The pig sector professionalisation in Spain in recent years has led to the implementation of new technologies on farms as a tool to optimise and increase production figures.

The so-called precision livestock is already a reality in the pig sector, where, for example, we work with electronic feeding systems that allow us to know at all times that a specific animal has eaten, which is the most suitable feeding curve for sows so that their body state is optimal throughout their reproductive cycle, avoid wasting food, etc.

Faced with this reality, and with the evolution margin that these technologies offer for companies such as Rotecna, which is dedicated to manufacturing equipment for pig farms, has created a new Software department that works to improve the daily user experience that the farmer has with these electronic products.

Jaume Balcells, the coordinator of this new department at Rotecna, explains: “When 4

Rotecna created the first version of the Dositronic in 2017, the electronic feeding system for sows, the product’s design was approached from a hardware point of view: sensor, dispenser, nodes..., but the software part (usability), even though it developed with great passion, analysing the competition and listening very carefully to the needs of the breeders, it was done without precise and defined procedures. Now, with the creation of the department, we intend to continue giving the farmer a say, but filtering the information better, establishing processes and shaping the software products so that everything is coherent and has a reason for being done”.

The team Currently, four people are part of Rotecna’s Software department. Thus, the department has three developers: Jordi Lanchas, a computer engineer, who has the most senior profile of all and specialises in software development, explicitly in databases and desktop software;

bridge between farmers and developers. Their task is to take note of the needs that farmers convey, define the necessary functionalities, order priorities and negotiate the program’s terms and functions with the software team.

Then we have software colleagues, who are on the development team, who create the code, and finally, I participate as coordinator and, if needed, a colleague from the technical office will too”.

Working on software development. Photo: Rotecna.

Rebecca Sarac, a cross-platform application development technician, who deals with apps and program web development; and, Pau Prenafeta, cross-platform application development technician and computer student, who is focused on developing desktop programs. Finally, Jaume, with a master’s degree in electronic engineering, is the coordinator of the department and the person who determines the requirements and objectives to be achieved in the different project’s development.

Scrum working methodology The Software department works with a new work methodology called SCRUM, which consists of applying acceptable practices when working as a team and collaborating, and pursues the objective of giving agile responses to processes that are continually changing, such as creating software.

“We work with different roles. Apart from the department members, we collaborate with other company technicians, “explains Jaume, adding: “in this way, there is the “product owner” that is in charge of being the client’s spokesperson. He is the one who acts as a

Fortnightly, everyone involved in a project meet in meetings they call “sprint reviews” to review what had to be done in the last two weeks. Then a second meeting is held, called “sprint planning”, where the objectives to be achieved in the coming days are defined.

Projects Improving the user experience of a successful product such as Dositronic is currently one of the department’s main tasks. “We are developing changes to the Dositronic’s desktop program that allows us to create feeding strategies for animals, monitor that everything is working properly, and analyse consumer data and other farm parameters,” explains Jaume.

On the other hand, work is being done on the PDA application, which allows the farmer to carry out operations that he would have to do on the computer, but in the same maternity place or the gestation pens, with the reading of the sow’s marker.

The potential of these products and the application of precision livestock farming has a long journey ahead. “We see that many more products can be created in this area than we have today. The experience that the people who are working with these products will gain will lead us to develop other products that we cannot imagine now, “concludes Jaume.

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ROTECNANEWS ANTONIO PINOS: “THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT ANY COMPANY IS THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN IT.”

Antonio Pinos at the Rotecna facilities in Agramunt.

Photo: Rotecna.

Coming from Zaragoza and with a long history in company management in the industrial sector, Antonio Pinos came to Rotecna in February 2018. He did it to put himself at the forefront of the company’s general direction, a challenge he claims has been fascinating. In this ROTECNA WORLD, we know more about Rotecna’s CEO, who tells us about the company’s present and the future challenges that await him.

What did you do professionally before joining Rotecna?

I am an industrial engineer with a master’s degree in business administration and management, and I have always been closely linked to the industrial field. In the last 20 years, I have worked in the general management area for several companies from different sectors, and always of international scope. I have worked with people to transform businesses, define strategies and global growth.

