Pig producers keen to identify different opportunities to improve business efficiency now have access to a new holistic benchmarking tool from Alltech E-CO2.
Talking to British Pig and Poultry Fair [10/11 May 2016] attendees this week, Alltech E-CO2 Head of Farm and Consultancy Services, James Wynne, said that for the first time the industry now had an all-encompassing computer model for benchmarking physical, financial and environmental performance.
"Our new Pig EA™ Environmental Assessment incorporates an added cost of production tool that will help pig producers reduce the impact of their business on the environment, as well as improve both production efficiency and economics.
"Following data input it calculates carbon performance and cost of production, and highlights opportunities for improvement across the whole pig production operation – either at a site or a whole business level," he said.
He added that in the current depressed economic climate, use of the model could be particularly beneficial.
"Now’s the perfect opportunity to cast a fresh pair of eyes over your business and this new tool will help you look at things slightly differently," said Mr Wynne.
The new carbon cost of production tool has been developed collaboratively with Agricultural Business Analysis (ABA).
Over the last six years ABA has been working closely with leading retailers and processors, assisting with the analysis of physical and financial performance data coming from pork, beef, lamb and dairy producers.
"There is still tremendous industry variation in pigmeat production efficiency,” said ABA managing director Alan Bason.
"The ultimate efficiency driver is kg of pigmeat produced per sow per year, but low-cost production does impact on the environment.
"So to now be able to incorporate key environmental impact parameters – such as pig manure management and feed volumes – within a single cost of production tool is significant.
"It will save producers time and allow the pig industry to identify key efficiency improvement opportunities in a more complete way."
