Dutch consortium working on responsible pig farming in China
The consortium is managed by Royal Agrifirm Group and works closely together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), the Agricultural Council of the Dutch Embassy in Peking and NLWorks, in coordination with the (local) Chinese government. ‘To have a real impact on the Chinese pig farming sector, you have to operate on the basis of a broad public-private consortium,’ says Maurits van Os, Deputy Director NLWorks. ‘Thanks to the support from companies and the Dutch government, we are taking an important step towards a sustainable earnings model for China, as well as the Netherlands, with the construction of the RTTC.’
Global challenges
Royal Agrifirm Group has more than 100 years of experience in the livestock feed industry and contributes to a responsible food chain for future generations throughout the world. ‘Ensuring a safe and sustainable food supply and sustainable animal production, including the pig farming sector, are global challenges,’ says Jeroen Jeuken, Managing Director Agrifirm ASIA. ‘Combined with our many years of marketing experience and the knowledge we have acquired in China over the past twenty years we are able to make a contribution to making the pig farming sector sustainable in China, together with the involved Dutch companies, knowledge institutes and government.’
Ambitions
The consortium’s ambitions bear this out. ‘The situation in China is especially dire and the challenges are sizable,’ Jeuken continues. ‘At the present time we are encountering limits to improving the situation in the Chinese pig sector. This concerns the production systems being used, safeguarding quality and health, knowledge and skills, and the impact on the environment and on animal and human health. You cannot stop China’s tremendous growth and its ambition of producing its own food. What we can do, however, is to ensure that this happens in ways that are good for our planet, while providing due consideration to animal welfare. In this regard we fully apply Dutch knowledge, which is leading at a global level. This way the Dutch economy also profits to the maximum possible extent from these developments in China.’
Member payment
With this investment, Royal Agrifirm Group also works on its profitability abroad, which benefits the members of the Dutch Cooperative through means of the member payment. Members each year receive a member dividend, which derives from the profit Agrifirm earns outside the member company and abroad.
Five core areas
Making use of consortium partners makes it possible to supply and further develop integrated and partial solutions in five core areas, namely nutrition, genetics, health, accommodation and knowledge/skills. Work on constructing the RTTC in Anping has since started. This demonstration and production farm with integrated facilities for giving training courses, conducting trials and giving demonstrations will be opened in 2021. The RTTC will contribute to improving and strengthening Agrifirm Asia’s market position in China.
‘Sustainable Pig Farming China’ Consortium
The ‘Sustainable Pig Farming China’ consortium and foundation was officially established on 29 September 2020 and consists of: Royal Agrifirm Group, Dutch Farm Design (DFD), Groba Voedersystemen, Hato Lighting, Microfan, MS Schippers, Nedap Livestock Management, Nooyen Pig Flooring, R&R Systems BV, Topigs Norsvin, TripleAir BV and NLWorks.