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How were your early stages in the company?

It was an exhilarating few weeks because Rotecna belongs to an exciting sector. I have been fortunate to work in very different sectors, and throughout my career, I have been able to corroborate that each industry has its complexity. There is no easy sector, and the first thing to do when entering a company is to understand what the main lines of the industry are. Therefore, when I arrived at Rotecna, I tried to know what the company was like, how it related to its clients, why these buy our products, what are their motivations, etc.

In short, understand the business, the clients and, above all, get to know the people, since the fundamental aspect of any company is the people who work in it.

As CEO, what is your job?

I try to share with people where we want to go, get their involvement and commitment. From here, it is about serving them so that they can foster the best of themselves, that they do it within a right work environment, that they do not hide problems, admit mistakes, do things well the first time, and work with all the information and as a team.

What do you like most about working at Rotecna?

Above all, its people. See that things are achieved, the spirit that is created and the excellent environment that this generates.

Being able to say “we have achieved it together” is very satisfying.

“We are in an integration process, full of opportunities”.

How do you rate Rotecna’s capacity for innovation?

Innovation is an essential axis that we have to maintain and even improve, since it is what makes us different, and one of the reasons why our customers buy our products. In this sense, to continue improving in terms of innovation, it is essential to invest in modern processes and tools, but especially in people, their motivations, and who feel part of the project.

Even so, there are many things that we have already started working on and, in any case, they are things that will be very good for everyone, for Rotecna and for the people who work here and who make everything that happens to the company possible, and of course, for the community and Agramunt.

In the long term, the idea is that Agramunt becomes one of the most important centres of excellence of the Skiold group worldwide, and we will work to make it so. I believe that this can create numerous opportunities for many people, both to work in Agramunt or any other part of the world. In this sense, every effort will be made to ensure that these people can develop professionally and realise their full potential.

What do you think will be the future of the company?

Right now, we are in an integration process, full of opportunities, where the problem that arises is possibly prioritising them and doing what is needed at all times.

What are the challenges Rotecna will have to take on?

We have to continue innovating and improving on all possible fronts, in the commercial, logistical, purchasing and new product creation processes.

Antonio Pinos in his office. Photo: Rotecna.

Can you highlight a good moment during the time you have been in the company?

The sale of the company to the Skiold Group. This moment meant the end of one stage and the beginning of another one, full of opportunities.

What are these opportunities?

Rotecna’s integration into the Skiold group represents an unprecedented strategic move, with which we all gain complementarity in markets and technologies.

We must bear in mind that the dimension of the group is much larger now and, therefore, more different than it was before. This creates a series of opportunities to access specific markets that, previously, were more complicated for us, or where we had a lesser presence. So, Rotecna’s integration into the Skiold group opens up new

opportunities that will allow us to do things that we could not do before.

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SOMETHINGABOUT THE MAN WITH “THE NOSES” This character from popular folklore has as many noses as the days of the year. to see “the Man with the Noses”. The appearance of the character occurs somewhere very specific in the municipality, for example, in the most typical square of the town, and then a parade is had.

The Man of “the Noses”, yesterday and today

The man with “the noses” appears on 31th December.

Photo: Ajuntament d’Agramunt.

On the morning of December 31, while having lunch, many parents explain to their sons and daughters that, on that day, if they look carefully, they will be able to see a character that has as many noses as the days of the year on the street. Boys and girls don’t understand this pun and believe that what they will see will be a terrible being, a kind of monster with 365 noses. Disbelievingly, children spend the morning searching for this character. This innocent childish trickery is broken when the little ones come across a big-head that embodies this character from the Catalan popular imagination that symbolizes the year, and that, like all humans, only has one nose, since on the 31st there is only one day left to end the year.

In many towns, it is the grandparents or the godparents who finally take the grandchildren 8

According to some scholars like Joan Amades, the “Man of the Noses” is significant, which has existed by oral transmission of a tradition of a disappeared ancient pre-Christian god who lived within the trunk of a tree, “the Tree of Noses”. Amades documents various rituals that were performed by boys and girls and that link “the Man of the Noses” to a spirit of vegetation.

