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Two major awards for pig performance have been achieved by British breeding stock in Spain.Alfredo Galindo who runs a 700-sow herd in Castro de Fuentidueña, in the province of Segovia, gained gold trophies for both the numbers born alive and farrowing rate of his sows using genetics from Yorkshire-based breeding company, ACMC.
The awards were sponsored by BD Porc an independent organisation which runs a special reference database for the Spanish pig industry under the auspices of IRTA — the Institute for Investigation and AgriFood Techologies. Over 800 farms and 600,000 sows are monitored in this data-base.
Performance was judged by an independent panel of industry experts who identified Mr Galindo’s sows outstanding fertility achievement in achieving a farrowing rate of 96.1 per cent and producing an average of 14.37 pigs born alive per litter over a 12-month period in 2009.
Alfredo Galindo (in blue check shirt) owner and manager of a 700-sow herd of ACMC AC1 sows in Segovia with certificates he received at the BD Porc Awards ceremony in Spain
“The significance of these awards is that this farm is 2013 compatible — with all the sows being group housed — and was up against competition from farms where the sows were still in stalls,” commented Matthew Curtis, ACMC’s managing director. “It was still able to scoop the awards because of the AC1 sows’ temperament, hardiness and ease of management under that system, in addition to their prolificacy.”
Mr Galindo’s AC1 gilts were supplied by ACMC’s SAT 322 a Spanish integrator with 10,000 sows. Of the eight nominees in the Castilla y Leon region five were from Sat 322 using ACMC genetics.
The award ceremony, held in Lerida, was attended by 640 people connected with the Spanish pig industry.
ACMC Ltd
