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The tenth Betagro Group hog farm is officially operational, with key elements of its sustainability strategy – total animal welfare, innovative housing and advanced sow management technology – now in place to reduce negative impact on the environment and local communities.
Vasit Taepaisitphongse, Executive Vice President of Betagro Group, said, “Our tenth hog farm in Amphoe Chaibadan, Lopburi Province, is part of our commitment to quality and food safety. It is also in full compliance with internationally recognised farm management standards, and especially makes use of animal-friendly buildings that promote total animal welfare. The farm is also equipped with European-standard electronic sow feeders using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) for improved pig traceability and feeding efficiency. The automatic feeding system enables fully scheduled, customisable feeding for individual pregnant sows. There is no need to use traditional rearing pens. Pigs can now be fed without causing them stress. As a result, dominant genes can be expressed, evaluation of feed conversion rate (FCR) enabled for individual breeders, and overall productivity enhanced.
This newly established farm has 2,500 GGPs (great grandparent pigs) from different breeds such as Large White, Landrace and Duroc. They are healthy and free from infectious diseases, and have higher fertility rates. Scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2014, the farm is set to be a major supplier of fattening pigs for the S-Pure premium pork brand.
To further ease impact on the environment and neighbouring communities, biogas technology is used to facilitate waste management within the farm, thus eliminating emissions of methane and nose-irritating wastes as well as microbes and insects such as flies that might transmit diseases. All farm wastes are effectively managed and transformed to bio-organic fertilizer (BOF). In addition, Betagro is working on its forestation plan and check dams in areas around the farm in a bid to ease air pollution and reduce the density of water in the rainy season.
“As one of the country’s pioneering hog raisers with more than 40 years of experience, Betagro Group has placed a lot of importance on swine breeding to produce healthy pigs and high quality pork. We focus intensively on increasing production, implementing the best quality assurance principle and adopting advanced technology to maximise overall farm efficiency. This new establishment is a big step forward for expanding our swine farming business and taking our pig breeding function to a higher global level. We will continue to do business this way with greater commitment and social contribution,” said Vasit.
Currently operated by Betagro Hybrid International Co, Ltd., the tenth Betagro Group hog farm is located in Tambon Silathip, Amphoe Chaibadan, Lopburi Province, on a 319-rai plot of land. Construction work for the 300-million baht farm started in January 2011, and the farm was ready for operation in 2012.
March 28, 2013 - Betagro