Currently, due to the position on the calendar, right in the middle of December, a period full of various and innocent jokes for the little ones, and just before the end of the year, “the Man with the Noses” seems more like an embodiment of the year, both the one that ends and the one that begins. This theory takes shape if we consider that in Vila-real (Valencian Community) the Man with “the Noses” is called “Man with the twelve noses”, one for each month of the year.

Be that as it may, in recent years, the Man with “the Noses” has gone from being a character in the popular inventiveness, a

fantastical character and without a corporeal presence, used from playing with children, to being represented by a big-headed man who walks the streets handing out candy. This is a progression that also took place an hundred years ago with the Kings of the East, who were at first, also only imaginary characters that children never saw, to become characters with whom children could even speak to, in the great horseback Dressage Parades.

In some cities or towns, a parade is organized with the physical embodiment of “the Man of the Noses”. In this way, the trickery to which he has subjected children throughout the morning is broken, since the children understand the play on words when they see the small man with the big nose.

Many of these “big heads” are used to making a public farewell assembly of the year locally, in which the things that have not gone well and the shared desires for the coming year are expressed.

The man with “the noses” during the parade.

Photo: Ajuntament d’Agramunt.

Technology

FEEDING BALL SUPPORTS

Rotecna continues to expand its accessory range for the successful Feeding Ball, the dispensed libitum for sows in maternity and the weaning-covering interval, with a new system that offers the farmer different possibilities when installing this product in the maternity cage, park or insemination enclosure.

The new fixtures are compatible with all types of tanks in the range and allow multiple mounting options, making it possible to install the Feeding Ball both in front of the animal and behind the front or bridge facilitating its assembly in a wide range of cages, walls and fences. Besides, it includes the anti-waste extension plate option for fitting at a greater height, which improves access to the mechanism and prevents food from falling outside the feeder.

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FEEDING BALL ADVANTAGES: • • • • •

Maximises intake and minimises waste of feed and water.

Access to fresh feed 24 hours a day.

Quick adaptation of animals.

It does not crash.

Easy access to the interior of the mechanism for cleaning.

Farrowing room with the Feeding Ball. Photo: Rotecna.

BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH THE FOOD ‘AD LIBITUM’ IN MATERNITY CHARACTERISTICS: • Precise and easy to use regulation mechanism.

• Quick and easy disassembly system run by one hand.

• Oscillating ball mechanism with an appendix that is operated with little effort imitating the natural movement of the sickle, so it hardly requires learning by the sow.

• The appendix of the ball prevents it from rotating and moisture passing into the mechanism.

The Feeding Ball is a slow-release dispenser specially indicated for maternity wards, which allows restricted feeding or ad libitum of the sows. Thanks to the ball mechanism and the availability of feed 24 hours a day, the sows increase the number of rounds, so it manages to maximise feed and water consumption, especially in summer, since they can eat in the coldest hours of the day.

Besides, waste is minimised, since large amounts of food are not supplied at once, nor is food dispensed if the sow has no appetite; in this way, we make sure to cover the needs of the sow, while avoiding food waste and the tedious work of cleaning the remains of wet and stale feed from feeders.

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GLOBALPIG ÀNGEL PERETÓ: “WITH DOSITRONIC G, THE SOWS’ DORSAL FAT IS MORE CONSISTENT.”

With 1. 800 sows, the farm located in Isona (Lleida) works with electronic feed in maternity and confirmed gestation.

After 20 years at the head of his farm, Àngel Peretó and Núria Erill are characterised by a clear commitment to the use of new technologies in the daily management of the farm. In this way, in 2004, they were already a pioneer farm in the use of electronic feed in confirmed gestation. However, technology is advancing rapidly, and the farmer must know how to adapt to the latest developments to get the most out of these tools. In this sense, Àngel Peretó tells us that this 2020 they have updated the entire electronic feeding system in gestation with the Rotecna Dositronic G, after the good results obtained in maternity with the Dositronic M, which they have been using for three years.

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Àngel Peretó and Núria Erill in one of the pregnancy rooms. Photo: Rotecna.

Why did you decide to commit yourself to pig farming?

