Questions to Hans Verhoeven
'Earn more with the same number of pigs'
Hans Verhoeven of pig farm De Hoeve in Valkenswaard, Brabant, is launching a new barn concept this year: 'The Stable of the Future'. He receives €2,6 million in subsidy from the province.
Verhoeven is one of the initiators of Keten Duurzaam Varkensvlees (KDV), a partnership of pig farmers, slaughterhouses, wholesalers, butchers, retail, catering and meat products producers who are all closely involved in the concept of sustainable pork.
The new project that Verhoeven is focusing on this year, 'The Stable of the Future', fits in with this. The core of this new concept is the direct separation and fermentation of fresh pig manure. He uses the energy that is recovered on the farm.
Why this new barn concept?
"Brabant has tightened up the environmental requirements and introduced them 6 years earlier. As a result, the focus has shifted to ammonia reduction. Installing an air scrubber is then the obvious choice. As far as I am concerned, however, this is an 'end of pipe solution'. Ammonia reduction is an issue, but there are more points for attention. The objective of the KDV is to look at the ammonia issue in an integrated manner. In our case, that means also paying attention to animal welfare, labor and the revenue model. a broader solution, in which ammonia reduction plays a central role."
Does the new barn concept make an air scrubber superfluous?
"Yes, that's right. With this project we are trying to prevent the formation of ammonia in the stable. This by removing daily fresh manure from the stable. This improves the climate in the stable and improves animal health. This ultimately leads to lower costs and more animal welfare. Preventing ammonia is a different approach than reducing it via an air scrubber. The project is interesting for the province of Noord-Brabant to subsidize, because it can help make the sector more sustainable. As KDV, we benefit from a vital pig sector with the necessary scale. This project can strengthen the raison d'être of pig farming. That is why we are happy to take the pioneering role with all the associated risks."
When can 'The Stable of the Future' be widely rolled out?
"About 3 years ago we developed the system on our farm for finishing pigs. Now we are going to roll it out for other categories, such as (pregnant) sows and weaned piglets. The system has mainly been developed for adaptations to existing barns, but can also be applied In the near future we will test the system in several barn sections at different companies. Within the next two years we expect that the system will be officially recognized by the Maatlat Duurzaam Veehouderij (MDV certificate). system. At the moment it still has a pilot house status."
De Hoeve is a chain director within the KDV, what does that mean?
"The KDV was set up more than 20 years ago. There are 300 pig farmers active within the chain. The central theme is chain collaboration and knowledge sharing. The latter usually has a cost-reducing effect. In other words: achieving a higher margin. The KDV Foundation is a collaboration between De Hoeve and the Westfort slaughterhouse The tasks are clearly divided within this. For example, Westfort purchases fattening pigs and sells meat, and De Hoeve arranges certification for participants, for example. There is also an external committee that advises on issues such as feed management, animal health and energy saving."
What are the benefits of working within the foundation?
"The big plus is that the costs are more transparent. In this way every participant can easily compare his results (technical, financial and animal health) with other participants. A pig farmer can therefore better manage his business. The producer is also in contact with the slaughterhouse We have been applying the principle of 'blockchain technology' for 20 years. We collect the (slaughter) data of each individual pig, such as mortality, salmonella status and genetics. We try to learn lessons from this with the aim of reducing the cost price. We want to be as transparent as possible to the consumer, so this data is also useful."
"In terms of yields, it is up to the participating pig farmers to strive for the maximum. Each pig farmer can steer himself, so that he scores as well as possible on the payout table. A higher yield can be achieved, for example, by controlling meat quality with Pietrain genetics, in instead of producing as many kilos as possible. With good management, a 'more difficult' pig often yields more. Sometimes more expensive feed of better quality ultimately also yields a higher return."
Where will the KDV and Dutch pig farming be in 5 years' time?
"I don't expect the pig farms in the Netherlands to become much bigger. Getting bigger often does not immediately yield a higher return, because the labor saving factor has been reached once. We will probably go to fewer pig farms in the Netherlands with more locations. Within the KDV growth is not an end in itself. Our goal is to serve better markets. For example, KDV can produce pork from animals with an antibiotic-free life. This is of added value for the consumer. Blockchain technology comes in handy to guarantee this. Personally, I aim to earn more with the same number of pigs."
Wouter Job
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.