My family has dedicated their whole lives to agriculture and livestock, so at the time, the possibility of continuing with the activity arose, and so I did. However, I preferred to focus on livestock and put agriculture aside.

What is the origin of this farm?

My wife and I, after deciding to dedicate ourselves to pig production, built this farm in 2000, initially with 500 sows, and in 2004 we expanded it to 1.800 sows, which are the ones we currently have.

How is the farm distributed?

We have an insemination gestation area with 500 sows, one of gestation control with 1.100 pregnant sows, a maternity area with 400 places and a weaning area with a capacity for 7.000 piglets.

Who works on the farm?

We are currently ten workers.

We have two people in the gestation ships (insemination and control), two more in maternity, two workers in weaning, who also help in motherhood, one cleaning person and one maintenance person. Then there is my wife and me, who are in charge of managing the farm.

In confirmed gestation they have Dositronic G. What requirement did they intend to cover with the installation of this system?

We noticed the need to work with electronic feeding in gestation in 2004 when we started working with free sows and installed tunnel feeding machines. A few years have passed and, recently, we saw that the software this system used had become obsolete. The devices required a lot of maintenance, so we decided to make a change and go for Dositronic G. We settled for this system because in maternity wards we have been working with Dositronic M for three years now. Now we have an opportunity to unify the software design and have all the farm data in the same program.

How does Dositronic G work?

It is a system that allows us to create individualised feeding curves for the sows, establishing the amount of food to be dispensed depending on the gestation state and each animal’s dorsal fat. With this system, it is possible to optimise the food a lot, since, if a sow is not hungry, it enters the machine and only eats the amount it wants, without any waste of food. Then, through the computer, we can see which sows have eaten and which sows have not, the quantities dispensed, etc.

Is it an easy and intuitive system to use?

It is very visual. If the rations are tracked down, on the computer and a visual check of the rooms, one can quickly check that everything works well or if any sows have not eaten.

What are the main advantages offered by Dositronic G in gestation?

To compare with other systems, for example with auto-capture boxes, you can find sows that enter a box, eat all the food there is, and then enter another box and eat another sow’s ration, or, on the contrary, that a sow does not eat all the food you put for it. With Dositronic G this does not happen, since when the sow enters the box, it detects if the animal has already eaten or not, and dispenses the corresponding ration.

In this way, if the sow has already eaten, the system does not give it food.

Regarding handling, what advantages does this system offer?

One of the main advantages is saving time and personnel. Since the entire system is automated, it is not necessary to manipulate the dispensers daily. Once you have programmed the feeding curves, the operator should only track the quantities consumed by the sows through the computer and visually check the sows’ condition.

Dositronic G installed in one of the pens. Photo: Rotecna.

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GLOBALPIG

“On the computer, we then print an incident sheet from which we track the sows that have not eaten.”

From the computer you can see which animals they have eaten. Photo: Rotecna.

Productively, are there improvements?

The main advantage is that at farrowing bars, there are no very fat or very thin sows since the feeding curves are very well optimised. With Dositronic G, the sows’ dorsal fat states are more consistent. Besides, the fact that the sow reaches motherhood in the best conditions in terms of body fat favours that, after delivery, it has better recovery and preparation for the next pregnancy, with better ovulation and litters with more piglets.

In your case, how do you have the Dositronic scheduled?

We work with two curves, one for multiparous and one for first-timers. On these curves that we have adapted to the farm, if we see that a sow is very thin or fat, what we do is one more/ less, that is, on the initial curve we apply 10% more or 10% less of its daily ration. We follow up to see how many days it takes to regain its optimal body fat status. We made these variations until day 40, when the sow returns to its initial curve and, if it has not recovered, a more/less variation is applied for ten more days.

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What is your daily routine with Dositronic G? Upon arrival at the farm, we perform a visual check in the room to see that no Dositronic has the alarm light on or is blocked. If everything works correctly, on the computer, we then print an incident sheet from which we track the sows that have not eaten. The first day we do a visual inspection, and the second day, if the sow has not eaten either, we enter the cage to see what happened. The most common incidents for which a sow does not eat may be that she has lost the crotale, is sick or lame, about to give birth, or has had an abortion.

On the other hand, a peculiarity in our use of Dositronic G is that the sows’ day changes at 7:00 p.m. We do this for various reasons; first, because, after observing the sows’ behaviour, we saw that 90% of them eat between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 in the morning, on the other hand, at 8:00 is when the operators arrive.

They have from then until 4:00 p.m. to detect any incidents that may occur and look for the sows that they have not eaten. Finally, due to the way we work on the farm, the day when we move the sows from confirmed gestation to farrowing is Wednesday, so that if the sows have eaten between 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday and 8: 00 Wednesday morning, we make sure they have eaten their daily ration.

Scan the QR code with the mobile camera.

Pregnancy room. Photo: Rotecna.

What other Rotecna products have you installed?

Among others, we have the floor in weaning and maternity, the TR5 hopper and the Swing R3 in weaning, the Clutch dispenser in gestation insemination, the Dositronic G in confirmed gestation and the Dositronic M in maternity.

As for the latter, the truth is that if in pregnancy it is a product that works well, the results it offers in motherhood are outstanding, both in terms of optimising working time (it needs less personnel) and wasting feed. As the breeders who work in maternity know, sometimes there are 8 kilos in the dispenser, they are all distributed to the sow, she does not eat them, and often

the feed ends up in the pit.

With Dositronic M, this does not happen, and the waste of feed is minimal.

In general, what do you value about Rotecna?

Innovation. One of the reasons why a large part of the material we have on the farm is from Rotecna is because of its innovative products and the reasonable after-sales assistance, both from the company’s salespeople and technicians; they always solve the problem.

At the health level, what are your main concerns?

Mainly PRRS as the most direct threat. In a more global area, we are also concerned

about the ASF evolution due to the consequences that its arrival would have on exports.

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

We have a perimeter fence throughout the farm. Inside it can only be accessed with farm clothes; trucks (both sows or piglets and feed trucks) never enter, all have access from outside the fence.

What challenges might arise for the future?

Continue doing our best, optimising facilities with the use of new products that help us improve animal welfare and/or improve the economic performance of the farm.

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FUTURENEWS DETECTION OF DISEASES WITH MOVEMENT PATTERNS

The VIGIASAN project aims to develop a livestock surveillance system through movement patterns that can detect infectious diseases early.

J. M. Sánchez-Vizcaíno professor in animal health at the UCM. Photo: J.M. Sánchez-Vizcaíno.

Developing new technologies that allow the early detection of infectious diseases and health problems is the VIGIASAN project’s objective, which is captained by the professor of animal health at the Complutense University of Madrid, José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno.

Through the application of algorithms that allow differentiating group movements and individual movements, this new system will help detect which animals may be about to start a febrile process and later disease. We talk about this novel system and all its advantages with Professor J. M. Sánchez-Vizcaíno.

How was the VIGIASAN project born?

We have to go back more than ten years ago to know the origins of this project. The Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) asked our research group to analyse the risk of different diseases entering into Spain, for their early detection, selecting surveillance zones using sentinel farms (ordinary farms that detect possible conditions early), in which biweekly control 16

was carried out, and different samples were taken for analysis. A blue tongue outbreak put us on alert, and we found that surveillance every 15 days could be insufficient. Then, work began with early fever detection tools such as thermography, which was useful for the early detection of feverish states. However, the technique presented different problems, so we tried other methods, such as the installation of accelerometers or the measurement of water consumption, etc. After these tests, which we videotaped, we installed an artificial vision system, and we noticed that the animals’ movement could be a useful marker of health alterations. We applied different algorithms that allowed us to differentiate them from the group and individual actions, and issue an alarm when significant behavioural changes occurred long before the human eye detected them. With this system, we were able to catch a disease 48 hours before the appearance of a positive PCR (the most sensitive method for detecting infectious diseases). A year ago,

Animal monitoring. Photo: J.M. Sánchez-Vizcaíno.

we presented the preliminary data obtained and a project proposal to the National Rural Development Program on new technologies from MAPA and the EU, and they granted us the VIGIASAN project.

Who participates in this project?

The project is made up of the Veterinary Health Surveillance Center (VISAVET-SUAT) of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). This team has veterinary specialists in epidemiology, infectious diseases and preventive medicine, mathematicians and computer scientists. It is a multidisciplinary team. On the other hand, we have the collaboration of the companies Pig Champ and Vall Companys, the technology company Infomicro, the Association of Vaccine Producers and the Vet + I Foundation, which helps us with communication.

What is VIGIASAN’s objective?

What we mainly want to achieve is to develop a health surveillance system for pigs, which allows the early detection of infectious diseases on conventional production farms. Therefore, we must transform everything we have done during these years at the laboratory level into a

The VIGIASAN system will help control losses on a farm.

Photo: Rotecna

system that we can install on production farms.

This will allow us to outline some algorithms so that the system is as accurate as possible.

Besides, we are studying how early detection works in each of the production phases, to adjust the algorithm as much as possible in each of them, and to activate an alarm when it detects an anomaly that can become a feverish process. The farmer will verify the warning and will be able to separate those animals and request a laboratory diagnosis early on, avoiding the spread of the disease.

How will this system work?

Wide-angle video cameras are used that can capture as many animals as possible. These cameras record day and night continuously, and the recorded material is processed by algorithms that measure each animal’s movement. It should be said that these are changes in actions that are invisible to the human eye. Once we have this information, if the system detects an anomaly, an alarm goes off. Before the alarm, it can be verified if there is an anomaly or something unusual in the animals that the system has detected, and based on this, we adjust the sensitivity and 17

FUTURENEWS specificity of the system. The machine learns from its errors as algorithms are altered.

How is this system different from others?

There are currently other research companies that are also testing systems such as accelerometers, temperature detectors, or others to detect possible abnormalities. Our approach, unlike others that perform individual monitoring, is an integrated non-invasive system, since it does not bother the animal, and what it does is continuously monitor day and night, and transmit caution or alarm signals if it detects that something is not going well in some animal.

In short, our project tries to incorporate new technologies,

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much more effectively than the human eye, in the best possible way for conventional farms.

“Our project tries to incorporate new technologies, in the best possible way, for conventional farms.�

How many phases does the project expect? Which one are they at?

Specifically, the project started in 2019 in the UCM laboratories with the first phase, the experimental one. There we did tests with experimental infections, and we could confirm that

Early detection will prevent the spread of disease on the farm. Photo: Rotecna.

our system detects feverish alterations of the animal long before a PCR is positive. This helps prevent the disease from spreading. In the second phase, we are trying to adapt this system to conventional farms. For this, two have been chosen, one from Pig Champ in Segovia, and the other from Vall Companys, in Lleida. In this second phase, which is the one we are now in, we want to verify that on commercial farms, the system continues to maintain its capacity to detect any alteration that comes with a fever. Finally, the third phase, which we plan to develop in 2021, will consist of adjusting the algorithms for the most sensitive and specific detection possible under conventional farm conditions.

Can it be used for other species?

Right now, we only work with pigs, but, through the Vaccine Livestock Association, we have already started to select cow farms, to implement the project with other animal species. In the coming months, cameras will begin to be installed to control animal activity and begin to define their algorithms.

In the long run, it is a system that can be applied to all animal species.

What can VIGIASAN contribute to the pig sector?

As we know, in healthcare, the secret is in early detection. Having this will go a long way in controlling the losses of a farm, will strengthen the safety of these facilities and help prevent the entry of endemic and exotic diseases. On the other hand, for farmers, it would mean an improvement in the surveillance tasks of their animals and their health and well-being would increase, since it will allow very early detection, long before the human eye. When the human eye

detects the problem, the disease could already be established. In contrast, with this system, we can detect it 48 hours before a PCR is positive; that is before the virus or bacteria begins to circulate.

Can it also mean a reduction in antibiotics use?

Yes. By detecting any disease very early on, you avoid its spread and, consequently, the number of animals to be treated is much lower than when the disease has spread throughout the farm, so there is a significant reduction in medication and better well-being.

How has the project been welcomed so far?

The truth is that we have had an outstanding response from the people to whom the VIGIASAN project has already been shown. Most have been interested in it, and that indicates an excellent future for it since it will mean more tranquillity for farmers, improvements in the early detection of diseases and animal production, greater profitability and a lower need to visit farms on weekends.

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FUTURENEWS JORDI BALIELLAS: “BIOSAFETY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL IN PRRS CONTROL.”

This virus is typified as the virus that generates the most economic losses in the pig sector.

Jordi Baliellas, veterinarian of the GSP Lleida. Photo: J. Baliellas.

PRRS (Pig Reproductive Respiratory Syndrome) is one of the most feared diseases by farmers for the economic impact that their entry into a farm can cause. Jordi Baliellas, the veterinarian of the GSP Lleida (Grup de Sanejament Porcí), tells us about the characteristics of this disease and about the tools we have to prevent its entry and/or spread on the farm.

What consequences does the disease have on animals?

When people think of PRRS, they usually think of a reproductive issue, whose primary manifestation is abortion, loss of sow gestation, which generally occurs in advanced stages, around the month before 20

delivery. But we also have a respiratory issue that usually affects piglets, infants or transition. However, adult pigs tend to be more resistant to this respiratory issue, although some strains and situations can also generate this type of case in adult pigs.

What are the main symptoms that can indicate that we have this infection on the farm?

In the case of a sow farm, the most common are problems around childbirth, which are usually abortions at the end of pregnancy or problems of weak births and lactating piglet mortality. However, there are some strains whose first manifestations are respiratory problems very similar to the flu, also

causing fever. Therefore, on a sow farm, the rancher or veterinarian should suspect that he has PRRS if he detects respiratory or reproductive problems at the end of pregnancy. On the other hand, in the transition and fattening phases, the issue is respiratory and is very similar to other viral problems, aggravated by the increase in secondary diseases. In this case, we find animals that stop eating, that have a fever, cough, pneumonia from these symptoms and from taking samples for PCR, which is determined if the farm has PRRS problems.

How is it transmitted?

The main transmission routes of the virus are replacement animals, semen, transport vehicles without proper cleaning or disinfecting, visits, and all the material that enters the farm. However, we

can contemplate other risks such as corpse transport and inadequate slurry management.

For all these reasons, biosecurity is the most crucial tool in PRRS control. Finally, there is the aerogenic transmission route, being usually the least frequent. Besides, there are few studies on how far the virus can be transmitted and under what climatic conditions.

What role does biosecurity play then in reducing the risk of PRRS entry into a farm and its dissemination?

If we want to prevent the virus from entering, we have to focus our efforts, first of all, on improving everything related to external biosecurity. In this sense, biosecurity measures must be applied to correctly control aspects such as replacement, semen, animal transport vehicles, visits and materials. When the external biosecurity measures fail, and the PRRS enters the farm, it is when the internal biosecurity measures must be efficient, that is, all those measures that are applied to prevent the spread of the virus between animals of different ages and different areas. About this point, much has been studied about the importance of pathways such as iatrogenic through needles, since a small drop of blood can contain a large number of viruses that can infect many animals. In this sense, among the internal biosecurity and adequate management measures that must be applied, the frequent change of needles, the use of clothing and footwear in phases, limiting adoptions, working with batches “all inside”/” all outside” to guarantee good cleaning and disinfection, etc.

Is there not, therefore, a single treatment to end PRRS? The best treatment is prevention, that is, prophylaxis, based on good external and internal biosecurity. On the other hand, in

Piglets from a farm with PRRS. Photo: J. Baliellas.

Spain, we have vaccines registered with different strains. The combination of both can offer some protection.

How long can it take to have a PRRS free farm?

Three different stages are proposed: a first one, in which we detect the presence of the virus and which lasts for a few months; a second one that is stabilisation, which means that animals have antibodies, but we no longer detect the virus and the PCRs are negative; and a final phase, the eradication of the disease, in which measures such as stopping vaccinating, improving biosecurity measures to prevent the disease from entering again. Usually, between detecting a PRRS outbreak and finally getting a PRRS-free farm, it takes at least one to two years.

And what might the economic impact of the PRRS be?

This virus, which only affects the pig species, is typified as the virus that causes the most economic losses in the pig sector worldwide, and its impact is highly variable since it depends on many factors. In this sense, we can go from having losses due to an outbreak of PRRS of about 30 euros per sow to 500-600 euros per sow. That is, on a farm of 1.000 sows, losses can go from 30.000 to 600.000 euros per outbreak.

21

PIGPRODUCTIONIN EXPORT AND EFFICIENCY, KEYS TO THE DANISH PIG SECTOR Changes in the structure of the sector have allowed Danish pigs to become one of the largest producers and piglet exporters.

Thanks to the significant increase in the farm size and the trend towards more technified production, Denmark has emerged as the leading European producer and piglet exporter, and one of the countries with the highest pig count: in this country, the swine population far exceeds the human population (12.3 million pigs compared to 5.8 million people in 2017).

Structure of the sector As in many European countries, the Danish pig industry has undergone an extensive transformation from small family farms to large professional farms. Increased mechanisation and specialisation has helped them become better established, and the number of animals in them has only increased. All of this has enabled Danish farmers to improve their cost efficiency, which is essential to keep their results competitive.

There are around 4000 pig farms in Denmark, although in 1992 the amount was 57.000. The number of pigs is almost the same, but the farms’ size is very different. Today, 90% of the Danish pig count is located on farms with more than 2.000 animals.

On the other hand, the farms’ structure has also undergone considerable changes in the last 22

Control gestation pen in Denmark. Photo: Skiold Group.

three decades. Most of them used to function as integrated production units, in which pigs were raised in the same unit from birth to slaughter. Current farms, on the other hand, have more specialised structures. Only a third function as integrated farms and the rest is divided according to production phases.

This evolution is the result of strict environmental legislation that regulates the allocation of animals per hectare, and the need for farmers to specialise in the production of sows weaned piglets or growing pigs to increase efficiency.

Production and export of piglets For more than 100 years, pig and pig meat production has been an essential source of income for the Danish economy. Approximately 90% of production is exported to more than 120 markets around the world. Given its high export quota, the industry depends on access to a large number of markets in the world.

Due to the high production costs compared to other European producers, Danish pig farmers are forced to limit these costs as much as possible, which has encouraged the development of new technologies. Therefore, to survive in the European market, Danish pig producers have to continually improve efficiency through management, the application of new technologies and adaptation to new types of specialised production.

Measures before the ASF

Denmark currently produces some 32 million piglets a year, 13.5 million of which are sold alive to the European Union for further fattening, with Germany and Poland being the main destinations, and the rest are slaughtered in the country. This represents almost double the number of piglets that Canada sells to the United States annually.

Faced with the ASF threat in Europe, the Danish Ministry of Environment installed in 2019 almost 70 kilometres of fences along the border between Denmark and Germany. In addition, the Danish authorities have increased wild boar hunting, have decided to impose more significant fines in the case of not adequately cleaning or disinfecting animal transport vehicles, and have placed information signs in the rest areas on all highways, warning of the obligation not to leave food remains in the natural environment, all to prevent the entry of ASF.

Future

The export of growing pigs started in 2004, and the demand for Danish weaned piglets has increased each year, which has limited national production levels. However, it appears that increased piglet production has had growth in both the domestic and live export markets.

It is very likely that, in the future, the Danish pig sector will be organised in large production sites, with a high degree of technological implementation, both in terms of management and minimisation of environmental impact.

This need for technologies that help reduce odour and ammonia emissions will be a specific business niche in Denmark.

The most widely used genetic lines in pig production in Denmark are Landrace, Yorkshire and Duroc, the first two being the most used in the sow lines (achieving up to 35 piglets), due to their excellent maternal behaviour, and the last in the male lines for its performance in meat production and its food efficiency.

On this issue, new legislation is underway that will focus on the animal production regulation based on the amount of ammonia that is emitted and not on the number of animals housed in a facility, which is the method currently used. This law is expected to stimulate the environmental technology business area further.

23

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TECNAPUR is a product by Rotecna, S.A. Pol. Ind. N-3 · 25310 Agramunt (Lleida) Spain • Tel. (+34) 973 39 12 67 • www.rotecna.com • rotecna@rotecna.com